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Macrobiotics 101 – Chapter 4: Suggestions for Good Health
These are not Alfreda’s suggestions – these suggestions came to me from Leslie, the macrobiotic chef who first taught me how to cook whole grains, nourishing teas, and beans that did not argue with me. She wrote up a list of “rules” to help us benefit from the freshest, healthiest food possible.
You don’t have to go whole hog on macrobiotics, as I did. I’m trying to heal myself. You can sidle in through a side door and scope things out first. I think that everyone can benefit from these hints. I’ll probably add a word or two in italics, because there are reasons for every one of these rules – and the reasons aren’t always self-evident.
Info like this can be found all over the Internet. I’ll share both sites and books in a future post.
Leslie’s Food Eating Tips for Better Digestion and More Energy
1) Chew chew chew! Digestion begins in the mouth. (There is an enzyme called amylase dedicated to breaking down complex sugars {starches} in the mouth. Slow down and let it work.)
2) Eat sitting down. Wait ten (10) minutes after eating before getting up. (Eating should be enjoyable. If it isn’t, you’re not eating the right foods prepared in an appealing way.)
3) Take a short walk (10-15 minutes) after eating. (This aids digestion.)
4) Eat fruit separately from other foods. Wait 20 minutes before eating anything else. Eat melon only by itself. (This has to do with the slight acid-leaning properties of fruit, as well as how fast the simple sugars of fruit digest Eat fruit in small portions, and savor it. Remember it used to be a precious, short season item...and we all know the best fruit is still found in its season.)
5) Eat food as fresh as possible. (Food begins to break down – and lose nutrients – the moment it is pulled from the ground/plucked/picked/cooked etc..)
6) Always eat something fresh with leftovers. (Not only from a nutrient point of view – it’s like an accessory of clothing. Jazz up those leftovers!)
7) Eat pickled veggies and salt pressed salads with meals. (I LOVE pickled ginger! Pickled carrots and cucumbers are also good – you can even have sweet-tart pickles using rice vinegar to pickle them. In a pinch, plain old hamburger pickles will do fine – just get the ones without too much corn syrup and preservatives.)
8) Do not eat for at least 3 hours before bedtime. (This is the hardest for me, because I drink teas late while working, and a cookie goes well with tea at night!)
And I’ll add a few suggestions, too:
Alfreda’s Observations About Eating
A) Add fermented, living food to your diet. Look for unpasteurized miso and find a couple of flavors you like. Eat whole grain bread like Ezekiel Bread (found refrigerated) true sourdough (no added yeast other than the “mother”) or, if you are gluten intolerant, find a bread you like made from non-gluten whole grains and whole grain flour. Remember – are you giving your body nutrients, or are you forcing the body to use nutrients processing high glycemic flours and sugars?
B) Be adventurous. Try new veggies! I now love burdock, for example. Parsnips and red onion sauteed in sesame oil caramelizes and becomes gloriously sweet in its own, unique way.
C) Try to lean toward the seasons when eating. Find a local farmer’s market and shop there weekly. Look east to west on the same latitude, not north or south. Yes, if you’re an American, you can have some berries from Chile, because they are originally from North America (even better to eat them while they are in season where you live.) However, potatoes and tomatoes are from South America, and they may be irritating you more than they’re helping you. Try a baked sweet potato instead. They are highly nutritious, come in many varieties, from very sweet to just a hint of sweet, and are easier for many to digest.
D) Yes, you guessed it. This will make eating out in most American restaurants a challenge…but not impossible. Many restaurants now do seasonal themes. Take advantage of them. For winter, a nice beef stew with root vegetables and a hunk of fresh sourdough bread would be heading in the right direction – and if the beef is also fresh and local, all the better!
Eating macro is simply not constantly trashing your system with things that are bad for you. Yes, if you’re not dealing with a health issue, you can have chocolate.
Just don’t have it at every meal. ;^)
More macrobiotic chefs can be found every day. They teach lessons in macrobiotic, vegetarian, and/or organic cooking, cook for clients both healing and healthy, and cater special events. There are macrobiotic centers located in Austin, Texas. The school is The Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts, and the restaurant and community center is Casa De Luz. You might have a macrobiotic center in your area, so “google” away!
I wish for you healing. Let food be a part of building your healthy future.
You don’t have to go whole hog on macrobiotics, as I did. I’m trying to heal myself. You can sidle in through a side door and scope things out first. I think that everyone can benefit from these hints. I’ll probably add a word or two in italics, because there are reasons for every one of these rules – and the reasons aren’t always self-evident.
Info like this can be found all over the Internet. I’ll share both sites and books in a future post.
Leslie’s Food Eating Tips for Better Digestion and More Energy
1) Chew chew chew! Digestion begins in the mouth. (There is an enzyme called amylase dedicated to breaking down complex sugars {starches} in the mouth. Slow down and let it work.)
2) Eat sitting down. Wait ten (10) minutes after eating before getting up. (Eating should be enjoyable. If it isn’t, you’re not eating the right foods prepared in an appealing way.)
3) Take a short walk (10-15 minutes) after eating. (This aids digestion.)
4) Eat fruit separately from other foods. Wait 20 minutes before eating anything else. Eat melon only by itself. (This has to do with the slight acid-leaning properties of fruit, as well as how fast the simple sugars of fruit digest Eat fruit in small portions, and savor it. Remember it used to be a precious, short season item...and we all know the best fruit is still found in its season.)
5) Eat food as fresh as possible. (Food begins to break down – and lose nutrients – the moment it is pulled from the ground/plucked/picked/cooked etc..)
6) Always eat something fresh with leftovers. (Not only from a nutrient point of view – it’s like an accessory of clothing. Jazz up those leftovers!)
7) Eat pickled veggies and salt pressed salads with meals. (I LOVE pickled ginger! Pickled carrots and cucumbers are also good – you can even have sweet-tart pickles using rice vinegar to pickle them. In a pinch, plain old hamburger pickles will do fine – just get the ones without too much corn syrup and preservatives.)
8) Do not eat for at least 3 hours before bedtime. (This is the hardest for me, because I drink teas late while working, and a cookie goes well with tea at night!)
And I’ll add a few suggestions, too:
Alfreda’s Observations About Eating
A) Add fermented, living food to your diet. Look for unpasteurized miso and find a couple of flavors you like. Eat whole grain bread like Ezekiel Bread (found refrigerated) true sourdough (no added yeast other than the “mother”) or, if you are gluten intolerant, find a bread you like made from non-gluten whole grains and whole grain flour. Remember – are you giving your body nutrients, or are you forcing the body to use nutrients processing high glycemic flours and sugars?
B) Be adventurous. Try new veggies! I now love burdock, for example. Parsnips and red onion sauteed in sesame oil caramelizes and becomes gloriously sweet in its own, unique way.
C) Try to lean toward the seasons when eating. Find a local farmer’s market and shop there weekly. Look east to west on the same latitude, not north or south. Yes, if you’re an American, you can have some berries from Chile, because they are originally from North America (even better to eat them while they are in season where you live.) However, potatoes and tomatoes are from South America, and they may be irritating you more than they’re helping you. Try a baked sweet potato instead. They are highly nutritious, come in many varieties, from very sweet to just a hint of sweet, and are easier for many to digest.
D) Yes, you guessed it. This will make eating out in most American restaurants a challenge…but not impossible. Many restaurants now do seasonal themes. Take advantage of them. For winter, a nice beef stew with root vegetables and a hunk of fresh sourdough bread would be heading in the right direction – and if the beef is also fresh and local, all the better!
Eating macro is simply not constantly trashing your system with things that are bad for you. Yes, if you’re not dealing with a health issue, you can have chocolate.
Just don’t have it at every meal. ;^)
More macrobiotic chefs can be found every day. They teach lessons in macrobiotic, vegetarian, and/or organic cooking, cook for clients both healing and healthy, and cater special events. There are macrobiotic centers located in Austin, Texas. The school is The Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts, and the restaurant and community center is Casa De Luz. You might have a macrobiotic center in your area, so “google” away!
I wish for you healing. Let food be a part of building your healthy future.
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I try to make it 5 hrs from the last meal before bed if you eat a "complex meal" or large meal.
And did you know that watermelon doesn't count as a melon?
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So is watermelon all water, so it's not a fruit? ;^)
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