Dude.
There is only one way to begin this entry and that is with one word.
DUDE.
I've been absent here half of last week because, believe it or not, the acute bronchitis is back with a vengeance. First me, then the babes.
I assure you that more radical changes are being implemented.
First, I bought these two books:
I opted for a newer book on an old subject because I need to get to work fast, as opposed to reading about the history of macro and the science behind acid/alkali yin/yang balance. I've been bugging my friends for those details!
And this one because I've had it in my wishlist forever and because it's known for the chapter on healing moods with foods. Promising enough for me to want to try.
While I'm anxiously awaiting their arrival, I'm priming my family by taking away all of the foods that they love! Well, Miles is the one who is really having to make adjustments. It seems I've really slipped with him. You see, he's very persistent and quite a logical debater about his preferences. Convincing chase he does give in order to get what he wants. And I fall for his big brown eyes every time. His techniques combined with year one of baby number two have made me weak at my game. Instant oatmeal has become a staple with a big dollup of organic, sugar free peanut butter-his favorite breakfast. With fresh berries on the side, I've even fooled myself into believing he is a pretty healthy eater.
Oh boy.
Years ago, a dear friend experienced a major boost in her health, which included an adjustment of her post-thyroid cancer medication. Here are the contents of an email she sent me this morning excerpted from Michio Kushi's and Alex Jack's book The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health:
Healing Diet # 1 for more yin conditions is as follows:
1) Avoid all extreme yin foods and beverages, including sugar, chocolate, honey, milk, butter and other dairy products, white rice, flour, etc., excessive fruits and fruit juices (except a little stewed apple cooked with a pinch of sea salt), including potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers.
2) Avoid all extreme yang foods including meat, eggs, salted cheese, seafood.
3) Avoid or reduce all hard baked flour products such as bread, crackers, cookies and pastries, except for occasional unyeasted or unsweetened whole-grain sourdough bread, if craved
4) Eliminate all chemicalized or artificially produced and treated foods and beverages.
5)Avoid all foods cooked on electric stove or microwave.
6) Minimize oil for 1-2 months; use only sesame or olive oil sparingly.
7) Avoid raw salads for 1 mo or until condition improves; eat boiled salads where you lightly boil or steam vegetables in layers and eat with a little shoyu and whole grain noodles if you want.
8) Avoid all ice-cold foods and drinks on ice.
9) In general the cooking for a yin condition may be slightly stronger than usual and use a little more sea salt, miso, or shoyu in cooking.
10) Eat whole grains in whole form as the main portion of the diet (50-60% of daily consumption). The first day prepare pressure-cooked shortgrained brown rice. The next day prepare brown rice pressure cooked with 30% millet. The third day prepare brown rice with 30% barley. The fourth day, prepare brown rice with 30% adzuki beans or lentils. The fifth day, prepare brown rice again. Boiling may be alternated or substituted for pressure-cooking (put a small piece of kombu in water when you cook it for seasoning). Morning porridge can be made by taking leftover rice and adding a little more water to soften, simmering for a few minutes and then adding 1 tsp. of miso per cup of grain at end of cooking. Oats should be avoided for first month, but you can use different grains like wheat berries, rye, and corn. Both udon and soba noodles or other whole grain noodles and pasta may be eaten 2-3 times per week (with miso).
11) Eat 1-2 servings of soup each day, mostly miso with wakame, onions, carrots, daikon, shitake. Grain soups also okay. Butternut squash soup a good choice. Make your own vegetable broth for cooking soups (onion, carrot, celery, root greens).
12) 30% of diet should be vegetables: leafy greens such as collards, kale, turnip greens; sweet round veggies such as squash, onions and cabbage and root veggies such as carrots, daikon, burdock, parsnips. You can add dried tofu, tofu, tempeh, mochi or seitan with vegetables 2 times/week.
13) 5% beans: adzuki, lentils, chickpeas, black soy beans cooked with kombu and small amount of onion and carrot.
14) Pickles made at home, i.e., daikon, cabbage, carrots (You can get a little pickle press from Japanese markets or in Little Tokyo)
15) White fish may be eaten once a week, if craved, steamed, boiled or poached, garnished with fresh grated daikon or ginger to aid in digestion.
16) Drink bancha twig tea as the main beverage. Do not drink coffee. Use good spring water. One to 2 cups of fresh carrot or other vegetable juice may be taken once a week.
17) Avoid overeating or overdrinking. Avoid late-night snacks or eating within 3 hours of sleeping.
No problem, right?
Yesterday and today, I made a lovely broth to drink by boiling cabbage, butternut squash, carrot and onion. I strained it and drank it like clear tea. I'm also taking licorice tea for the bronchitis and lobelia capsules (Indian tobacco) to reduce the inflammation of the branches of my poor bronchial tree.
I'll keep you posted on how we do. Working up to the grain requirement is going to be tough. One thing I did discover is that goat's milk products are alkalinizing (yang), whereas cow's milk is acid (yin). Needless to say, I discovered shredded goat's mozzarella and butter at the health food store and since I don't have great tastebuds, they are working out famously. In major moderation, of course. It helps to have transitional items onhand. Once we get healthy, they may taste a bit goaty. Brandon thought the butter was indistinguishable, though.
I've been able to slip in some products without Miles noticing, but he has busted me on a few things- like goat yogurt and creamy cheese from Trader Joe's.
I also found some very yummy tofu and carob nutty cube thingies at our hfs which are helping to curb our collective sugar cravings. I may try making some of my own.
I'd love to know if any of you eat macro or a raw food diet and what led you to it.
Starting Monday off with a bang, aren't I?
Postscript: My friend asked me to note (of course!) that this special "healing" diet is not what macrobiotics looks like once the body becomes healthy. It serves to clean out the system and reset the acid/alkaline balance in beginners. In her words, "the basic tenet for macrobiotic diet is to be able to eat whatever you want once you learn how to maintain a balance between yin and yang foods".
