Over time I have changed the way I eat alot, mostly because of acne and mysterious stomach aches. When I get a bad stomach, nine times out of ten, I also seem to have a breakout which makes me think the two issues are related. Maybe what i’m putting into my body wants to get out! A few people (but not doctors) have expressed that my breakouts could be linked with a digestive issue or a food intolerance, and evidently I noticed a huge difference to my skin when I cut out dairy and eggs. Now, my skin is better than ever, although I still get the occasional blemishes and have a lot of red scarring. Nowadays, I’m up for giving any diet recommendations for skin a go! As long as its plant based, its worth it just to see if I could wipe out breakouts all together.
It’s true that what’s going on internally in the body is usually reflected externally. For example, the way I found out that my body didn’t agree with diary was through my skin, and through discomfort. You’ll usually see a reflection in your hair, skin and nails when there is something going on internally, and skincare or drugs will only mask the issue. This is why a lot of the time if you take antibiotics or the pill for acne, when you stop it comes back, because its not actually solving the problem. Acne can usually be your body’s way to eliminate some kind of intruder which it doesn’t like, and this can be food or chemicals/ hormones.
I’ve heard the term Macrobiotic thrown about quite a lot recently. The word macrobiotic comes from “macro” which means big and “bios” which means “life”. It’s often said that macrobiotics can be translated to ‘The art of a great life”. A lot of people talk about a MacroBiotic diet, although macrobiotics is not actually just a diet but more a lifestyle choice. I first tried out this diet when living in Bali and spending a month on a Yoga Teacher training course. All we ate was a vegan Macrobiotic diet, and I can honestly it was the best I have ever felt in my whole life. This is a holistic approach to diet and health, considering you as a whole, which is something that is more often than not overlooked when going to the doctors for skin related issues. Macrobiotic lifestyle actually can have quite a spiritual element to it, so it also works hand in hand with a yogic life.
The macrobiotic diet contains foods like whole grains, beans and bean products (like tofu), local and in season organic vegetables, soups, sea vegetables, desserts which are only sweetened with rice syrup, barley malt, fruit or maple syrup, a little fish ( if you’re not vegan), a little fruit, pickles, condiments, nuts, seeds and non-aromatic teas. One of the important nutrition principles in the macrobiotic diet involves consuming foods that are rich in nutrients and have balanced yin/yang properties. Like with any diet, balance is key and theres no harm in indulging in something naughty once in a while!
When trying out a new diet I find it easier to take in the foods that I shouldn’t eat rather than should eat. The best to avoid foods in the macro diet are:
- Any food containing white, brown, or any other refined sugar
- Artificial sweeteners
- Fruit juice
- Milk, cheese, cream, butter, ghee, yogurt, and ice cream
- Refined Oils
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Heavy use of spices
- White rice and white flour
- Foods containing chemicals, preservatives, dyes, and insecticides
When considering the foods you should eat, you also need to consider the Yin/ and Yang qualities of these.Yin is the more female energy. It represents dark, cold and tranquil. People who are predominantly yin tend to be calm, relaxed and creative and food which are high in Yin are sugar, tea, alcohol, coffee, milk, cream, yoghurt and most herbs and spices. On the other hand yang is the more masculine energy and those with yang characteristics are usually active, alert and energetic. The food in this category include red meat, poultry, fish and shellfish, eggs, hard cheeses and salt. Of course, these two need to work in harmony with each other and should be taken into account when putting together a meal. Foods your should definitely be eating :
Grains
Grains should make up 50-60% of your meal. Brown and wild rice, barley, millet, whole wheat etc. are recommended.
Vegetables
Cooked and raw veggies should make up at least 30% of your plate. Local and in season veggies are also preferred.
Beans
Tempeh, Tofu, whole beans or legumes such as lentils and chickpeas, should be on your plate every meal.
Fruit
( This is where I struggle!) Fruits should rarely be eaten in a macro diet, of course they are a healthy snack but shouldn’t be consumed more than 3 times a week. Tropical foods, like bananas or pineapple, should be avoided with this eating lifestyle.
Sea Vegetables
Sea veggies are rich in vitamins and minerals and excellent for health and should be included in most meals.
Soup
Soups with grains, veggies and beans are a perfect macro meal and should be eaten daily on a Macro Diet.
Fermented Foods
Pickled veggies bring lots of good probiotics in your diet.
Condiments/Oils
Sesame and Corn are the best when it comes to oils, and condiments like miso paste, sea salt, brown rice vinegar, tamari, tahini, brown rice syrup, veggie broth.
Fish
Of course, if you are vegan or vegetarian you don’t need to eat fish but diet allows you to eat white meat fish 1-3 times a week.
Whole Foods
The less processed foods are, the better! Simple!
Im going to blogging about my Macrobiotic journey, and I would love you to follow me and hear what you guys have to say about it all!! Wish me luck!!
x
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