[foymula]

First of all, Hello, pleasure to join this group.

I am a 21 year old male. I imagine I am younger than most people here and than most macrobiotic practicioners in general. I have not been pushed into this by any family or friends. It was a concious self decission rooted in my long interest in a good life, leading to eastern philosphy and thoughts of spirituality, I have read a lot about these topics which is what I believe led me here to the start, the start of life being nurishment, and/or food. So I am happy to be here at a good stage I tend to think.

I can say that I just plain dived into macrobiotics without really looking back. In about months I have eliminated meat, eggs, sugar, processed foods and almost all the fat content from my diet, albeit to slight shock from friends and family. Prior to that I have been intersted in nutrition and have kept an eye on diets around the world. I use to enjoy chocolate, sweets, ice cream and fried snacks several times a week, as well as wine which I still enjoy and wonder wether a few glasses of red in a week would be detremental to my path. Japan happens to have the most delicious original snack/junk food in the world in my thoughts.

Living in Japan has it's advantages and minuses as the above paragraph concludes. On the plus side I can get all the recomended vegetables from land and sea by just walking around the corner. Harder however is reading information on packaging, especially whole grain products which I am fairy new too.

All in all, I think I am progressing well, and slowly. I have these questions from the first month of my new version of life.

1.) Being younger and very active might be the reasons for this, but I am feeling fatigued around the afternoon. Rather then napping, I try to pull through and change the way my body reacts. I have read that this is normal. I also guess it is because my portions have been reduced and I am no longer opting for any ice cream, donuts, chocolate for a quick remedy as I used to do in my teenage years.

What is the recomended snack to boost energy in times like these. I have been eating raw carrots, but am wondering what other good things I can try, perhaps some low fat nuts? Something rich in energy.

2.) Cooking methods are my second early pondering. I use a rice cooker, since I do not have a pressure cooker, is this recomended, I make brown rice in it, one cup of brown rice to one cup of water. I use to eat white rice everyday like this for about a year and the rice comes out very beautiful, or so I think. I also put some carrots, konbu and onions inside to cut cooking time.

Boiling is done in a small kettle, I have since boiled mushrooms, various greens, onions, carrots, etc. and tofu I am yet to experience with changing water levels although I have learned that soft leafy vegatbles need the shortest amout of boiling.

Is rice cooker preperation ok?

3.) I have been drinking a lot of water for the past year, my staple drink, other then that is mugi-cha or barley tea which is cheap and good. I have not read much about water in my macrobiotics book. I hope to find out if a lot of water is good or should liquids be reduced.

Any other advice for a young starter would be most smiled upon.

Thank you