How to Prepare Macrobitoic Diet Meals

Macrobiotic diets are guided by changing seasons, by climate. Yin and  Yang, cold and warm weather and, therefore, foods are used to establish  adaptability with seasons. Winter introduces a change to cold  (Yin/expansive) and, so, to heated and heavier foods (Yang/contractive). Food is energy (Ch'i). Human beings are Ch'i. Life is Ch'i. Ancient  principles of balance, Yin and Yang, guide food

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All about the Liver - The wood element in regards to the Five Element Theory

Autumn is Metal: from from March 21 to the summer solstice of June 21

The following recipes are nourishing to the wood element, or liver, in five element cooking. The liver is a remarkable organ with tremendous regenerative properties. It stores and nourishes our blood, assists digestion, and carries qi into our muscles and joints. The liver, along with our kidneys, is a major filtration system for toxins. Liver also impacts our hormones, vision, nails and skin. The Chinese consider the liver to be the “General” of the body, a leader from which much of our health or dis-ease can flow Modern lifestyles place a tremendous load on the liver, as do fatty foods, drugs of all kinds, alcohol and a diet heavy in animal foods.

Liver is associated with the spring. Its peak season runs from March 21 to the summer solstice of June 21. Spring marks a miraculous bursting of energy. Sap, which is nature’s lifeblood, courses through the trees; new life pushes its way up from the depths of the earth, and we are surrounded by a bright sense of renewal and creativity. The color of the wood element is green, its flavor is sour, and the associated organs are gall bladder and liver. Wood dwells in the East. The hours for gall bladder are 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.; liver is 1 to 3 a.m.

Foods that enhance the water element:

Grain: Barley, wheat, oats, rye, buckwheat, sourdough, flax

Vegetables: broccoli, parsley, lettuce, kale, collard greens, carrots, alfalfa, beets, leeks, zucchini, shiitake mushrooms, artichokes, all leafy greens, celery, beets, sauerkraut

Beans and Pulses: mung, Lima. green lentils, tofuls

Fruits: limes, lemons, grapefruit, green apple, sour cherry, avocado, plums, quince, olives, kumquat, rosehips, pineapple, green apple, umeboshi plum

Animal foods: oysters, clams, mussels, trout, mackerel, whitefish, bee pollen, cod liver oil, crab, abalone, eel, cuttlefish

Herbs and Seasonings: Jasmine, purslane, chrysanthemum, nettle, chamomile, cumin, fenugreek peppermint, rosemary, turmeric, dandelion, star anise

                             Below is a Macrobiotic Spring Smoothie recipe - enjoy nurturing yourself.


Mango Pineapple Green Smoothie

Mango, Pineapple Green Smoothie is a luscious and buttery smooth green drink that should be made with ripe mangoes in season and golden pineapple for best effect. You can add some Meyer or regular lemon or a bit of fresh ginger root for extra zest.

Please remember to use organic produce in any green drink!

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 mango, peeled, pit removed, and cut into chunks
• 1 cup pineapple chunks
• 3 cups spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons parsley leaves
   

Preparation:

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.

Serves 2

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Tips & Warnings

Begin a Yoga practice, or Tai Chi

Consider meditation, macrobiotic eating is a lifestyle

You might begin a garden to harvest your seasonal fresh foods.

Adjust gradually to macrobiotic eating.

Consult a health care practitioner before changing diets.

References: Macrobiotic Cooking, Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford; The Five Transformations by Tom Monte and Sam McClellan, Jen Hoy