Rafflesia,
Which part of the Piedmont are you located in?
I spent almost 4 years living in Chapel Hill/Carrboro, trying to do macrobiotics, back in the mid to late 1970s, so I can truly identify with your feeling of isolation, there.
Because there are no exclusively macrobiotic communities located there, you may have to look around to find individuals on similar paths to connect with (Look under North Carolina):
http://www.vegeats.com/history/faqs/usa7.htm
Western NC has a budding macrobiotic community:
http://www.cybermacro.com/links/page...lle/index.html
There are more than close to 70 people and places listed for North Carolina in
The International Macrobiotic Directory by Bob Mattson
(2004 pp 44 P.O.Box 111 Washington, MA 01223 (413) 281 5584 fax 413 623 8827
intermac@earthlink.net, $12.00 [$10.00 plus $2.00 p&h])
Also, I can understand the attraction to herbs and things, living in such a hot and humid environment.
Maybe, you can try eating boiled grains most of the year round, except for some pressure-cooked grains and beans during the cold winter months, instead .
Be very careful with your salt consumption, consuming a more yin salt like "Si Salt" used in pinched quanties when cooking various dishes.
Keep your baked flour products to a minimum, eating more temperate climate vegetables, dark leafy greens (blanched, sauteed, or steamed), pressed salad, and pickles.
Since I don't have a copy of Laurel Vukovic's book
14-Day Herbal Cleansing http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0136...01#reader-link, I can't say much about her methods.
Michio Kushi and Alex Jack in their book:
The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health: A Complete Guide to Preventing and Relieving More Than 200 Chronic Conditions and Disorders Naturally http://www.qualitynaturalfoods.com/s...345439872.html address devote 5 full pages to Eye and Vision Problems.
To your continued good health and well being.
Thank you, very much.
Bruce Paine