Dave and Bruce, et. al.,
Dave, thanks for the information about Lily Kushi, as I never knew the details. In this case, the cervical cancer could have had a hereditary basis. It is well known that this is one of the factors leading to cancer. If the gene within the family predisposing the women to cervical cancer was pronounced enough, perhaps the best food and knowledge of food and health, was not enough to reverse it.
During the last six months of 2004 I have pressure cooked more than ever as a follower of macrobiotics. Actually, I was closely following some of Michio's prescriptions for my condition, thus, the pressure cooking was included in that. Although, I found myself to have a noticeably calm energy, mental balance, and more active energy, I like you, noticed certain things about pressure cooked food that I did not think was good for my condition. I decided, based on my own intuition and experimentation with myself as the lab, to stop pressure cooking in late spring. I reasoned, it is summer, it is hot, and I do not have to pressure cook. Whewww...what a relief!
In my opinion, pressure cooking creates very yangized food. Noticeably. I talked with one of my macrobiotic friends wondering, "What is this obsession with pressure cooking?" I don't know why there is quite this emphasis from the Kushi camp on pressure cooking. Recently, I have been cooking with the use of multi-vegetables. A lot of stir-frys that simply include several vegetables in small-moderate quantities. I've felt a rush of variety and excitement come into my life, and psychologically it has seemed to open up new areas of interest, also. I recently took an online test, to see what my risk factors are for a condition of concern to me. It turns out I placed very high, in fact over, in recommendations for five a day, vegetables (and fruits, for others). This greatly offset my risk factors for the condition. Following that, I read an article that re-emphasized how important it is not only to eat a great variety of nutritious food (in our case vegetables), but also use a great variety of cooking methods. This will be my next venture, to inlcude as much variety in cooking methods as I can. My own experiment. I trust that I will see and feel the results.
My conclusions about pressure cooking are much the same as Dave's. Unfortunately, I've also observed many macrobiotic people heavily on the yang side, without their having personal insight into their own imbalance. I think many macrobiotic people tend to eat too much on the salty, highly yangized food, side of things and are often outstandingly difficult to get along with personally. Also, as people get older it is recommended to use less and less salt. We naturally become more yang as we age, shrivel, shrink in size, etc.
Bruce, I don't quite think "eat too much baked food, eat too many deserts, drink coffee, smoke cigarettes, watch TV" quite characterizes macrobiotic people or their goals. I do think macrobiotic people tend to eat too salty and in my experience are experienced computer users, but perhaps no more than others in this day and age.
It's all a mix for everyone persuing a healthy life. Macrobiotic people are lucky (I think) to have an edge on everyone else, if they learn the use of yin/yang and take their practice from lists of foods in these two categories to actually being able to use yin/yang in their daily lives for food choices and also everything else that they experience.
Rather than "dumping responsibility on leaders of whether eating a certain way works", the premise of this thread, as Rick conceived it, was to feel free to explore concerns about what works and what doesn't work, not blame anyone. It is seeking to understand, and there is not anything wrong with that. There are so many factors that go into each and every one of us, our physical and psychological make-up, what skewed this way or that will work and won't work, that it is all fine tuning for each of us, and all personal in the final outcome. The macrobiotic leader who has the good health and freedom to eat gourmet, may also be very qualified to give advice on healing foods to the sick.
I come to the same conclusions as Dave. I think those following the macrobiotic diet need to be especially wary of the use of too much salt, and to relegate pressure cooking to a normal place among all the various methods of cooking. To over emphasize pressure cooking, might indeed throw everything out of balance. It only makes sense.
I also agree with Dave concerning accidents, be they big or small, as an indication of imbalance. Dropping things, breaking things, burning things, are the first indicaters of imbalance, which if neglected can leader to bigger accidents.
I think this might be my 100th post.
Let's have a party!
Nancy