[Nancy]

Anne,

Thanks for coming to the Main Forum with questions that are normal and reasonable for anyone new or old to macrobiotics to think about and understand. I will attempt to help answer them.

In your first post in this thread you mention asparagus, spinach, and the nightshade family. Asparagus is a very yin vegetable, which in and of itself is not forbidden to eat for a healthy person, in fact no food is forbidden. Most people finding macrobiotics for the first time in life are not just seeking a healthy diet -- they are already sick and seeking an answer to restore their health. As we age, we find that we are prone to the diseases of old age that come from previous years of unbalanced eating -- usually having eaten on the side of too yin or at the extremes of yin and yang. Both situations will eventually cause disease. Thus, guidelines for the macrobiotic diet first instruct one how to balance their health -- away from eating and thus being, predominantly too yin or too yang.

Spinach is also too yin, because of its known qualities of high oxalic acid. We can think of yin and yang in several ways, one being acid (yin) and alkaline (yang). Herman Aihara has written a book entitled "Acid and Alkaline" which is a helpful treatment for further understanding.

The nightshade family of plants are also extremely yin (acid). It is recommended to stay away from tropical fruits and tropical vegetables, unless one lives in the tropics. Vegetables with a tropical origin are: potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, asparagus, tomatoes, and eggplant. All are extremely yin. Many people with acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome do not know that white potatoes are an extrememly yin, acid food. Rather than take medication for these problems, simply eliminate the foods. Peppers are also yin (acid).

In your second post in this thread you question whether the purpose of macrobiotic eating is to learn to balance what we eat or to eat among the more naturally balanced foods and avoid those at the extremes. A healthy person can eat anything in moderation. Disease is caused by too much eating at the extremes, either too yin or too yang, or both, over the span of several years. To balance one's condition, we must equally correct and maintain eating -in balance- for several years. Sometimes our bodies respond very quickly to a balanced diet, even though we have abused it severely over time. A good example of balancing at the extremes is a cheeseburger (yang) balanced with french fries (yin) and coke (yin). This is balance and feels good and satisfying, but we can expect an array of old age diseases from continued eating this way. Better to treat our bodies respectfully and eat foods that are inherently balanced: whole grains and root vegetables.

Increased knowledge of yin and yang comes over time while faithfully pursuing the macrobiotic path. Knowledge is always increased by selecting organic foods for yourself in the grocery, learning what foods are recommended seasonally to enhance healthy discharge from organ pairs during each of the five seasons of the year -- and then cooking for yourself. Soon one learns upon waking, how one feels physically and emotionally, and can thus, choose foods to balance both physical health and emotional health. Different cooking methods can also make the same cooked food more yin or more yang, depending upon one's needs and condition.

To again address your question about tomatoes, tomatoes are a food of extreme yin. Thus, their extremely acid qualities would irritate an ulcer. On the other hand, corn is a whole food that grows in kernels on a cob. Rather than a vegetable, it is considered a grain product when ground for meal. Flat bread (tortillas) can be made from it, as well as other breads. Corn meal can be used as grits or polenta for any breakfast, lunch, or dinner (especially popular in the South). It is a temperate climate food, natural to North America. Native Americans brought corn as a gift during the first Thanksgiving with Pilgrims.

In your last post you state "salt which is pure yin" could be sprinkled on meat to balance it. Salt is extreme yang and meat is extreme yang. Rather, if attempting to heal a yin disease condition, yet still craving fruit, a pinch of natural quality sea salt could be sprinkled on cooked fruit to give it more balance. If suffering from a yin disease, best to avoid fruit and fruit juices altogether.

The science of yin and yang is very ancient knowlege, and it does make perfect sense. It is only our own knowledge regarding yin and yang that isn't quite perfected. It all comes in time.

Note: Please see cybermacro private message addressed to you.

Hope this helps,
Nancy