What is a macrobiotic diet and how will it change my life?

A macrobiotic diet is so much more than just another variation of a vegetarian diet, though it might look the same at first.

While a macrobiotic diet is generally vegetarian in nature, it consists of wholegrains, cereals, cooked vegetables and just a touch of meat and fish.

AUGUST 9, 2015

Healthwise

The macrobiotic diet is generally vegetarian that focuses on organic and natural food.

A macrobiotic diet is so much more than just another variation of a vegetarian diet, though it might look the same at first.

While a macrobiotic diet is generally vegetarian in nature, it consists of wholegrains, cereals, cooked vegetables and just a touch of meat and fish.

Think of it as a heart-healthy Japanese diet – without the tempura!

Adherents of the macrobiotic diet prefer locally-grown, natural, organic foods prepared and eaten in simple ways, such as baking, boiling and steaming. Chemically-processed foods are not allowed – this includes items such as coffee, chocolate, refined flour and preservatives.

The essential aim of a macrobiotic diet is to balance the yin and yang in one’s diet, so spicy foods or other stimulating/concentrated foods that might upset nature’s delicate balance (such as alcohol) are not allowed.

Brown rice and grains such as barley, millet, oats and quinoa are considered to be very “balanced”, and play a large role in a macrobiotic diet.

Vegetables from the nightshade family, however, including tomatoes, eggplant, avocados, peppers, potatoes, are considered extremely yin. Thus, they are often excluded or used sparingly.

The simple and natural kimchi is ready after fermenting for one to two days.

How does it work?

The emphasis on unprocessed foods, as well as fruit and vegetables, means that a macrobiotic diet can be excellent for your health, especially when it comes to your heart. The macrobiotic diet is low in saturated fats and bad cholesterol, thus lowering your risk of heart disease.

Some followers of a macrobiotic diet claim that the diet is effective in treating cancer. There is no scientific proof, but low-fat, high-fibre diets that consist mainly of plant products are thought to reduce the risk of disease and some forms of cancer.

In fact, the link is so strong that the National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States has funded a pilot study to determine whether a macrobiotic diet may prevent cancer.

I’d like to give it a try

Because processed foods are frowned upon, vitamin and mineral supplements are not allowed within a macrobiotic diet.

Nutritionists recommend that you seek advice before embarking on a macrobiotic diet to ensure you balance the yin and yang, as well as the nutritional elements of your diet to avoid vitamin or mineral deficiencies.

To get started, try incorporating these 10 top macrobiotic superfoods into your regular meals:

Seaweed – It’s rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals, low in calories. Try agar, wakame,hijiki or kombu.

Berries – These are loaded with vitamin C, folate, fibre and anti-oxidants. Try raspberries, blueberries, cherries or blackberries.

Leafy, green vegetables – These are full of vitamins A and C, iron and calcium, among others. Try kale, collard greens, watercress or arugula.

Pickles – Raw, fermented vegetables play a huge role in the macrobiotic diet – they are thought to protect against infection and stimulate your digestion. Try sauerkraut, kimchi orumeboshi.

Soy products – These are high in protein and nutrients, and are linked with heart-protective effects. Try tempeh, miso or tofu.

Oily fish – These are packed with omega-3 fatty acids and are rich in calcium and iron. Try sardines, salmon or mackerel.

Green tea – Not only does this taste great, it’s rich is catechin polyphenols, which are a power antioxidant.

Beans – High in fibre and low in fat, beans are a great source of complex carbohydrates in a macrobiotic diet. Try black beans, adzuki beans or chickpeas.

Mushrooms – Heart-healthy mushrooms are also thought to balance blood sugar levels and reduce inflammation. Try enoki, maitake or shiitake.

Nuts – Nuts are an excellent source of protein and unsaturated fat, which is good for your heart. Try walnuts, macadamias, Brazil nuts or pistachios.

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To find out more about a macrobiotic diet, visit www.macrobiotics.co.uk/macrobiotics.htm for recipe ideas, nutritional information and more.

This post is on Healthwise

Healthy, natural rice: Unpolished rice offers many health benefits

Sunday May 11, 2014

Compared with white rice, brown rice has a higher content of proteins, lipids, dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals. – Filepic

The wonders of natural rice.

Rice is the staple food of most Asian countries. It is a complex carbohydrate, made up of sugar molecules that are strung together in long, complex chains that provide vitamins, minerals and fibre that are important for health.

Just like all whole grains, rice has three edible parts – the bran, the germ, and the endosperm.

Depending on the variety, rice can be many different colours – brown, red, black, etc – though most look similarly white once they’ve been milled to remove the bran and germ.

Brown rice

Every grain of brown rice is a living rice seed, with the bran and germ retained. It germinates readily with suitable moisture and oxygen.

In contrast, white rice has lost the bran and germ in the polishing and whitening process.

It cannot germinate and will rot after soaking in water for several days.

Compared with white rice, brown rice has a higher content of proteins, lipids, dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals.

The lipids in brown rice are mainly made up of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are essential for the maintenance of a healthy cell membrane. The soluble dietary fibre in brown rice is 200% higher than that of white rice, and it functions as an effective cleansing magnet for the digestive system.

Brown rice has far more vitamins B complex and E than white rice. The mineral content of brown rice includes calcium, magnesium, zinc and chromium.

Calcium is an essential element for strong teeth and bones. Magnesium is important for the formation of DNA.

Zinc is important for the normal functioning of sex glands. Chromium facilitates insulin in the absorption of glucose by cells. Therefore, it is essential for the regulation of blood sugar level and control of diabetes.

Brown rice also contains phytochemicals such as inositol, oryzanol and phytosterols.

Inositol is essential in lipid and cholesterol metabolism. Oryzanol can lower bad cholesterol levels in blood and free radicals, which can be carcinogenic (causing cancer). Phytosterols can inhibit the synthesis of bad cholesterols. It also exhibits anti-inflammatory effects and is therefore essential for strengthening the body‘s immune system.

Black rice

Black rice is highly regarded as a “medicinal” rice in traditional Chinesemedicine (TCM)due to its rarity and nutritional values.

It is believed that black rice was served to the emperors in the imperial court of ancient China.

Black rice has a high level of dietary fibre, iron, amino acids and health-promoting phytochemicals.

Red rice

Red rice contains a high quantity of anthocyanin, a red pigment with strong antioxidant effects.

In TCM, it is believed to have “blood-strengthening properties”.

Red rice also has a high content of trace elements such as iron and zinc, as well as vitamin E, which helps in delaying the ageing of cells and preventing cardiovascular diseases.

http://www.thestar.com.my/Lifestyle/Health/2014/05/11/Healthy-natural-rice-Unpolished-rice-offers-many-health-benefits/

Foods Associated With A Lowered Risk Of Colon Cancer

August 5, 2011 by Easy Health Options Staff

Scientists have discovered a connection between eating certain foods and colon health. Recent research has shown that consuming legumes, brown rice, dried fruit and cooked green vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of colon polyps.

"Eating these foods is likely to decrease your risk for colon polyps, which would in turn decrease your risk for colorectal cancer," says lead author Yessenia Tantamango, M.D.

In order to receive the full benefits of these foods, researchers recommend eating legumes three times a week and brown rice at least once a week. All of the foods mentioned have a high fiber content which, according to Tantamango, has been shown to dilute carcinogens. The study also found that eating cooked greens once a day can lower the risk of developing polyps by 24 percent.

According to the American Cancer Society, colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Eating these foods may be one simple thing individuals can do to protect themselves against the disease.

http://www.easyhealthoptions.com/alternative-medicine/foods-associated-with-a-lowered-risk-of-colon-cancer/

Brown Rice - Combat Colon Polyps and Cancer With This “Ancient Food”

If you happen to be a regular reader of the HealthierTalk.com Digest (you can sign up in the right corner over there) you may have already made a change in your diet that has slashed your risk of developing colon polyps by a staggering 40%.

I encouraged you last year to permanently remove nutritionally barren white rice from your shopping list and replace it with healthier choices like brown rice. Now, a new study out of Loma Linda University in California has concluded that eating brown rice at least once a week is linked with a 40% reduction in risk of developing potentially cancerous colon polyps.

Researchers crunched the data from 2,818 volunteers in the Adventist Health Study to uncover this exciting finding. And brown rice…an ancient food that dates back to sometime between 12,000 and 11,000 BP… isn’t the only food that was found to have a dramatic effect on the risk for developing polyps.

I’ll tell you more about those other foods in a moment, but first allow me to share a little background.
Polyps are raised or flat growths on the lining of the colon, also known as the large intestine. While some polyps are benign, they all have the potential to become cancerous.

And with colon cancers being the second-leading cause of cancer death in the United States, it’s easy to see that anything that can so drastically reduce your chances of developing the potentially life-threatening growths is going to cause a bit of a stir in the scientific community.

Volunteers in the Adventist study first answered a survey on their eating habits and how often they consumed specific foods in 1976 or 1977. Then, 26 years later, the same volunteers were asked to complete a follow-up questionnaire asking if they had undergone a colonoscopy and had been diagnosed with polyps by a physician.

During the 26-year follow-up period there were 441 confirmed cases of colorectal polyps. And after researchers took into account a wide variety of potentially data-skewing factors…including a family history of cancer, education level, physical-activity level, smoking and alcohol history, use of pain medications, and use of multivitamins…they found that several foods stood out as polyp-fighting superstars.

Besides brown rice legumes, cooked green vegetables, and dried fruit all showed strong protective effects.

When cooked green vegetables showed up on the dining tables of volunteers once a day or more (as compared with less than five times a week), they had a 24% reduction in the risk of developing polyps. Eating legumes—like, for example, peas, beans, and lentils—at least three times a week was linked to a 33% reduced risk. And those who treated themselves to dried fruit at least three times a week…compared to those who only indulged less than once a week…walked away with a 26% drop in risk.

If you have a family history of polyps or colorectal cancers—or if you are overweight, don’t exercise enough, or eat a less-than-optimal diet—adopting a couple of these relatively small changes in your eating habits could make a huge difference in your life…perhaps even literally saving it.

Remember that although an ounce of prevention might not seem all that sexy it’s a heck of a lot sexier than slogging through a pound of cure later.


By Alice Wessendorf on 08/12/2011
http://www.healthiertalk.com/combat-colon-polyps-and-cancer-ancient-food-4465

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8 Reasons Why Brown Rice Is Healthier Than White Rice
Trim belly fat with brown rice?