Diet and the Development of Disease

Excerpted from
The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health: A Complete Guide to Naturally Preventing and Relieving More Than 200 Chronic Conditions and Disorders
By Michio Kushi, Alex Jack

As a result of the diet and health revolution, people today are consuming less red meat, eggs, dairy food, and other foods higher in saturated fat and cholesterol. Mortality from heart disease, the number one cause of death in modern society, has dropped by nearly half over the last generation. For the first time, cancer incidence and mortality have also started to fall. Beyond these two major degenerative diseases, scientists are investigating the connection between diet and scores of other conditions and disorders ranging from arthritis to multiple sclerosis, from Alzheimer's disease to osteoporosis. A trickle of nutritional and dietary research has turned into a flood. Alternative and complementary medicine has blossomed in recent years, and the number of visits to holistic practitioners now exceeds that to physicians and other medical practitioners. In recognition of the importance of a more integrated approach, two-thirds of medical schools in the United States are now offering courses on alternative and complementary medicine, including nutrition. The Journal of the American Medical Association recently published an article recommending that all medical students be acquainted with holistic approaches, especially macrobiotics.

The macrobiotic approach to healing is based on the view that health and happiness result from living in harmony with nature, while sickness and unhappiness mirror a disharmony or imbalance between the internal and external worlds. The way back to health is to understand natural order and harmonize with it, beginning with our daily way of eating. The chronic intake of extreme foods and beverages underlies the progressive development of sickness and unhappiness. This process follows a general sequence of seven stages.

Normal Discharge

Normally, the body eliminates excessive nutrients, toxins, and other wastes that come in through food, water, and air through four metabolic processes: (1) respiration, or breathing, which releases carbon dioxide and other gaseous wastes into the atmosphere (accounting for about 70 percent of energy exchange); (2) perspiration, or sweating, which transports sodium, urea, oils, fluids, and other wastes to the surface of the body (accounting for about 20 percent of excreted wastes); (3) urination, which consists primarily of urea, uric acid, and other nitrogenous wastes, sodium chloride, and about 100 other substances suspended in fluid (accounting for about 7 percent of discharge); (4) bowel movement, which consists primarily of cellulose and other undigested food remains, bile pigments, mucus, bacteria, and water (accounting for about 3 percent of waste). Normal discharge also takes place through daily physical activity, including motion, conversation, work, play, dance, song, and other ordinary activities. Mental discharge takes place in the form of waves and vibrations that are released in thought, decision making, wishes, prayers, imagination, and other forms of consciousness. Feelings and emotional expression are also accompanied by the release of metabolic energy.

Sexual activity otters another normal avenue of energy release for both sexes. Women are generally able to exchange energy with the environment more harmoniously than men because they have several additional means of natural discharge. These include (1) menstruation, the elimination of blood and parts of the lining of the uterus about once a month during the childbearing years; (2) childbirth, or having a baby, which is accompanied by the release of accumulated matter and energy; and (3) lactation, or breastfeeding, which releases an array of enzymes, hormones, and other factors in breast milk. As a result, women tend to have a more balanced condition than men, adjust more peacefully to their surroundings, and live longer. To redress this imbalance, men commonly go out into society more frequently than women and engage in more active physical, mental, and social pursuits. In this way, men and women make a balance with the natural environment and each other, creating day-to-day health and happiness. By observing a diet centered on whole grains and cooked vegetables, the traditional human way of eating, people naturally enjoy optimal physical health and vitality, mental clarity, and emotional balance. They will also intuitively begin to develop their spiritual potential and experience the realization of their eternal dream in lite.

Abnormal Discharge

If we overeat occasionally or take in only a small to moderate amount of extreme foods and beverages, they will normally be discharged through one of the mechanisms described above. For example, eating several apples may lead to diarrhea. However, if the amount of excess exceeds the capacity of the body to discharge it naturally, various abnormal methods of discharge arise. These include colds, fever, sinus congestion, coughing, sneezing, excessive sweating, frequent urination, and bowel irregularities. If we eat a banana split or take two or three desserts in a row, we may experience chills, a fever, and swollen tonsils as the body tries to release this excess. Scratching the head, tapping the feet, and rapid blinking of the eyes also represent the release of unbalanced energy, as do irritability, anxiety, timidity, complaining, and other mild feelings of unease and discomfort. From time to time, more extreme symptoms may arise, including shivering, trembling, vomiting, and nausea, as well as crying, shouting, screaming, anger, fear, and other wild, erratic actions and emotions.

Today nearly everyone in the modern world overeats or takes improper food from time to time and experiences physical and mental tiredness or general fatigue, the first stage of imbalance. This is the beginning of sickness and is frequently accompanied by some of the abnormal symptoms listed above, as well as by muscular tension and hardening, short periods of feeling cold or hot, or temporary constipation or diarrhea. Loss of alertness, lack of clarity, forgetfulness, and other mental changes may also begin to take place. To recover balance usually takes several hours to several days. A good night's sleep, proper rest, healthy food, and regular exercise will normally restore equilibrium.

Aches and Pains

If we ignore these initial signs of imbalance and fail to change our diet or way of life, general fatigue will be followed by occasional aches and pains, the second stage of developing sickness. These include muscle pain and tension, headaches, backache, menstrual cramps, abdominal ills, numbness and tingling, and other moderate pains and aches. Sleeping problems, breathing difficulties, heart irregularities, chills and fever, and motion and coordination problems also may start to appear. Worry, general insecurity, and light to moderate feelings of sadness or depression may also arise. To restore balance, several days to several weeks are generally necessary, including a healthy diet, active exercise, and necessary rest.