Our Hearts are with Japan – Macrobiotic View on Radiation Protection, Classes & Recipes

Our hearts and prayers are with Japan, all eyes, news around the world keenly focused for the latest developments -praying & hoping for miracles. No more is the saying No man is an island more keen than right now, when the island of Japan has been so dramatically affected. We are all in this together.

Following the 1945 nuclear bombing in both Nagasaki and Hiroshima, one of  the famous doctors Tatsuichiro Akizuki of St. Francis Hospital cared for his staff and patients using traditional foods, namely miso soup, short grain brown rice, sea vegetables, hokkaido squash, azuki beans, sea salt, shoyu. They avoided the foods seen today on a conventional diet, especially sugars and sweets. All survived, free from horrifying illness while others in the city perished from radiation sickness. And when the nuclear crisis hit Chernobyl, miso soup was used by the Russian doctors there under the auspices of experts from Japan, preventing leukemia and cancers.

Our dear friend and  Senior Macrobiotic Counselor and Teacher, William Spear’s excellent article in The Huffington Post, at this link http://tinyurl.com/4wblqew clearly depicts Japan’s crisis now. With possible outreaching effects throughout the world, Bill comprehensively explains  foods to boost your health during this radiation crisis facing Japan.

What can we in Atlanta do about this? If you have dear ones in Japan, who have forgotten their traditional foods, you might want to share this information with them. And if you ‘ve been reading Alicia Silverstone’s The Kind Diet, whether you’re just opening the book, Flirting, Vegan or Super Hero, take a look at William Spear’s article! Right now is a perfect time to step into the Macrobiotic Diet and Lifestyle. A way to take responsibility for your own health so Bob Marley’s words, don’t worry ’bout a thing, every little thing’s going to be allright! can happen for you.

If you’re reading Alicia book, or Bill’s article, wondering how in the world to prepare the sea veggies, brown rice & other special macro foods they mention, just scroll down this website for our Atlanta Macrobiotic Cooking Classes.

Because we know you may be concerned for yourselves and your loved ones, we are streamlining our April Cooking Classes to include these special information. Thus our next April cooking class will highlight soups  to eat during this radiation crisis, including miso, sea vegetables & other vital macrobiotic dishes. Come study in group class settings or privately. As Bill says, learn to add kombu with beans and root veggies, nori with your rice, and wakame with your miso soup!

Atlanta Macrobiotics Presents

Tuesdays with Marsha

Tuesday, April 12                 10 AM – 1 PM                   $45 per person
Macro Soup du Jour: Always A Delish & Nutritious Treat!

Soups welcome your guests and family, too
Home to your heart-warming table with you!

Please join our Soup Class next Tuesday morning!
Learn Yummy Soups, simmering and blending.

Each recipe boasts it’s own special style,
Learn these, & you’re the new Julia Childs!

RSVP: marsharueff@mac.com                      770 . 396 . 9413
Please register early as class size is limited

Menu

Miso Soup

My Secret Creamy Carrot Soup

The MacDaddy Strengthener, Kinpira Soup

Over-the-Moon Split Pea Soup

Spring Sassy Lotus Soup

Aveline’s Amazing Brown Rice Soup

By Special Request: Sweet Vegetable Drink, the Remedy
soup-ed in disguise!

and to assuage concerns about fallout,  sea veggies are included here
Like Fred sez, why fear, when macro’s here!

Want more information?
Check this out: Bill Spear’s article in the Huffington Post: http://tinyurl.com/4wblqew

‘n if you’re still concerned . . .

email your inquiries to marsharueff@mac.com, give me a call 770 . 396 . 9413

For starters, here are two wonderful and basic recipes for preparing Miso Soup and Arame!

Miso Soup

Serves 4-5
Benefits: Because miso contains enzymes that facilitate digestion, strengthening blood quality with it’s Vitamin B and other minerals, miso helps remove toxins and radiation from our body, preventing cancer & heart disease.

Soak overnight:
4-5 cups water 1/2 cup daikon sliced in thin half moons
1/2 t wakame, in teeny pieces
1-2 dried shiitake mushroom, including soaking water

1 medium onion, sliced in half-moons
1 small daikon, cut in thin matchsticks
1 carrot, cut in matchsticks or diced
1/4 cup kabocha or butternut squash diced

4 teaspoon Sakarazawa Miso, pureed*
1 cup daikon greens, kale or napa sliced

Garnish: 2 Tablespoons scallion, finely chopped

Soak overnight for enhanced flavor, or place wakame, shiitake and soaking water in enamel cast iron pot.
Cover and bring to boil.
Reduce flame to medium-low, simmering 10 minutes.

Add onion, cover and simmer 1 minute; then add remaining vegetables for 5-7 minutes.
Dilute miso with soup broth, add this to soup and simmer 3 minutes without boiling.
At the same time of adding miso, add the greens of your choice, to lighten the soup.

*Usually 1 teaspoon miso per 1 cup of liquid

Serve in soup bowls, garnishing each finely choppd scallions, important to activate the miso! Miso soup may be enjoyed with benefit to most people 4-5 times a week. Variety is important with your miso, which, so vary your vegetables from the macrobiotic regular use of vegetables, including both land and  sea vegetables each day. Please use aged miso to get the most benefit from your miso soup. If wishing to remain gluten-free you may select Hatcho miso rather than the Barley Miso.

Arame, the Awesome Sea Vegetable

Serves 4-5

Benefits: Arame presents a significant protection from the absorption of radioactive particles that may be released because of the naturally occurring iodine. It is excellent source high of plant-quality calcium, iron for bones & teeth. Benefits circulation system, & flexibility! Helps remove the effects on our body of dairy foods we’ve eaten in the past. Onion: cooked onions give a calm, peaceful energy, especially soothing nervous conditions, muscle aches and pains. When cooked with squash & carrots, are the perfect sweet dish for diabetic conditions. Carrot: this root veggie’s high betacarotene & mild downward energy are especially good for lungs, large intestine, as well as liver, kidneys and heart. Lotus root helps dissolve mucus and fat in the lungs, bronchi, throat, and sinuses, especially from dairy or eggs. Corn provides light, expansive energy and is especially strengthening for the heart and small intestine. Healing Foods, Michio Kushi and Alex Jack

1 cup arame, rinse, soak 10 min. Lotus root, sliced thin
1 cup onion, thinly sliced 1/2 cup dried daikon, soaked 10 minutes
1 cup carrot,match-sticks Hiraide Sesame oil
Spring water 1/2 cup fresh  or frozen corn kernels
Tahini if allowed Shoyu to taste
2 Tablespoons Tan Sesame Seeds

Rinse arame, drain and soak 10 minutes.
Discard soaking water
Layer in the onion, carrot, lotus, dried daikon, arame in a stainless skillet, adding just enough water to cover veggies. Drizzle with Hiraide Sesame Oil and diluted tahini, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bring to boil on medium flame, let cook 10 minutes uncovered; cover & simmer 30 minutes.
Remove cover.
Add several drops shoyu, then corn kernels.
Cook to let excess water evaporate.
The secret tooth sweet. As the minerals in the arame crystalize, they become even sweeter!

Variation: add mashed tofu, broccoli, pumpkin seeds for other delicious arame!
Add sesame or olive oil instead of tahini.
Presaute onions in sesame oil before adding arame, for a more yang style cooking.

 

 

The Macrobiotic Diet Drink Eases Jet Lag!

Summertime, and travel to other time zones may be on your agenda! So how do you make the most of your trip, and eliminate the jet lag issue, truly enjoying each and every moment of your stay? Especially if you’re like me, with so much to do before leaving, it’s hard to get to bed on time that final departure week.

On a Macrobiotic Diet it’s so easy! Three simple, magical words: ume sho kuzu!

What’s that? A very soothing drink, easily made, in about 7 minutes. Three ingredients plus water: umeboshi plum, shoyu – a special soy sauce, and kuzu – the harvested root of the kudzu plant. Yes, the very plant that grows throughout the southern states, covering huge trees along the highways. Imagine the strength of that hardy plant’s root, harvested for this drink, and coating your intestinal walls. No wonder this drink boosts our immunity! We love teaching this in macrobiotic cooking class because it is helpful for so many health conditions.

  • Just dissolve 1 teaspoon of kuzu in 1 cup cold spring or filtered water.
  • Bring to a boil, stirring continually to avoid lumping.
  • Add one-third umeboshi plum
  • Once the water becomes transparent, add 6 drops shoyu.

Drink while hot. Enjoy this drink daily two days before the trip, and the day of travel, and if possible the following two days. You may also repeat for your return home.

Especially at this present time with concern about the swine flu and travel, the ume-sho-kuzu drink becomes a no-brainer for travel because it is considered the Macrobiotic Diet Antibiotic!

*Top quality ingredients can be ordered from Natural Import Company at 800 . 324 . 1878

  • 89500 Sakurazawa Shoyu 5 oz.
  • 89333 Mitoku Umeboshi Plum 6 oz
  • 89408 Mitoku Kuzu 3 oz

For more information on benefits of Ume Sho Kuzu, and macrobiotic cooking classes, please check our website:

www.atlantamacrobiotics.com or email: marsharueff@mac.com

Books: The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health, Michio Kushi and Alex Jack    See the section on Home Remedies

The Macrobiotic Diet’s Soothing Remedy for the Dentist’s Chair!

You’re in the dentist chair and your dentist starts asking do you have a heart condition or any implant surgery, and if you say yes, they will only proceed if you have taken antibiotics – or they may give you a high dosage of antibiotics right then so as not to lose chair time. What to do if you prefer avoiding pharmaceutical medicines and their side effects?

On a Macrobiotic Diet it’s so easy! Three simple, magical words: ume sho kuzu! What’s that? A very soothing drink, easily made, in about 7 minutes. Three ingredients plus water: umeboshi plum, shoyu – a special soy sauce, and kuzu – the harvested root of the kudzu plant.

And the added benefit: it’s very soothing for your nerve endings, so you are more relaxed for that probing needle, good for the gums – which reflect the condition of our intestines. So we always take this drink before any dental cleansing or other appointments. It just eases our comfort level with the additional probing and vibrational sensations of the cleansing tools and uncomfortable pressure of x-ray filming.

I love teaching this drink in my macrobiotic cooking classes because it is helpful for so many health conditions. The recipe as found in Michio Kushi and Alex Jack’s book, The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health, page 505-506:

  • Just dissolve 1 teaspoon of kuzu in 1 cup cold spring or filtered water.
  • Bring to a boil, stirring continually to avoid lumping.
  • Add one-third umeboshi plum
  • Once the water becomes transparent, add 6 drops shoyu.

Drink while hot. Enjoy this drink daily two days before your appoinment, and the day of your appointment. If your dentist procedure involved novacaine, carbocaine or other numbing medication, use this drink the following two days.

Since this drink is considered the Macrobiotic Antibiotic we can answer yes to the above questions with confidence of protection, and knowing as well, there are no adverse side effects of our choice of this macrobiotic diet version of an antibiotic. In fact, since it’s good for so many conditions, we always feel better after taking it.

*Top quality ingredients can be ordered from Natural Import Company at 800 . 324 . 1878

  • 89500 Sakurazawa Shoyu 5 oz.
  • 89333 Mitoku Umeboshi Plum 6 oz
  • 89408 Mitoku Kuzu 3 oz

For more information on the benefits of Ume Sho Kuzu, please check our website:  www.atlantamacrobiotics.com