"Let food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be food."-HippocratesDuring the last half century, macrobiotics has been in the forefront of the health and diet revolution, serving as the catalyst for many of the dietary and lifestyle changes now circling the globe. Macrobiotics has introduced modern societies to organically grown whole foods and naturally processed foods, including brown rice, whole wheat, and other whole grains; miso, tofu, tempeh, and other tradi-tional soy products; a cornucopia of fresh garden vegetables; wakame, kombu, and other sea vegetables; and a variety of high-quality seasonings, condiments, and sugar- and dairy-free desserts and snacks. Macrobiotics has also popularized holistic health, self-healing, and alternative and complementary methods that are now embraced by millions of people and by the medical profession. "Macrobiotics" comes from makrobios, the Greek term for "Long Life" and "Great Life." Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, coined the word, and in the modern era it has been developed by Michio and Aveline Kushi and other educa-tors in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. By creating our minds and bodies from whole natural foods in a spirit of thank-fulness, we can contribute to personal health, social well being, and planetary health and peace. The benefits of a macrobiotic diet are widely recognized today, as the more than 100 scientific and medical studies and other accounts in this guide show.