Does Whole Foods Offer Healing?

Healing with Whole Foods Series #5
Paul Pitchford

In recent years, numerous studies have detailed the benefits of grains and vegetables, and of the complex carbohydrates in general. A quality of these foods, expressed by the term "fiber," has become somewhat celebrated because of its powers of disease prevention and renewal. In addition, the foods in this group offer ample protein as well as a variety of vitamins and minerals-much more nutrition than is generally acknowledged.

Recommendations in the United States for a grain-and-vegetable diet based on Asian traditions tend to be identified with macrobiotics, a distinct dietary philosophy focusing on health and longevity through lifestyle principles. One of the first macrobiotic teachers, George Ohsawa, considered anyone who was truly healthy and happy to be macrobiotic regardless of what he or she ate. This attitude corresponds with our view of emphasizing not food but the Essence within every aspect of reality, including food.

We agree with the basic macrobiotic prescriptions for unrefined regional food, a minimum of anal products, and recognizing food selection, preparation, and eating as a healing art. However, in the early days of macrobiotics, salty products and lengthy cooking methods were emphasized by some as a way of becoming more yang. (See Yin and Yang and Beyond chapter.) This did not work consistently for Americans as it did for the rather small group of Japanese macrobiotics. Dietary incompatibility with a certain segment of the Western population -even some vegetarians-has been a result of the macrobiotic system of diagnosis and food analysis, which uses a highly generalized, unorthodox yin/yang system. Such a system is useful for deciding what food groups are beneficial in general, but is nearly impossible to apply to the complex health issues of individuals, or the often contradictory properties of any single food.

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