Macrobiotics is a popular albeit restrictive and sometimes controversial lifestyle that promotes whole foods, intuitive eating and a holistic approach to health and wellness that many believe reduces the risk of diseases, including cancer. If you’re wondering about the medical benefits or risks of macrobiotic living, or if you’re curious about a new diet and eating plan that’s focused on local, sustainable and clean foods, check out these blogs and links.
Blogs
These bloggers can help you learn how to make a macrobiotic lifestyle and diet easy to follow. Read their posts for tips, great recipes, and personal stories that will inspire your own lifestyle switch.
- Jessica Porter’s Hip Chick Blog: Jessica Porter shares macrobiotic recipes, "spiritual stuff," chewing tips and more. Also check out her principal website for an audiobook, FAQ page, and other resources.
- The MacroChef: Find recipes for any kind of meal or snack on this blog, as well as macrobiotic book recommendations, gardening tips, and more.
- Energized Eating’s Blog: Find out which foods are best for your body and how to cook them from this blog.
- Jen’s Whole Foods Cooking Blog: Jen Hoy highlights foods and shares recipe ideas that adhere to a whole, macrobiotic lifestyle.
- Naturally!: This Hawaii-based blog explains macrobiotic cooking and the philosophy behind the sustainable lifestyle.
- Macrobiotic Vegan Diet: Michael Acosta blogs to explain the benefits of macrobiotic eating and how to create yummy meals from whole, vegetarian foods.
Restaurants and Eating Out
Learn about eating out on a macrobiotic diet, and get connected to restaurants who also share valuable information about the lifestyle.
- Best Vegan, Macrobiotic and Raw Food Restaurants: When.com lists best macrobiotic restaurants in cities like Chicago and New York City here.
- VegGuide.org: Look up vegetarian and vegan restaurants and grocers all over the world: there are over 8,800 entries for North America, and nearly 850 for Europe.
- Souen Macrobiotics: Souen Restaurant in New York City has a page devoted to explaining macrobiotics, including an overview, food glossary, and yin and yang food listing.
History
These links explain the history behind macrobiotic living.
- Macrobiotics – A Brief History: 9starki.com reveals the story of George Ohsawa and yin and yang foods.
- The History of Macrobiotics: Herman Aihara’s history on the Macrobiotic Guide site covers macrobiotics in Great Britain and popular misconceptions about macrobiotics.
- Macrobiotic Shiatsu: Learn about the history behind and principles of this particular type of macrobiotic living.
- Macrobiotic History Timeline: Google’s Timeline credits a German author with first coining the term "macrobiotic."
Lifestyle Benefits
Learn about the philosophy of the macrobiotic lifestyle, and how it’s a holistic approach to health, possibly even in fighting cancer.
- Benefits of the Macrobiotic Diet: The principles of macrobiotics are outlined here, including the idea that the lifestyle contributes to a cancer-free body.
- Macrobiotics: A Way of Life: Loulie Gillen’s study on the Vanderbilt psychology department website delves into the philosophy and standards of the macrobiotic diet.
- The Macrobiotic Path: Basics of the Macrobiotic Lifestyle: Find out why buying local, seasonal foods in fundamental, and the reasoning behind the emphasis on chewing.
- Ahh, the Balancing Act of Life: David Graber, OTS, shares his findings about health and disease statistics that have convinced him of the benefits of macrobiotics.
- Macrobiotics: Tim Burness has followed a macrobiotic lifestyle for 30 years, and here he discusses the diet and also the benefits of the philosophy.
- Macrobiotic Diet: This piece on CancerHelp UK explains why some believe the macrobiotic lifestyle helps cancer treatments.
Diet
Discover which foods you can eat, how to cook them, and how to mix and match them here.
- What is Macrobiotic: LoveToKnowDiet explains the foods and ingredients and what they mean in terms of the macrobiotic lifestyle. For instance, food is the foundation of health and happiness.
- WH Foods: The Macrobiotic Diet: Get background information on the diet, understand why it’s so popular, and find a foods emphasized and foods avoided list.
- Eating Plan for Macrobiotic Diet: Livestrong.com outlines the basics of the whole grains, fruits, vegetables, soy foods, legumes and oils you should be eating. Look to the right sidebar for videos, too.
- Macrobiotics: Lifestyle and Diet: Farrah Sarafa’s piece on macrobiotics discusses the Kushi Institute, and the possibly restrictive nature of the diet.
- Macrobiotic Diet: Keep learning about what yin and yang foods mean, and how to identify them.
- What’s a Macrobiotic Diet?: Care2 explores the diet here, specifying the percentage allowances for each food group.
- What’s a Macrobiotic Diet?: Taste for Life even identifies occasional foods that you can sometimes indulge in, like fruit desserts, rice syrup and trout.
- Macrobiotic Diet Basics: Find menu planners, food categories and more on this site.
- Macrobiotic Diet: WebMD reviews yin and yang foods and the flexitarian diet plan.
- The Macrobiotic Diet Review: Get a review that highlights the low-fat, high-fiber diet.
Questions and Advice
Discover how to ease into the lifestyle and make macrobiotics even more attractive.
- Toward Macrobiotic Living: Get help starting the macrobiotic lifestyle here.
- How to Make a Macrobiotic Diet Plan: Read this article to learn how to eliminate certain foods, pay attention to seasonal changes, and to keep macrobiotic foods with you at all times.
- Nutritious, but nice: Macrobiotic food gets a makeover: Macrobiotics are getting a sexy makeover, according to this article from The Independent.
- Macrobiotic Lifestyle Tips: Baking Tips and Techniques for the Macrobiotic Lifestyle: Learn how to bake yummy treats even on a macrobiotic diet.
- 5 Steps for Macrobiotic Beginners: Steps emphasized here include chewing well and giving up dairy.
- The Macrobiotic Diet Plan: DietTV.com looks at the macrobiotic diet as a weight loss plan.
- Macrobiotics FAQ: Find out about weight loss expectations, cost and the commitment here.
- How to Start and Follow the Macrobiotic Diet: This blogger responded to a reader’s question about switching to macrobiotic eating.
- Macrobiotic Principles: Find macrobiotic guide book reviews on this page.
- Sample Macrobiotic Diet: After giving an overview of the diet, you’ll find a sample meal plan for breakfasts, snacks, lunches, and dinners.
- How to Start a Macrobiotic Diet Step by Step: Learn about the distinguishing diet factors and then get a step-by-step guide to transition to macrobiotic eating.
Controversy
These links provide commentary and research on the debate about the macrobiotic lifestyle and its alleged benefits.
- The Macrobiotic Diet: The Pulse covers two sides of the macrobiotic diet: the health benefits and the restrictiveness that inhibits social eating and possibly even nutritional deficiencies.
- The problem with purity: Larry Christopher critically examines pure lifestyles like macrobiotics, which are too rigid and perfection-oriented.
- Macrobiotic Diet: The American Cancer Society weighs the pros and cons of macrobiotics in terms of general health and fighting cancer.
- Are Macrobiotic Diets Healthy?: Learn about the Vitamin D factor here.
Groups and Organizations
The websites for these groups and organizations provide more information, e-classes, and other resources for understanding the lifestyle.
- George Ohsawa Macrobiotic Foundation: Carl and Julia Ferre started this nearly 30-year-old organization to educate the public about the macrobiotic lifestyle.
- Kushi Institute: This macrobiotic center is the preeminent institute for educating the public on the lifestyle.
- Macrobiotic Meetups: If you’re interested in meeting others practicing the same lifestyle, attend a Meetup.
- Carbondale Center for Macrobiotic Studies: This nonprofit group is also great online resource for learning about macrobiotic living and health.
- Macrobiotics America: David and Cynthia Briscoe maintain this site and organization, which provide broadcast courses and cooking instruction, on-site counseling, and more.
- Foundation for the Macrobiotic Way: Find e-tutorials, health practices tips, food and nutrition info, and more.