Macrobiotics is not just about what we eat but how we eat

What we eat determines to a large extent how we feel, how we think, how we behave, and how well our body can repair and regenerate itself every night. But how we eat is just as important. In macrobiotics, eating is a practice in mindfulness—when we’re eating, we just eat. No screens, no books, no news, no driving, no rush, and definitely no multitasking or arguing.

We need to have a harmonious environment with a pleasant atmosphere and no emotional tension. We need to remain seated while eating the whole meal — no standing up to eat or eating on the run. We need to chew our food very well so that the rest of the digestive process is optimised and we can extract all the nutrients out of the food that our body needs. All of these habits are very supportive of healing and will help to establish a strong body, healthy mind and stable emotions.

Our ability to eat in this way, or even to care enough to try, is a direct reflection of our state of mental, emotional and physical health. By just trying — and being gentle with ourselves when we inevitably slide back into old, unsupportive habits — we will slowly make positive changes with far-reaching and long-term benefits for our overall health.

Emotional stability is just one positive outcome. Macrobiotics can eliminate those times when PMS may be an unpleasant and unwelcome guest in your house, or the irrational mood swings that can hit at any time and are caused by chronic poor digestion.

It’s surprisingly simple to eat well and be mindful of every mouthful, and yet in our busy over-scheduled lives, it’s not easy. Happily, if we approach each meal as a life practice in mindfulness and have no expectations of ourselves, very soon we’ll discover that we’ve made remarkable changes to our sense of wellbeing and feel so much better in ourselves.