To make sure I'm doing this right...

[Tenshin]

I've taken a crash course in macrobiotic cooking as a part of my shiatsu diploma program. I've decided to use it to heal from this Psoriasis I've had for two years.

I'm 22 years old, a healthy person, my Kidneys are most deficient and Small Intestine is most excessive. I'm predominantly a wood elemental constitution with quite a lot of fire and earth and barely any metal component to it. I do get bloated and gassy with certain food, but everything else, including sleep, emotions, exercise and diet is well balanced. I do crave salty food and chocolate from time to time.

It started when I was working at GNC and taking a bunch of suppliments, just before I started to learn Shiatsu, it's been with me ever since. I stopped taking suppliments since march 2006. The psoriasis just little plaques in random places, and a few clusters.

I've decided to nourish the kidneys with brown rice and azuki beans cooked with a little miso for flavor. I'm drinking green tea. I'm also having a bowl or two of miso soup with Dulse every morning.

This is ALL that I'm eating for the next two weeks.

Is this right, good, and healthy or should I be eating different foods as well? I eat about 2 cups of rice every day with a handful of beans, it's my second day and I just want to make sure it's all good.

[Tenshin]

Anybody? I just want to know if I should be eating more than this for two weeks, and if it's healthy to eat just this.

[Klara]

Tenshin,

I get so torn when I see a post that I want so to help with - but feel I am so far from the knowledgeable kind of person you need to be talking to.

But just in general principles, macrobiotics is, well in my opinion, not at its best for fast, instant, extreme kinds of ways - it is more gentle, slow and steady, trying to come to a balance - tho many come from extremes, as perhaps you might well consider the supplements were for you, still the way to healing doesn't mean go the other extreme.

there are some who do highly praise the rice diet, of which it sounds like you're describing, but then very cautiously, and even then only perhaps a week, most 10 days (tho there are posts here of someone who did it longer).

I have no idea what a crash course of mb consists of - mb is a path of continual self reflection and hopefully growth - it is about spirals, life changing, constant new ideas and new experiments.

I myself reacted with discomfort at the kind of diet you describe. If your condition is not serious (meaning great suffering, or worse, close to death) then I highly hope you go more gently, enjoy the miso soup, the rice and azuki beans, the tea, then add different vegetables, different grains, different beans - experiment and enjoy.

Klara

[azulparsnip]

Greetings Ten - I am not experienced as Klara. only been learning macro for about a year but Here's my thoughts


sounds like a fast of sorts - eating alot of just brown rice will often provoke a discharge

the basic approach to macro is not a tempo healing thing, it is a slow-learning-to-listen-to- my-body thing

basic macro diet is 40-60% whole grains
20-30% greens
5-10% beans
5-10% seeds, seaweeds,fruits

[Klara]

funny how words can make things sound different

one can say: promote a discharge and that sound good

provoke sounds ouch

I have been very lucky (some think it otherwise) and never experienced what is described as discharge - but I know many experience it and are grateful, as they see it as toxins going out of their system.

Again, I prefer gentle, so much so, that I might not even notice changes that are taking place, but someone who hasn't seen me for a while might!!!!

Klara

[Tenshin]

Thanks for your advice, it's very helpful. A while ago I was very good with my eating habits, quite balanced. In the past few months I've been lazy to cook my own food, eat for nutrition, etc... I see this fast as not only a way to help my condition, but also a way to get myself back on track, cleanse and essentially clean my body up from all the winter. Maybe two weeks is too much you said. I'm on day 6, perhaps I will go until day 10 and start to introduce vegetables, maybe day 12 bring some seeds and fruits into the picture, and day 14 add some fish and tofu. I think that sounds more reasonable.

[azulparsnip]

Ahh, I didn't know about discharges and didn't really want any but they did feel like something shoved me down........to deny that would be to promote denial.....

I had intermittent discharges for almost 1 year as I gradually changed my eating......some were straight forward running nose, debilitating & some were so subtile, mild depression and fear......knowing these were discharges helped me to persevere......

[Klara]

Tenshin,

If you're already on day 6 and feeling good, then all the more power to you. Only thing to say is just listen to your body. mb got a bad rap because of the extreme kind of eating at its beginnings - so keep it cool!!!!

Klara

[azulparsnip]

yeah, what she said

[Tenshin]

Day 7 now, and I feel great. I haven't had any discharges, save for the phlegm from this cold I've had since the day before I started. I don't get sick often, but when I do it lingers a while.

Aside from that I feel great. I've been coming to so many realizations in the past few days.

Day 10 I'm going to start introducing some vegetables. I typically use buck choy, carrots, cellery, onions, ginger, garlic and brocoli. Any suggestions of what I should avoid/consider adding?

[Klara]

hmmm, how interesting that having a cold did not discourage you from trying something so extreme.

But it's wonderful to hear you are feeling great. Wish to share any of the realizations you had??

Did you do a search on this forum for going off this diet? - there was some excellent posts on it on how to go at it slowly.

Be well.

Klara

[Tenshin]

Well, I realised the joy of chewing my food, there are so many different tastes I missed out on when I chew like a duck! Flavour, taste, and pleasure are much more important then I had originally thought. I started eating 2 cups of rice a day, now I can barely finish one cup. There's no pleasure in eating, and because of this dullness, I can't bring myself to eat more then a few bites at a time. I came to a lot of realizations I had not expected. About enjoying food, portioning my servings, and drinking and eating at separate times. For the next few weeks I'm going to eat a specifically different food every day, and keep a food diary to find out how each type of food makes me feel.

[Fortuna]

Hi Ten,
Just a note to let you know my better half has had psoriasis for many years arms, legs, scalp, chest, back, ears, etc.
One of the foods that has helped the most is flax meal or Omega 3's fish or flax. This with the other macro foods might be a good addition.
Hope you are well and please consider seeing a licensed physician to track your improvement.
This is good and safer for you and also good documentation of your habits that may help others.
Best of luck, Fortuna