53 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Intriguing, but is it for real?, May 14, 2005
This review is from: You Are All Sanpaku (Paperback)
This was an interesting read. This book was read by many of my friends back in the sixties who went on to adopt a macrobiotic diet and stuck with it all these years. After reading this book recently I was sufficiently inspired to try Ohsawa's ten day brown rice fast. My main motive was curiosity about Ohsawa's claims for a rapid increase in physical well-being, as well as for the promise of a remarkable sense of mental clarity by the end of ten days. I was also excited about the promise of rapid weight loss which is claimed by many who have done this fast. The first part of the book also includes an extended testimonial by the translator in support of Ohsawa's beliefs.
So, having just completed the ten day fast, which consists of consuming only brown rice and bancha tea, I will tell you first the good news. First I should mention that I am in my fifties, in good health, and would like to lose about twenty pounds. My normal diet is omnivorous although I try to avoid too many processed foods. I really didn't have any problem with the ten day fast since I happen to like brown rice although eating it exclusively gets to be old after a few days. I didn't experience any of the withdrawal symptoms described by some, including the translator, perhaps because I normally drink decaf coffee.
So, on the positive side, I was surprised that I didn't experience any of the cravings for sweets or salty, fatty foods that I've typically experienced on other diets. In my mind this seems to support Ohsawa's belief that brown rice is a balanced food that in itself contains the optimal proportions of most nutrients. (I should mention that I did continue to take a multivitamin daily). I think it was this absence of cravings that made the fast relatively easy for me.
Contrary to claims, however, I actually gained weight! Not much, just a pound or so, but I certainly didn't lose any. I think this is probably due to the fact that two cups of plain cooked brown rice has close to 500 calories. When you eat this three times a day you can do the math and see that for someone trying to lose weight this is probably too many calories. Unfortunately, when it comes to weight loss, it's still just calories in and calories out. No magic here. I will say, though, that my macrobiotic friends are, for the most part, skinny! I think this is because the regular macrobiotic diet (not the fast) is very low in fat (Ohsawa says no more than two tablespoons of oil per day), and includes lots of green vegetables which have a lot of bulk and practically no calories.
I also didn't experience any of the "highs" in my physical or mental state reported by others and claimed by Ohsawa. I just felt normal, nothing unusual. I didn't experience any extra energy, any unusual mental clarity, nor anything else out of the ordinary for me. I guess I was a little disappointed by that. I'll go out on a limb here and say that I've noticed that for my macrobiotic friends this diet has somewhat the character of a religion. Perhaps people predisposed to religious feeling are more likely to have such experiences as are claimed by adherents to this diet.
Finally, I'll mention that the people I know who've followed macrobiotic diets for twenty to thirty years have been plagued with the same amount of health problems (maybe a little more) as the average population - allergies, cancer, you name it. It doesn't seem to me that the health claims Ohsawa makes really stand up to scrutiny. On the other hand, maybe if they hadn't been eating macrobiotic diets they would be even sicker! Who knows? And one more problem (I guess this would be a matter of interpretation) is that people who eat this diet for a while seem (they claim) to feel sick if they eat something that is not macrobiotic (for example, a cookie or a piece of cheese). Maybe eating a very restricted diet for an extended period reduces the body's ability to adapt to a wide range of foods. Macrobiotic people would claim that they feel sick when eating a piece of cheese because cheese is bad for you. But I think a case could be made for other explanations.
Having said all this, I still think Ohsawa's book is an interesting read. It gives an introduction to the concept of yin and yang that made me want to learn more. I was also intrigued to learn more about the relationship between sodium and potassium that he mentions is somehow central to his ideas, yet he doesn't really explain it. Can anyone out there can explain this or point to further reading on this topic?
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42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best-seller that Introduced Macrobiotics in the '60s, December 18, 1999
This review is from: You Are All Sanpaku (Paperback)
The long, fascinating introduction to this Macrobiotic classic was written by the translator, from French: William Dufty, in 1965. The book was originally published under George Ohsawa's Japanese name, by University Press, and has been reprinted by two publishers. It is by far the most readable introduction to Macrobiotics, and is far more accessible than Ohsawa's ZEN MACROBIOTICS, which appeared in its standard revised edition the same year. Dedicated and addressed to 35 named international celebrities, only a very few of whom are still alive in 1999, this was a prophetic book that remains more vital than ever, as the biological degeneration of humanity has accelerated in the last three and a half decades!
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The brown rice diet will change your life., March 2, 2004
This review is from: You Are All Sanpaku (Paperback)
After working with all the later books on macrobiotic health practices, I was fortunate to find a copy of George (Nyoti) Ohsawa's book "You are all Sanpaku." He convinced me of the need for the 10-day brown rice regime, and I began the fast gladly. (I had been dragging my feet in this area while learning to cook all over again.)
Health versus disease suddenly becomes very clear while turning the pages. If the Standard American Diet - of denatured, processed carbs, meats, and dairy, and foods which have been irridiated, microwaved, and stripped of nutrients - has not ruined your health yet, just wait. Most of us are sanpaku from birth. Once you know what to look for, you will see it in people everywhere. The chapter on sexual health is mind-boggling for all of us who have settled for ill-health.
We must start with physical health. Mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being will follow. We can take the necessary steps if we have the understanding. This book creates the understanding. Find out why we are all sanpaku.
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