Foods to Avoid for Better Health

The following foods are generally considered by traditional macrobiotic health theory to be detrimental to good health. These are basic lists only. There may be other foods, not listed here, that would need to minimized or avoided for an individual’s best health. Consulting with an experienced macrobiotic counselor will help you understand what foods to use and not use for your individual condition.

ANIMAL PRODUCTS Beef, Lamb, Pork (ham, bacon, sausage, etc.) Poultry (chicken, turkey, etc.) Wild Game, Eggs

DAIRY FOODS Cheese Butter Milk (buttermilk, skim milk) Yogurt (including soy yogurt) Kefir Ice Cream Cream Sour Cream Whipped Cream All other milk products All foods with milk products in the ingredients All soy dairy substitutes

SEAFOOD Shrimp, lobster, oysters, clams, all other shellfish

PROCESSED FOODS Instant food, canned food, frozen food, refined (white) flour, polished (white) rice, chewing gum, foods processed with chemicals, preservatives, additives, stabilizers, emulsifiers, artificial coloring, sprayed or dyed foods, genetically engineered foods, irradiated foods, boxed, canned and frozen foods

SWEETENERS Sugar (white, raw, brown, turbinado, etc.) artificial sweeteners: Sweet n’ Low, Nutri-Sweet, etc. Sucanat, Stevia, honey, molasses, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, organic evaporated cane juice, cane juice, cane syrup, pineapple concentrate, agave, Rapudra, date sugar, beet sugar, fructose powder, maple syrup, carob syrup, chocolate, carob, sorghum, and all other concentrated or refined simple sugars and sweeteners, natural or artificial.

STIMULANTS Spices (cayenne, peppers, cumin, curry, etc.) salsa, garlic, coffee, chai, black tea, geen tea, commercially dyed teas, stimulating aromatic teas (herb, mint, ginseng, etc.) Instant grain coffee sweetened with date sugar, beet sugar or other refined sweeteners (Pero, Cafix, etc.)

FATS Lard and all animal fats, soy margarine, other margarine, coconut oil, canola oil, palm oil, soybean oil, flax oil, peanut butter, other nut butters, chemically processed vegetable oils, Omega 3 oil capsules and supplements

TROPICAL FRUITS & JUICES Bananas, pineapple, grapefruit, mangoes, oranges, papaya, kiwi, figs, dates, coconut, plantain, all other tropical fruits – unless you live in a tropical area of the world, and in this can  they be included as a compliment to the main foods – whole grains and vegetables

BEVERAGES Soft drinks (colas, diet colas, 7-Up, Sprite, etc.), alcoholic drinks (beer, wine, etc.), fructose-sweetened drinks, Snapple, Sobee, Gatorade, other “sports drinks,” cane juice sweetened drinks such as Ginger Brew, honey sweetened drinks, all iced or cold drinks All drinks with artificial ingredients Herbal teas

FROZEN FOODS Ice cream, sherbet, frozen yogurt, frozen custard, Rice Dream, Tofutti, Soy Dream, Soy Delicious, Coconut Bliss, sorbet, frozen vegetables and fruits, frozen dinners, all other frozen foods

OTHER Texturized soy protein (Loma Linda brand, etc.), power bars, Spirulina, Green Magma with dextrose, blue-green algae, all foods manufactured with dextrose, vitamin and mineral supplements unless prescribed by your doctor, including coral calcium, shark cartilage, protein powders, baked flour products (bread, crackers, chips, cakes, cookies, muffins, tortillas, chapatis, flat bread, etc.), pasta made with white flour, overuse of salty foods and seasonings, cold cereal with milk, soy milk, etc. Vinegar (distilled), apple cider vinegar, Ensure, and other “nutrition drinks,” baking powder, baking soda, yeasted bakery goods.

To learn why foods listed here are to be avoided on a self-healing macrobiotic diet, study with experienced macrobiotic teachers is suggested.

Not all foods listed will need to be avoided by everyone

Guidance from an experienced macrobiotic counselor can help you best learn which foods to specifically avoid for your personal condition.