Macrobiotic Diet

I wanted to add a list of resources that help me eat the macrobiotic diet on a daily basis. I couldn’t have made it through this whole journey – a journey that continues today – without an amazing sister-in-law and her help and support. Thank you Sarah!!! If you don’t have a Sarah to help guide you the books and products below should help.

First off, to make the best humus ever (one of my staples since its fast and tastes great) is a Blendtec blender. It may be on the pricey side but it will last you the rest of your life and it works awesome!

I learned a lot from several books, especially the delicious recipes, some of which even my entire family loved! I own each of the books below and can highly recommend all of them.

I hope those help and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to comment.

I don’t know if the word “real” is the best adjective to use. Because the last 30 days were certainly real. But this is day 32 and I have had two good days since my “official” end of my diet. Yesterday was quite macro. I did have some more of the veg. beef soup for lunch. I made a lasagna for dinner, cheese and spinach. I had a few bites of that and then some brown rice cakes with hummus. I made a new batch. Its funny how I can’t get it to turn out the same twice.

I am so glad I did to this macrobiotic journey. Its was difficult but what I learned, I couldn’t have learned any other way. Today my food choices were good. I am going to stick to the no dairy, to very low. No sugar, candy etc. Meat sparingly good quality, organic when possible. Also a variety of whole grains. And more vegetables. The part that was hard about macro was the lack of seasoning and spices.

Tonight we went to my sisters for tacos. I made a lentil taco recipe. It was fabulous. I used whole wheat tortillas, soy cheese, lentils, guacamole, lettuce and tomatoes with a bit of taco sauce. Didn’t miss the sour cream, thanks to the guacamole and taco sauce. Had two tacos felt very full and healthy. I have been wanting to make lettuce wraps. The main ingredient in that is ground beef. But after making the lentil tacos I realized I could use the lentils for the base in my lettuce wrap filling as well! The creativity is flowing. With cilantro and lime so yummy. Can’t wait to make those next week. I will share my recipe, it’ll be original as far as I know. Neum and I are heading to SLC tomorrow afternoon. Won’t be home till late Saturday night.

This blog has helped me stay honest and committed. Its been fun. I don’t plan on posting daily, because other things are getting neglected. But hopefully weekly. Its been fun. I am on my macrobiotic journey to health!

I can’t believe its finally day 30. I did it and I am done!! I haven’t been as strict these last four days. I planned to go out strong today. But felt very snacky. I had a lot of tortilla chips through out the day, which I think have far too much salt to be truly macrobiotic. For breakfast I had a piece of toast with almond butter. Then I steamed some vegetables for lunch, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, and daikon. Has a rice cake with almond butter. And another rice cake with wakame on top. Sometime during the afternoon I also had a piece of toast with almond butter again, with bananas. I am loving the almond butter, apparently I am not allergic. Good thing.

I was planning on having a macrobiotic dinner of black bean soup and rice. But too stressed out and just had some of the family’s tuna noodle casserole. You know I hate Valentine’s day. My dad got me See’s heart which was thoughtful. But I am going to save to for a while. I have no idea when I am going to open and eat it. But it won’t be anytime soon.

This has been an enlightening journey. And I am glad I did it and grateful for all the things I have learned about me and food. I truly appreciate Sarah and all her support. I couldn’t have kept it up for this long with out her guidance, wisdom and generosity. Thanks.

So my diet is morphing into something I can and want to sustain. I focused on macro foods. Breakfast was toast and almond butter and macrobiotic cookies. I made them to take to a meeting after church. Those who had the cookies loved them. I had a couple more. Had Gma Gpa and Rachael over for vegetable beef soup and bread. Gma and Rachael made more sugar cookies to decorate. I didn’t eat one! I didn’t need to. I did have some of my bread that I baked and some veggies and the beef broth. It was good. I didn’t use butter on my bread which is huge for me, expect for the fact that I haven’t used butter in 29 days. But I am a butter girl, I eat bread with my butter. That has changed now too. I had a Kind fruit and nut bar I bought weeks ago but found it in my cupboard today. I also made some fried noodle with onion, mushrooms and cabbage. The noodles were ready to go, leftover. They were going to go bad so I ate that before the veggie soup and bread. I feel good finding and creating a balance in my diet.

Sarah is right. My journey is just beginning. One thing I have not missed is fast food!! I met a girl in the grocery store last night. She can’t eat dairy and hasn’t for 7 years. I talked to her because she was buying 4 packages of almond cheese and a soy based ice cream. She loves the cheese but recommend only the one brand of soy based ice cream as well as a coconut milk based ice cream. Believe it or not I am not a huge ice cream fan, my teeth are sensitive, but good to know if I want to have any some day I can pick up those recommendations. I am going to Spoon Me this weekend with Neum. The host at my Thrive party had Vegannaise. She is doing the Kind diet. She love the Vegannaise because it tastes just like mayo. I smelled it and it did smell like Best Foods. I appreciate the recommendations so I don’t have to “waste” money finding something I like.

Isn’t that how long most inpatient rehab sessions are? My eating is evolving. I did macrobiotics pretty well, it felt good to me. I ran to SLC for a Thrive party this morning. I woke up early. Had a piece of toast with almond butter and a banana. Then didn’t really eat again until about 3 pm. I did snack a little on the freeze dried peach slices and the raspberries. I also tried a crumb of sausage and ground beef, freeze dried. A woman who wants to become a consultant wanted to try the meats reconstituted alone. So I demonstrated those for her and tried a smidgen too. I have had them before but wanted a reminder. Stayed way longer than I was planning. But got some really good sales training from Kathy and Tammy. So I am excited to implement their techniques and boost my sales.

On my way home I stopped a Pei Wei and got 3 spring rolls. I tried the sauce that came with them, and it was ridiculously salty, and I felt thirsty the rest of the day. So didn’t use the sauce. I was getting sleepy on my drive home and stopped and got a fruit and nut mix. I should’ve saved my money and just had the freeze dried fruit in my back seat. But I didn’t think of that until I was already in the store. For dinner I had some left over pasta salad and some black bean and corn. For a snack tonight I had a piece of toast with almond butter and jam. I feel good. I wonder what my caloric intake was today. I am looking forward to next weekend. Neum and I are going on a get away, to SLC. For the Shelf Reliance convention, boring for Neum, but I did earn 2 free nights at the Hilton, and no kids! Its a break I need. Two more days till 30 days!

Well today was better, not perfect though. I am learning so much about me and my relationship with food. The sugar cookies weren’t as satisfying as I had wanted. This morning I also had 4 bites of a plain white cake I baked for Julienne to decorate for a friend’s mom’s birthday. Those bites didn’t bring me the pleasure I was hoping for either. I really need to stop baking non compliant food. I truly need to intellectualize that junk food isn’t as good as my mind makes it up to be. Thats why sugar is like crack.

I was running like a mad woman today. Watch a friend of Audrey’s this morning. Ran to Audrey’s singing class, she loves it. Then dropped friend off and kids at home. Gma and Gpa babysat while I went to my cranial sacral appointment. I do it every 4 weeks and it is so helpful for me. It aligns my physical and emotional being. Linda Bradak is the therapist, she is extremely qualified and I am lucky to have her in Logan.

Before I got going today I ate 2 brown rice cakes with wakame. I spread hummus on top. They were yum. After my cranial sacral appointment I helped at Reese’s class Valentine party. Remember the sugar cookies. I helped the kids decorate those. Brought home carpool. I had an apple and a mochi waffel for lunch. For dinner I made Sarah’s pasta salad with tuna, cukes, carrots, olives, green onions and broccoli. I used a light dressing, can’t remember what it was, but it turned out fabulous. Everyone else ate the Kumat pasta with Prego and cheese. You know Prego doesn’t have high fructose corn syrup. Sugar yes.

Tonight Neum and I watched a movie, I made popcorn with sea salt and tea. Then I needed a few freeze dried apricots. It was a better day. Linda helped me help myself get out of my blah rut. So I am feeling better. It was nice to have Gma and Gpa over together. I think Gma is looking and feeling better, I hope. The days are getting longer and that is a good feeling, winter won’t last forever.

Okay so I didn’t want to post today. I fell off the diet. I was doing well all day until this evening. I am helping with Reese’s Valentine party at school tomorrow. I made heart shaped sugar cookies. I ate 3! But it didn’t really bother me. Life seems too stressful right now. I am in a mood that won’t quit. We were pet sitting a neighbor’s hamster and Audrey killed it tonight. Everything feels like too much and I am ready for a break.

For dinner after the cookies I had black beans and brown rice in a tortilla with cilantro. This morning I had Kashi cereal with almond milk. I also had some fruit and nuts and a piece of Ezeikel bread with almond butter and bananas. I ate for a snack a piece of toast with rice syrup on it. I had some freeze dried apricots. And water. I need to drink more water. I am sore from my work out yesterday morning. I think that its. I am almost finished. I need to stay strong. I have some cabbage to could steam up tomorrow, that sounds good. I am going to make Sarah’s pasta salad. I could to a split pea soup. I must have a plan, because I am on the edge and I am so close to day 30.

Sugar is definitely a drug. I haven’t had a speck of it for 25 days and I think about all the sugar things I miss. I really want to go to Spoon Me and have some frozen yogurt with mangoes and mochi, theirs is white rice mochi with sugar. So yummy. Then I also dream about these black licorice candy called Allsorts. My sister Starla got me hooked on them last spring when I went to visit her in Indiana. Neum says they are disgusting and can’t see how anyone would want to eat them. But Jules and I can finish off a whole bag no problem. Needless to say I didn’t have any of it. Just some good old macro food for me.

Sarah you are right. Doing this journey has opened my mind up to many other options for meal planning and general wellness. I love that my yeast is under control. And I know the only way to keep it that way is to stay away from the sugar. I really like that I am dropping pounds, so that is motivating for me now to keep eating more macrobiotically. Trying to use the whole grains in all their varieties on a day to day basis will certainly be something I maintain after this 30 day journey.

What I ate today. I had two pieces of the cinnamon raisin bread with brown rice syrup. That is such a good thing to eat. I could’ve done a third piece but I refrained. About an hour later I made a mochi waffle and shared it with Paige. When I work out I feel so hungry. Then at lunch I made my tempeh burrito. I love those Ezekiel tortillas. I had some pistachios and seeds and fruit for a snack. And some tortilla chips with some brown rice. For dinner I made a millet stew. Neum suggested I serve it for dinner for everyone rather than cook a separate meal. So I did. The kids loved it everyone had a second bowl at least. Except Jules. I made her an omelet. It was good. The millet cooked down and made the stew thick. Here is the recipe. It does make a lot.

From: artemis@rahul.net (Michelle Dick)

Source: McDougall Cookbook – Volume 1

MILLET STEW (Vegan)
===========
(Servings: 6)

Ingredients:
————
1 cup millet
4 cup water
2 onions – cut in wedges
2 potatoes – cut in large chunks
2 carrots – cut in large slices
1 cup celery – cut in large slices
1/2 lb mushrooms – chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp thyme

Instructions:
————-
Toast millet in dry skillet for about 5 minutes. Stir constantly to
prevent burning.

Add all ingredients to crockpot and cook 4 hours at high or 8 hours at
low.

===============================

That was my day 25.

Hmmmm. What did I eat this morning? Oh a bowl of Kashi with almond milk. Then I snacked through the mid morning trying to figure out what to make that was macro. Snacked on dried cherries and cranberries. I made some brown rice and had two bowls plain for lunch. Then snacked some on dried cherries and pistachios. Wanted something sweet. So luckily had the dried fruit. I did have some raisins too.

About 5pm tonight, I made the tempeh burritos in HCG. Boiled the tempeh and then chopped it up small in a frying pan. Seasoned it with chili powder, garlic powder, and a bit of taco seasoning. Melted some soy cheese on an Ezekiel whole grain tortilla, added half the tempeh and tofu sour cream with a bit of salsa. It was really big and good. I have enough for another one tomorrow for lunch.

I feel like I have more options these days. For breakfast, I could have also had a mochi waffle or a piece of cinnamon raisin bread with brown rice syrup. So that is a good feeling. I am having a hang up about millet. I am looking for a recipe. I have seen several for “mash potatoes” using millet and cauliflower. So I think I will try that tomorrow. Also a millet stew, that looks good. Will post the recipe when I make it.

I am counting down the days till this is over. Its sad, but what I thought would be more of a lifestyle change, I am thinking, I don’t want to do this forever. I am in an emotional rut. Everything just seems blah. I don’t enjoy much, nothing gets me excited, I don’t know how I got here or how to get out. I am sure it will pass eventually. I just feel dull. Last night Reese suggested we take a road trip to Seattle, he said if we left then, we be in Seattle by the morning. I guess we are all suffering from the winter blues. Need some kind of excitement or change of scenery. Glad the ground hog saw his shadow.

Today has been a strange day as far as eating goes. I went with Julienne’s class on a field trip to the Hardware Ranch to see the elk. I ate the rest of the macrobiotic cookies for breakfast and lunch today. I also had tamari almonds and brown rice cake with seaweed on top. I had a granny smith apple and a 100% fruit bar. When I came home I ate some hummus and celery. Then ran to the school to help Reese’s class with reading. After school I made the Vegetable Soup from Amy’s and added the leftover quinoa to it. That was my main meal today. Otherwise I just snacked on dried fruit, nuts, seeds and popcorn. Oh and some freeze dried pineapple. Unusually busy day, so I just snacked all day, whenever I had a minute. Need to try a millet recipe tomorrow.