Macrobiotic Diets

The macrobiotic diet was originally developed in the 1920s by George Ohsawa, a Japanese educator, and gained popularity in the 1970s through Michio Kushi, who was a student of Ohsawa. The word “macrobiotic,” of Greek origin, translates as “long life.” The diet was created with a focus on the concept of finding natural balance with yin and yang, a system of holistic principles to guide healthy living and diet. The diet contains unprocessed whole grains, beans, fresh local vegetables, sea vegetables, and fermented soy, and herbal teas. Some adherents to the macrobiotic diet follow a meal regimen based on factors such as climate, season, age, gender, activity, and current health.