From Publishers Weekly
This book from the authors of The Macrobiotic Way and The Cancer Prevention Diet offers an all-inclusive view of macrobiotics-from diet to medicine to lifestyle. The book first explains the macrobiotic diet's focus on complex carbohydrates, vegetables and whole form foods, rather than on fat and animal-based proteins. However, most of the book is about the impact of certain foods on specific health conditions. Readers who have tried acupuncture or other Eastern treatments may be familiar with some of this information, but the text is quite comprehensive, covering the spectrum of minor ailments such as nausea to major conditions like heart and liver disease. The authors discuss the connection between different parts of the body: "In traditional Oriental medicine, the ear corresponds with the kidney, with which it shares a similar shape. Kidney problems as a rule lead to ear problems, while hearing difficulties in turn show underlying urinary system imbalance." To remedy such imbalances, the authors recommend, for example, applying a compress of sesame or ginger tea to alleviate motion sickness. For the many people who have been confounded by a medical condition that doesn't respond to traditional medicine, this book may offer many helpful strategies, though clearly readers suffering from more serious, life-threatening diseases such as cancer or AIDS should not immediately shift to a macrobiotic way of life without consulting their physician. Overall, this is an excellent resource that should find a wide readership among people who want to feel healthier but have not been helped by traditional medicine.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
“Food is the chief of all things, the universal medicine. . . . Food transmutes directly into body, mind, and spirit . . . creates our day-to-day health and happiness.”
—from The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health
Even in medical schools, alternative medicine is blossoming. Two thirds of them now offer courses in complementary healing practices, including nutrition. At the heart of this revolution is macrobiotics, a simple, elegant, and delicious way of eating whose health benefits are being confirmed at an impressive rate by researchers around the world.
Macrobiotics is based on the laws of yin and yang—the complementary energies that flow throughout the universe and quicken every cell of our bodies and every morsel of the food we eat. Michio Kushi and Alex Jack, distinguished educators of the macrobiotic way, believe that almost every human ailment from the common cold to cancer can be helped, and often cured, by balancing the flow of energy (the ki) inside us. The most effective way to do this is to eat the right foods, according to our individual day-to-day needs. Now in this marvelous guide, they give us the basics of macrobiotic eating and living, and explain how to use this powerful source of healing to become healthier and happier, to prevent or relieve more than two hundred ailments, conditions, or disorders—both physical and psychological.
This encyclopedic compendium of macrobiotic fundamentals, remedies, menus, and recipes takes into account the newest thinking and evolving practices within the macrobiotic community. The authors integrate all the information into a remarkable A to Z guide to macrobiotic healing—from AIDS, allergies, and arthritis, to cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. They also clearly explain what we need to know to start eating a true macrobiotic diet that will provide us with a complete balance of energy and nutrients.
Living as we all do in environmental and climactic circumstances that are largely outside our personal control, it is vital that we follow a healthy lifestyle, including a flexible diet that we can adjust to meet our own individual needs. The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health gives us precisely the tools and the understanding we need to achieve this goal. Use it to build a strong, active body and a cheerful, resourceful mind.
