Macrobiotics Today, July/August 1994, Vol. 34, No. 4
"It's Your Metabolism, Not Your Diet" Z'ev Rosenberg
We Americans are very much into appearances, into look-ing like certain media stars on television or in the movies. Therefore, there is a tendency to overemphasize intensive aerobics and crash diets in an attempt to condition the body into fitting into a preconceived notion of beauty, youth, or health. For women, this is an especially deleterious approach, since it can inure the body and mind to an imbalanced pattern of behavior. As soon as injury, illness, or unforeseen events occur, the crash diet and rigorous exercise regime stop, the weight comes back and the muscle tone turns to flab. Often, depression, anxiety, or even desperation follow the loss of the 'perfect' condition. This cycle tends to reinforce itself, leaving the person constantly driven and miserable. Meanwhile, the internal health of the Zang/Fu (Yin/Yang) internal organ-viscera system has received no healing attention. Aerobic exercise and running primarily work on the superficial tendinomuscular layer. And the crash diets? In trying to force the body into losing weight quickly, the metabolism is disordered. Such metabolic disturbances can lead to long-term eating disorders like anorexia or bulemia.
The Slender Image
In macrobiotics, the 'image of health' is often perceived to be that of the slender macrobiotic leader (who may, in reality, not be all so healthy). This perception leads many people who wish to practice macrobiotics to emulate their teachers, usually by eating too yang or too strictly in an attempt to acquire this slender image of health. Women especially find that it is not always easy to lose weight on macrobiotics, and in frustration become as obsessive with the details of the diet as they are with other crash diets and strenuous exercise regimens. The thinking here is still symptomatic, desiring a slender body above all. And the mind set is, "I must be slender in order to be practicing a macrobiotic diet correctly." It is this mind set that must change in order to achieve healthy weight control.
Eating Disorder in the New Age
From my study of macrobiotics and Chinese medicine, and my experience in treating hundreds of patients, I have come to the conclusion that our post-technological society has an eating disorder. In my review of Traditional Chinese medical literature, I cannot find one entry on obesity. Either it was unknown, rare, or not seen as a major problem. Today, concern over one's weight is a prominent health issue and weight control programs are big business. In order to gain control of one's weight, it is one's attitude to food that must change. The first step is to reawaken the body's innate intelligence. Second, we must always study and learn as much as possible about ourselves, our body, about food, cooking, and dietary principles that are right for each of us. Innate intelligence coupled with diligent study can reliably inform us of what the appropriate foods should be. Either overeating (especially of empty, refined foods with little qi or substance) or undereating (self-flagellation through overcontrol) must be avoided for a natural, healthy weight to be attained and maintained.
Food Transformation
In Chinese medicine, the metabolism is governed by the San Jiao, or Triple Burner, which wraps around all the Zang/Fu organs, transforming and transporting nourishment through the body. First, nourishment taken into the intestines is processed by the Spleen/Pancreas, which "separates the pure from the impure." The impure is released downwards and eliminated as waste, while the pure essence (wei, or flavor) is sent upwards to the chest, where it combines with the qi of air through respiration to create zhong qi or chest qi. From here zhong qi circulates and separates as a yang component. This yang component is called the wei qi or defensive energy which flows along the surface of the body and protects it from infection and invasion (the yang aspect of immunity), and as a yin component, called ying qi or nutritive/constructive qi, which bathes and circulates through the cells. This circulation of ying qi is controlled by the san jiao/Triple Burner.
Nourishing Flavors
The wei/flavors actively nourish the essence of the Zang/Fu organs. According to the Nei Jing Su Wen Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, "The sour flavor drains the liver, the salty taste supplements the kidneys, the bitter taste enters the heart, the sweet taste nourishes the spleen, and the pungent taste enters the lungs." Each taste has medicinal effects on other organs as well.
However, all of us have specific constitutional characteristics that make it difficult at times to choose the right foods using generalized dietary prescriptions. For example, many people with Spleen yang or Qi deficiency will crave concentrated sweets. Unfortunately, excesses of a flavor have an opposite effect, and will weaken or damage the organs. Shang Han Lun writes, "When the Spleen is tonified with the sweet taste (in food and herbs), the Kidney will be checked (via the Five Phase Ko/control cycle). Then the restricted Kidney will be weak in Vital Energy, rendering it unable to circulate water (leading to water accumulation and weight gain)." It is better to choose good quality sweet food, such as whole or sprouted grains and vegetables that are sweet. In some cases, one may use an opposing flavor (such as salty which will check the Spleen/Pancreas) to balance a condition.
In time, using adaptable dietary principles such as macrobiotic dietary principles that enable consistent, appropriate selection of flavors, foods, and cooking styles as well as proper quantities, the body will adjust to its proper constitutional needs and settle into its natural weight. This is all that should be necessary to treat any weight problem. By uncovering the innate intuition that allows one to choose the foods that one both needs and desires and complementing intuition with principles, knowledge, and practice, sustainable weight control should not have to be difficult or expensive.
End of Article
Author bio-statement: Z'ev Rosenberg, L. Ac. is in private practice in Chinese medicine and macrobiotic counseling in San Diego, California where he is Chair of the Department of Herbal Medicine at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. Z'ev is married and has four children.
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