Macrobiotic diet plan is really a low-fat and higher dietary fiber diet plan, which was created by George Ohsawa, a Japanese educator. Because its inception, the diet plan has undergone numerous modifications. Nevertheless, in essence, Macrobiotic diet plan includes of much less fats and big quantities of dietary fiber. The meals consumed throughout the diet plan are primarily vegetarian and essentially consist of entire grains & vegetables. Soy products, rich in phytoestrogens, also make an important part of the diet plan. Though the basis of the macrobiotic diet plan remains the same, it is modified on the basis of factors like climate, season, age, gender, activity levels & health needs.
Beneficial for Cancer Patients?
Macrobiotic diet plan includes of low-fat and higher dietary fiber, the same diet plan components that are recommended to those people who are suffering from cancer and other chronic diseases. The diet plan also includes of phytoestrogen content, which has been found to reduce the risk of estrogen-related cancers such as breast cancer. This is one of the main reasons why cancer patients have started turning to macrobiotic diet plan. Nevertheless, till date medical evidences have not provided conclusive evidence that macrobiotic diet plan helps in prevention and treatment of cancer.
The Diet plan
Each meal of the macrobiotic diet plan includes of atleast 50-60 percent of entire grains (including brown rice, entire wheat berries, barley, millet, rye, corn, etc).
25 to 30 percent of the diet plan includesdiet plan. You need to take 1-2 cups of soup on a daily basis. The most common soups are those made from fermented soybeans, especially miso and shoyu.
Flour products, like rolled oats, noodles, pasta, bread, baked goods, etc, are eaten only once in a while.
Macrobiotic diet plan does not exclude animal products. Infact, they are had several times in a week, though in very small quantities. Nevertheless, the main emphasis is on sea food, while meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products are avoided.
You can even have seeds and nuts while following the macrobiotic diet plan, but they have to be taken in moderation.
Macrobiotic diet plan allows the follower to have local fruits several times in a week. Nevertheless, fruits like mango, pineapple and papaya should be avoided.
Those with a sweet tooth not worry. You can have desserts while following this diet plan, but not exceeding 2-3 times in a week. Nevertheless, emphasis should be on using natural sweeteners, while other sweeteners like sugar, honey, molasses, chocolate and carob should be avoided.
Throughout the diet plan, food should be cooked in unrefined vegetable oil. Light sesame oil, corn oil and mustard seed oil are the best.
Condiments and seasonings should be restricted to natural sea salt, shoyu, brown rice vinegar, umeboshi vinegar, umeboshi plums, grated ginger root, fermented pickles, gomashio (roasted sesame seeds), roasted seaweed, and sliced scallions.
Caution
Macrobiotic diet plan lacks in the following nutrients:
Protein
Vitamin B12
Iron
Magnesium
Calcium