What is Macrobiotics?
Macrobiotics is a means to live comfortably in harmony with nature. Essentially,
macrobiotics is one particular lifestyle.
In Japan, Yoshikazu Sakurazawa, known as George Ohsawa in the west, read a
book about healing with natural Japanese foods by Sagen Isizaka from the Meiji
era. Using this information he healed himself of tuberculosis. Ohsawa
then started using the term macrobiotics (large/long life) which was first
coined in Greece by Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine. Ohsawa
interpreted this universal term, which is applicable to balanced natural foods
eating in all cultures, to describe a path to health and healing with traditional
Japanese natural foods. Michio and Aveline Kushi were students of George Ohsawa.
They popularized the macrobiotic approach to health further with footholds
in America, South America, Europe and worldwide.
The basic idea of Macrobiotics is very simple.
It is thought that by eating balanced foods such as grains and vegetables
that are more local and in season, we can maintain good physical and spiritual
health and live in harmony with nature. A typical Macrobiotic plate for our
area will consist of a large portion of grains, beans, seaweed, vegetables
and vegetable protein, such as tofu, seitan, beans and tempeh. Following the
traditional Japanese food model of a simple and natural diet, macrobiotics
dictates eating food in a natural way – unrefined and unprocessed. But
what does unrefined and unprocessed mean? It means for example, eating whole
foods such as vegetables together with their skins and stems. It means not
eating husked, processed rice but whole grain brown rice. It means, we living
people should eat from a living land – taking food in season, in its
entirety.
However, no matter how whole and in season our food is, it is meaningless
if the food isn’t delicious. The macrobiotic plate is best served with
great tasting foods that don’t have the stigma of “diet food.” The
macrobiotic plate doesn't work if we are constantly thinking “I can’t
have this, I can’t have that” – that is too stressful. The
macrobiotic plate is a happy plate, stress-free, and naturally delicious. Thinking
of macrobiotics as a lifestyle we enjoy, instead of as a temporary “diet” that
we must endure will ensure a successful and healthy life. And finally, the
most important macrobiotic lifestyle tip: chewing! Let’s chew our food
at least 30 times so we may truly take the time to taste and savor the delicious
food nature has provided us.
Concept:
Our concept is to let people all over the world experience real traditional
Japanese food, delicious Macrobiotic food. We’d like people to bring
it into their lives to allow them to heal themselves, improve their immune
systems, and have a more enjoyable, harmonious life. Our aim is to contribute
to a peaceful world.