You’re on a macrobiotic diet and you just ordered a beer? You’re having sake? But I thought you were on a macrobiotic diet? Did I see you having some wine, and you claim to eat so pure? Now I’m not going to believe anything you say about food anymore. Do you hear comments like these? I just did, and from a close family member.
A standard macrobiotic diet includes whole grain, beans, selected vegetables, soups, sea vegetables, sometimes recommended fish, seeds, nuts and fruit. And each category has special preparations. So why add alcoholic beverages to this healthy lifestyle? Is this hypocritical?
Not when we consider the yin and yang of it all, and how the macrobiotic diet is based on energetics – not calories, carbs, or weight. But how eating this food makes us feel. What is our energy like. Relaxing in this fast pace world is challenging, so we intentionally include relaxing foods and beverages.
Fruit kantens, pureed soups, warm fruit cooked in kuzu relax; try some warm apple juice, warm carrot juice and feel yourself relax deeper inside than biting into a cold apple. Sliced apples cooked in little apple juice is far sweeter and more relaxing too.
Sometimes a little stronger yin is called for, and that bit of warm sake relaxes our core being, or a glass of wine at your favorite Italian restaurant. Or, you’re out with friends at a local seafood restaurant – relax, enjoy a local beer with fish and chips. Why local beer? It aligns you with your environment. In fact, Warren Kramer suggests ordering local beer balances the yang of traveling. And it gets you in the groove of wherever you visit.
And when you want a milder yin? Adding apple juice to your bancha tea is very relaxing, or rice syrup. You can dilute the apple juice with water if you are limiting your fruit intake.
Sometimes try this special remedy drink, Ame Kuzu, which can actually be made three ways. Each achieves a stronger level of yin. The mildest is with rice syrup, a little stronger version uses barley malt, and the most yin is with apple juice. Warm and sweet, it relaxes your mind, settling down after a busy day, or having too much on your mind, and insures a good night sleep. Sometimes it’s an effective muscle relaxer.
The Ame Kuzu recipe is found in The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health, by Michio Kushi and Alex Jack, page 446.
- Dilute 1 teaspoon kuzu in 1 cup cold water
- Stir constantly over a medium flame, until the milky white liquid becomes transparent.
- Add 1-2 Tablespoons Suzanne’s Genmai Brown Rice Syrup
- Bring to a gentle boil*, and drink warm. *kuzu must boil to be effective.
- Or, the following:
- Prepare the Barley Malt version the same as above.
- Substitute Apple juice instead of water, or you can dilute with half juice, half water.
