Macrobiotic Diet And Exercise

Want to live well, eat well, and simply feel well? Looking for a simple, holistic and natural way to adjust your lifestyle, so you can achieve just that? The macrobiotic diet is not just a diet, but is also a lifestyle. Now overtaken by cooler and newer ways to live, the macrobiotic diet is, in some ways, the mother of all health-focused diets — and we'd be short-sighted if we were to toss all that wisdom aside simply because it's been around for a while.

Followers of the macrobiotic diet believe that this diet is a version of an Eastern, zen-like philosophy, that promotes well-rounded health for the entire individual. The term 'macrobiotic' comes from the Greek words meaning 'long life' or 'great life.

The macrobiotic lifestyle promotes the balanced health of our 4 "bodies", or aspects of being:

• mental,
• physical,
• emotional
• spiritual.

This lifestyle does not only focus on what food we consume and how we do it, but also on how we approach life in general. Maintaining a zen-like balance between yin and yang also refers to the food a person eats; helping to pair up balanced matching foods, and to avoid extreme foods.

Primarily, the macrobiotic diet focuses on eating wholesome foods, that are grown locally, and organically, if possible, to achieve a balance with the earth and to reduce the negative impact we have on nature. Foods are grouped into two categories, yin and yang, and should be eaten in a balanced form.

Yin foods are sweet, cold and passive. These include chocolate, honey, coffee, sugar and very hot spices. Yang foods are hot, aggressive and salty. These include meat, poultry, eggs, and salt. While Yin foods are said to over-stimulate the body and mind, Yang foods are said to have a strengthening effect. Too much of either is not healthy, and too many Yang foods can lead to problems.

Exercise for a Macrobiotic diet

Exercise is an essential and integral part of a healthy macrobiotic lifestyle. The nature of the exercise fits into the Zen balance, and is not meant to be extreme. Many famous athletes follow this practice, balancing healthy exercise with a balanced diet. A part of this is to exercise every day, for 30 minutes. A part of keeping your balance is to not damage one of the 4 bodies mentioned above. As a result, it is important to actually enjoy and appreciate the moments you spend being healthy and improving your wellbeing.

Picking an activity which you can appreciate and enjoy helps to keep your 4 bodies well by avoiding damage. Think of yourself going through a grueling workout which you dread going to. Your emotional  and spiritual health is paying the price for your supposed physical health in this scenario. Rather, find activities which you enjoy, and keep it simple. A 30 minute walk on natural earth is recommended on this diet, ideally barefoot. Sand, grass, or dirt are all natural surfaces we should walk on, and this keeps us close to nature. This practice is known as Do- o-Raku, roughly translated to “live to enjoy the order of nature” in Japanese.