'You are what you eat'

By Janice Thiessen

thie0017@algonquincollege.com

Macrobiotic foods popular in California and among celebrities can now be found at Algonquin too.

In a nut shell macrobiotic eating focuses on a balanced diet of all food groups limiting dairy and animal based proteins. The central idea of the diet is eating local, seasonal, fresh produce.

Mike Dash is the food and beverages operations manager for Algonquin’s cafeteria. He says that the cafe offers a substantial salad bar, freshly chopped fruits and vegetables, vegetarian main courses and adds that the meat we serve is butchered on site. The cafe he says, “Has been self operating (providing majority of foods on campus) for nearly 35 years and has been supported by the staff and students.” Dash says that, “the fruits and vegetables we offer are chopped up in the morning and don’t sit in pails all day.” Another option at Algonquin is Restaurant International within the Hospitality and Tourism building.

David Keindel is the culinary program coordinator and teaches a few courses at Algonquin. He says that “Restaurant International has always offered a main course vegetarian option with their lunch and dinner and that it always varies because the classes of students who cook change day to day.” The restaurant focuses on providing balanced menus particularly featuring seasonal, local, organic ingredients. “Celebrate and use the local produce. Vary your diet based on the season because the food will be fresher and don’t be afraid of influences from other cultures.” He says that a way to help change up a diet is to “build flavours, use oils and vinegars, varied spices, root vegetables and lentils.” Balancing foods is a major part of macrobiotic eating and provides an interesting mix of flavours.

According to Michio Kushi the author of Macrobiotic Diet, the principles of yin and yang help balance a person’s diet. Yin foods include: tropical fruits, vegetables, spices and refined oils. Yang foods are: eggs, meat, poultry, fish, and cheese. There is also a category called balanced foods that includes: lentils, leafy greens, sea and root vegetables and seeds and nuts. Kushi mentions in his book that, “The modern food system has lost the capacity to sustain human health. We need to reorient our daily way of life including our dietary pattern, physical exercise and lifestyle (...) to harmonize with the natural order.”

Macrobiotic eating, according to Cathy Wong from about.com focuses on grains, soups, vegetables, fruits, lentils and nuts while avoiding or limiting the yang foods mentioned above. “The macrobiotic diet emphasizes foods that tend to be lacking in the North American diet.” Kushi agrees with Wong as he states, “the modern food system has lost the capacity to sustain human health. We need to reorient our daily way of life including our dietary pattern, physical exercise and lifestyle (...) to harmonize with the natural order.”