Macrobiotics Today, September/October 1994, Vol. 34, No. 5
"The Arctic Macrobiotic Diet and Other Misconceptions" Jeffery Reel
At this point in my life, "education" involves unlearning things as much as it does learning. Unspoken assumptions and conditioned reflexes seem to direct our ways all too often. One thing I have enjoyed about macrobiotic education is the questioning of previously held assumptions. Such questioning can help burst the bubble of some of the illusions we carry with us. Like many people, I brought along some unspoken assumptions into my macrobiotic practice and way of thinking. I would like to share some of mine with you.
Macrobiotics and the Emotional Level of Judgment
Most of us are acquainted with the Seven Levels of Judgment, beginning with the Physical Level (breathing, digestion, movement of the nervous system) up to the Supreme Level (intuitive grasp of One Infinite Universe). Throughout our lives - teachers are quick to remind us - the physical level remains very important; the foundation of our physical existence and the level upon which all others are built in this life.
The second level of development is the Sentimental or Emotional Level. What I find among people interested in macrobiotics is the tendency to dismiss the Emotional Level in favor of aspirations for the Spiritual Level. It seems to me that - like the Physical Level - the emotional sense of judgment is not to be discarded early on, but carried forward and matured throughout our years. Most lectures I have had the pleasure to sit in on, diagram the levels of judgment as a hierarchy, which might explain the illusion of abandoning each level for the next as one would abandon a rung of the ladder for the next in order to reach the top. The Emotional Level of Judgment, like all other levels, is to be fully expressed and incorporated into our lives at all times.
What Is the Color of Calcium?
I believe that most everyone would answer "White" to this question.
Wrong.
Calcium is a soft gray color.
What color is milk? Correct. What color is dairy fat? Right again. Even though we have discovered many of the myths surrounding dairy consumption, many people might continue to equate the white color of milk with calcium content.
Is there Any Food More Important Than Macrobiotic- Quality Food?
If it is a question of sustenance and survival, just plain food is the most important, whether it be powdered milk or canned peaches. Anyone who has gone hungry will understand this fundamental concept of survival. Fortunately, food relief organizations worldwide are beginning to understand the importance of indigenous foods and whole grain, even in emergency situations. They understand that, regardless of the quality of food, our first and most basic priority is survival. Only then, can one exist in order to understand and enjoy and grow through the benefits of a macrobiotic education. Most of us owe our existence to poor-quality food, which allowed us, eventually, to opt for great-quality food.
The Standard Macrobiotic Diet: A Point of Departure
What is the Standard Macrobiotic Diet among the Ilhamiut eskimos of Northern Canada? I have a tendency to think in terms of, say, buckwheat or short grain rice, pressure - cooked over a long period of time (as much as two hours) supplemented with generous portions of fish, sea vegetables, and plenty of root vegetables (cooked nishime-style).
The Ilhamiut wouldn't last one day under my care and direction!
For the Ilhamiut, the rule is meat at every meal and nothing but meat, along with their tremendous thirst for tea (many gallons each day). True to macrobiotic principles, the Ilhamiut believe that only by eating all parts of the deer can they achieve a satisfactory diet. The Ilhamiut average five meals per day, with each adult member of the family consuming 10-15 pounds of meat per day.
The temperature inside of their igloos hovers at around -50° Fahrenheit, and they require an inordinate supply of animal fat to keep warm. Their rotund bodies, owing to the enlarged liver and other organs, must handle vast quantities of protein, fat, and fluid. When the Government of Canada attempted to control the caribou herds, they restricted the eskimos diet to fatty fish. No sooner had this been done (along with the introduction of white flour and sugar in the 1930s), than the natural resistance of the Ilhamiut declined and soon thereafter, tuberculosis, measles, and smallpox increased dramatically. It was only when the Government restored hunting rights to the Ilhamiut, that they were able to reestablish their standard diet and their health.
To be sure, the Ilhamiut live in an extreme environment for human beings and, so, their lives are relatively brief. But macrobiotic principles are at play regarding their diet and lifestyle.
Even after years of practicing macrobiotics, I find myself in awe regarding the beauty, truth and flexibility of macrobiotic principles. If left up to me, I would have reduced the Ilhamiut diet to occasional greens, longer-time cooking and fish. Macrobiotic principles, applied without preconceptions, would be more in line with the traditional Ilhamiut diet - much to the relief of the Ilhamiut I'm sure.
End of Article
Author bio-statement: Jeffery Reel lives in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Dual-Cartridge Drinking Water Enhancement System
Complete
with twin filter cartridges, chrome faucet diverter and easy to follow
instructions. Installs in seconds, switch from filtered to unfiltered
with the touch of a button.
Voted Best Buy 2006 by Consumers Digest Magazine
Price: $99.99