[Klara]

Can we hold your hand thru the net???

You've got the same challenges alot of us have had - learning and eating more and more macro is a big enough challenge in itself

not having support is also a huge challenge

but actually living with others who are anti - that's the biggest

so please, learn from my mistakes!!!! Do NOT NOT NOT discuss with him how awful he is eating, or any of the mb wonderful ideas you have discovered - especially if this whole field of food is about power control - and don't even discuss with someone else in front of him!!!!!!!! I'm also still on that path, and it's taken us years to find a truce of sorts - don't know if it's just the two of you, but we have kids and it's been very very hard on me seeing my kids with issues which could so easily could have been prevented by mb diet, but they prefer his foods (he is a fancy cook!!!!! his presentations even beat some restaurants I've been to!!!!).

And the other part, trying to go on the mb diet, with all those old foods there to tempt - and when I give in to those foods, it's just ammunition for him to say I really don't do mb (funny, he's always threatening to come on to the discussion groups I'm on and let every one know, but since I"m honest everyone knows already!!!) and that I should stop all this nonsense.

I always had a dream that if I could just go away and be in a total macrobiotic environment for a week or two, I'd be much stronger to face all these challenges. But now I no longer believe that, I very strongly believe that change comes slowly, with the steady trying to always improve and get better at whatever stage I'm at.

I think it's fantastic that your acupuncturist is aware of mb - and that could be part of your support team. Try to also find others that maybe eat this way, especially a mb teacher, who can help clear up some of the confusions as you meet them. (but just to get you even more confused, be aware that even all teachers deal with mb differently, depending on their own experience, and their own condition!!!!!! - you need to be open to learning and then at some point figure out which of all that you learn feels right for you!!!)

now know that I'm not a teacher, just someone who's been exploring this way for 12 1/2 years, and also know that it's a lifetime exploration - so herre's my take on your specific question

I don't see mb necessarily as Japanese - rather the Japanese have brought it over to the west, so their influence is strongly felt. As more and more teachers are finding objections with how mb has been so far and are trying to widen the approach, you will see new ideas coming out (are you exploring other mb sites - The Macrobiotic Guide from England is a great source for this discussion - if you can't find it, let me know and I'l get the address for you)

The tea most often used in mb is either bancha leaf or bancha twig - I believe on this forum there is a long article on teas, but sorry, I haven't time now to search where it is - in any case, just want you to know, it's not written in stone!!!! I myself don't drink that much tea (perhaps I should??), and when I'm really in the mood to have some wonderful warm liquid, I make myself a sweet vegetable drink (1/4 cup each of finely chopped onions, carrots, sweet squash, cabbage, simmered 1/2 hour in 4 cups of water, drained - NO SALT - and sip 1/2 cup warmed at a time - good for many many issues).

As for the food plan, it's in all the books - do you have any?? Basically a good portion of a grain, rice being the most balanced, a small portion of a protein, usually a bean or bean product, but can also be fish, and lots of varied cooked vegetables, ideally with different colors, and different kinds of cooking (a long cooked vegetable and a short cooked vegetable) and then some odds and ends added, like desserts once in a while, pickles, condiments, snacks, nuts.

that's on the simple level, you can combine foods and make it more complicated, but maybe that's better for later????

just keep practicing, reading, and know you're doing it for yourself, so try (I know it's hard!!!) not to worry about the opinions of those around you!!!!

Good luck

Klara