Wellness Tip 4d Changing Climate:Be holistic! Go on a macrobiotic diet

Natural Foodie: Macrobiotic classes help make healthy food a habit | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram: Silverman describes the macrobiotic diet as such: "Eliminate sugar, dairy and meat. Eat brown rice. And eat a lot of fresh vegetables."

Sounds fairly simple. But for those who follow a macrobiotic lifestyle, it's not just about eating certain things and avoiding others; it's also about seeking out food that has balanced energy.

"It's looking at food not just as carbohydrates and proteins," Silverman said. "It's looking at food as energy."

Using the macrobiotic spectrum of yin and yang, sugar and alcohol are considered extreme yin, and meat and dairy are considered extreme yang. In the middle are cooked whole grains, beans, vegetables, seaweed and fish.

Silverman said well-known macrobiotic teacher Michio Kushi once said to her: "When you eat whole foods, you think holistic. When you eat processed food, you have fragmented thinking."