Fighting the winter blues is never easy, especially with Eugene’s notoriously gray skies and long winters. There are things people can do, however, to improve their mood and enhance their performance even on the rainiest and gloomiest day. And what better way is there to make you feel happy than by looking rockin’ hot on the outside on those cold,
dismal days? Or even on the warm, sunny ones?
“The Hip Chick’s Guide to Macrobiotics” by Jessica Porter is a solution to fighting the winter blahs all year round. Not only does this book give detailed instructions on how to rid the body and the cabinets of those overly processed foods that can make you feel like crap, but the entire first half is devoted to making over the most important parts of one’s body — the mind and the soul.
Porter uses macrobiotics — a diet regimen used by famous and incredibly fit celebrities such as Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Demi Moore — as both a cleansing of the body and of the mind. She encourages readers with wit and humor to find an inner peace that will bring a new sense of enlightenment and will lighten the waist at the same time.
“One of the things I love about macrobiotics is that there is a food component and a philosophy component — theory and practice tucked side by side on your fork,” Porter writes. “You can start with your brain or with your belly. You may want to jump straight to a de-sludging diet tomorrow or just read some of the philosophy over brown rice and see what happens next.”
Porter seems to know what she’s talking about. She is a macrobiotic chef, cooking instructor, hypnotherapist and even has her own radio show in Portland, Maine. She studied macrobiotics at the Kushi Institute and managed its program for nutritional consulting to the seriously ill. Porter explains what originally sparked her interest and how she got involved with the macrobiotic craze with
language that keeps the reader
interested and inspired.
I had heard of macrobiotics because of the famous clients it serves, but I never was interested enough to find out what it actually entailed. And what I seem to have found is that it is a system that will change almost every aspect of your life — from what you eat to what you wear to ultimately and most importantly how you feel. The foods included in the standard macrobiotic diet are whole grains, a variety of vegetables, beans and bean products, sea vegetables, soups, pickles, desserts, condiments and nonaromatic teas. Items such as highly refined sugars, chemicalized and processed foods, nightshade vegetables (such as potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant), dairy products, eggs and most other animal products are all discouraged and thrown out of daily intakes.
“By practicing macrobiotics,” Porter writes, “you will achieve a radiant mind … By tuning in to the bigger forces, we are freed from former limits; illnesses reverse themselves, unnecessary conflicts disappear and we become peaceful, playful and free.”
Porter also includes more than 80 recipes to get you started on developing a new lifestyle. Crispy Rice Treats, Lasagna, Tofu “Egg” Salad, Tempura and Black-Eyed Pea Croquettes with Mustard Barley Malt Sauce are just a few of the, um, delectable dishes found in “The Hip Chick’s Guide To Macrobiotics.”

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