Local Foods

[Oddment]

Hi Everybody

I just started (not two weeks ago) on the macrobiotic diet and have been following it pretty regularly although I have a problem eating the seaweed.

Anyhow I have read on several sites that it is best to eat locally grown foods. This is great and all, but I live in Florida. Locally grown foods include the oranges, avocados, lemons, limes (actually, all citrus), mangoes, pineapples and a lot of other things that the macrobiotic diet frowns upon. Like sugarcane.

So I was wondering exactly what the macrobiotic diet means when it says locally grown foods? Should I be munching down on hearts of palm and sea grapes?

Oddment

[soysycophant]

I find that when travelling to places that are limited to tropical fruit or even nighshade veggies, it is all about eating in proportion. Just eat proportionately smaller amounts of "frowned" fruits or veggies then is reccomended.
I too had a lot of trouble getting into the seaweed when i started out. Even now 85% of the seaweed i consume is nori, usually used as a condiment on salads or soups or snacked on plain. I usually slip small, chopped bits of other seaweed in legume dishes or veggie stirfries like kombu to make up for it. I find small bits of kombu and arami also taste good in brown rice dishes. If it is the taste of the seaweed, try a variety to see if there is at least one you like and just add seaweed in little bits to strong dishes to dilute the taste, your tastebuds might accomodate after a while.
Hope that helps!