How To Build A Balanced Plate: Why We Love The Macrobiotic Diet

Not only is it one of the yummiest diets around, we love the macrobiotic diet because it gives us an excuse to buy gorgeous Japanese-inspired steamer baskets and tea cups like the one above! Here's everything you need to know about this traditional way of eating... 

Grounded in the principles of yin and yang, the macrobiotic diet gained recognition in the 60’s and 70’s as a diet that, unlike other “fad” diets, was actually quite easy to follow and catered to the individual. It was more of a lifestyle than a traditional diet that practiced moderation instead of limitation. Not only did the diet shed pounds, it balanced one’s mood and energy, grounded one in the present moment, healed disease and overall cultivated health. Today, the lifestyle is commonly looked to as a gentle cleansing as well as healing diet, often practiced to prevent or heal chronic diseases from heart disease to cancers. The diet in itself is a great stand alone tool to create a balanced way of life and eating well, period.

Created by George Ohsawa and later promoted by Michio Kushi, macrobiotics embodies simplified disciplines of traditional Asian dietotherapy and energy flow. It translates loosely to mean “big life” which was further interpreted in practice as “the art of great life” or “the art of longevity”. Ultimately, the macrobiotic approach is based on the idea that we are the result of our environment – that how we live, what we eat, our climate, stresses, etc – all influence our lives and our health. Through the lens of macrobiotics, we truly are what we eat and how we live.

The Basic Principle of Macrobiotics: 

Like feng shui or other energy practices, macrobiotics can be broken down to basic flow with nature and how its energy impacts our own inner balance. Yin and Yang, the flowing energies, represent two halves of a whole – two opposing energies that are constantly moving and changing to create a delicate balance. Yin is more delicate, feminine, while yang energy is bright and large. Only when we live in accordance with these energies do we find balance and health.

When it comes to food, these energies should be balanced at every meal. While this can be broken down in many different ways, from eating locally and in season, to the ingredients used that are energetically categorized as more yin and yang, and even further to even the various parts of the plant (the leaves that are more yang than the root), or even the cooking processes we choose; the overall process and ingredients used will create various energetic outcomes. A quick steaming method, for example, produces a more active, upward energy versus pressure cooking, which produces a condensing yang energy. For this reason food preparation is highly taken into account, as is temperature of food. Blenders and food processors are minimally used, while microwaves are not used as a method of cooking because of the structural energetic change produced.

While the concept of yin and yang are ever-present within macrobiotics, to simplify, let's discuss what actually ends up in a balanced macrobiotic meal. Here's how to balance your plate using the principles of macrobiotics.

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