Lately I have been researching and writing a lot about different healthful diets. Now I know you are saying to yourself, where are these wonderful little jems? Well they would be either A) in front of my instructor for my holistic health class or B) an article for a client that will appear where ever they pick for it to appear.

But this is a subject very near and dear to my heart. No I am not a tree hugger, but I do firmly beleive that we need to pay closer attention to green. We are also what we eat. Beleive it or not!

One such diet that intriques me is the macrobiotic diet.

Macrobiotic basically means long life in Greek. This diet is based upon eating grains as a main source of dietary nutrition and supplementing with other nutritious foods such as vegetables, beans, fermented soy, nuts, seaweed, fish, and fruits. The macrobiotic diet discourages refined sugars and processed foods, encouraging instead unprocessed or “whole” foods. Macrobiotic eaters also strive to eat the freshest foods they can find and for this reason they also choose to eat local foods that are grown close to their homes. For this reason they also eat very seasonally.

This diet also emphasizes the need for balance with some foods being labeled either yin or yang. No foods are forbidden as long as the proper balance is maintained. Yin foods would include refined sugars, alcohol, coffee, and dairy. Yang foods are most commonly meat products, eggs, and fish. Whole grains, vegetables, beans, nuts, seaweed and the like are all balancing foods.

While I am unsure as to the yin and yang theroy I would really like to look into this. I can not commit to a vegetarian diet. Sorry guys I am a meat and potato type girl. And a lot of green diets exclude coffee (gasp! How can this be?)

One diet that is really emphasized in class is the raw food diets. I get the premisses for this.

The living foods or raw foods diet generally includes vegetarian/vegan foods but goes a step beyond and also eliminates cooked and processed foods. Raw diet enthusiasts believe that living foods have life giving enzymes that are destroyed during processing and cooking, rendering those foods toxic. They feel it is best to eat them raw. Their diet consists mainly of uncooked and unprocessed grains, vegetables, nuts, sprouts, fresh and dried fruits, seeds, beans, and seaweed. Raw diets also usually include a lot fresh juices and water.

Those who follow raw foods diets believe that this way of eating reduces risk for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes and greatly improves their energy levels, skin appearance, digestive processes, and weight loss efforts.

The point here is take a look at all the diets. While the macrobiotic one sounds very intrique to me, and the raw food is indeed very healthy, I have to tell you the inner me is screaming, “I don’t like my steak rare!” The trained nutrionist in me is saying, “You eat way to much red meat and processed food as is.”

Find your balance. No one out there is saying you have to do one or the other. A combination of one or all is good for you. Excess is what is bad. Refined sugar and caffeine is bad for you. I am the first to admit that, but in moderation you can enjoy these.

Moderation and coffee, I don’t believe I typed those two words in the same paragraph. I must be nuts??? Oh yeah and those are good for you too!