What is a macrobiotic diet?

A macrobiotic diet entails eating mainly vegetarian foods, such as whole grains, cooked vegetable, legumes and cereals, according to the American Cancer Society. It is a low-fat diet that excludes animal products, sugar and fats. On the macrobiotic diet, people can eat soy products.

On this diet, 40 to 60 percent of each meal must be whole grains, while 20 to 30 percent is made up of vegetables. Up to 10 percent of each meal can be bean products. Some grain products that are recommended are brown rice, rolled oats and pasta. People can have miso soup and moderate amounts of nuts and seeds are allowed. Beverages can include dandelion root and roasted barley tea.

The macrobiotic diet is supposed be a holistic approach to eating for optimal health. The macrobiotic philosophy and diet is credited to George Ohsawa. However, his diet was too restrictive and is no longer used. Michio Kushi, a follower of Ohsawa, expanded on Ohsawa's theories. Although there are claims that this diet can help to prevent disease, there are no clinical studies that show evidence for this claim, according to the American Cancer Society.