Bottom of the Macrobiotic Pyramid
The macrobiotic diet follows a food pyramid design, and the foods at the bottom of the pyramid should make up the bulk of your diet. Whole grains are at the very bottom of the pyramid; they are the primary source of energy in the macrobiotic diet. Barley, buckwheat, brown rice, millet, oats, rye and wheat are the primary grains eaten on the macrobiotic diet. Also at the bottom of the pyramid are vegetables and legume products, such as tofu, tempeh, natto and chickpeas. While home-grown vegetables are the most recommended on the macrobiotic diet, you're still following the rules by eating a wide variety of colorful store-bought veggies. Sea salt and other condiments, such as miso, round out the bottom section of the pyramid.
Middle of the Macrobiotic Pyramid
Foods eaten less often populate the middle of the macrobiotic pyramid. These include nuts, seeds, fruit, fish, poultry and natural sweets, such as rice syrup or apple juice. Honey, cane sugar and molasses aren't recommended on the macrobiotic diet. The diet requires fish to be eaten once or twice per week, and recommended fish include carp, shrimp and red snapper. Interestingly, salmon is not included in the macrobiotic diet. Roasted nuts, such as almonds, popcorn, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, are also included in the macrobiotic diet, although cashews, pistachios and macadamia nuts aren't.
Tip of the Macrobiotic Pyramid
At the top of the macrobiotic diet pyramid are dairy foods, red meat, poultry and eggs, which means these foods only have an occasional place in the diet plan. While these foods contain protein, they can also be high in saturated fat, which isn't good for the health of your heart. The macrobiotic diet also suggests strictly limiting your intake of foods like ice cream, chocolate, butter and soda. The diet also restricts the intake of processed and fast foods, and limits alcoholic beverages.
Eating the Macrobiotic Way
In addition to what foods you eat and what foods you skip, the macrobiotic diet provides recommendations regarding how you eat the foods included in the plan. For example, it recommends that you chew each morsel of food at least 50 times before swallowing, which promotes digestion and the absorption of the nutrients in the foods, according to the Kushi Institute Center for Natural Healing. Also, eat only when you're hungry, and make mealtimes a relaxed occasion.
