Popularized Diet Fads continue Part 4 The Macrobiotic Diet from Fitness Elements Express!

6 Popular Diet Fads and the Scientific Discovery behind them Part 4- The Macrobiotic Diet

The How to's on Designing your own Healthy Diet

Here is a quick look on some of the most popular Diets and what has been discovered with these various type diets. This will be a six part discussion and education for you on determining and forming your own personal view. While there are literally hundreds of fad diets that have been promoted over the years that we could discuss, we will limit the discussion to the following popular diets:

The Atkins diet
The Blood Type Diet
The Ornish diet
The Macrobiotic diet
The vegetarian diet
The Zone diet


Today we will start and discuss the Macrobiotic diet and what the outcomes and conclusions were. This is part four of the six part series of articles.

The Macrobiotic Diet

The macrobiotic diet was developed in the 1920's by a Japenese educator named George Oshawa. Oshawa is said to have cured himself of serious illness by changing to a simple diet of brown rice, miso soup, and sea vegetables. After regaining his health. Oshawa worked to integrate Eastern and Western philosophy and medicine to form the dietary and lifestyle principles of what is now known as macrobiotics. The following are the key components of the macrobiotic diet and lifestyle.

Eat only Organic foods.
Eat two or three meals a day.
Avoid cooking with electricity or microwaves; use a gas wood stove, and use only cast iron, stainless-steel, or clay cookware.
Chew each mouthful of food approximately fifty times to aid digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Do not eat for at least three hours before bedtime.
Take short baths as needed with warm or cool water.
Use grooming, cosmetic, and household products made from natural, nontoxic ingredients.
Wear only cotton clothing and avoid metalic jewelry.
Spend as much time as possible in natural outdoor settings and walk at least 30 minutes daily.
Do aerobic or stretching exercises such as yoga, dance, or martial arts on a regular basis.
Place large green plants throughout the house to enrich the oxygen content of the air, and keep windows open as much as possible to allow the circulation of fresh air.
Avoid watching television and using computers as much as possible.

Whole grains, such as brown rice, barley, millet, oats, corn, and rye, make up the bulk of the macrobiotic diet. The diet also emphasizes the consumption of vegetables, especially cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, bok choy, collards, and mustad greens. Beans, tofu, and sea vegetables should be eaten on a daily basis, and a few servings each week of nuts, seeds, and fresh fish, such as halibut, flounder, cod, or sole, are permissible. All foods should be organically grown, and, ideally, only fresh and locally grown fruits and vegetables should be eaten.

My view along with the refereneces I have provided for this article of the macrobiotic diet is that it incorporates many of the same principles that we advocate but falls short in its nutritional completeness and variety of health-boosting foods.

Nonetheless, the macrobiotic diet is a health-promoting diet that clinical research has shown it to be beneficial for people with cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Until part five the Vegetarian Diet have a healthy and happy day!

References: Michael Murray N.D., Joseph Pizzorno N.D., and Lara Pizzorno M.A., L.M.T

By, Natalie Pyles

NSA Speaker, Author, Medical Exercise and Post Rehab Conditioning Specialist, Licensed Nutritionist, Whole Health, Fitness, and Holistic Nutrition and Nursing Educator