Journey to discover the Japanese Teas recommended in the macrobiotic diet

What is macrobiotics? is it simply a healthy diet? It is actually much more than that!

It is a way of life that allows us to live in harmony with nature, starting with a healthy, balanced diet, based on organic, seasonal, unprocessed products, without chemicals, preservatives, dyes. Macrobiotics, literally “long life,” was devised in the postwar period by Japanese Georges Ohsawa, who was inspired by ancient Taoist-derived Eastern medicine.

This philosophy divides foods into two categories: Yin and Yang, which correspond to the two cosmic principles. As a result, by selecting appropriate foods, it would be possible to achieve a state of body and mind harmony, thereby improving overall quality of life. Starting from this concept, macrobiotics envisions basing our diet on non-industrially refined grains, possibly grains, seasonal vegetables, a small portion of legumes (one or two tablespoons), seasonal fruits [these, by the way, are exactly the recommendations of the WCRF-World Cancer Research Fund-for a healthy lifestyle].

Seasonality is, therefore, one of the fundamental aspects of creating harmony with nature: we start, in fact, from the assumption that Nature offers us, at the time when we need it, what we need and in the place where we need it; therefore, eating products out of season means introducing into our bodies energies that are not suitable for the period, creating the conditions for generating imbalance and predisposing us to illness. Health, in fact, is nothing but an energetic, dynamic, ever-changing balance. Life itself is a continuous movement of transformation of two energies: that of night and day, dark and light, feminine and masculine, cooling and warming, passive and active. Or, as the Orientals called it: the Yin and Yang, the two forces by which energy manifests and by which we can perceive it.

These two forces can slowly, day by day, be discovered, known, and we can become aware of their qualities through our primary functions: breath (exhalation-inhalation) and heartbeat (diastole-systole).

• Yin (espansive) energy cools and relaxes. If extreme, it cools us, and if that happens, too much cold may weaken our vital energy.
• Yang (contracting) energy warms, activates, gives strength. If extreme, it overheats us and creates excessive contraction, promoting buildup, tension and stiffness.

Foods, therefore, are also classified according to these two energy qualities, from extremely Yin foods (such as sugar, drugs, alcohol, chemistry) to extremely Yang foods (such as salt, cold cuts, eggs, aged cheeses). Therefore, it is advisable to strike a balance and try to consume foods that are positioned in the middle of the two energies such as: unrefined whole grains (such as brown rice, buckwheat, millet, barley, corn, rye, oats), some vegetables, such as carrots, turnips, cabbage, onions, roots, and seaweed. Vegetables should constitute a quarter of the diet, but asparagus, fennel, spinach, eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes and zucchini should be avoided. Meat (with the exception of game, poultry, fish and shellfish), cold cuts, eggs, dairy products, butter and margarine are, however, to be avoided. Also prohibited are: canned or frozen foods, refined flour and rice, foods with additives; sweeteners and saccharin. No chocolate, coffee, vinegar, tropical fruits and juices, soda and alcoholic beverages.

Cooling Teas: Macrobiotic cooling teas

All this also applies to beverages and especially to teas. Let’s find out together what are cooling teas (cooling teas) and useful during this period!

Heat and inflammation in the body, according to traditional Chinese medicine, can cause discomfort in the throat and lungs. Excessive heat can cause dry skin, itchy eyes, and acne. In the worst-case scenario, it can cause coughing with white or yellow phlegm, a runny nose, fever, and even constipation. The good news is that cooling teas can help to cool you down even if you brew a hot cup. The degree to which teas are “cooled” is primarily determined by the amount of oxidation that the leaves have undergone. Green teas are the least oxidized and thus considered the most refreshing. Japanese ones in particular are the best to drink in summer.

The processing of their leaves makes them the freshest teas:

• Sencha
• Benifuuki
• Bancha
• Kukicha

Black teas, in contrast, have undergone more oxidation and are therefore considered “warming.” Between these two types are oolong teas, which are semi-oxidized. In general, therefore, slightly oxidized green teas and oolongs, such as Tie Guan Yin, can be considered as ‘cooling’ drinks and are found to be suitable for people experiencing some type of inflammation. This condition seems to be more prevalent during the summer and it is therefore essential to consume these types of teas to remedy this issue. Dark oolongs (such as Da hong pao) and black teas, on the other hand, are considered “warming”. They are, therefore, useful at times when we have cold feet and hands or, in general, a low energy level.