As we enter the midsummer month of July, the weather does not disappoint, with temperatures in the 90s and high humidity.
One of the best ways to stay cool is to work from the inside out. When you understand the powerful energetic effects of food, you can use it to manage your health and your life. Food energetics is the way food’s properties affect your body after it’s consumed. This takes into account how the food is grown, how it is prepped, how it is cooked, and how you eat it. It is a traditional and holistic framework, different from the modern nutritional science approach. Macrobiotics identifies the energetic aspect of food as yin and yang, describing them as expansive and contractive effects on the body. Similar to Traditional Chinese Medicine, foods may be described as warming, cooling, neutral, etc. In Ayurveda, foods are understood in terms of qualities called doshas and their effects on the body.
All to say that food has power beyond its nutritional capabilities. Food provides the basic nutrients to function, but it can also influence how you feel.
In Macrobiotic lifestyle practice, food is used to promote healing and support physical, mental, and emotional sustainability. There is no single protocol to follow; you work with your body’s signals and make adjustments, from small to large, as needed to reach your desired health goals.
Due to the concentrated nutritional value of macrobiotic food prep, the body receives the essential components it needs to thrive. Due to its awareness and respect for the energetic value in macrobiotic cooking, the food combining and preparation create a whole-body experience of nourishment. People find it more effective and useful for guiding their eating based on the season, digestion, and how they feel. For example, a raw carrot will affect you differently from a steamed or baked carrot. One will cool the body down, another will relax the body, etc. Even the flavors will differ. In our weekly meal service, Mobile Macro Meals Club, we work with seasonal food energetics. Our meals are prepared with locally grown organic produce whenever possible and are prepared to be digestive-friendly and seasonally supportive. All delivered to your front door.
In our monthly seasonal cooking classes, the focus is teaching and demonstrating weather-appropriate dishes. The goal is to learn which organ systems are activated in each season and how best to support your health during seasonal transitions.
This summer’s monthly cooking class is focused on the heart and small intestine. June’s cooking class focused on the heart’s function and how best to support it through food and breathwork (recording available). Sign up Here
On Saturday, July 25, the small intestine will be the priority. We will explore the nutritional, energetic, and emotional roles it plays in relation to the heart. Conditions such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, SIBO, gastroenteritis, ulcers, etc. will be discussed as to cause and cures. Invite a friend and join us for the cooking demonstration and delicious tasting to follow. You will experience healing in every bite.
My best,
Virginia
