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Peter. What is important at this juncture is that you are feeling healthy. Macrobiotics is not for all people and not all people are for macrobiotics. Best to use your intuition as barometer for your health. I do not endorse the Kushi style macro diet as a regular practice, nor do I support the idea that macro can heal all diseases, nor do I support the idea of jumping into macro overnight, but rather going into it gradually and letting your body slowly get familiar with the unfamiliar nutrients that it takes in.
I do not endorse vegetarian style macrobiotic diet. not all macrobiotics think the same way, although Kushi may have the largest corner on this practice in the US.
Osteoporous occurs more frequently in people who eat meat than in people who do not eat meat. It is the major cause of disability in older people, especially women, affecting more than 25 million people in the US (NIH '94). More than half of women and about one third men will experience fracturing bones caused by osteoporosis during their lives (Ross '96). The more animal protein we eat, the more calcium we flush out of the body (Kerstetter & Allen '89), but vegetable protein, such as soy, and more especially FERMENTED soy protein, causes less calcium reduction through excretions than animal protein (Breslau et al, "88). Researchers observe that fewer Asian women have osteoporosis even though they consume less calcium (Fujita '96 & Messina & Messina '94).
A recent study on postmenopausal women who were given soy protein were compared to women given dairy protein. Bone density was compared after a 6 month period. Results showed milk-protein group lost more bone mineral and bone density than the soy protein group. In addition the soy protein group showed increased minerals and density of bone than dairy protein group (Potter et al '98). These are just some of the facts.
So my suggestion to you is if you want to continue to eat meat and eggs every day, don't say you are macrobiotic, say you are following the PALEO-DIET. If you want to resume macrobiotic way you mast make transition slowly, eventually getting rid of red meat and most dairy products and replacing it with cold water fish, shell fish, and more fermented soy foods, lots and lots of green veggies, raw and cooked, good quality oil for cold season cooking, and less salt overall. More fruits can be taken if more animal food is used. Please read the older posts on animal food in the moutainark fourm section on this page as well as article by Gale Jack on this topic. We have gone with this thread on a number of occassions now and there seems to be no need to rehash everything that has already been written.
I am in the prosess of forumulating a cultured soy drink that is naturally fortified with calcium (from sesame seeds) and is brown-rice and fruit based. It is especially good for people with osteoporosis, cancer recovery, and for women who are going through menopause or are post menopausal. I will make an announcement on this discovery in a very short time. Stay tuned.
I have nothing else to add to this thread on osteoporosis and will not ebtertain anymore Kushi diet bashing ideas here. They have their own website and the Paleo-diet websites are pretty interesting to. I hope this information has helped you to decide which way you want to go. I hold no judgement over your decisions. I gave you only the facts absed on my experience and references.
In peace, Roy
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