Macrobiotic Dietary Recommendations
by Michio and Aveline Kushi

Compiled with the help of Edward Esko, Murray Snyder, Bill Spear, and Bill Tara

MDR Home
Introduction
Standard Diet
Daily Proportions
Foods to Reduce or Avoid Way of Life Suggestions Cancer Patients
Special Dishes
Baby Food
Home Remedies
Kitchen Utensils
Nutritional Considerations Glossary
Bibliography

This web site has been prepared to describe in detail the standard macrobiotic dietary recommendations and to serve as a guideline in everyday meal planning. These health recommendations are based upon the research, training, and personal experiences of the authors and especially reflect the understanding as developed by Michio and Aveline Kushi from their worldwide experiences in lecturing, writing, and guiding many people toward health and well-being. Over the past forty years, tens of thousands of people throughout the world have benefited from recommendations such as these, including many instances of recovery from cancer, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and other chronic and acute psychological and emotional disorders.

Because each person and situation is different, the reader may choose to check with a qualified health professional before using any procedure where there is any question as to its appropriateness.

In addition to eating well, it is necessary to maintain a positive outlook on life and bring into balance our physical and mental activities, all of which work toward creating a harmonious and peaceful life. The decision to follow macrobiotic recommendations is a personal one; therefore, the authors and publisher are not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the application of any of the suggestions, preparations, or procedures on this site. Please seek more specific recommendations from a qualified macrobiotic advisor if you wish to further develop your understanding.

This material is taken from the booklet Macrobiotic Dietary
Recommendations, by Michio and Aveline Kushi, available from the Kushi Institute bookstore.
http://www.pngusa.net/~mlipsman/ [4/15/2002 6:47:38 PM]

MDR Home
Introduction
Standard Diet
Daily Proportions
Foods to Reduce or Avoid Way of Life Suggestions Cancer Patients
Special Dishes
Baby Food
Home Remedies
Kitchen Utensils
Nutritional Considerations Glossary
Bibliography

Introduction

Macrobiotics

The term macrobiotics was used in ancient Greece as the art of health and longevity through living in harmony with the environment. In modern times, the term was recovered by the Japanese philosopher Georges Ohsawa to represent the healthy way of life, reflecting the spirit of what a healthy person should feel: macro, meaning large or great, and bios, meaning life. More specifically, with proper diet we can experience a great life, full of adventure, freedom, and creativity. Ohsawa spent the better part of his life spreading macrobiotic philosophy and dietary reform throughout the world. Since his death in the mid-1960s, several of his friends and students have carried on his work, among them Michio Kushi.

The macrobiotic dietary approach is not a specifically defined diet. Since we are all different, live in different environments, have diverse needs, and do different work, individual diets will vary. The macrobiotic approach takes into account the evolution of humanity, our relationship to the environment, and our individual needs. It is not only a preventive approach, aiming to maintain good health and decrease the incidence of sickness; it is also used therapeutically for those who are already ill and wish to employ natural means of healing.
Although the principles of macrobiotic eating are practiced in many traditional cultures, the philosophical basis of macrobiotics is the study of
change; namely, the principles of relativity, or yin and yang — the basis of
all Oriental philosophies, cultures, arts, and medicine.

The Unifying Principle
By observing our day-to-day thoughts and activities, we can easily see that
everything is in motion — or, in other words, everything changes:

electrons spin around a central nucleus in the atom; the earth rotates on its axis while orbiting the sun; the solar system is revolving around the galaxy; and galaxies are moving away from each other with enormous movement, but an order or pattern is discernible. Day follows night; winter changes to summer and back to winter again; during the day we stand up and are active, while at night we lie down and rest.

Starting from this basic understanding, we can classify all phenomena into either of the two categories, yin or yang. Since these are relative terms, however, nothing in the world is absolutely yin or absolutely yang; all phenomena possess both in varying degrees.

Yin and yang are always changing into one another in a continual cycle, reflected in the change from night to day and winter to summer, breathing in and breathing out, etc. Contraction, or yang, produces heat, which eventually results in expansion or yin; while expansion produces coldness, which then results in contraction. As a result, vegetation growing in a more yin, or cold, climate is usually smaller, while vegetation in a more yang, or hot, climate is usually larger.

Diet and Health

The importance of proper diet for good health has been largely lost in modern times. Among more primitive societies, this basic fact was well recognized and was used as the basis of medicine. Food is our source of being. Through the vegetal kingdom, all the basic forces of life are combined in a form that can be used by the human organism. Sunlight, soil, water, and air are taken in through the medium of the vegetal kingdom. To eat is to take in the whole environment.

Today, hundreds of thousands of people around the world use these principles to select and prepare their daily diet and restore their health and happiness. Macrobiotic principles now provide the focus for the educational activities of more than five hundred affiliate centers worldwide.

Classification

The classification of foods into categories of yin and yang is essential for the development of a balanced diet. Different factors in the growth and structure of foods can indicate whether the food is predominantly yin or yang. To classify foods, we must see the factors that dominate, since all foods have both yin and yang qualities.

YIN energy creates
Growth in a hot climate
Foods containing more water Fruits and leaves
Growth high above the ground Hot, aromatic foods

YANG energy creates Growth in a cold climate Foods that are dryer Stems, roots, and seeds Growth below ground Salty, sour foods

Yin and Yang Growth Cycles

One of the most accurate methods of classification is by seeing the cycle of growth in food plants. During the winter, the climate is cold (yin); during this time of year, the growing energy descends into the root system. Leaves wither and die as the sap descends to the roots and the vitality of the plant becomes more condensed. Plants used for food and grown in the late autumn and winter are dryer and have a more concentrated quality. They can be kept for a longer time without spoiling. Examples of these plants are roots such as carrots, parsnips, turnips, cabbages, etc.

During the spring and early summer, the energy in many plants ascends, and new greens appear as the weather becomes hotter (more yang). These plants are more yin in nature. Summer vegetables are more watery and perish quickly. They provide a cooling effect that is needed in warm months. In late summer, the growing energy has reached its zenith, and the fruits become ripe. They are generally watery and sweet and develop higher above the ground.

This yearly cycle shows the alternation between the dominance of yin and yang as the seasons turn. The same idea can be applied to the part of the world in which a food originates. Foods that find their origin in hot tropical climates, where the vegetation is lush and abundant, are more yin, while foods that come from colder climates are more yang.

We can classify different foods that grow at the same time of year by seeing the general growth pattern. The root system is governed by yang energy, the tendency to descend. The stem and leaves are governed by yin energy. This is expressed in the dominant direction of growth.

The Importance of Cereal Grains

For centuries, humanity has looked to the cereal grains as the primary food. This is especially true of the great civilizations of the world. The importance of the cereal grains in the evolution of humanity cannot be overlooked. Several decades ago, the consumption of whole grains fell sharply and has been replaced by animal quality foods (such as dairy and meat) and refined carbohydrates (such as sugar and white flour). It is now widely recognized that this shift in diet has resulted in many of the major sicknesses to which our technological civilization has become prone.

Cereal grains are unique among our foods. They are both the beginning and end of the vegetal cycle, combining seed and fruit. It is for these reasons, as well as the great ability of cereals to combine well with other vegetables and provide a wholesome diet, that cereals form the most important single food in the macrobiotic regimen.

Preparation

Macrobiotic cooking is unique. The ingredients are simple, and cooking is the key to producing meals that are nutritious, tasty, and attractive. The cook has the ability to change the quality of the food. Pressure, salt, heat, and time make the energy of food more concentrated, or yang. Quick cooking and little salt preserves the lighter, or yin, qualities of the food. A good cook controls the health of those for whom he or she cooks by varying the cooking styles.

Methods of Cooking and Food Preparation Regular use
Pressure cooking Boiling
Steaming
Waterless
Soup
Pickling
Oil-less stir-frying Pressed

Occasional Saute
Stir-fry
Raw
Deep-fry Tempura
Baking

Chewing is an important complement to the macrobiotic diet. It can also be thought of as a form of preparation. A meal should be eaten calmly, with gratitude. One of the best ways to express this gratitude is to chew well, so the food can be digested well and used more efficiently by the body.

The Macrobiotic Way

Macrobiotics is really a commonsense approach to eating. In light of the incidence of degenerative illness and general poor health that plagues the world, the macrobiotic approach is a sensible alternative to our overprocessed and devitalized foods. Studies by the American government, including a report by the National Academy of Sciences and the Surgeon General's report, Healthy People, both available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, have stated that diet is the single most important factor in the rise of degenerative illness. The return to a diet more in keeping along with that of our ancestors is in order if humanity is to regain its health and vitality.

Seven Principles of the Order of the Universe
1. Everything is a differentiation of One Infinity.
2. Everything changes. 3. All antagonisms are complementary.
4. There is nothing identical.
5. What has a front has a back.
6. The bigger the front, the bigger the back. 7. What has a beginning has an end.
Twelve Theorems of the Unifying Principle
1. One Infinity manifests itself into complementary and antagonistic tendencies, yin and yang, in its endless change.
2. Yin and yang are manifested continuously from the eternal movement of one infinite universe.
3. Yin represents centrifugality. Yang represents centripetality. Yin and yang together produce energy and all phenomena.
4. Yin attracts yang. Yang attracts yin.
5. Yin repels yin. Yang repels yang.
6. Yin and yang combined in varying proportions produce different phenomena. The attraction and repulsion among phenomena is proportional to the difference of the yin and yang forces.
7. All phenomena are ephemeral, constantly changing their constitution of yin and yang forces. Yin changes into yang, yang changes into yin.
8. Nothing is solely yin or solely yang. Everything is composed of both tendencies in varying degrees.
9. There is nothing neuter. Either yin or yang is in excess in every occurrence.
10. Large yin attracts small yin. Large yang attracts small yang.
11. Extreme yin produces yang, and extreme yang produces yin.
12. All physical manifestations are yang at the center and yin at the surface.

MDR Home
Introduction
Standard Diet
Daily Proportions
Foods to Reduce or Avoid Way of Life Suggestions Cancer Patients
Special Dishes
Baby Food
Home Remedies
Kitchen Utensils
Nutritional Considerations Glossary
Bibliography

Standard Dietary Recommendations

Whole Cereal Grains

The principal food of each meal is whole grains, comprising at least half the total volume of the meal. Cooked whole grains are preferable to flour products, as they are more nutritionally complete. Whole cereal grains and whole grain products include

Regular use
Short-grain brown rice Medium grain brown rice Millet
Barley, pearl barley
Buckwheat
Corn
Rye
Wheat berries
Whole oats

Soups

One or two bowls of soup seasoned with miso or tamari soy sauce is recommended every day (approximately 5–10% of daily intake). The flavor should be mild; not too salty and not too bland. Prepare soups with a variety of ingredients, changing them daily. Include a variety of seasonal vegetables, seaweed (especially wakame or kombu) and occasionally add grains and/or beans. Daily soups can include genmai (brown rice) miso, hatcho (soybean) miso, mugi (barley) miso, or tamari soy sauce. Kome (rice), red, white, and yellow miso may be used on occasion.
Occasional
Sweet brown rice, mochi (pounded sweet brown rice)
Long-grain brown rice
Rice cakes
Noodles (whole-wheat, udon, soba, somen, quinoa, rice, spelt)
Unyeasted whole-wheat or rye bread
Cracked wheat, bulgur, couscous
Steel-cut oats, rolled oats
Corn grits, corn meal, polenta
Amaranth
Quinoa
Rye flakes
Spelt

Vegetables

One-quarter or more (25–30%) of daily meals includes fresh vegetables prepared in a variety of ways, including steaming, boiling, baking, pressure

cooking or sauteing (with a small amount of sesame, corn, or other vegetable oil). In general, some smaller portion of vegetable intake may be eaten in the form of pickles or salad.
Commercial mayonnaise and dressings should be avoided.
Green and white leafy vegetables for regular use Bok choy
Carrot tops
Chinese cabbage Collard greens Daikon greens Dandelion greens Kale
Leeks
Mustard greens Parsley
Scallion
Turnip greens Watercress

Stem/root vegetables for regular use Burdock Onion Carrots Parsnip Daikon (long white radish) Radish Dandelion root Rutabaga Jinenjo (mountain potato) Turnip Lotus root

Ground vegetables for regular use
Acorn squash
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Butternut squash
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Hubbard squash
Hokkaido pumpkin
Pumpkin
Red cabbage
Butternut squashString beans
Vegetables for occasional use
Celery
Chives
Coltsfoot
Cucumber
Endive
Escarole
Green peas
Iceberg lettuce
Jerusalem artichoke Kohlrabi
Lamb's-quarters

Beans

A small portion (10%) of daily meals include cooked beans. The most suitable beans may include Mushrooms
Patty pan squash Romaine lettuce
Salsify
Shiitake mushrooms Snap beans
Snow peas
Sprouts
Summer squash
Swiss chard
Wax or yellow beans

Regular Use
Aduki beans
Black soy beans
Chickpeas (garbanzos) Lentils (green)

Occasional
Black-eyed peas
Black turtle beans Kidney beans
Great northern beans Lima beans
Navy beans
Pinto beans
Soybeans
Split peas
Whole dried peas
Chickpeas, lentils, and aduki beans
Bean and Wheat Products
A few times a week, the following foods may be added to vegetable dishes or soups, as a substitute for bean dishes:
Tempeh: a pressed soybean cake made from split soybeans, water, and a special enzyme
Seitan: wheat gluten, prepared from whole-wheat flour
Tofu: fresh soybean curd, made from soybeans and nigari (a natural sea salt coagulant); used in soups, vegetable dishes, and dressings
Dried tofu: dried soybean curd used in soups and vegetable dishes
Natto: whole cooked soybeans fermented with beneficial enzymes; served with whole grains
Fu: dried, puffed, and baked wheat gluten or seitan used in soups or stews
Sea Vegetables
These important foods are served in small quantities and comprise a few percent of daily intake. Sea vegetables are prepared in a variety of ways
— for example, in soups, with beans (kombu is especially recommended), or as side dishes. Sea vegetable dishes may be flavored with a moderate amount of tamari soy sauce and brown rice vinegar. Sea vegetables for regular use include
Agar agar (for gelatin molds)
Arame (as a side dish)
Dulse (in soups, as a part of side dish, or condiment)
Kombu (for soup stocks, as a side dish, or condiment)
Hiziki (as a side dish)
Irish moss (in soups or as aspic)
Mekabu (as a side dish)
Nori (as a garnish, condiment, or used for rice balls, etc.)
Sea palm (as a side dish) Wakame (in soups, especially miso soup, as a side dish, or condiment)
Additional Foods

Once or twice a week, a small amount of fresh white-meat fish or seafood may be eaten, if one’s condition allows. These varieties include Carp
Clams
Cod
Flounder
Haddock
Halibut
Herring (fresh) Mahi mahi
Oysters
Red snapper Scallops
Sea bass
Shrimp
Sole
Smelt
Tile fish
Trout
Iriko (small dried fish)
Chirimen Iriko (very tiny dried fish)

Roasted seeds and nuts, lightly salted with sea salt or seasoned with tamari, may be enjoyed as snacks. Roasted seeds are used occasionally, whereas roasted nuts are consumed much less often. It is preferable to minimize the use of nuts and nut butters, as they are high in fats and difficult to digest.

Occasional
Pumpkin seeds Sesame seeds Sunflower seeds

Less often Almonds Peanuts
Pecans
Walnuts
Other snacks may include rice cakes, popcorn, puffed grains, roasted beans, and grains.
Desserts are best when sweetened with a high-quality sweetener, especially those made from grain, such as rice syrup, barley malt, and amasake, and may be enjoyed in small amounts. Dried fruit and fresh fruit may be eaten on occasion by those in good health. Fruit juice is not recommended as a regular beverage. Only locally grown fruits are recommended. Thus, if you live in a temperature zone, avoid tropical and semitropical fruit.

Sweets

Sweet vegetables Cabbage
Carrot
Daikon
Onion
Parsnip Pumpkin Squash
Sweeteners
Amasake
Apple juice or cider Barley malt
Chestnuts
Dried local fruit Raisins
Rice syrup

Temperate- climate fruit Apples
Apricots
Blueberries Cantaloupe Cherries
Grapes

Beverages

Please use spring or well water for teas. It is best to drink only when thirsty. Recommended beverages may include
Peaches
Pears
Plums
Raspberries Strawberries Watermelon

Regular use
Bancha twig tea (kukicha) Bancha stem tea
Boiled water
Roasted barley tea
Roasted rice tea
Spring or well water

Occasional Dandelion tea Grain coffee Kombu tea
Mu tea
Umeboshi tea

Less often
Barley green tea Beer
Local fruit juice Nachi green tea Sake
Soymilk
Vegetable juices

Condiments
The following condiments are recommended for daily or special uses:
Tamari soy sauce: Use mostly in cooking. Please normally refrain from using tamari soy sauce on rice or vegetables at the table.

Sesame salt (gomashio): 10–20 parts roasted sesame seeds to 1 part roasted sea salt. Wash and dry roasted seeds. Grind

seeds together with sea salt in a small earthenware bowl called a suribachi, until about two-thirds of the seeds are crushed.

Roasted seaweed powder: Use either wakame, kombu, dulse, or kelp. Roast seaweed in the oven until nearly charred (approximately 350° for 5–10 minutes) and crush in a suribachi.

Sesame seaweed powder: 1–6 parts sesame seeds to 1 part seaweed [kombu wakame, nori, or ao-nori (green nori)]. Prepare as you would sesame salt.
Umeboshi plum: Plums that have been dried and pickled for over one year with sea salt are called ume (plum) boshi (dry) in Japanese.
Shiso leaves: Usually added to umeboshi plums to impart a reddish color and natural flavoring. Umeboshi stimulates the appetite and digestion and aids in maintaining an alkaline blood quality.

Shio (salt) kombu: Soak 1 cup of kombu until soft and cut into 2" square pieces. Add to 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup tamari, bring to a boil and simmer until the liquid evaporates. Cool and put in a covered jar to keep. One to two pieces may be used on occasion as needed.

Nori condiment: Place dried nori or several sheets of fresh nori in approximately 1 cup of water and enough tamari soy sauce for a moderate salty taste. Simmer until most of the water cooks down to a thick paste.

Tekka: This condiment is made from 1 cup of minced burdock, lotus root, carrot, miso, sesame oil, and ginger flavor. It can be made at home or bought ready-made. Use sparingly due to its strong contracting nature.
Sauerkraut: Made from cabbage and sea salt, this can be eaten sparingly with a meal.
Other condiments for occasional use:
Takuan daikon pickle: A dried long pickle that can be taken in small amounts, with or after a meal.
Vinegar: Grain vinegar and umeboshi vinegar may be used moderately.

Ginger: May be used occasionally in a small volume as a garnish or flavoring in vegetable dishes, soups, pickled vegetables, and especially in fish and seafood dishes.

Horseradish or grated fresh daikon: May be used occasionally as a garnish to aid digestion, especially served with fish and seafood.
Pickles: Made with rice bran, brine, or other naturally pickled vegetables may be used in small amounts with or after meals.

Oil and Seasoning in Cooking

For cooking oil, only high-quality, cold-pressed vegetable oil is recommended. Oil should be used in moderation for fried rice, fried noodles, and sauteing vegetables. Generally two to three times a week is reasonable. Occasionally, oil may be used for deep-frying grains, vegetables, fish, and seafood.

Regular use
Corn oil
Dark sesame oil Mustard seed oil Sesame oil

Occasional Safflower oil Sunflower oil
Less often Olive oil
Avoid
Commercially processed oils Canola
Cottonseed
Peanut oil
Soybean oil

Naturally processed, unrefined sea salt is preferable to other varieties. Miso (soy paste) and tamari soy sauce (both containing sea salt) may also be used as seasonings. Use only naturally processed, non-chemicalized varieties. In general, seasonings are used moderately.

Regular use
Ginger
Miso
Sauerkraut
Tamari
Tamari (shoyu) soy sauce
Unrefined white or light grey sea salt Umeboshi plum

Occasional
Horseradish
Mirin
Oil
Rice or other grain vinegar Umeboshi vinegar
Umeboshi paste

Avoid
All commercial seasonings All spices

MDR Home
Introduction
Standard Diet
Daily Proportions
Foods to Reduce or Avoid Way of Life Suggestions Cancer Patients
Special Dishes
Baby Food
Home Remedies
Kitchen Utensils
Nutritional Considerations Glossary
Bibliography

Recommended Daily Proportions

1. Whole cereal grains comprise 50–60% of every meal. These grains may be prepared in a variety of cooking methods. Flour products, noodles, and cracked grains, such as unyeasted whole wheat breads, whole wheat and buckwheat noodles, oatmeal, bulgur, cornmeal, and other cracked grains may be used to complement main servings of whole cereal grains.

2. One or two small bowls of miso soup or tamari broth soup are eaten daily. The combination of vegetables and sea vegetables should change often, with the occasional addition of beans and grains.

3. Vegetables, served in various styles, comprise 25–30% of each meal. Two-thirds of the vegetables are cooked by boiling, steaming, sauteeing, baking, pressure cooking, etc. One-third or less may be eaten as raw, pressed salad or pickles.

4. Whole beans or their products, cooked together with sea vegetables, comprise 5–10% of a meal. (It is unnecessary to eat beans every day.) A variety of cooking methods may be used to prepare beans and sea vegetables.
Beverage: Bancha twig tea, cereal grain teas, and spring or unprocessed well water are used as beverages.
Fish (seafood): White-meat fish and seafood may be taken 1–2 times per week in small amounts.
Fruit (dessert): Fruit or dessert may be taken 2–3 times per week in small amounts, selecting those seasonally available fruits.
Snack (nuts, seeds, etc.): Nuts and seeds may be used as snacks, dryroasted and seasoned lightly with sea salt or tamari soy sauce. Popcorn, rice cakes, roasted grains, or beans may also be eaten in small volumes as snacks.

MDR Home
Introduction
Standard Diet
Daily Proportions
Foods to Reduce or Avoid Way of Life Suggestions Cancer Patients
Special Dishes
Baby Food
Home Remedies
Kitchen Utensils
Nutritional Considerations Glossary
Bibliography

Foods to Reduce or Avoid for Better Health

Although all of these foods can be used for specific health purposes, they contain certain elements that are strengthening and others that are toxic. Therefore, they have an extreme effect on the body's energy balance and are generally best avoided.

Animal products Eggs
Poultry
Red meat (beef, lamb, pork) Wild game

Dairy
Butter
Cheese Cream
Ice cream Kefir
Margarine
Milk (buttermilk, skim milk) Sour cream
Whipped cream
Yogurt

Fats
Lard or shortening
Processed vegetable oils

Fish Red-meat or blue-skinned fish, such as
Bluefish Tuna (though raw- meat tuna may be Salmon served occasionally with tamari soy Swordfish sauce and a garnish of grated daikon or
mustard)
Soy margarine
Nuts
Brazil Hazel Cashew Pistachio

Processed foods Canned food
Chewing gum
Frozen food
Instant food
Polished (white) rice Refined (white) flour

Foods processed with Additives
Artificial coloring
Chemicals
Emulsifiers
Preservatives Sprays or dyes Stabilizers

Stimulants
Alcohol
Coffee
Commercially dyed teas Ginseng
Herbs
Spices (cayenne, cumin, etc.)
Stimulating aromatic teas (herb, mint, etc.)
Vinegar, except grain vinegar

Sweeteners Carob
Chocolate Corn syrup Fructose
Honey
Maple syrup
Molasses
Saccharine and other artificial sweeteners
Sugar (white, raw, brown, turbinado)

Tropical or subtropical fruits and beverages Artificial beverages (soda, cola, etc.) Bananas
Coconut
Figs
Grapefruit
Kiwi
Mangoes Oranges Papayas Prunes
Vegetables
Asparagus
Avocado
Bamboo shoots
Beets
Curly dock
Eggplant
Fennel
Ferns
Green and red peppers Green zucchini
Okra
Plantain
Potato
Purslane
Shepherd’s purse Sorrel
Spinach
Sweet potato
Taro (albi)
Tomato
Yams

MDR Home
Introduction
Standard Diet
Daily Proportions
Foods to Reduce or Avoid Way of Life Suggestions Cancer Patients
Special Dishes
Baby Food
Home Remedies
Kitchen Utensils
Nutritional Considerations Glossary
Bibliography

Way of Life Suggestions
Below are additional recommendations to help guide you to a more natural way of living:
1. Chew your food well, at least fifty times or more per mouthful.
2. Eat only when you are really hungry.
3. Please eat in an orderly and relaxed manner. When you eat, sit with good posture and with gratitude for your food. You may eat regularly two or three times per day, as much as you want, provided the proportion is generally correct and each mouthful is thoroughly chewed.
4. It is best to leave the table feeling satisfied but not full.
5. Drink a moderate volume, only when thirsty.
6. Avoid eating for three hours before sleeping, as this causes stagnation in the intestines and throughout the body.
7. Wash your body as needed, but avoid long, hot baths or showers.
8. Scrub and massage your entire body with a hot, damp towel until the skin becomes red, every morning and/or night. At the very least, scrub your hands and feet, including each finger and toe.

9. Wear cotton clothing directly next to the skin, especially cotton undergarments. It is best to avoid wearing synthetic, woolen, or silk clothing directly on the skin as well as excessive metallic jewelry or accessories on the fingers, wrists, or neck. Try to keep such ornaments simple and graceful.

10. For the deepest and most restful sleep, retire before midnight and rise early in the morning.
11. Be as active as possible in your daily life, including activities such as scrubbing floors, cleaning windows, washing clothes, etc. Systematic exercise programs, such as yoga, do-in, martial arts, and sports can also be helpful.
12. If your condition permits, go outdoors in simple clothing. Try to walk barefoot on the beach, grass, or soil whenever possible.
13. Keep your home environment clean and orderly, especially the areas where food is prepared and served.
14. All daily living materials should be as natural as possible. Cotton for sheets, towels, blankets, and pillowcases; incandescent lighting and natural wooden furnishings; and cotton or wool carpets all contribute toward a more natural atmosphere.
15. It is advisable to use a gas or wood stove for daily cooking rather than electric or microwave cooking devices.
16. Avoid or minimize the use of electric objects close to the body, including electric shavers, hair dryers, blankets, heating pads, toothbrushes, etc.

17. Keep large green plants in your home to freshen and enrich the oxygen content of the air. Open windows daily to permit fresh air to circulate, even in cold weather.
18. Use earthenware, cast iron, or stainless steel cookware rather than aluminum or Teflon-coated pots.
19. If you watch television, do so at a great distance, to minimize exposure to radiation.
20. Avoid using chemically produced cosmetics and body care products. For care of teeth, use natural toothpaste, sea salt, dentie, or clay.
Daily Reflections
Along with these lifestyle recommendations, we also suggest the following daily reflections:

Develop your appreciation for nature. Every day, try to set aside several minutes to observe and marvel at the wonder and beauty of our natural surroundings. Appreciate the sky, mountains, sun, wind, rain, snow, and all natural phenomena. Regain your sense of wonder at the miracle of life.

Live each day happily, without being preoccupied with your condition. Keep mentally and physically active and maintain an optimistic and positive attitude.
Greet everyone you meet with gratitude. Begin with your friends and family and extend your gratitude to all people.

Introduce the members of your family to your new diet and way of life and encourage them to adopt macrobiotics with you. Family support and participation is one of the most important aspects of good health.
Cancer Patients

MDR Home
Introduction
Standard Diet
Daily Proportions
Foods to Reduce or Avoid Way of Life Suggestions Cancer Patients
Special Dishes
Baby Food
Home Remedies
Kitchen Utensils
Nutritional Considerations Glossary
Bibliography

Suggestions for Patients with Cancer or Other Serious Illnesses

The following points are additional recommendations for those with serious problems. However, depending upon the type of illness and the degree of one's condition, some modifications may be needed.
1. Flour products and baked goods are to be minimized or totally avoided.
2. The intake of fats and oils is best minimized, and all nuts and nut butters should be avoided completely.
3. It is best to minimize or avoid fruits, fruit desserts, and juices. A small volume may be used (if appropriate) when craving sweets.
4. The use of microwaves or electric cooking is best totally avoided. Color TV is also best avoided.
5. Proper and specific cooking instruction is essential for all serious illnesses. Contact your local qualified macrobiotic center and arrange for classes in preparing food to suit individual needs.

In addition to dietary adjustments, some patients who have developed tumors or growths may be helped further by using one of the external treatments as a home remedy (see the Home Remedies page). For serious conditions, medical attention from medical professionals will also be necessary. We encourage everyone to begin the dietary suggestions and attend Kushi Institute educational programs and any additional macrobiotic classes that may be directed to their personal needs.
http://www.pngusa.net/~mlipsman/cancer_patients.htm [4/15/2002 6:47:56 PM]

MDR Home
Introduction
Standard Diet
Daily Proportions
Foods to Reduce or Avoid Way of Life Suggestions Cancer Patients
Special Dishes
Baby Food
Home Remedies
Kitchen Utensils
Nutritional Considerations Glossary
Bibliography

Special Dishes

Nishime Dish

This simple method of preparing vegetables is helpful in restoring strength and vitality to someone who has become physically weak. It is recommended that this dish be included anywhere from 2–4 times per week.
1. Use a heavy pot with a heavy lid or cookware specifically designed for waterless cooking.
2. Soak a 5–7-inch strip of kombu until soft and cut into one-inch-square pieces.
3. Place kombu in bottom of pot and cover with water.
4. Add sliced carrots, daikon, turnip or burdock root, lotus root, onions, hard winter squash (acorn or butternut) and cabbage. These should be cut into 2-inch chunks, except burdock, which should be cut smaller and layered on top of the kombu. (Root vegetables will retain their shape even if cooked for a long time; however, squash may dissolve and lose its shape if cooked too long, so it may be added after other vegetables.)
5. Sprinkle a small volume of sea salt or tamari soy sauce over the vegetables.
6. Cover and set flame to high until a high steam is generated. Lower flame and cook peacefully for 15–20 minutes. If water should evaporate during cooking, add more water to the bottom of the pot.
7. When each vegetable has become soft and edible, add a few drops of tamari soy sauce and mix the vegetables.
8. Replace cover and cook over a low flame for 2–5 minutes more.
9. Remove cover, turn off flame, and let the vegetables sit for about two minutes. You may serve the vegetable juice along with the dish, as it is most delicious.
Try one of the following suggested combinations:
1. carrot, cabbage, burdock, kombu
2. carrot, lotus, burdock, kombu
3. daikon, shitake mushroom, kombu
4. turnip, shitake mushroom, kombu
5. onion, cabbage, winter squash, kombu
6. kombu, onion
7. kombu, daikon
Note: It is not advisable to cook only carrot and daikon or carrot and turnip together, except when using additional vegetables.

Aduki, Kombu, and Squash Dish
This dish is helpful in regulating blood sugar levels, especially in those who are diabetic or hypoglycemic. This dish may be included from 1–3 times per week.
1. Wash and soak one cup of aduki beans with a one-inch square piece of dried kombu for 3–5 hours.
2. Remove kombu after soaking time and chop into one-inch-square pieces.
3. Place kombu in bottom of pot and add chopped hard winter squash, such as acorn, butternut, or hokkaido. If squash is not available, substitute carrots or parsnips.
4. Add aduki beans on top of squash.
5. Cover with water and cook over a low flame until the beans and squash become soft.
6. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.
7. Cover and let cook another 10–15 minutes.
8. Turn off flame and let sit for several minutes before serving.
Steamed Greens Dish
Lightly cooked green vegetables can be eaten every day. It is important that the vegetables do not lose their green color.
1. Wash and slice the green, leafy tops of vegetables such as turnip, daikon, and carrots, or kale, watercress, chinese cabbage, and parsley.
2. Put vegetables in a small amount of boiling water.
3. Cover and steam for 2–5 minutes, depending on texture of vegetables.
4. At end of cooking, lightly sprinkle tamari soy sauce over the vegetables.

Basic Miso Soup
1. Soak wakame or kombu for 5 minutes, then cut into small pieces.
2. Boil wakame or kombu and, while boiling, cut vegetables into pieces.
3. Add vegetables to the boiling broth and boil all together for 2–4 minutes, until all vegetables are soft and edible.
4. Dilute miso, add to soup, and simmer for 2–4 minutes.
Miso Soup with Daikon and Wakame
This soup helps eliminate excess mucus from the body.
1. Wash and slice 1 1/2 cups of daikon into 1/2-inch slices and add to 4 cups of water.
2. Allow to cook for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, soak 1/2 cup of dried wakame for 3–5 minutes, then chop into small pieces.
4. Add the wakame to the pot.
5. Cook over low flame until the vegetables are soft.
6. Add one teaspoon of miso diluted in soup stock.
7. Simmer (do not boil) for 3 minutes. 8. Garnish with chopped scallion.
Dried Daikon with Kombu and Tamari
This dish helps dissolve fat deposits throughout the body.
1. Soak one 4-inch strip of kombu for 10 minutes; slice lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips and place in bottom of heavy pot with a heavy lid.
2. Soak 1/2 cup dried daikon until soft, about 10 minutes. (If dried daikon is very dark in color, please discard soaking water.)
3. Place dried daikon on top of kombu in pot.
4. Add enough kombu soaking water to just cover top of daikon.
5. Cover pot, bring to boil, lower flame and simmer 30–40 minutes, until kombu is tender.
6. Add a small amount of tamari soy sauce and cook away excess liquid.
Pressed Salt Pickles
A small serving of pickles at the end of the meal aids digestion.
1. A heavy ceramic or wooden crock or keg will be needed.
2. Wash two large daikon and their leaves under cold water, making sure all dirt is removed, especially from the leaves.
3. Set aside and let dry for about 24 hours.
4. Slice the daikon into small rounds.
5. Sprinkle sea salt on the bottom of the crock.
6. Next, layer some of the daikon leaves.
7. Next, a layer of daikon rounds.
8. Sprinkle with sea salt again.
9. Repeat this until the daikon is used or the crock is filled.
10. Place a lid or plate that will fit inside the crock on top of the daikon, daikon leaves, and salt.
11. Place a heavy rock or brick on top of the lid or plate. 12. Cover with a thin layer of cheesecloth to keep dust out.
13. Soon water will begin to be squeezed out and rise to the surface of the plate. When this happens, replace heavy weight with a lighter one.
14. Store in a dark, cool place for 1–2 weeks or longer. 15. Remove a portion, wash under cold water, slice, and serve.
Rice Bran (Nuka) Pickles
These pickles help restore a healthy environment in the digestive system.
Long Time (ready in 3–5 months)
10–12 cups nuka (rice bran) or wheat bran
1 1/2–2 cups sea salt

Short Time (ready in 1–2 weeks)
10–12 cups nuka
1/8–1/4 cup sea salt
1. Combine roasted nuka or wheat bean with salt; mix well.
2. Place a layer of bran mixture on the bottom of a wooden keg or ceramic crock.
3. A single vegetable, such as daikon, turnips, rutabaga, onion or chinese cabbage, may be used.
4. Slice vegetable(s) and layer on top of the nuka.
5. If more than one vegetable is being used, layer one on top of another.
6. Sprinkle a layer of nuka on top of the vegetables.
7. Repeat this layering until the nuka mixture is used up or the crock is filled
8. Always make sure that the nuka mixture is the top layer.
9. Place a wooden disc or plate inside the crock, on top of the vegetables and nuka. (Plate should be slightly smaller, so as to fit inside the crock.)

10. Place a heavy weight, such as a rock or brick, on top of plate.
11. Soon, water will begin to be squeezed out and rise to the surface of the plate. When this happens, replace heavy weight with a lighter one.
12. Cover with a thin layer of cheesecloth and store in a cool room. 13. Before serving, rinse under cold water to remove excess bran and salt.
Boiled Salad
A refreshing way to prepare vegetables in place of raw salad.
1. When making a boiled salad, boil each vegetable separately. (All of your vegetables may, however, be boiled in the same water.
2. Cook the mildest tasting vegetables first, so that each will retain its distinctive flavor.
3. Place several inches of water and a pinch of sea salt in a pot and bring to a boil.
4. Drop 1 cup sliced chinese cabbage into water and boil 1–2 minutes.
5. All vegetables should be slightly crisp but not raw.
6. To remove vegetables from water, pour into a strainer that has been placed inside a bowl, so as to retain the cooking water.
7. Place the drained water back into the pot and reboil.
8. Boil 1/2 cup sliced onion.
9. Drain as above, retaining water and returning to boil.
10. Boil 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots, then 1/2 cup sliced celery, each one separately, as previously explained.
11. Last, drop one bunch watercress into boiling water for just a few seconds.
12. For the vegetables to keep their bright color, each one should be run under cold water while in the strainer.
13. Mix vegetables.
14. A dressing may be made from 1 umeboshi plum or 1 teaspoon of umeboshi paste added to 1/2 cup of water (vegetable stock from boiling may be used) and pureed in a suribachi.

Pressed Salad
A method to remove excess liquid from raw vegetables.
1. Wash and slice desired vegetables into very thin pieces, such as 1/2 cabbage (may be shredded), 1 cucumber, 1 stalk celery, 2 red radishes, 1 onion.
2. Place vegetables in a pickle press or large bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and mix.
3. Apply pressure to the press.
4. If you use a bowl in place of the press, place a small plate on top of the vegetables and place a stone or weight on top of the plate.
5. Leave it for at least 30–45 minutes.
6. You may leave it up to 3 or 4 days, but the longer you press the vegetables, the more they resemble light pickles.

Fruit Compote

1. Wash and slice three medium apples or
other local fruits. Dried fruits, such as
dried apples or apricots, may be used as a
substitute.

2. Place in a pot with a small amount of
water (1/4–1/2 cup), just enough to keep
the fresh fruit from burning, as it normally
becomes very watery when cooked.
3. Add a pinch of sea salt and simmer for 10 minutes or until soft.
Grated Daikon
Use as a side dish during a meal, especially when serving fish or tempura.
1. Grate 1 tablespoon of raw daikon. (Red radish may be used if daikon is not available.)
2. Add a few drops of tamari soy sauce and mix.

MDR Home
Introduction
Standard Diet
Daily Proportions
Foods to Reduce or Avoid Way of Life Suggestions Cancer Patients
Special Dishes
Baby Food
Home Remedies
Kitchen Utensils
Nutritional Considerations Glossary
Bibliography

Baby Food Suggestions

Whole-grain kokkoh cereal can be introduced after 8 months to 1 year as main food. It is made from four parts brown rice (short grain), 3 parts sweet brown rice, 1 part barley, always cooked with a piece of kombu, (which does not always have to be eaten). The proportion of water to grains is about 10:1, 7:1, or 3:1, depending upon the age of the baby. (Younger babies require more water.) Millet and oats can be included from time to time. Buckwheat, wheat, and rye are usually not given.
1. Soak cereals for 2–3 hours and pressure cook with five times more water for 1 hour, or
2. Soak cereals for 2–3 hours and boil with ten times more water until half the original volume of water is left. Use a low flame after rice comes to a boil. If rice boils over, turn off flame and start it again when rice stops boiling over.

This cereal should be soft and creamy. For babies less than 5 months old, kokkoh is best digested if mashed well (preferably in a suribachi or with a mortar and pestle). For babies less than 1 year old, rice syrup or barley malt may be added as a sweetener. Avoid kokkoh or other creamy grain cereals made from flour products. Kokkoh can be given as a replacement for mother’s milk if mother’s milk is not available.

Soup can be introduced after 5 months. Contents of vegetables and wakame or kombu seaweed may be given after well mashed in creamy form. No salt, miso, or tamari is added before 10 months old; thereafter, a slightly salty taste may be used for flavoring.

Vegetables can be introduced after 5–7 months, usually when teeth come in and grains have been given for 1 month. When introducing vegetables to children, start by giving sweet vegetables, boiled or steamed, but cooked well and mashed ( e.g., carrots, cabbage, squash, onions, daikon, chinese cabbage). Because it is usually difficult for children to eat greens, special effort should be made to make sure they eat them. (They may prefer sweet greens like kale and broccoli to watercress and mustard greens.) Very mild macrobiotic seasonings may be added to vegetables after 10 months. Beans can be introduced after 8 months, but only small amounts of aduki, lentils, or chickpeas, cooked with kombu seaweed and mashed well.

Sea vegetables can be introduced after 1 1/2–2 years, although grains should always be cooked with kombu, and vegetables can be cooked with seaweed ( the seaweed need not be eaten).

Beverages include spring or well water boiled and cooled, bancha twig tea, cereal grain teas, apple juice warmed or hot, and amasake ( boiled with twice as much water and cooled).

Fruit and fish should be given to infants only when recommended in a particular case. Fruit, cooked and mashed, can be introduced after 1 1/2–2 years of age.
Quick, light pickles may be introduced after 2–3 years of age.
Age 4: Standard diet with mild salt, miso, seasonings, etc. (Fish is not at all necessary to give at this age.) Babies and infants should not have any fish or ginger. The taste that nourishes babies and children the most is the sweet taste.

MDR Home
Introduction
Standard Diet
Daily Proportions
Foods to Reduce or Avoid Way of Life Suggestions Cancer Patients
Special Dishes
Baby Food
Home Remedies
Kitchen Utensils
Nutritional Considerations Glossary
Bibliography

Home Remedies

The following home remedies are based on the traditional oriental medicine of China and Japan. These remedies have been used for thousands of years to alleviate various imbalances caused by faulty diet or unhealthy lifestyle activities. They should be followed only after complete understanding of their uses. If there is any doubt as to whether one should use these remedies, please seek out an experienced macrobiotic counselor for proper education.

Bancha Stem Tea

Use for strengthening the metabolism in all sicknesses. Use 1 tablespoon of tea to 1 quart of water, bring to a boil, reduce flame, and simmer 4–5 minutes.

Brown Rice Cream

Used in cases when a person in a weakened condition needs to be nourished and energized or when the digestive system is impaired. Dryroast brown rice evenly until all the grains turn a yellowish color. To one part rice, add a small amount of sea salt and 3–6 parts water, then pressure cook for at least 2 hours. Squeeze out the creamy part of the cooked rice gruel through a sanitized cheesecloth. Eat with a small volume of condiment, such as umeboshi plum, gomasio (sesame salt), tekka, kelp, or other seaweed powder.

Brown Rice Plaster

When the swelling of a boil or infection is not opened by a taro plaster, a rice plaster can be used to help reduce the fever around the infected area. Hand grind 70% cooked brown rice, 20% raw green leafy vegetables, and raw nori in a suribachi — the more grinding, the better. (If the mixture is very sticky, add water.) Apply the paste to the affected area. If the plaster begins to burn, remove it, since it is no longer effective. To remove, rinse with warm water to remove direct paste.

Buckwheat Plaster
Draws retained water and excess fluid from swollen areas of the body.
Mix buckwheat flour with enough hot water to form a hard, stiff dough. Apply in a 1/2-inch layer to the affected area; tie in place with a bandage or piece of cotton linen, and leave in place for up to 4 hours.
Special considerations for cancer cases: A buckwheat plaster should be applied in cases where a patient develops a swollen abdomen due to retention of fluid. If this fluid is surgically removed, the patient may feel better temporarily but may suddenly become much worse after several days. It is better to avoid such a drastic procedure.

This plaster can be applied anywhere on the body. In cases where a breast has been removed, for example, the surrounding lymph nodes, the neck, or, in some cases, the arm often become swollen after several months. To relieve this condition, apply ginger compresses to the swollen area for about 5 minutes, then apply a buckwheat plaster; replace every 4 hours. After removing the plaster, you may notice that fluid is coming out through the skin or that the swelling is starting to go down. A buckwheat plaster will usually eliminate the swelling after only several applications, or at most after two or three days.

Burdock Tea (dried root)

Use for strengthening vitality. To 1 portion of fresh burdock shavings, add
10 times the amount of water. Bring to a boil, reduce flame, and simmer for
10 minutes.

Carp Plaster

Reduces high fever, as in the case of pneumonia. Crush and mash a whole, live carp and mix with a small amount of whole-wheat flour. Spread this mixture onto oiled paper and apply to the chest. When treating pneumonia, drink 1 or 2 teaspoons of carp blood, only in the case where the carp has just been killed. Take the body temperature every half hour, and immediately remove the carp plaster when the temperature reaches normal.

Carrot-Daikon Drink

To eliminate excessive fats and help dissolve hardening accumulation in the intestines. Grate 1 tablespoon of raw daikon and carrot. Cook in 2 cups of water for 5–8 minutes with a pinch of sea salt or 7–10 drops of tamari soy sauce.

Daikon Radish Drink

Drink No. 1: May reduce a fever by inducing sweating. Mix 1/2 cup grated fresh daikon with 1 tablespoon of tamari soy sauce and 1/4 teaspoon grated ginger. Pour hot bancha tea over
this mixture, stir, and drink while hot.
Daikon
Drink No. 2: To induce urination. Use a

piece of cheesecloth to squeeze the
juice from the grated daikon. Mix 2 tablespoons of this juice with 6 tablespoons of hot water to which a pinch of sea salt has been added. Boil this mixture and drink only once a day. Do not use this preparation more than three consecutive days without proper supervision, and never use it without first boiling.

Drink No. 3: To help dissolve fat and mucus. In a teacup, place 1 tablespoon fresh grated daikon and a few drops of tamari soy sauce . Pour hot bancha tea over mixture and drink. It is most effective when taken just before sleeping. Do not use this drink longer than one week unless otherwise advised by an experienced macrobiotic counselor.

Dandelion Root Tea

Strengthens the heart and small intestine function and increases vitality. One tablespoon of root to 1 quart of water. Bring to a boil, reduce flame, and simmer 10 minutes.

Dentie

Helps to prevent tooth problems, promotes a healthy condition in the mouth, and stops bleeding anywhere in the body by contracting expanded blood capillaries. Bake an eggplant, particularly the calix, or cap, until black. Crush into a powder and mix with 30–50% roasted sea salt. Use daily as a tooth powder or apply to any bleeding area (even inside the nostrils in case of nosebleed, by inserting squeezed, wet tissue dipped in dentie into the nostril).

Dried Daikon Leaves

Used to warm the body and treat various disorders of the skin and female sex organs. Also helpful in drawing odors and excessive oils from the body. Dry fresh daikon leaves in the shade, away from direct sunlight, until they turn brown and brittle. (If daikon leaves are unavailable, turnip greens may be substituted.) Boil 4–5 bunches of the leaves in 4–5 quarts water until the water turns brown. Stir in a handful of sea salt and use in one of the following ways:
1. Dip cotton linen into the hot liquid and wring lightly. Apply to the affected area repeatedly, until the skin becomes completely red.
2. Women experiencing problems in their sexual organs should sit in a hot bath to which the daikon leaves liquid described above with the addition of 1 handful of sea salt has been added. The water should come to waist level, with the upper portion of the body covered with a towel. Remain in the water until the whole body becomes warm and sweating begins. This generally takes about 10 minutes. Repeat as needed, up to ten days. Following the bath, douche with warm bancha tea, a very small pinch of salt, and juice of half a lemon.

Ginger Compress
Stimulates blood and body fluid circulation; helps loosen and dissolve stagnated toxic matter, cysts, tumors, etc.
Place a handful of grated ginger in a cheesecloth and squeeze out the ginger juice into a pot containing 1 gallon of hot water kept just below the boiling point, if you boil, you will lose the power of the ginger. Dip a towel

into the ginger water (preferably a 100% cotton towel), wring it out tightly, and apply, very hot, directly to the area to be treated. A second, dry towel can be placed on top to reduce heat loss. Apply a fresh hot towel every 2–3 minutes until the skin becomes red.
Ginger compress
Special considerations for cancer cases: The ginger compress should be prepared in the usual manner. However, it should be applied for only a
short time (3–5 minutes maximum), to activate circulation in the affected
area, and should be followed immediately by a taro potato or potato
plaster. If a ginger compress is applied repeatedly over an extended
period, it may accelerate the growth of the cancer, particularly if it is a more
yin variety. The ginger compress should be considered only as preparation
for the taro plaster in cancer cases, not as an independent treatment, and
applied for several minutes only. Please seek more specific
recommendations from a qualified macrobiotic advisor.

Ginger Sesame Oil

Activates the function of the capillaries, circulation, and nerve reactions. Also relieves aches and pains. Mix the juice of grated fresh ginger with an equal amount of sesame oil. Dip cotton linen into this mixture and rub briskly into the skin of the affected area. This is also helpful for headache, dandruff, and hair growth.

Grated Daikon

A digestive aid, especially for fatty, oily, heavy foods and animal food. Grate fresh daikon (red radish or turnip may be used if daikon is not available). Sprinkle with tamari soy sauce and eat about 1 tablespoon. You may also use a pinch of grated ginger.

Green Magma Tea

Young barley-grass powder. Good for reducing and melting fats, cysts and tumors arising from animal foods. Pour hot water over 1–2 teaspoons and drink. Consult a qualified macrobiotic counselor for length of time to use.

Kombu Tea
Good for strengthening the blood.
Drink No. 1: Use one 3-inch strip of kombu to 1 quart water. Bring to a boil, reduce flame, and simmer 10 minutes.
Drink No. 2: Dry kombu in a 350° oven for 10–15 minutes or until crisp. Grate 1/2 teaspoon kombu into a cup and add hot water.

Kuzu (Kudzu) Drink

Strengthens digestion, increases vitality, and relieves general fatigue. Dissolve a heaping teaspoon of kuzu powder in 2 teaspoons water and add to 1 cup cold water. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to the simmering point, and stir constantly, until the liquid becomes a transparent gelatin. Stir in 1 teaspoon tamari soy sauce and drink while hot.

Lotus Root Plaster

Draws stagnated mucus from the sinuses, nose, throat, and bronchi. Mix grated fresh lotus root with 10–15% pastry flour and 5% grated fresh ginger. Spread a 1/2-inch layer onto cotton linen and apply the lotus root directly to the skin. Keep on for several hours or overnight and repeat daily for several days. A ginger compress can be applied before this application, to stimulate circulation and loosen mucus in the area being treated.

Lotus Root Tea

To aid in coughs and dissolving mucus. Grate 1/2 cup fresh lotus root, squeeze the juice into a pot, and add a small amount of water. Cook for 8–10 minutes. Add a pinch of sea salt and drink hot.
If using dried lotus root, cook in 1 cup of water for 12–15 minutes, add a pinch of sea salt or tamari soy sauce, and drink hot.

Mugwort Tea

Good for ridding the body of worms and for jaundice. One tablespoon mugwort to 1 quart water. Bring to a boil, reduce flame, and simmer 5–10 minutes. Use carefully, so as not to create constipation.

Mustard Plaster

Stimulates blood and body fluid circulation and loosens stagnation. Add hot water to dry mustard powder and stir well. Spread this mixture onto a paper towel and sandwich between two thick cotton towels. Apply this “sandwich” to the skin area, leave on until the skin becomes red and warm, then remove. After removing, wipe off remaining mustard plaster from the skin with towels.

Nachi Green Tea

To help dissolve and discharge animal fats and reduce high cholesterol levels. Place 1/2 teaspoon tea into the serving kettle. Pour 1 cup hot water over the tea and steep for 3–5 minutes. Strain and drink 1 cup per day.

Ranshio

Used to strengthen the heart and stimulate heartbeat and blood circulation. Crush a raw egg and mix with 1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce. Drink slowly. Use only once a day and for no more than three days.

Raw Brown Rice and Seeds

Will help eliminate worms of various types. Skip breakfast. Then, on an empty stomach, eat a handful of raw brown rice with half a handful of raw seeds, such as pumpkin or sunflower, and another half handful of chopped raw onion, scallion, or garlic. Chew everything very well, and have your regular meal later in the day. Repeat for two to three days.

Roasted Barley Tea

Good for melting animal fat from the body. Roast barley in a skillet, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until a fragrant aroma is detected. To 1 portion barley, add 10 times the amount of water . Bring to a boil, reduce flame, and simmer 10 minutes. This is a very nice summer drink and may also aid in the reduction of fever.

Roasted Rice Tea
Good for all sicknesses. Prepare using the same method as for roasted barley tea. This is also a good tea for reducing fever.

Salt Bancha Tea

Used to loosen stagnation in the nasal cavity or to cleanse the vagina. Add enough salt to warm bancha tea (body temperature) to make it just a little less salty than sea water. Use the liquid to wash deep inside the nasal cavity through the nostrils or as a douche. Salt bancha tea can also be used as a wash for problems with the eyes, sore throat, and fatigue.

Salt Pack

Used to warm any part of the body. For the relief of diarrhea, for example, apply the pack to the abdominal region. Roast salt in a dry pan until hot, then wrap in a thick cotton linen pillowcase or towel. Apply to the troubled area and change when the pack begins to cool.
Salt pack
Salt Water

Cold salt water will contract the skin in the case of burns, while warm salt water can be used to clean the rectum, colon, and vagina. When the skin is damaged by fire, immediately soak the burned area in cold salt water until irritation disappears. Then apply vegetable oil to seal the wound from air. For constipation or mucus or fat accumulation in the rectum, colon, and vagina, use warm salt water (body temperature) as an enema or douche.

Scallion, Onion, or Daikon Juice

Neutralizes the poison of a bee sting or insect bite. Cut either a scallion or daikon or their greens and squeeze out the juice. (If you cannot obtain these vegetables, red radish can be used.) Rub the juice thoroughly into the wound.

Sesame Oil

Use to relieve stagnated bowels or to eliminate retained water. To induce the discharge of stagnated bowels, take 1–2 tablespoons raw sesame oil with 1/4 teaspoon ginger and tamari soy sauce on an empty stomach. To eliminate water retention in the eyes, put a drop or two of pure sesame oil (it is best to use dark sesame oil if available) in the eyes with an eyedropper, preferably before sleeping. Continue up to a week, until the eyes improve. Before using the sesame oil for this purpose, remove impurities by boiling it and then straining it through a sanitized cheesecloth.

Shiitake Mushroom Tea

Used to relax an overly tense, stressful condition and help dissolve excessive animal fat. Soak a dried black shiitake mushroom cut in quarters. Cook in 2 cups of water for 20 minutes with a pinch of sea salt. Drink only 1/2 cup at a time.

Tamari Bancha Tea

Neutralizes an acidic blood condition, promotes blood circulation, and relieves fatigue. Pour 1 cup hot bancha twig tea over 1–2 teaspoons tamari soy sauce. Stir and drink hot.

Tofu Plaster

More effective than an ice pack to draw out fever. Squeeze the water from the tofu, mash it, then add 10–20% pastry flour and 5% grated ginger. Mix the ingredients and apply directly to the skin. Change every 2–3 hours, or sooner if plaster becomes very hot.

Taro Potato (Albi) Plaster

Often used after a ginger compress to collect stagnated toxic matter and draw it out of the body. Peel off potato skin and grate the white interior. Mix with 5% grated fresh ginger. Spread this mixture in a 1/2- inch-thick layer onto fresh cotton linen and apply the taro side directly to the skin. Change

every 4 hours.
Albi (taro) plaster
Taro potato can usually be
obtained in most major cities in the U.S. and Canada, from Chinese,

Armenian, or Puerto Rican grocery stores or natural food stores. The skin of this vegetable is brown and covered with “hair.” The taro potato is grown in Hawaii as well as the Orient. Smaller taro potatoes are the most effective for use in this plaster. If taro is not available, a preparation using regular potato can be substituted. While not as effective as taro, it will still produce a beneficial result. Mix 50–60% grated potato with 40–50% grated green leafy vegetables, mixing them together in a suribachi. Add enough wheat flour to make a paste and add 5% grated ginger. Apply as above.

Special considerations for cancer cases: The taro plaster has the effect of drawing cancerous toxins out of the body and is particularly effective in removing carbon and other minerals often contained in tumors. If, when the plaster is removed, the light-colored mixture has become dark or brown, or if the skin where the plaster was applied also takes on a dark color, this change indicates that excessive carbon and other elements are being discharged through the skin. This treatment will gradually reduce the size of the tumor.

If the patient feels chilly from the coolness of the plaster, a hot ginger compress, applied for 5 minutes while changing plasters, will help relieve this. If chill persists, roast sea salt in a skillet, wrap it in a towel, and place it on top of the plaster. Be careful not to let the patient become too hot from this salt application.

Ume Extract
Good for neutralizing an acid or nauseous condition and diarrhea in the stomach. Pour hot water or bancha tea over 1/4 teaspoon of ume extract.
Umeboshi Plum

Neutralizes an acidic condition and relieves intestinal problems, including those caused by microorganisms. Take 1/2–1 umeboshi plum with 1 cup bancha tea. Or you may bake the whole plums. If you are using powder, add a tablespoon to 1 cup hot water.

Ume-Sho-Bancha

Strengthens the blood and circulation through the regulation of digestion. Pour 1 cup bancha tea over the meat of 1/2–1 umeboshi plum and 1 teaspoon tamari soy sauce. Stir and drink hot.

Ume-Sho-Bancha with Ginger
Increases blood circulation. Same as above, but add 1/4 teaspoon grated ginger juice and pour 1 cup hot bancha tea over, stir, and drink.
Ume-Sho-Kuzu (Kudzu) Drink

Strengthens digestion, revitalizes energy, and regulates the intestinal condition. Prepare the kuzu drink according to the instructions for Kuzu Drink and add the meat of 1/2–1 umeboshi plum. One-eighth teaspoon fresh grated ginger may also be added.

MDR Home
Introduction
Standard Diet
Daily Proportions
Foods to Reduce or Avoid Way of Life Suggestions Cancer Patients
Special Dishes
Baby Food
Home Remedies
Kitchen Utensils
Nutritional Considerations Glossary
Bibliography

Kitchen Utensils

Pressure Cooker
A pressure cooker is an essential item in macrobiotic cooking, especially in preparing rice and other grains. Stainless steel is recommended. Pressure cooker
Cooking Pots

Stainless steel and cast iron are recommended, although Pyrex, stoneware, or unchipped enamelware may also be used. Aluminum or Teflon-coated pots are not recommended.

Metal Flame Deflectors

These are especially helpful when cooking rice and other grains, as they help distribute heat more evenly and prevent burning. Do not use asbestos pads.

Suribachi (Grinding Bowl)

A suribachi is a ceramic bowl with grooves set into its surface. It is used with a wooden pestle called a surikogi and is needed in preparing condiments, pureed foods, salad dressings, and other items. A 6-inch size is generally fine for regular use.
Suribachi and surikogi
Flat Grater

A small enamel or steel hand style that will grate finely is especially
recommended.
Grater
Pickle Press

(or heavy crock with a plate and weight). It is recommended that several of these be available for regular use in the preparation of pickles and pressed salads.

Steamer Basket

The small, stainless steel steamers
are generally suitable. Bamboo
steamers are also fine for regular
use.
Vegetable steamer

Wire Mesh Strainer

A large strainer is useful for washing grains, beans, seaweeds, and some vegetables, and for draining noodles. A small, fine-mesh strainer is good for washing smaller items, such as millet or sesame seeds.

Vegetable Knife
A sharp, high-quality knife allows for more even, attractive, and quick cutting of vegetables. Stainless steel and carbon steel varieties are recommended.
Cutting Board

It is important to cut vegetables on a clean, flat surface. Wooden cutting boards are ideal for this purpose. It is recommended that this board not be used for the preparation of dishes containing animal foods and should be wiped clean after each use.

Sharpening Stone
A sharpening stone, when used regularly, will maintain the cutting edge of your vegetable knives.

Foley Hand Food Mill
This utensil is useful for pureeing, especially when preparing baby food or dishes requiring a creamy texture.
Glass Jars

Large glass jars are useful for storing grains, seeds, nuts, beans, or dried foods. Wood or ceramic containers, which allow air to circulate, are better but may be difficult to locate.

Tamari Soy Sauce Dispenser
This is very helpful in controlling the quantity of tamari soy
sauce used in cooking.
Tamari soy sauce in dispenser
Tea Strainer

Vegetable Brush

Small, inexpensive bamboo strainers are ideal, but small mesh strainers may also be used.
Bamboo tea strainer
A natural-bristle vegetable brush, available at most natural food stores, is recommended for cleaning vegetables.

Wooden Utensils

Wooden utensils (spoons, rice paddles, cooking chopsticks) are suggested, as they will not scratch pots
and pans nor leave a
metallic taste in your food.

Wooden utensils
(clockwise): Roasting paddle,
rice paddle, chopsticks

Bamboo Mats

These mats are made from natural bamboo and may be used to cover food. They are designed to allow heat to escape and air to enter, so food does not spoil quickly if unrefrigerated.
Bamboo sushi mat

MDR Home
Introduction
Standard Diet
Daily Proportions
Foods to Reduce or Avoid Way of Life Suggestions Cancer Patients
Special Dishes
Baby Food
Home Remedies
Kitchen Utensils
Nutritional Considerations Glossary
Bibliography

Nutritional Considerations

The standard Macrobiotic Dietary Recommendations, focused on a wellbalanced diet of whole cereal grains, beans, fresh vegetables, etc., provides all the nutritional essentials needed. In practice, the nutritional standards most often used in the United States are the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA), published by the National Academy of Sciences, while internationally, the recommendations put forth by the Food and Agricultural Organization and the World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) are used.

It is a common misperception that predominantly vegetarian diets such as the Standard Macrobiotic Diet are deficient in protein. This view arises from the belief that animal foods are synonymous with protein in the diet. This misperception is further enhanced by the fact that Americans often consume amounts of protein that are more than twice the RDA for protein. An analysis of protein intake of the Standard Macrobiotic Diet demonstrates that protein deficiency is not a problem.

Protein

Sources of protein include whole cereal grains, beans and bean products, nuts and seeds, and assorted vegetables. The Standard Macrobiotic Diet contains all of the essential amino acids; miso and tamari soy sauce are particularly rich in these essential nutrients.
Protein content in some vegetable foods (per 100 grams, unit gram)
Whole Cereal Grains
Brown Rice, various types 7.4–7.5 Wheat, various types 9.4–14.0 Oats 13.0 Millet, various types 9.9–12.7

Beans
Aduki beans 21.5 Soybeans (miso, tamari soy sauce, etc.) 34.1–34.3 Kidney beans 20.2

Vitamins

Composition of the Standard Macrobiotic Diet provides plentiful amounts of all necessary vitamins. Some sources of these vitamins include the following:
Vitamin A: green leafy vegetables (kale, watercress, parsley, dandelion greens, broccoli, etc.), carrots
Vitamin B1: sea vegetables (kelp), almonds, soybeans and their products, brown rice, lentils, and other beans
Vitamin B2: Sunflower seeds, soybeans and their products, pinto beans, millet, wheat, rye, sesame seeds, lentils
Vitamin B12: Fermented foods such as miso paste, tamari soy sauce, tempeh, natto, and sea vegetables
Vitamin C: Green leafy vegetables (broccoli, watercress, collard greens, carrot tops, kale, etc.), caulifower, cabbage, bancha twig tea
Vitamin D: dried fish, fresh vegetables; sunlight is the best source of this vitamin
Vitamin E: brown rice and all whole cereal grains, nuts, beans, green leafy vegetables
Vitamin F: Vegetable oils, including sesame and olive oils
Vitamin K: Green leafy vegetables (cabbage, parsley, collard greens, etc.), brown rice; also produced by the intestinal flora

Minerals

One common reason for the misconception that mineral intake may be a problem on the macrobiotic diet stems from the belief that dietary calcium must come from dairy food. This belief is largely a cultural phenomenon, unique to the United States and a few other industrialized countries. With few exceptions throughout the rest of the world, dairy food is rarely consumed in the quantities thought necessary by most Americans.

The Standard Macrobiotic Diet includes several abundant sources of calcium, including green leafy vegetables, beans and nuts, as well as mineral-rich sea vegetables. Some common minerals and their sources include

Calcium: green leafy vegetables, sesame seeds, sea vegetables, nuts, sunflower seeds, tofu
Magnesium: sea vegetables, soybeans and their products, lentils, green leafy vegetables (watercress, dandelion, cabbage)
Phosphorus: whole cereal grains, sea vegetables, nuts, beans, bancha twig tea
Potassium: sea vegetables, soybeans and their products, dried fruits, nuts, vegetables (kale, turnip, cabbage, cauliflower)
Iron: sea vegetables, sesame seeds, beans, brown rice, green vegetables (parsley, kale, dandelion greens, etc.); the use of cast iron cookware.
Iodine: sea vegetables, green leafy vegetables
Sodium: sea vegetables, green leafy vegetables (daikon leaves, Swiss chard, etc.), dried fruits, celery, sea salt, miso, tamari soy sauce
Fats and Oils

The macrobiotic diet contains unsaturated vegetable oils, used in small quantities from time to time, and minimizes fats from animal sources other than those found naturally in the occasional side dish of fish. Whole cereal grains provide small amounts of the best quality vegetable oils; oats have the highest amount of fat. Small amounts of oil are found in almost all vegetables. Only a small volume of fat is needed, and any vegetable oils should be used sparingly.

MDR Home
Introduction
Standard Diet
Daily Proportions
Foods to Reduce or Avoid Way of Life Suggestions Cancer Patients
Special Dishes
Baby Food
Home Remedies
Kitchen Utensils
Nutritional Considerations Glossary
Bibliography

Glossary
Agar-agar: A white gelatin derived from seaweed, used in making kanten and aspics.
Amasake: A sweetener or refreshing drink made from sweet rice and koji starter that is allowed to ferment into a thick liquid.
Arame: A thin, wiry black seaweed similar to hijiki.
Arrowroot: A starch flour processed from the root of an American native plant. It is used as a thickening agent, similar to cornstarch or kuzu, for making sauces, stews, gravies, or desserts.

Aduki bean: A small, dark-red bean imported from Japan and also grown in this country. Especially good when cooked with kombu seaweed. This bean may also be referred to as azuki.

Bancha twig tea: Correctly named kukicha, bancha consists of the stems and leaves from mature Japanese tea bushes. Bancha tea aids in digestion. It contains no chemical dyes. Bancha makes an excellent afterdinner beverage.

Barley, pearl: A native of Asia, it grows easily in colder climates. It is good in stews and mixed with other grains such as rice. A particular strain of barley found in China, it is effective in breaking down animal fats in the body.
Bok choy: A leafy green vegetable.
Bonita flakes: Fish flakes shaved from dried bonita fish. Used in soup stocks or as a garnish for soup and noodle dishes.
Brown rice: Whole, unpolished rice. Comes in three main varieties —
short, medium, and long grain — and contains an ideal balance of minerals, protein, and carbohydrates.
Buckwheat: Eaten as a staple food in many European countries, this cereal plant is eaten widely in the form of kasha, whole groats, and soba noodles.
Burdock: A wild, hardy plant that grows throughout the United States. The long, dark root is highly valuable in macrobiotic cooking for its strengthening qualities. The Japanese name is gobo.
Chirimen iriko: Very small dried fish. High in iron, calcium, and other minerals.
Cous-cous: Partially refined, cracked wheat.
Daikon: A long, white radish. Besides making a delicious side dish, daikon is a specific aid in dissolving fat and mucus deposits that have accumulated as a result of past animal food intake. Grated daikon aids in the digestion of oily foods.
Dentie: A black tooth powder made from sea salt and charred eggplant.
Dulse: A reddish-purple seaweed. Used in soups, salads, and vegetable dishes. Very high in iron.
Food mill: A special steel food mill, which is operated by a hand crank to make purees, sauces, dips, etc.
Fu: A dried and puffed form of seitan or wheat gluten, used in soups or stews.
Genmai miso: Miso made from fermented brown rice, soybeans and sea salt. Sometimes referred to as brown rice miso.
Ginger: A spicy, pungent, golden-colored root, used in cooking as a condiment or garnish, and for medicinal purposes.
Ginger root
Ginger compress: Sometimes called a ginger fomentation. A compress made from grated ginger root and very hot water. Applied hot to an affected area of the body, it serves to stimulate circulation and dissolve stagnation.

Gluten (wheat): The sticky substance that remains after the bran has been kneaded and rinsed from whole wheat flour. Used to make seitan and fu. Gomashio: A condiment made from roasted, ground sesame seeds and sea salt.

Hatcho miso: A fermented soybean paste from soybeans and sea salt and aged for two years. Used in making condiments, soup stocks, seasoning for vegetable dishes, etc.

Hijiki: A dark, brown seaweed which, when dried, turns black. It has a wiry consistency and may be strong tasting. Hijiki is imported from Japan but also grows off the coast of Maine.

Hokkaido pumpkin: A round, dark green or orange squash, which is very sweet. It is harvested in early fall. Originated in New England and was introduced to Japan and named after the island of Hokkaido.
Iriko: Small, dried sardines used for seasoning in soups, making condiments, in salads, etc.
Ito soba: A very thin, short soba (buckwheat) noodle.
Jinenjo soba: Noodles made in Japan from jinenjo (mountain potato) flour and buckwheat flour.
Kanten: A jelled dessert made from agar-agar.
Kayu: Cereal grain that has been cooked with approximately 5–10 times as much water as grain for a long period of time. Kayu is ready when it is soft and creamy
Kinpira: A sauteed burdock or burdock and carrot dish, seasoned with tamari soy sauce.
Kombu: A wide, thick, dark green seaweed which grows in deep ocean water. Used in making soup stocks, condiments, candy, and cooked with vegetables and beans.
Kome miso: Rice miso. Usually white rice miso, made from fermented white rice, soybeans, and sea salt.
Kukicha: Usually called bancha twig tea. Older stems and leaves of a tea bush grown in Japan.
Kuzu: A white starch made from the root of the wild kuzu plant. In the United States, the plant is called "kudzu." Used in making soups, sauces, gravies, desserts and for medicinal purposes.
Lotus root: The root of the water lily, which is brown-skinned with a hollow, chambered, off-white inside. Especially good for respiratory organs.
Lotus root
Mekabu: A part of the wakame seaweed plant. Used in making soups and soup stocks. Has a very strong flavor.

Millet: This small, yellow grain, which comes in many varieties, can be eaten on a regular basis. It can be used in soups, vegetable dishes, or eaten as a cereal.
Mirin: A wine made from whole-grain sweet rice. Used primarily in vegetable dishes.
Mochi: A rice cake or dumpling made from cooked, pounded sweet rice.
Mugicha: A tea made from roasted, unhulled barley and water.
Mugi miso: Soybean paste made from fermented barley, soybeans, sea salt and water.
Mu tea: A tea made from either 9 or 16 different herbs. It has certain medicinal values, such as its ability to warm the body and strengthen weak female organs.

Natto: Soybeans that have been cooked and mixed with beneficial enzymes and allowed to ferment for 24 hours under a controlled temperature.

Nori: Thin sheets of dried seaweed. Black or dark purple when dried. Roasted over a flame until green. Used as a garnish, wrapped around rice balls, in making sushi, or cooked with tamari soy sauce and used as a condiment.

Sea salt: Salt obtained from the ocean, as opposed to land salt. It is either sun-baked or kiln-baked. High in trace minerals, it contains no chemicals or sugar.
Seitan: Wheat gluten cooked in tamari soy sauce, kombu, and water.
Shiitake: A medicinal dried mushroom, imported from Japan.
Shio kombu: Pieces of kombu cooked for a long time in tamari soy sauce and used in small amounts as a condiment.
Shio nori: Pieces of nori cooked for a long time in tamari soy sauce and water. Used as a condiment.
Soba: Noodles made from buckwheat flour or a combination of buckwheat with whole-wheat flour.
Somen: Very thin white or whole-wheat Japanese noodles. Often served during the summer.
Suribachi: A special serrated, glazed clay bowl. Used with a pestle, called a surikogi, for grinding and pureeing foods.
Surikogi: A wooden pestle used with a suribachi.
Sushi: Rice rolled with vegetables, fish, or pickles, wrapped in nori, and sliced in rounds.
Sushi mat: A mat made from bamboo used in making sushi or as a cover for bowls.
Takuan: Daikon pickled in rice bran and sea salt. Sometimes spelled “takuwan.”
Taro: A potato with a thick, hairy skin.
Often called albi. Used in making taro or
albi plaster, to draw toxins from the
body
Taro potato (albi)
Tamari soy sauce: Name given by

George Ohsawa to traditional, naturally made soy sauce, to distinguish it from the commercial, chemically processed variety The original term tamari refers to a thick, condensed liquid that results during the process of making miso, when water comes to the top. This is poured off and called tamari.
Tekka: Condiment made from hatcho miso, sesame oil, burdock, lotus root, carrot, and ginger root. Sauteed on a low flame for several hours.
Tempeh: A food made from split soybeans, water, and a special bacteria, which is allowed to ferment for several hours. Eaten in Indonesia and Ceylon as a staple food. Available prepacked, ready to prepare, in some natural food stores.

Tofu: Soybean curd, made from soybeans and nigari, a coagulant taken from crude salt. High in protein, used in soups, vegetable dishes, dressings, etc.
Udon: Japanese noodles made from wheat, whole-wheat, or whole-wheat and unbleached white flour.
Umeboshi: A salty and sour pickled plum, traditionally used and known to be good for digestion.
Wakame: A long, thin green seaweed used in making soups, salads, vegetable dishes, etc.
White (shiro) miso: A sweet, short-time-fermented miso, made from fermented rice, soybeans and sea salt.
Yannoh: A grain coffee made from five different grains that have been roasted and ground into a fine powder.
Yellow miso: A short-time-fermented miso, very mellow in flavor. Made from rice koji, soybeans, rice, and sea salt.

MDR Home
Introduction
Standard Diet
Daily Proportions
Foods to Reduce or Avoid Way of Life Suggestions Cancer Patients
Special Dishes
Baby Food
Home Remedies
Kitchen Utensils
Nutritional Considerations Glossary
Bibliography

Bibliography

The following bibliography represents only a partial list of suggested books and publications that complement and support these macrobiotic dietary recommendations. Other publications that focus on sound macrobiotic advice are available through the Kushi Institute, many natural food stores, and bookstores and libraries. In addition, many governmental agencies and health organizations have published reports and statistical information that further confirm these macrobiotic publications.
Aihara, Cornellia. The Do of Cooking. Chico, CA: George Ohsawa Macrobiotic Foundation, 1972.
Aihara, Herman. Basic Macrobiotics. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1985.
Brown, Virginia, with Susan Stayman. Macrobiotic Miracle: How a Vermont Family Overcame Cancer. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1985.
Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences, 1982.
Dufty, William. Sugar Blues. New York: Warner Books, 1975.
East West Journal. Natural Childcare. Brookline, MA: East West Journal, 1985.
Esko, Edward and Wendy. Macrobiotic Cooking for Everyone. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1980.
Esko, Werdy. Introducing Macrobiotic Cooking. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1978.
I Ching or Book of Changes. Translated by Richard Wilhelm and Cary F. Baynes. Princeton: Bollingen Foundation, 1950.
Ineson, John. The Way of Life: Macrobiotics and the Spirit of Christianity. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1986.
Jacobs, Leonard and Barbara. Cooking with Seitan. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1986.
Kohler, Jean and Mary Alice. Healing Miracles from Macrobiotics. West Nyack, NY: Parker, 1979.
Kotsch, Ronald. Macrobiotics: Yesterday and Today. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1985.
Kushi, Aveline. How to Cook with Miso. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1973.
———. Macrobiotic Food and Cooking Series: Diabetes and Hypoglycemia; Allergies. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1985.

———. Macrobiotic Food and Cooking Series: Obesity, Weight Loss, and Eating Disorders; Infertility and Reproductive Disorders. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1986.
Kushi, Aveline, with Alex Jack. Aveline Kushi’s Complete Guide to Macrobiotic Cooking. New York: Warner Books, 1985.
Kushi, Aveline and Michio. Macrobiotic Pregnancy and Care of the Newborn. Edited by Edward and Wendy Esko. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1984
Kushi, Aveline, and Wendy Esko. The Changing Seasons Macrobiotic Cookbook. Wayne, NJ: Avery Publishing Group, 1983.
Macrobiotic Family Favorites: Cooking for Healthy Children. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1986.
Kushi, Aveline, with Wendy Esko. The Macrobiotic Cancer Prevention Cookbook. Wayne, NJ: Avery Publishing Group, 1986.
Kushi, Michio. The Book Do-in: Exercise for Physical and Spiritual Development. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1979.
———. The Book of Macrobiotics. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1977.
———. Cancer and Heart Disease: The Macrobiotic Approach to Degenerative Disorders. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1986 (rev. ed.)

———. The Era of Humanity. Brookline, MA: East West Journal, 1980. ———. How to See Your Health: The Book of Oriental Diagnosis. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1980.
———. Macrobiotic Health Education Series: Diabetes and Hypoglycemia; Allergies. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1985.
———. Macrobiotic Health Education Series: Obesity, Weight Loss, and Eating Disorders; Infertility and Reproductive Disorders. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1986.
———. Natural Healing through Macrobiotics. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1978.
———. On the Greater View: Collected Thoughts on Macrobiotics and Humanity. Wayne, NJ: Avery Publishing Group, 1985.
———. Your Face Never Lies. Wayne, NJ: Avery Publishing Group, 1983.
Kushi, Michio, and Alex Jack. The Cancer Prevention Diet. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1983.
———. Diet for a Strong Heart. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1984.
Kushi, Michio, with Alex Jack. One Peaceful World. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1986.
Kushi, Michio and Aveline. The Macrobiotic Diet. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1985.
Kushi, Michio, with Stephen Blauer. The Macrobiotic Way. Wayne, NJ: Avery Publishing Group, 1985.
Mendelsohn, Robert S., M. D. Confessions of a Medical Heretic. Chicago: Contemporary Books, 1979.
———. How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor. Chicago: Contemporary Books, 1984.
———. Male Practice. Chicago: Contemporary Books, 1980.
Nussbaum, Elaine. Recovery: From Cancer to Health through Macrobiotics. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1986.
Ohsawa, George. Cancer and the Philosophy of the Far East. Oroville, CA: George Ohsawa Macrobiotic Foundation, 1971 ed.
———. You Are All Sanpaku. Edited by William Dufty. New York: University Books, 1965.
———. Zen Macrobiotics. Los Angeles: Ohsawa Foundation, 1965.
Price, Weston, A., D. D. S. Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. Santa Monica, CA: Price-Pottenger Nutritional Foundation, 1945.
Sattilaro, Anthony, M. D., with Tom Monte. Recalled by Life: The Story of My Recovery from Cancer. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 1982.
Scott, Neil E., with Jean Farmer. Eating with Angels. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1986.
Tara, William. A Challenge to Medicine. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1986.
———. Macrobiotics and Human Behavior. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1985.
Yamamoto, Shizuko. Barefoot Shiatsu. Tokyo & New York: Japan Publications, Inc., 1979.