Updates on My Journey

 

Macrobiotics is still so very new to me.  Although if I had the time to read all my books on the Macrobiotic Diet from front to back, I cannot even imagine the wealth of knowledge I’d have, but I’m reading as much as I can and taking it in at a happy (not overwhelming) rate. 

For me, Macrobiotics is a happy and exciting extension on being vegan (although many individuals follow a Macrobiotic Diet eating fish). 

Basically, Macrobiotics has encouraged me to eliminate white sugar, white flour, and as many processed foods as possible while adding in new foods that I had never tried before or needed to eat more of (kukicha tea, umeboshi plums, sea vegetables, barley, millet).  Previous to embarking on my macrobiotic journey, I had hadn't eaten a lot of brown rice.  Now it’s my number one staple and I actually wake up craving it.  I used to wake up yearning for a big bowl of sweet cereal, but that’s hardly on my radar anymore.  I now turn to rice krispies cereal with almond milk more for a night time dessert/snack.  It’s really interesting becoming more attuned to my body’s reaction to certain foods now that I’ve sort of cleansed it.  I’m still in the beginning phase (2 months in!) but I’m already so happy with how I feel.

This is what a day of eating the Macrobiotic Diet looks like for me and how my food world has changed by embracing Macrobiotics:

Breakfast involved the biggest adjustment.  Let me be honest that when I sat down with that first bowl of brown rice and steamed kale at 8 o’clock in the morning after Christmas, it was so strange.  It wasn’t my natural or desired meal.  For starters I had never had brown rice for breakfast and I had absolutely never included vegetables in this respect.  I’d say it took me about a week to start getting in the grove with my brown rice and greens breakfast.  I started to add in roasted sunflower and pumpkins seeds as well as raisins.  I also bought shoyu (organic soy sauce) for the first time and used a tsp of that when cooking the kale or collards.  This breakfast becomes more delicious by the day and I mean it when I say I crave it now!  I literally feel the nourishment dancing in my body after this breakfast.  I hope I don’t sound too crazy.  Give it a try for a month…  I swear it makes you passionate about whole grains, greens, nuts, and seeds at breakfast!

My snacks have changed as well.  I used to be all about flour products – muffins, cookies, Luna bars, Cliff bars – I love it all.  However, while these things are delicious, they didn’t necessarily leave me feeling light and energetic.  My snacks are now almonds, walnuts, raisins, apples, oranges, baby carrots, celery – essentially I’ve eliminated all the flour.  I still have a Chocolate Peppermint Luna bar once in a while (it’s a serious candy bar to me now), but not as an everyday thing.  I definitely didn’t realize how much sugar I was taking in previously.  I truly feel better with my snack change and my new snacks actually quench my hunger instead of leaving me hungrier.

Lunch & Dinner – They haven’t changed too drastically aside from my eating of brown rice noodles, sweet potato noodles, quinoa noodles, etc. rather than noodles made from flour.  Here are some of my most recent dinners.

Dessert – No more white sugar (or much less often, like once a month for now).  I’ve had a limited amount of sugar since December 26, 2012.  My goal is to solely use sweeteners such as brown rice syrup, maple syrup, molasses, and barley malt.  I no longer crave sugar the same way either.  It seems when I was eating a lot of sugar I constantly wanted more sugar, but eliminating it has also significantly lessened my desire.  Also, I know how bad white sugar makes me feel (especially the following day) so that makes it a lot easier to go without. 

This is my journey so far.  I’ll keep you updated and I plan to post more recipes over the upcoming weeks.

What’s your favorite breakfast, lunch, and dinner food?