In fact, the macrobiotic method does not “cure” any disease. Their principle is that, when you stop poisoning your body and create favorable conditions, your body will automatically heal itself.
But when I came to the macrobiotic method at the age of 22, I was very young and did not have any incurable disease. So I eat macrobiotic to do? As I said, I want to understand my body better. Specifically, I can know what is harmful to my body and what is not. In more detail, how harmful they are. For example, if you eat MSG, have a sore throat, headache, eat a lot of oil, get a rash, eat a preservative, then tongue-blister. In the past, I still thought that those expressions were caused by people being weak. Later on, it’s a natural defense mechanism of the body, which we often inadvertently or intentionally “close” them, because we don’t know or find it too troublesome.
A brother of mine “self-training” by eating a lot until the body no longer reacts with the spaghetti. One of my pregnant friends ate a lot of fish meat because it thought it was good for their children, despite all the toxic reactions of the body. An uncle even though he was seriously ill but could not give up sugar and fruit, because of craving.
I always say that everyone has the right to make decisions in their own lives. You can choose to eat this or that. But if you understand them and choose them, then even if you choose them incorrectly, you will not regret it. It is very different from what you don’t understand and choose just haphazardly, because people say that’s right.
As for food, I think there are 5 steps we should know and use:
(1) Understand food and how it affects the body
(2) Choose the food that’s right for you
(3) Cook properly
(4) Chew well when eating
(5) Track your body’s feedback
The first step will take you the most effort, because they are the first. You can start by reading, searching the internet, asking people you trust … Then, practice yourself by steps two and three: choosing the right food and cooking the right way. To know what is right for me, can rely on many factors such as health status, weather, surroundings … This has been done for thousands of years. Like hot weather, eat spinach, amaranth. Meat and fish dishes are always accompanied with spices such as onion, ginger and pepper. About the same way of cooking, not all of a sudden, but meat and fish spend more time cooking than vegetables. Or why rice cooked in an earthen pot, simmering is better than rice cooked with an electric rice cooker. Those are things that can be seen by each person’s visual perception.
When the cooking is done, the eating has come, the most important thing I see, is chewing thoroughly. How thorough? So thoroughly that the food goes through the entire oral cavity, when saliva is secreted evenly over the entire food, when the chewed rice is crushed into water. He swallowed. This is probably the most annoying skill, because people aren’t used to it. But just need to chew carefully each meal like that for a week, you will immediately feel how good your digestive tract.
Finally, and least concerned, is the body’s response. This is most easily seen in faeces and urine. Through the reactions of the tongue, skin, arms, legs and stomach. Then the sweat gland, defecation … That is why the new Food Eaters are always advised to write down the food diary. By monitoring, and constantly recording feedback, you gradually understand this body and know what to feed them, how to eat, how much.
After nearly 4 years of studying macrobiotic, what I am most proud of is probably a long time ago without having to take a single pill, and the sensitivity increased significantly. Now, I can confidently recognize clean – dirty food, knowing what to eat and when. Of course, I don’t always eat properly, on the contrary, quite often I eat junk. But each time, I could know in advance how my body would react, and what to do after that. I think that is the “infinite freedom” that Mr. Ohsawa always wanted to send. It’s not about what you “want to eat,” but always know that “what you eat will be like”.
At that time, you will choose food based on yourself, not the guarantee of a brand. At that time, you will choose to be vegetarian or salty, eat an egg or an apple, based on yourself, not because people say that’s good. At that time, when you have a fever, colds, stomach aches, dry cough … you will also know why, not “sell your life” for colorful pills with the fragile hope that they can help you recover.
At that time, freedom is yours. At that time, what you want to eat is your right. At that time, you will write your own “eating story”.