Macrobiotics in its modern form was first spread throughout the world by the activities of George Ohwasa (1897-1966). He devoted most of his life to this goal. His efforts were a manifestation of his gratitude. He was grateful because after becoming acquainted with this way of thinking at the age of eighteen, he overcame of a number of severe health disorders in several months, including a case of tuberculosis. He called this way of thinking and viewing life, "the Unifying Principle," and its application in daily life, "Macrobiotics." Initially, Ohsawa focused his studies on how the macrobiotic approach worked to combat common health issues. He was very impressed with the effectiveness of the taro potato plaster in treating inflammations, abscesses, and wounds. Next, he confirmed in daily practice the healing properties of ginger compresses, daikon radish drinks, and lotus roots.

He also made use of acupuncture. During this period he gradually discovered the fundamental influence of our dietary habits on the development of our human capacity to behave; that is, to understand, rationalize, make decisions, and act upon those decisions. He reasoned that the behavioral problems of humankind are due to a distorted development based on an imbalanced diet. It seemed to him that it was not only the general population who suffered from this condition, but specifically its political, religious, and educational leaders. He devoted the rest of his life to spreading this macrobiotic view and way of living with the hope of establishing a complete biological and physiological rebirth of mankind, whose physical, mental, and spiritual health he saw as gradually declining. He believed that the reestablishment of a sane capacity for judgment through biological restoration was the only hope for humankind to create world peace. In the last part of his life, Ohsawa changed his focus from healing to prevention. During this period he became more and more interested in researching, experimenting, and teaching about the influence of specific foods on health and disease.

He wrote numerous books about his findings. In this book, the macrobiotic methods and applications are presented in three sections. Part I deals with foods as home remedies, providing an understanding of the use of food as an energy force, and how to apply food energetics. This section also outlines the use of basic food items, seasonings and condiments, and preparations for drinks to be used as home remedies and their use in treating specific organs. It also describes the uses of traditional Asian herbal and mineral medicine to restore health. Part II of the book provides various macrobiotic external home remedies along with an explanation for preparation and application. Part III presents an A-to-Z listing of health conditions, their symptoms, and their macrobiotic treatment. The preparations and techniques described in this book are mainly examples of macrobiotic home care or remedies, as Ohsawa rediscovered them in the beginning of the twentieth century.

We call them macrobiotic for several reasons: · They are efficient. · They are relatively inexpensive; neither the individual nor the state will become bankrupt by their use. · They do not produce undesirable side effects, unless they are prepared or applied incorrectly or for the wrong reason. · Their production, preparation, and application do not harm our environ­ment. · They are easy to prepare and to apply. They do not demand a large medi­cal or paramedical staff. · They bring medicine back within the reach of the family. · They are based on yin-yang or dynamic, complementary thinking.

Although these methods of dealing with problems are often more or less symp­tomatic, we have tried to describe them in enough detailto make them accessible to every­one. · Many of the described methods will only be effective if you have also chang­ed your way of eating. However some of these methods, such as a ginger compress, are so powerful that anyone can be helped by them, although only temporarily. Experiencing the effectiveness of a treatment which is radically different from conventional medicine can create a turning point in your thinking. · Applying these methods can strengthen all macrobiotic students'' interest and trust in the macrobiotic way of healing. They make it seem more and more obvious that an expensive and technically complicated medicine is unnecessary in most cases. · If you eat macrobiotically, you will not usually need such symptomatic treatments. Your daily way of eating will ensure the smooth and gradual elimination of toxins and excesses.

However, it is not always possible to eat so well! Instead of waiting for the body to clean itself gradually, we can speed up or sustain this process by applying one of the topical methods. · It is especially useful to apply these methods when you have just started to eat macrobiotically, as the body''s eliminatory processes are more active at this time. · Sometimes we really need symptomatic treatments. Even when one eats macrobiotically, natural eliminatory processes can be troublesome. --They can sometimes be very painful, such as the process of discharging kidney stones. --They can sometimes be excessive and exhausting, such as a heavy diarrhea arising after taking some harmful food. --They can sometimes be dangerous, such as a high fever. In order to make these changes more tolerable, and to let them happen in a more controlled way, the macrobiotic home remedies are important.

This book only explains a portion of the preparations and techniques that are used in macrobiotic homecare. There are a number of other very helpful and often necessary ways of dealing macrobiotically with health problems, which are not covered here. We do not, for example, talk about using shiatsu massage, moxibustion, or palm healing in homecare. Also, we do not talk in great detail about the preventive use of the general macrobiotic way of eating. For this we refer you to other macrobiotic publications which are listed in the reference section of this book. It is our hope that the study and application of the methods presented in this book will contribute to the development towards health, freedom, peace and happiness of all who read it and society as a whole.