Since beginning my macrobiotic journey my life has changed completely, I want to
share my experience with you. Firstly, you may ask ‘what exactly is Macrobiotics’,
I have been asked is this a religion? Mini meals? A yoghurt?! Macrobiotic translated
means ‘macro’ (big) and ‘bios’ (life), so really enjoying a life unrestricted by
any health issues by following a natural way of life eating wholegrains and plant
based foods.
Nine years ago I had no idea what macrobiotics was, I was a busy working Mum in
my mid-thirties, I classed myself as ‘healthy’ compared to others around me, I ate
my five a day veggies and wholemeal bread! But it wasn’t until I met David, my husband,
who at the time was vegan that I knew I was in for a big change in my eating habits
and was really rather resistant! Little did I know at the time how much his influence
would alter my life.
I soon became vegetarian but struggled, I missed meat and would sneak out and buy
a bacon sandwich or have a sudden urge to eat chocolate, not really understanding
my cravings and I didn’t know how to make tasty meat replacement meals.
When I gave birth or our daughter Kerry, my third child, I became really weak. I
developed severe allergies literally overnight. I would wake in the morning to find
my face had blown up like a balloon, my throat and tongue would swell so big I was
unable to talk, this was a terrifying experience, my mouth was full with hundreds
of ulcers and I became extremely depressed. Looking back now, this was my ‘wake-up
call’. I was 35 years old and I needed to make some big changes...
I had always been the sickly one in the family, I was a really lazy child, I hated
sport and exercise from an early age, preferring to sit in front of the TV eating
chocolate and sweets. My blood sugar levels were all over the place causing me to
feel insecure and have low self confidence. Even back in those days I was exempt
from P.E. Classes, I’d have weird allergy outbreaks if I got too hot!
During my later teenage years I developed aching joints, particularly neck and lower
back pain. My parents said they were growing pains, and as time went on this became
worse, my fingers and knees would swell, I felt like a hypochondriac and kept popping
the pills, I accepted my fate, being told arthritis was in the family. The allergies
were getting really bad now, I had even become sensitive to the sun and would get
big watery blisters if my skin was exposed to bright sunlight. My insecurities worsened
and the rollercoaster of emotions led to low self-confidence and panic attacks which
began to rule my life, my body was a prison and I was the prisoner....
After the birth of my second child I had such bad PMT I was forced to visit the
Doctor. I could no longer suffer the monthly torment of depression, sleeplessness,
irritability and anger, my life was a haze and the confusion I faced for 10 days
every month was too much. I must have been hell to live with, my moods were all
over the place, my marriage was falling apart and I couldn’t look after myself,
let alone my young family!
The Doctor prescribed hormone pessaries, I was happy something could be done and
added these to the list of anti-inflammatories, painkillers, antihistamines and
heartburn medicine. Once again I comforted myself with junk food, the pounds were
piling on. I hated myself and found dieting such hard work. When my eldest child
Jack reached the age of 6, he was diagnosed dyslexic he was hyperactive, and had
constant ear infections and poor health. I found looking after him a real challenge!
He loved his food, but especially sweets and was always drawn to the brightly coloured
artificial flavoured chews, that would send him loopy! A friend suggested I seek
the advice of a Kinesiologist she knew, she also specialised in allergy testing
and natural food. Jack was put on a diet of simple food, excluding sugar, dairy
and wheat. He transformed into my little angel! This child who I hadn’t been able
to hold or read a bedtime story to, was now calm and happy, it was a miracle...
the Kinesiologist suggested his Mother could do with looking at her diet to, but
she ignored this advice!
When both my children were school age, I became interested in complementary treatments,
I visited an Iridologist, this is somebody who looks at the iris of your eye and
can tell you what is going on in your body. She was incredibly accurate and this
was this first step in my new life....
I decided to go along to an evening class at the local college on Natural Therapies.
Each week a therapist from the local Natural Therapy Clinic would come and talk
about their therapy. This all made sense to me, I found myself completely comfortable
in the company of these gentle, kind people and each week I wanted to study and
follow up what I had learnt.
My confidence began to grow and I plucked up the courage to enrol on a Anatomy,
Physiology & Massage course, this was to be the foundation of my future training
in Reflexology & Reiki, I also studied Homeopathy, Crystal Healing, Aromatherapy
& Kinesiology, but I still avoided the most healing thing at my fingertips... food!
On reflection I desperately did need to make that change. Then David came into my
life, very quickly he realised I was in trouble and he suggested I began my healing
through food.
David had been interested in healing foods for many years, he was a Pharmacist and
liked to look at things with a more scientific mind. Him and his family became vegan
when his son Jonathan was diagnosed terminally ill with a brain tumour, this helped
his recovery in some amazing ways, but he tragically died from Septicaemia. David
never gave up searching for a natural cure for cancer and to help people faced with
other life threatening diseases.
In the days leading up to our wedding we were cooking together in the kitchen, I
was complaining that the juice from the tomatoes I was slicing were burning the
skin on my hands, David said he was convinced these were having a detrimental effect
on my health. He had remembered reading something about Nightshades causing inflammation
in the body, (Nightshades are the family of vegetables that tomatoes belong to)
he searched out the book which was on Macrobiotics and we took it away with us on
honeymoon!
David wanted us to try the Macrobiotic diet, I agreed but thought this was just
another one of his ‘phases’ and I’d soon be back eating my normal food, but he was
serious! I wasn’t particularly interested and just humoured him! On return to the
UK we had several cooking classes with a Macrobiotic Teacher and began this new
way of eating.
Within just 2 weeks all the joint pain I had suffered for years had disappeared,
I could move my body freely, this really was truly amazing! My allergies subsided
and after a couple of weeks also vanished.. I became interested in life once more,
my moods began to stabilize, gone was my monthly anger & depression and my size
gradually dropped by an incredible 3 stone! My energy levels were off the scale,
my skin sparkled and I looked and felt better than ever.
I really haven’t looked back, I can’t say the early days weren’t tough, there were
all sorts of weird and wonderful items in the kitchen cupboard to learn how to cook,
David encouraged me and each time I saw improvements in my health I was spurred
on. I wanted to know more so we signed up to study at the Kushi Institute of Europe.
The training was excellent, philosophy and cooking classes side by side, we completed
the 4 levels of training, travelling to a from Amsterdam over several years. Cooking
classes are really essential if you want to learn macrobiotics, learning how to
balance your meals correctly in a delicious and dynamic way is so important. Of
course, we are still learning, every day you learn something new about yourself.
I am so grateful to my husband who supported me throughout this journey and we now
share the same dreams.
Our daughter Kerry is now 7 and has eaten this way the majority of her life, this
is ‘normal’ to her, she takes her macrobiotic packed lunch and kukicha tea in a
flask to school every day. She is the most centred child I know, never having had
any medication from the Doctor and is a strong, healthy little girl.
I think everyone should know how ‘freeing’ macrobiotics is, people often think it
must be very restricting not enjoying meals at restaurants, the thing is we are
now very careful about where and when we eat out, but when you feel so fabulous
you really don’t feel restricted at all, quite the opposite, I have never felt more
free in my life. Macrobiotics is not a secret and my hope is that it becomes a common
‘household’ name, in order that others can choose whether they wish to regain their
health and become strong again through this wonderful natural way of life.