If you think about it, macrobiotic is a term that has been loosely used, most have difficulty in understanding the true meaning.

In the 1990’s I had a Japanese cook, he cooked what he called macrobiotic cuisine. His name was Uchi-umi, a fine person, slender, tall for Japanese, gentle and very skillful. He adored wine and focused on the macro idea of life, which was influenced by his Japanese roots. Sadly, he left to Japan in order to take care of his ailing brother-in-law, who suffered from terminal cancer.

When I think back to that time, I used the term macrobiotics without really understanding the true meaning. I understood the idea of macrobiotics, as being another higher level above vegetarian and in some ways it is.

However macrobiotics is about a philosophy, a way of thinking and use of natural methods and selected raw materials., e,g, employing fermentation, grains, rice, etc. It avoids all refined foods and processed foods with the principal focus on mother-earth, sea foods were substituted with tofu, and the use of  brown rice instead of white. The term Macrobiotcs comes from the Greek “macro” encompassing large, and “bios” means life. But there is much more to macrobiotics, it is a lifestyle, a way of thinking and being, caring for people and making things count.

The founder of macrobiotics, George preached helping anyone who was interested in learning about the unique principles without having to profit from it, or what might be called unconditional love. He used the phrase “One Grain, ten thousand grains” and told us to learn macrobiotics the hard way, by observing nature and participating in the seasonal changes using yin and yang.

, left Japan to travel and spread the word. Arriving in France he was called after his name “oh, ça va” which means “all good”. The founder of Macrobiotic, a Japanese inspired political writer, afraid of Atomic war, he believed his writings would lead to better social reforms.

He practiced Sanpaku, an induced state of “eye phenomenon”, he predicted the death of John Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe. Looking back, and more importantly, he introduced the idea of universality, incorporating the preparations and methods of the East. Macrobiotics comprises of seven levels: lack of tiredness or fatigue; good appetite; good sleep; good memory; good humour; precision of thought and action; gratitude.