Originally published March 2010

It was the craziest thing.  It seemed as if the moment I gave birth I became severely lactose intolerant.  All of my favorites, ice cream, pizza, cheese — seemed to work against me, in a major way.  I did some research and found that interestingly enough, 90 % of black people are lactose intolerant! Some theorize our bodies just aren’t equipped to handle dairy.

Now before you say, “Uh uhhh, I love cheese!” think about your experiences with it.  Do you ever get that bloated feeling after eating it — or joke about being in a food coma after eating a few pieces of your favorite pie? Guess what?  That’s not natural.

Last June I happened upon the book “The Hip Chicks Guide to Macrobiotics“ …and my life was forever changed.

Macrobiotics means – “macro” (large, long) and “bios” (life.)  Essentially long life.  It’s more than a diet, I look at it as a fundamental and spiritual way of looking at food.  The macrobiotic diet involves eating from the earth, grains as a staple food supplemented with other foods like vegetables and beans.  Highly processed or refined foods are avoided.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Jessica Porter,  the author of “The Hip Chicks Guide to Macrobiotics.” She also offers some tips you can use to better your health, life and relationship with food!

Macrobiotic Meal

NewNaturalista: What was the inspiration behind writing the book?

Jessica Porter: I had been practicing macrobiotics for about twelve years and it had done so much for me… kept me healthy, energetic, thin, spiritually connected and happy.  I had also seen it perform some outright miracles in the lives of people with serious health conditions, so there was just a point at which I was sort of brimming over with gratitude and bursting with information I felt compelled to share.  I had never planned to write a book because I’ve never considered myself a writer. But the universe kept knocking on my forehead, saying “write a book, write a book”. It took me a full year to follow the orders and sit down to write, and then another four years before I saw it in a bookstore. My goal was to make the philosophy of macrobiotics–the whole exploration of yin and yang–accessible and funny. I think it’s the most compelling and satisfying aspect of this lifestyle and I rarely saw it handled well in books. Often, people came away confused by the yin/yang stuff and I wanted to remedy that.

NewNaturalista: You describe the physical and emotional changes you experienced once adopting the macrobiotic lifestyle. What are some of the most gratifying changes you experienced?

Jessica Porter: I feel connected to myself. I feel comfortable in my own skin. That’s a pretty big deal these days because, without that, we don’t make good decisions, which make up bigger good decisions. In some ways, it’s the stuff I DON’T experience that illustrates what the macrobiotic lifestyle does for me. I don’t even own a bottle of aspirin. I’ve taken maybe one aspirin in fifteen years. I am not on prescription medication. I don’t live in fear of getting sick, and when I do feel off balance, or get ill, I can make changes in my life that bring me back to center. And they work every time. I don’t worry about my weight, and that is a true blessing.  On a more woo-woo level, my consciousness is really clear. I don’t feel mucky, or fuzzy, and I love that. I feel all my feelings–the good and the challenging. I really, really enjoy the people in my life… they are like gourmet meals to be savored. I love my life!

NewNaturalista: You have some pretty strong opinions about dairy. Describe for our readers why you feel this way?

Jessica Porter: Dairy is a very interesting topic. First of all, most humans don’t tolerate it. It is thought that some Europeans adapted to handle it in times of hardship so they could lean on their cattle herds as a source of food. But hey, I come from Western European decent and I don’t handle it very well, so maybe we didn’t all get that gene! But that’s a good thing. Dairy has some serious issues, even for those who feel they can digest it properly.

First of all, it’s pretty high in saturated fat–a major contributor to heart disease. Second, it contains no fiber, which helps it to sort of stick around in the body, clogging up things. Third, the protein in dairy–called casein–has some serious problems for the human body. Remember, this is baby food for a cow. We don’t continue to nurse at our mother’s breast… and cows get weaned too… so it’s not in nature’s plan for human adults to be drinking cow’s baby milk… so casein is recognized by the human immune system as an attacker; it literally sets off a mild allergic response. Next time you eat cheese, or frozen yogurt, or ice cream, notice if you have a stuffy nose five minutes later!  By eating dairy every day, your immune system is overtaxed from constantly fighting off a perceived allergen.

But more than that, there are studies conducted by T. Colin Campbell (who wrote The China Study) that show that dairy protein (casein) may also be sort of a light switch for turning on cancer. I really recommend your readers get that book–it’s amazing and illuminating.

Finally, dairy is high in estrogen, which contributes to breast cancer. It has also been linked with type 1 diabetes. Is that enough? Oh wait. Even though we tell people to drink their milk to prevent osteoporosis, it actually contributes to the condition (the Dairy Lobby in Washington is VERY strong so there is lots of misinformation). Did you know that countries that don’t drink dairy have the lowest rates of osteoporosis and vice versa?

Finally, these days, most dairy also contains antibiotics and excess hormones given to the cow to make her lactate like crazy. All of that goes into the human who drinks it. Yuck!

All that said, dairy food contains naturally-occurring opiates called casomorphins which are designed to make babies feel wonderful at their mothers’ breasts. So we get very bonded to dairy. Don’t get mad at yourself if, while reading this, you think: I CAN’T GIVE UP MY LATTE!! It’s okay. Those are the casomorphins speaking. If you give up dairy for 4 to 8 weeks, you will feel a real lessening in that addictive pull. After four months, you may look at cheese and feel a mild repulsion. That’s normal. We’re not supposed to be eating the baby food of another species!!

NewNaturalista: Macrobiotics is certainly a change in thinking about food. I look at it as a lifestyle and not a diet. What are 5 macrobiotic principles women can add to their lives right now that would be beneficial.

Jessica Porter:

1. Start eating whole grains. Just add some organic brown rice to your diet. And when that feels normal, try barley, and millet, and quinoa. Whole grains are packed with SO MUCH ENERGY and goodness, you will definitely feel it. As you eat them regularly, they will steer you to make better and better decisions.

2. Examine your relationship to dairy and consider getting off it. Do an experiment and quit for two months. See how you feel. See how you feel when you eat that slice of pizza after a couple of months. THAT will teach you more than anything I could say.

3. Replace white sugar with natural sweeteners. Sugar is like a crazy drug. Addictive. Makes us emotionally imbalanced, among a host of other problems. By switching to rice syrup, maple syrup, agave syrup or even stevia, you are making a big move in the right direction. Your body and mind will thank you.

4. Get outside. Mother Earth is truly our mother. Macrobiotics is about living in harmony with nature. Let if feed you.

5. Practice gratitude. I’m always amazed by what a terrific anti-depressant a simple gratitude list can be. It can literally turn around the chemicals in my mind! Life is short. We’re here right now. Let’s enjoy it.

For more on Porter’s book : hipchicksmacrobiotics.com

By: NewNaturalista

Jeanine Hays

AphroChic founder and interior designer Jeanine Hays grew up in small town Pennsylvania with aspirations of the big city.  ”I spent a lot of my time as a young girl dreaming of living in Philadelphia, and when that dream came true, I found myself so inspired by the special blend of history, art, music and design, that gives the city its unique flavor,” says Hays.  Her love for art, culture and design is certainly evident in her latest venture, “AphroChic Collection” an all organic, sustainable pillow line which launched last year.

AphroChic

AphroChic is based out of San Francisco and all of the pillows and apparel are printed on 100 % Belgian linen, silk and cotton. Even the packaging is made with eco-friendly papers. 90% of the company’s products are made in the Bay area.

NewNaturalista: You have a distinct style and aesthetic.  How would you describe it?

Jeanine Hays: My design aesthetic is a celebration of modern design, culture, sustainability and my love for making home interiors absolutely beautiful.  I’ve always believed that good design is fearless, so I’m always looking to be bold and colorful. My style has its cultural roots in my east coast upbringing, but it’s also very much inspired by California living.  At AphroChic we simply call it “modern soulful style”.

AphroChic

NewNaturalista: Your pillows are made from 100 percent natural Belgian linen and silk.  Why was that important to you?

Hays: My philosophy is that you can’t offer great design without thinking about the environmental impact of what you’re doing. Green is great, and it’s something we’re striving towards at AphroChic, but to begin with, we’ve decided to focus on the larger philosophy of sustainability, which is more accessible to small businesses. Using natural fabrics is critical to that focus, while at the same time allowing us to offer the very best to our customers. Belgian linen and silk are high-end natural materials that wear well, can be cared for easily, and don’t use synthetics that can harm the environment. As our collection grows, we plan to go a step further and use 100% organic fabrics.

NewNaturalista: You began as a blogger.  Tell us what inspired you to branch into interior design.

Hays: I have always had a passion for interior design. After years of blogging about the work of other designers, I thought it was time to lend my voice and aesthetic to the world of home decor. I wanted to develop a collection that not only speaks to my love of modern design, but that celebrates my cultural perspective as a woman of color. While AphroChic pillows can fit into any home or interior, they offer a special significance to people of color who haven’t seen their perspective represented in the design world.

NewNaturalista: Aside from your business philosophy, are you natural in other ways?

Hays: I live in California, so I am spoiled by organic fruits, vegetables, meat, and even wine. There is nothing better than tasting an organic piece of fruit that has not been tampered with, and that is just purely delicious. Once you go organic, you never want to go back.

AphroChic

Ultimately Hays would like to make AphroChic a lifestyle brand offering a unique selection of home decor and apparel which continues to speak to culture, modern design, and sustainable thinking.   That includes pillows, wallpaper, housewares, and upholstered furniture. She says, “In the end, the ultimate goal is to be happy in what I’m doing, and to offer a new vision in the world of design.”  She’s well on her way!

aphrochicshop.com

Shon’s Bio

Shon Gables is just a bright ball of sunshine.  Her smile is infectious and her attitude about life just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  She’s also an inspiration.  With more than 14 years in broadcast journalism, Shon is a reporter/anchor in Dallas, Texas. Prior to her new post, she hosted BLACK ENTERPRISE magazine’s nationally syndicated program “Black Enterprise Business Report.”  Deeply committed to community service, Gables is on the board of Eagle Academy, an all boys public school in the Bronx, New York; she serves on the advisory board of EthiDolls, an Ethnic specialty doll manufacturer; and she is a volunteer mentor for DIVA, a non-profit, faith-based, youth mentorship program.  When she’s not out saving the world, she’s also a supermom to two boys.  Enjoy her daily “Shonicles” – words of inspiration!