10 day rice fast with other grains?

I am on day 3 of my 10 day rice fast and was wondering if my "rice" could also be extended to other grains like plain oatmeal, plain amaranth, some barley mixed in with the regular rice. In my ohsawa readings he says "cereals" which would include all these others. What do you guys think? Thanks!!!!

[garymill]

I would highly advise purhasing a copy of the new #7 diet book that just came out.

For those who plan to use macrobiotic principles with a certain consistency in their lives, this book clearly defines a #7 diet as an elimination diet to be used only for a specific period of time and for the purpose of removing excesses and toxins from the body. Historically, this is most important, because mistakes in application have been made in North America at times when the #7 diet was followed either as an elimination diet for exaggerated periods of time or as a health maintenance diet, which it is not. Full Details on the book here

[Nancy]

chipchewmunk,

To answer your question about using other grains on the "10 day rice fast diet". A BIG, YES, it is okay! The original "diet" this regimen is based on is George Ohsawa's, "# 7", as the highest grain diet, 100% grains, with limited liquid, preferably Kukicha "Twig" Tea made from the twigs of the green tea plant, with very little caffeine.

Personally, I DO NOT subscribe to limited liquid on a cleansing fast, as the body is detoxing and throwing off toxic substances into the blood stream. Drinking as much purified water as needed will help this process.

There is also a fast that includes NO food, and NO water, which I would not recommend to anyone for the same reason.

The "# 7" is NOT really a fast...as you can eat ALL THE GRAINS YOU WANT TO EAT! For a 10 day period of time, this will not hurt but HELP the vast majority of people detox harmful additives and toxins from their body.

I have done the # 7 using oatmeal and it is a very cleansing, soothing, healing, pleasant, peaceful, and effective way to do # 7.

If anything, Macrobiotics teaches to AVOID the extremes...in this case going beyond 10 days is NEVER what Macrobiotics has recommended for the 10 day regimen and, as always, each person is responsible for their own healing and choices. Self-healing is YOU experimenting with what works best for you, making the wisest decisions for your own health and diet regimen...and because everyone's body is different...listening first and foremost to your own body.

Any whole, organic, grains are wonderful for the # 7 regimen,

Nancy

Thank you soooo much for your response nancy, that's exactly what i needed to know! I hear you on adjusting the water intake too...i work out a lot and drink plenty of water to recharge from all the sweating, otherwise i'd pass out. So far day 3 is going smoothly, even at work (the land of sanka, fast food and microwaves)...I loooove macrobiotics because it is loving me back!!

I remember Lima-san coming to San Francisco and being surprised at the way Americans were rigidly applying the #7 regimen...which she said wasn't what George had intended. The diets and constitutions of people have changed radically since he wrote many of his books. It is better to go a little slower, so that one doesn't swing too far to either the yang or yin side of the balance pendulum--and then need to correct from the correction. She said that fasting means eating only what your body needs. A little Bancha or Kukicha tea, gomashio, a little bit of cooked kale, carrots, scallions
would be preferrable if one hasn't been eating well for long--in order not to flood the system quickly with the toxins to be eliminated. We need to take the middle path.

Hi everyone,
reading the info about the #7 diet... i have fibroids and am wondering if anyone can tell me if the #7 can help to shrink them... As i see it, yes, due to the fact that it is a burst of yang, and therefore contracts things...
will do it anyway for the cleansing. I thank you for the advice of drinking more liquids.. it makes good sense.
please let me know.. Hila