Customer Reviews

The Hip Chick's Guide to Macrobiotics: A Philosophy for achieving a Radiant Mind and a Fabulous Body

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I had been considering trying macrobiotics for a few years before it became trendy and this book was released. The first books I consulted were by Kushi and incredibly dry; they made it seem too challenging; focusing on foods I could not find and appliances that needed to be bought in order to start. Then I read Jessica Porter's book and it convinced me to take the plunge.

Her writing is accesiible and she includes entertaning anecdotes from her experience with discovering macrobiotic philosophy. Hte personal conversation stlye makes the information easier to remember and apply than other texts. She makes macrobiotics seem posisble for any one, any where they live. I do not live near a thriving organic community, but she supplies a wide range of resources, online stores, helpful web sites and other useful books to help in the transition. Though she was trained at the Kushi Institute, she gives readers knowledge of the full range of approaches that exist.

Did you know that there is a macrobiotic equivalent to Reese's peanut butter cups? She gives the recipes for these, as well as other deserts for special occasions, in addition to the staple dishes that constitute a macrobiotic eating system. I do wish tht the book had more recipes, and found the book "Cook Your Way to the Life You Want" and Cooking Whole Foods" by Christina Pirello excellent complements. They are not necessary additions, but Porter made me eager to read much more about macrobiotics.

Macrobiotics is learning how to balance food to meet your body's nutritional needs, which will vary depending on your daily activities and stress. It tkaes a life time to master, but Porter provides excellent ropes to help you start immediately, if you so wish. She also provides a gradual (her recommended) approach. An excess of sweets, for example, is not recommended as healthy on average, but she give recipes for safer alternatives to combat cravings caused by mass marketing campaigns of the food industry, as you being your journey into macrobiotics.

There were times when I thought the book indulged a little too much into "feel the power of the universe" rhetoric, but the truth of the matter is that what you eat affects not only your health, but also your moods, and an improved diet helps increase your powers of perception, by making you less vitim to illenss and mood fluctuations.

There are some macro books that I have purchased and had to read again and again, because they were so complicated. This one I reread because I enjoy and am inspired by the writing.

I have read many books on macrobiotics, only to toss them to the side in frustration. Macrobiotics always seemed so difficult, so time consuming and restrictive. I could never grasp the meaning of 'yin and yang' regarding food - until now.

Jessica Porter has written a book that is accessible, easy to understand and very witty! I have a much better understanding of the effects that food has on my body - and this gives me the power to make better choices. I am not a full fledged macrobiotic junkie (and may never be) - but at least now I can lean in that direction with confidence, not confusion! Thanks Jessica, for the best intro to macrobiotics that I have ever read!

I've been following a vegan diet since 2002 and lost 200 (yes TWO HUNDRED!!!) pounds doing so. I was interested in macrobiotics, but it seemed so difficult. I finally found a book that made it so easy to understand and so fun to follow. Thank you Ms. Porter!!!!!

To anyone who is interested in following a macro diet, do it! Get this book and follow it. It will be the best decision you ever made!!!

Okay before you all bash me because I didn't love this book, let me state that I was already mostly macrobiotic before reading it -- I'm vegan (other than a couple of tablespoons of milk in the coffee I'm weaning myself off of), my diet consists mostly of whole grains, vegetables, & legumes, I don't eat sugar at all and almost no refined or processed food, and I cook most of what I eat fresh, every day. I'm not reviewing the philosophy or science of macrobiotics, just this book, which I was looking to as just what the title suggests.

The Positives

The book is for the most part well-written and the explanation of macrobiotic philosophy is pretty clear. So far so good. You either agree with the notion of the universe as being composed of the fundamental forces of yin and yang, or you don't, but you can't argue with statements such as "in macrobiotics ______ is seen as yin," or with the idea of creating balance or with a clear statement of activities that increase yin or yang (unless you think she is wrong about what macrobiotics means, but I didn't catch any of that). Porter also sets forth great ideas for helping people achieve balance in a general sense as well as a macrobiotic sense.

The Negatives

There is no substantiation for most of what Porter says and here I'm talking not about the unsubstantiable (carrots are more yang than celery), but about outright statements such as:

1. Dairy food leaves snotty, wet deposits in the lungs (p. 114);
2. Coffee gives you wrinkles (p. 143 -- oh yeah, 1/2 cup a day even? Porter might have just said coffee's a diuretic, but she doesn't, just that it "gives you wrinkles");
3. It's good to snack on 1/2 sheet of nori every day (p. 151, no explanation why);
4. Plopping the kids in front of video is a good idea if it frees you up for an hour a day of cooking (p. 167);
5. More than 15-20 mins. of bathing can leave you weak because after 20 mins. in hot water the body begins to release minerals (p. 178);
6. Microwave cooking is weakening to the blood (p. 179);
7. Spinach and chard generally shouldn't be eaten as they are high in oxalic acid (p. 191 -- this is true, but it's the only reference in the book to oxalic acid, so most people will wonder why it's relevant); and
8. Saturated fat dulls the walls of the vagina (p. 263).

I'm not saying categorically that these points are inaccurate, just that Porter offers not a shred of evidence for these statements, but puts them forth as facts, not just as macrobiotic philosophy. This casts into doubt everything she says, which is a shame.

Porter also gives little more than lip service to the possibility (a reality for most people) that cooking all your food at least every other day isn't feasible, and that most people who work have to eat out a lot. More practical advice would have been helpful.

The Downright Hideous

Gross overuse of the 'word' "desludging". If you're not sick of it by the end of this book, you have a greater tolerance than I do for lazy writing.

Porter would probably say that I'm just too yang, and she may be right, but I'm sure that there are books that could do a better job of convincing me. If scientific accuracy isn't that important to you, and if you think, as Porter does, that Madonna and Gwyneth are the epitome of women who have it all and are living ideal lives, you might enjoy this book. But if you need some actual facts before you chuck meat, cheese, pasta, tomatoes, sugar, alcohol and caffeine out the window entirely, or even before you ditch your version of vegetarianism for the macrobiotic one, look elsewhere. This book is not for you.

My health concerns lead me to investigate macrobiotics, and Amazon lead me to this book. This book provides the reader with a good, basic understanding of the philosophy behind macrobiotics (Yin/Yang), which to me seemed almost esoteric when I started my research. By that I mean I understood what yin and yang meant, but I did not understand how it applied to food or how it would effect my health. This book is different -- it is easy to read, informative, and at times, hilarious. The author puts it all in simple terms, brings it down to earth, makes it real. And she's got a great sense of humor, and openly describes her personal setbacks, like going temporarily back to the "dark side" of greasy pizza. Macrobiotics can be a bit of a challenge at first because there is a LOT of cooking time involved. The author helps the reader be less overwhelmed by providing a list of macrobiotic foods considered "instant" (soups, hummus, etc.) to stock up on when you don't really feel like cooking. She also provides pages of really tasty recipes, some from other macrobiotic pioneers, and some of her own, as she is a chef. Finally, the author provides a solid resource guide for further investigation. I personally find it hard to maintain a macrobiotic diet 100% of the time, but as the author will tell you, most folks on this diet don't follow it 100%. You still get all the benefits with 90% dedication. I'm such a fan of macrobiotics that I'm imposing my enthusiasm on my friends, family, and co-workers, and if they seem interested I tell them about this book.

I was macro quite a few years ago, but had let it fall to the wayside. When I considered taking it up again, I came across this book. I had some reservations, but the reviews were all so positive that I gave it a shot. I'm so glad I did! I read it continually for almost a month! I skipped around reading chapters that interested me at first, but eventually discovered the entire book was well worth poring over. It makes macrobiotics extremely accessible and I love that she writes about her own experiences and failings on the road to becoming macrobiotic. It took off the pressure I was putting on myself to overhaul my life and go "whole hog" all at once. It let me know it's okay to stumble along the way! The recipes are also great, as are the resources in the back of the book. If you're a westerner and considering macrobiotics, give this book a try.

I absolutely loved this book. I have been interested in macrobiotics for over a year and this was the first book I read that made me laugh and excited to try out this way of life. Jessica is a lovely author and makes you feel like you are talking to a friend instead of reading about health via the boring route. I strongly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more or continuing on the microbiotic path.
Cheers to all of our health!

This book makes macrobiotics easy to understand and follow, and it is really is funny at times too!

I think it's great someone wrote a current, real-life application of macrobiotics, because I know some other books can make it seem difficult to do and follow. This takes the pressure off and is a fun read. Recommended for anyone interested in this life and eating philosophy!

This book was a godsend for me. I have been interested in macrobiotics since I first became aware of it through Madonna (cheesy, I know, but Jessica Porter talks about her a lot, too!). At that time, I didn't get the philosophy part of it and wasn't willing to cut out dairy and sugar. Well, now I am and was reluctant to get into macrobiotics because I had found the info on it dry and confusing. That is why I loved this book! It helped me understand macro and I also love that the author is very forgiving. Great book! If you are even remotely interested (especially if you're just "remotely" interested) give this book a chance!

This book is the most readable book I have thus far read about macrobiotics. It could also be called the Hip Chicks Guide to Being a Healthy Vegan except for the fact that the macrobiotic diet does include some fish. To be a vegan one does not have to necessarily follow a healthy diet i.e. there is no limit on eating refined sugar, flour, preservatives, chemical additives, etc. Being a macrobiotic is taking veganism one step further by removing these foods and adding healthful foods such a whole grains and sea vegetables to the diet.
For anyone who wants to learn more about macrobiotics, one should start with this well-written, informative, and humorous book.