Yin and Yang in Macrobiotics

Georges Ohsawa (1893-1966) is the father of Macrobiotics, he studied ancient Chinese traditions, a pillar of the culture of a people rich in history and culture, and with proven efficacy on health, and reworked them in a more "modern" key, adapting them to the Japanese lifestyle. He and Michio Kushi (1926), a brilliant student of his, spread their knowledge around the world.

Macrobiotics comes from the Greek (macros = big, bios = life), meaning therefore "great life", or "long life".

Macrobiotic uses the principles of yin and yang in nutrition and lifestyle in order to create harmony, physical, emotional and spiritual balance.

It is good to try to have a balanced diet, foods that are too yin or too yang tend to disturb harmony. We therefore base our diet on whole grain cereals, fresh and seasonal vegetables, legumes, oil seeds and fruit, fresh fruit, seaweed, fermented foods and homemade desserts.

Small amounts of animal food are certainly good, better to choose fish with white meat or an egg every so often, especially when the weather is harsh. Instead we avoid all packaged and pre-cooked products, sausages and red meat, baked goods, cereals and refined sugars. So let's avoid all dead foods!

If we fail to do without it, if we sometimes find ourselves in the condition of "having to bar", we do so without guilt, but we use the yin-yang principles to limit the damage.

Let's see what is meant by yin and yang according to the principles of Macrobiotics.

"Neutral" foods (from yin to yang):

- herbal teas and tea - vegetables - refined grains and flours - algae - legumes - whole grains.

From extreme yin to yin:

- colorants and preserved;

- ice creams;

- liqueurs;

- refined sugar and in general all desserts containing sugar;

- beer and wine;

- fruit juices;

- coffee;

- desserts without sugar;