Animal Food (quantity) cont...

[Roy Collins]

Fact Finding:

Based on the received text dating back to the 4th century BCE in the Far East and perhaps to the 3rd century CE in the West regarding the PRINCIPLE FOOD of macrobiotics is predominately vegetable and grain based with very little animal food used. The geographic zone from which this information comes covers approximately latitude 60 through latitude 30 north of Equator using a conservative estimate. Of course there are differences in altitudes, terrain, air quality, ocean currents, etc.
For argument's sake, let us call this land area the TEMPERATE ZONE. Since the climate is roughly the same south of the Equator, let us also call latitude 30 - 60 south Temperate Zone as also.

Let us, for arguments sake call the areas nearer the equator (both north of and south of) from latitude 0 - 30 the Tropical Zone. Then thirdly, let us call the areas nearest the poles the Frigid Zone (above Latitude 60 N. and L. 60 S.)

If you look at any world atlas that shows agricultural land use you can see that all zones from L. 0 through L. 60 can grow whole grain cereals, and this is validated by the received written record dating as far back Neolithic times (perhaps as far as 9,000 BCE).

Now, if we carefully review Ohsawa's words in the aforementioned post, he is telling the majority of earth's human inhabitants to eat diet number 3 or above, which includes NO animal food. He says "the "lower the diet the more difficult." But more importantly we can understand the ecologic and biologic of his message: no need to eat animals if grains and veggies are available. However, he does not exclude animal food altogether.

Based on the INDIVIDUAL’S NEEDS, WORK HABITS, and SEASON in question, one can supplement the PRINCIPLE FOODS with a little more animal food – as much as 10% (fish, shellfish, fowl, small game) until the season begins to warm again, and crops can be grown. No need for excess protein, fats, and heat inducing animal foods when solar energy increases with spring/summer. Perhaps women require less animal food than men in this zone to keep polarity and attraction strong.

So now with the 10% animal food allowance we are starting to get nearer to Kushi’s standard macrobiotic diet and we are conforming also to the low animal food requirement of all macrobiotic literature.

If, however we start to migrate further than L. 60 (N/S) then agriculture becomes minimal and the weather is colder, especially during the winter months. In this situation, more animal food can be consumed and less grains and vegetables (levels 1 through -3) and still be macrobiotic as the more frigid climate requires more heat and energy to be produced to make balance with the environment. Ohsawa says up to 30% animal food will still make you a macrobiotic as long as you know how to use yin/yang. Ohsawa seems to be more flexible than other writers of macrobiotic who insist on low or no animal food.

As the vast majority of us are living in zones 0 – 60 I feel a good rule of thumb is to use up to 10% animal food in the colder area of this zone and during the colder months. Use considerably less or no animal food as you approach closer to the Equator, using it only on occasion and for special health reasons. It is simply too yang and not required. Vegetables (cooked and raw) and fruits can be increased as well as use of more liquids when living in theses areas and also during warmer seasons in this 0-60 zone. Eggs are too yang on the yin/yang scale but can be eaten on occasion and especially are useful when making desserts, but not on a regular basis.

Ohsawa tells us that quantity of animal food destroys quality and at its extreme causes health problems. On the World Atlas, Stockholm, where you live, lies exactly on L. 60.
This would mean that you can eat 10% animal food with no problem most of the time and perhaps increasing that to 20% during colder season. This perhaps is the reason that you do not feel the need for too much yin fruit. Still, I would try to use a little less animal food during the warmer seasons that 10% and perhaps cut back to 2-3 times per week. I remember when I stayed at your place during the summer that it was quite warm and we went swimming in the lake behind where you live. We need to always follow nature and our own intuition. It is impossible to make a strict guideline for how much animal food each individual needs. The environment plays a big part in our decision making.

Let me know what you are thinking on this.

In peace, Roy