Japanese Macrobiotics -Roger Mason

The macrobiotic (from the Greek meaning overall view of life) 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 50 years now people just passively accepted this obviously Japanese-biased way of eating without question. Finally, yours truly sat down and wrote a book on macrobiotics per se, without all the Japanese trappings...Macrobiotics for Everyone. When you Westernize it, add the proven supplements, natural hormones, exercise, and regular fasting you have supercharged macrobiotics! Macrobiotics exponential! Read the Seven Steps article to see what natural health really means. Diet, supplements, hormone balance, weekly fasting, no Rx drugs, regular exercise, and no bad habits like coffee.

There is just too much wrong with all that Japanese influence. Mostly, it is boring, dull, uncreative, too 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 standards. Well, that’s fine for Japanese people in Japan. Eating is supposed to be fun for gosh sakes! Food is supposed to be delicious. Asceticism is for suffering monks. All those rules, rituals,  and limitations are just not necessary, and do not add to the effectiveness of macrobiotics.

Beans are your secondary food, but Japanese macrobiotics only eats aduki beans. The advocates include no supplements, because this is “unnatural”. Baloney. This is a ridiculous rejection of intelligent technology. Anyone over the age of 40 needs about 18 proven supplements. Read Serious Supplement Program. People who take proven supplements are much, much healthier, and live longer than someone who doesn’t. Why reject these out of superstition? People under 40 only need about 8. Read Supplements for Younger People. Everyone should read my booklet The Supplements You Need. Mineral deficiency is a major cause of every known illness.

There is no fasting either. That really doesn’t make sense, since fasting is the most powerful healing method known to man. Just fasting one day a week on water from dinner to dinner will do wonders for your health. That’s fifty-two fasts every year. Do a monthly two-day fast every month. A one week water fast will change your life. See the article Fasting is Powerful.

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 test and balance their basic hormones. Read the Balance Your Hormones article. You want youthful levels of  DHEA, testosterone, melatonin, T3, T4, pregnenolone, and progesterone. This will add years to your life, and life to your years. Women need to look at their three estrogens. Natural hormone balance will make you much healthier and stronger in every way. All illnesses are based in part on hormone imbalance.

Salt is necessary in our diet, and important in our cooking- when used in moderation. In Japanese macrobiotics they overdose on salt. All that miso, tamari, salt pickled vegetables, and gomasio (salt and sesame seeds) is rather too much.  

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 daily. No fresh salads either! “Too yin.” Traditional macrobiotics actually wants you to salt the lettuce, and “press” it for “pressed salad”. How silly. Ruins the lettuce, too!

Did you know that  bancha tea is 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 kudzu 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. Boring! That gets tired quick folks. Flavor your food. Wonderful spices like rosemary, oregano, thyme, cilantro, caraway, cumin, sage, basil, cinnamon, and nutmeg are priceless additions to your kitchen. Be a healthy gourmet cook, and eat delicious, well flavored food. Cook in international styles.

It is well know that both Michio and Aveline Kushi suffered from cancer. It is also well known they resorted to the standard allopathic medical treatments of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. This is an absolute disgrace. This is an inspiration for natural health? They failed folks. They failed. At least they could have died naturally with dignity. Read the article Kushis Died of Cancer to hear that story. You have to practice what you preach to inspire people.

The basis of George’s macrobiotic philosophy, however, is unparalleled. For over 50 years now people have been curing the incurable by simply taking responsibility for their health, making better food choices, and choosing to live. Cure the cause and not the symptom. The basic macrobiotic principles he taught are unique and time proven.  Thanks George. He certainly proved that one man plus truth is an army. Let macrobiotics change your life, your health and your very destiny.

Click here to return to the article library.