Many nutritionists and health care providers express concerns over the macrobiotics diet, particularly if it is followed strictly. Extreme macrobiotic eating can be very low in calories, posing a risk for starvation. The diet is also very low in essential vitamins and minerals, including:

• calcium
• iron
• vitamin D
• the B vitamins

Macrobiotic eating follows the principle of balance (called yin and yang in the east). Products that are extreme are not suggested for regular use. No foods are forbidden but better quality natural foods are always suggested.

Foods that are over-stimulating can exhaust the body and mind. These are classified as extreme yin (stimulating) in their effects.

• sugar

• Whole grains -- 50-60% of each meal
Whole grains include brown rice, whole wheat berries, barley, millet, rye, corn, buckwheat, and other whole grains. Rolled oats, noodles, pasta, bread, baked goods, and other flour products can be eaten occasionally.

• Soup -- 1 to 2 cups or bowls of soup per day

There appear to be numerous health benefits that the macrobiotic diet can offer. When paired with a healthy fitness routine, the macrobiotic diet can help you to lose excess weight. And, because this diet focuses on foods that are low in saturated fats and high in fiber, it can also help you to lower your risk of:

• heart disease
• high cholesterol

The macrobiotic diet and philosophy were developed by a Japanese educator named George Ohsawa, who believed that simplicity was the key to optimal health. Michio Kushi expanded on Ohsawa's macrobiotic theory and opened the Kushi Institute in Boston in 1978. Together with his wife Aveline, Kushi published many books on macrobiotics and was responsible for popularizing the diet in North America.