What's Wrong With Japanese Macrobiotics? -Roger Mason

The so-called macrobiotic diet is the only way to cure cancer and other “incurable” illnesses naturally. That's a heck of a claim. George Ohsawa brought the Japanese macrobiotic diet to America in the early sixties, and we should be very grateful for that. He did not bring macrobiotics per se to America, but rather JAPANESE macrobiotics. For over 40 years now people just passively accepted this obviously Asian-biased way of eating without question. Finally, yours truly sat down and wrote a book on macrobiotics per se, without all the Japanese trappings. Zen Macrobiotics for Americans is the title, but it is really for everyone in the world.

So, what's wrong with all that Japanese influence? Plenty. Mostly it is boring, dull, uncreative, unnecessarily limited, and just plain too restrictive for no good reason at all. If it's Japanese it has to be the best! Judge everything by Japanese standard. Eating is supposed to be fun for gosh sakes! Asceticism is for suffering monks.  
 
In Japanese macrobiotics you take no supplements because this is “unnatural”. Baloney. This is a ridiculous rejection of intelligent technology. Anyone over the age of 40 needs about 20 proven supplements like CoQ10, vitamin D, vitamin E, a real mineral formula, PS, beta glucan, beta-sitosterol, lipoic acid, flax oil, acidophilus, FOS, acetyl-L-carnitine, DIM, and glucosamine. People who take proven supplements are much, much healthier and live longer than someone who doesn't. Why reject these out of superstition? 
 
There is no fasting either. That really doesn't make sense, since fasting is the most powerful healing method known to man. Even fasting one day a week on water from dinner to dinner will do wonders for your health. Please join our monthly two-day fast every month. Consider going to a fasting retreat and fasting one week every year.  
 
In Japanese macrobiotics the idea of using natural hormones would make old George turn over in his grave. Anyone over the age of 40 should take the time to test and balance their DHEA, testosterone, melatonin, T3, T4, pregnenolone, insulin (as blood sugar),and growth hormone (women need to look at their three estrogens and progesterone). They will be much, much healthier, and live longer than someone who doesn't.  
 
Salt is necessary in our diet, and important in our cooking when used in moderation. In Japanese macrobiotics they salt themselves to death. All that miso, tamari, salt pickled vegetables, and gomasio (salt and sesame seeds) is rather too much, obviously.  
 
Did you notice how few green and yellow vegetables there are in Japanese macrobiotics?  The Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Koreans, on the other hand, use lots of fresh green and yellow vegetables all the time. No fresh salads either! “Too yin.” They actually wanted you to salt the lettuce, and “press” it for “pressed salad”. How silly. Most everyone enjoys a good fresh, green salad with some really good lettuce (not that iceberg stuff they serve at the burger joints) and a low fat dressing.  
 
Did you know that the daily bancha tea was just regular old tea twigs full of caffeine? Really. Plain old Thea sinensis, like you find in Lipton's® and full of unhealthy caffeine and theine. Expensive kuzu root was supposed to have magical powers, when it is just a noxious weed that has almost overtaken the southern United States. Aduki beans were also supposed to have magical powers just because they were Japanese. Expensive is all they are. There are lots of great, inexpensive beans in the grocery store, and you can find more in various Latin and other ethnic markets. Mu tea was also supposed to have magical powers, but is just another herbal mixture. It's  expensive and most people will be incompatible with some of the herbs contained in it. Almost no spices or seasonings at all- other than sesame, tamari, miso, and ginger root. That gets tired quick folks! Wonder-ful spices like rosemary, oregano, thyme, cilantro, caraway, cumin, sage, basil, and nutmeg are priceless additions to your kitchen.  
 
The basis of old George's macrobiotic philosophy, however, is unparalleled. For over 40 years now people have been curing the incurable by simply taking responsibility for their health, making better food choices, and choosing to live. Thanks George.