Greetings

[Rafflesia]

I have studied ayurvedic eating for a while, which yoga led me to because I am a yoga enthusiast. I have been thinking about trying the macrobiotic life stye for a whiel, having been a vegetarian for some time, and an on again off again vegan. Reading Jessica Porter's new cook book gave me the push that I needed.

Before I die I hope to be certified to teach yoga and macrobiotic cooking, but both initiatives seem prohibitively expensive right now. I am recovering from a period of unemployment, during which I contracted a major eye infection that led to very different vision. The illness and unemployemnt, menaing lack of insurance, translated to a difficult move to where my parents live, and where I don't know anyone...central North Carolina.

It is amazing how much information is out there in the unvierse from natural systems that promote mental, psychological and physical healing and well being. I feel like I am on a journey now of collecting puzzle pieces (yoga here, herbal remedies there, meditation, macrobiotics) and I want to share them with everyone I meet, but I come off as being a bit strange when I do that. It's unfortunate that the information is so expensive to come by as a whole, because most of the people I have met who need it the most, are the most out of reach from it. I wished I had discovered it sooner, when I had more financial resources to pursue the knowledge.

I love making hearbal teas, form which Laural Vukovic's "14 Day Herbal Cleansing" book has been some what of a Bible to me for that, but I don't know how macrobiotic the herbs are. I also liked the grain and tempeh based dishes in Robin Robertson's "Vegan Planet." Other books that have inspired em recently include "Women Who Run with the Wolves," By Clarissa Pinkola Estes, "Jiva Mukti Yoga: Practices for Liberating Body and Soul" by Sharon Gannon and David Life, "The Heart of Yoga," by T.K.V. Desikachar, and Stephen Cope's "Quest for Self." I also enjoy learning more about meditative practices and prayers (particularly chanting) from a variety of religions, but especially the mystic traditions in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. I look forward to meeting people on this web site.

[garymill]

Thanks for introducing yourself!

I just sent you off a Google Gmail email account invite.

Gary

[Bruce Paine]

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

[Rafflesia]

Thank Bruce for the recommendation. That will be the next book I buy. I am almost finished with the Macrobiotc Way (my second amcro book in less than a week), and recently ordered Kristina Turner's cook book.

I tied ayurvedic cooking for a while, which has similar vegetarian principles, but I am not so sure about the balancing the dosha thing. Not that I doubt experiecned practioners so much, but can get so many differnt assessments for my dosha depending on the day and my mood. Deepak Chopra's "Perfect Health" was the first book I read about alternative health. I was hoping to do a ceritification program for yoga until my eye issues wiped out my savings.

I like the principles of macrobiotics, which seem easier to comprehend, is an extension of my searhc for holistic remdies. I have a lot of emotional junk going on right now, and have noticed that straying from a vegetarian life style (I didn't want to do, but it's hard not to offend people who aren't use to vegetarians let alone vegan life styles) has made it more difficult for me to rein in the feelings to make better decisions or to keep things in perspective at times.

I have heard much about macrobiotics ability to heal, but I always thought of it more in terms of cancer, diabetes, or arthritis, and never related it to my needs. Also, why I purchased the Macrobiotic Way rather than Kushi's healing book. After I made that purchasing decision, I looked at the table of contents, and I was surprised at the pages devoted to eyes.

Right now I am living in Asheboro, NC. The closest "city" is Greensboro, but having previously lived in London (mostly for grad schoool but a little for work) and Washington DC, I am not finding many dietary resources in Greensboro. Although I did just locate a grocery store that sells some orangic produce; like daikon. I had to do a google image search to see what I was looking for!!! I woud love to be in the Boston area, because of the yoga schools and the macrobiotic information. I did my undergrad in Western MA (South Hadley). I wish I knew about macrobiotics then, when I closer to the Kushi Institute. Now, I can't imagine myself ever being able to afford classes there. I have heard that there was a burgeoning community in Asheville, NC, but have not located any sort of macrobiotic institute there.

Salt has not been too much of an issue for me. I run middle distance and use to practice Bikram yoga regularly (no studio here) so I had a phobia about being dehydrated. I use organic seassalt, when the need arose. Garlic, on the other hand is a bit more of a weekness for me. In general though, when I meant herbs, I thought more in the line of drinking herbal teas, than adding herbs to food. Dandleion, burdock, licorice, oregon grape, marshmallow root, echinacea, ginger, peppermint, nettles, red cover are the main ones that Vukovic recommends, depending on the system or ailment.