The Macrobiotic Diet
More than Just Brown Rice, it’s A Way of Life
by Leeanne Griffin

A few years ago, the macrobiotic diet was hot in Hollywood ~ devotees included Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow. But a macrobiotic lifestyle isn’t just for celebrities whose job is to look perfect, experts say. Rather, it’s a way of life that promotes a balanced diet of fresh, whole foods and has even been known to treat certain cancers.

The macrobiotic diet shuns anything chemical or processed and instead relies on whole grains and vegetables. The “Great Life Pyramid,” the macrobiotic version of the USDA Food Guide Pyramid, measures recommended daily intake at 40-60% whole grains, including brown rice, oats, whole wheat and barley; 20-30% vegetables, including a balance of green leafy, round and root varieties; and 5-10% beans and bean products, including tofu, lentils, chickpeas, tempeh and others. Fish and seafood, fruits, seeds and nuts are allowed on a limited weekly basis. Macrobiotic followers are advised only to consume poultry, dairy and red meat on a very infrequent basis. Many cut these foods out of their diet altogether.

The lifestyle, based upon Japanese philosophy, was formalized by Georges Ohsawa in the early 20th century. He believed that diets should be based on healthful foods that balanced a person’s yin and yang ~ his or her spiritual components. A disciple of Ohsawa, Michio Kushi, has been credited with helping bring the diet to the United States in the 1960s. Kushi, now one of the most famous names in macrobiotics, established the Kushi Institute, a world-renowned macrobiotic education center in Becket, MA. Visitors come from around the globe travel to the institute for cooking classes and lectures.

Macrobiotic cooking became popular in the 1970s and 1980s, despite general unfamiliarity with the diet’s components, says Frank Phelan, store manager of the Living Earth in Worcester. “At that time, very few people in Western culture were familiar with foods like buckwheat noodles and seaweed,” he recalls. “But eventually these were adopted into the mainstream. People tried them and liked them.”

The health benefits of a macrobiotic lifestyle are undeniable, said Warren Kramer, a Boston-based professional macrobiotic educator and health consultant. Twenty years ago, as a young tennis professional, he noticed immediate physical changes as a result of his diet: Greater flexibility and stamina, an improved complexion, increased clarity and concentration, better sleep patterns, and better digestion. “I haven’t had an aspirin or any kind of pain medication in 20 years,” he says.

Cancer patients have turned to macrobiotic diets, opting for this natural treatment instead of or in addition to chemotherapy and radiation. Kramer counsels patients who have turned to macrobiotics hoping for a cure ~ and he has seen many of those hopes rewarded. The diet has worked well with certain forms of colon, prostate and breast cancer, he says. “I have seen people heal from cancer with no other method but this diet and lifestyle change,” he said.

But macrobiotic diets have been criticized by nutrition experts for being too restrictive and lacking in essential vitamins. Lisa Van Dusen, a registered dietician at UMass Memorial Medical Center’s outpatient nutrition clinic, said that vitamin supplements should be a part of a macrobiotic lifestyle. “A person following this diet might not get enough Vitamins B12 and D or calcium,” she said. “In that case, they would need to take a supplement.”

The diet’s constraints also call for careful meal planning ~ which can limit social eating and in fact social outings in general. There’s no fast food, no alcohol, and of course no stopping at the Honey Farms on the corner when the craving for chocolate hits. But Kramer said that dining at restaurants isn’t as preventive as one might think. “My wife and I eat out quite often, and we have plenty of things to choose from—seafood, whole wheat pasta with olive oil, broccoli rabe, minestrone soup, salad, brown rice,” he said. “There are a ton of places you can go if you’re macrobiotic. The toughest place to go, though, would probably be a steakhouse.”

Going on and sticking with a macrobiotic lifestyle is a commitment, there’s no denying it. But it the eyes of the diet’s followers, a commitment to health, prevention, and longevity is more than worth any initial inconvenience.