Macrobiotics, from the Greek "macro" (large, long) and "bios" (life), is a dietary regimen which involves eating grains as a staple food supplemented with other local foodstuffs such as vegetables and beans, and avoiding the use of highly processed or refined foods. Macrobiotics also addresses the manner of eating by recommending against overeating and requiring that food be chewed thoroughly before swallowing.

Madonna reportedly practices three hours of yoga a day, Gwyneth Paltrow swears by a macrobiotic diet consisting of mostly grains and uncooked vegetables and now Hilary Swank says she pops

The macrobiotic diet system is based on the ancient Chinese text ‘The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine’, which was further developed and popularized by George Oshawa, Micho Kushi, and other talented writers.

I was shocked. I ate a macrobiotic diet, as I had for 15 years. Robert and I cooked most of our meals at home, using the best quality ingredients we could find. I had heard…and believed…that I was getting sufficient amounts of this essential nutrient in the fermented foods I ate daily. Boy, was I wrong.

Crazy Sexy Cancer is a documentary about Kris Carr, a young woman who goes on a journey to save her health with alternative medicine and macro-biotic diets after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. The film, shown at a Chicago film festival and recently aired on TLC, follows Kris as she travels the country researching holistic medicines.

GWYNETH Paltrow is to co-host a new Spanish cookery show. The Hollywood actress, who follows a strict macrobiotic diet, has agreed to present the programme with her chef friend Mario Batali.