Macrobiotics

Macrobiotics is a way of eating centered around mostly plant-based, locally sourced whole foods, along with lifestyle practices to promote health and well being. It first became popular in the United States in the 1960's. As a way of eating, relative to a standard American diet, macrobiotics can provide some advantages in terms of health maintenance.

Macrobiotics is also a philosophy and a social movement that trains people in how to diagnose and care for themselves using macrobiotic principles. In 2020, it consists of various training centers working in a loose coalition, with teachers in several countries, including the U.S., England, Portugal, Spain and Italy.

Founder: George Ohsawa (1893-1966)

George Ohsawa (1893-1966), born Nyoichi Sakurazawa in Japan, was the founder of the macrobiotics. He was an effusive, prolific author who wrote about 300 books in Japanese and, while living in France after WWII, about twenty books in French (using pen names Musagendo, Nyoiti or Yukikazu Sakurazawa). Ohsawa was one of several teachers around the same time who began introducing Western audiences to Eastern ideas, but his flamboyant style and extravagant claims, many advanced during the era of maximum hope in the 1970's, cannot all be taken as literal gospel in the current era. Nevertheless, Ohsawa's writings about health, diet, exercise and world peace, are still studied by macrobiotics followers for its useful foundational philosophy.

Second generation teachers

Many of the macrobiotic teachers and counselors now active in the United States trained originally under either Herman Aihara (1920-1998) and his wife Cornelia if on the west coast, or Michio Kushi (1926-2014) his wife Aveline if on the east coast. Both couples benefited from extensive contact with Ohsawa during his lifetime.

Third generation teachers and counselors

As of 2021, contemporary senior counselors in the United States are older and originally trained at a time when macrobiotics became suddenly of more widespread interest during the upheaval of the 1960's. The following list is not complete, but contains important examples.

• Simon Brown - author of Modern Day Macrobiotics and Macrobiotics For Life; macrobiotic consultant and teacher living in London UK as of 2021

• Bob Ligon - acupuncturist, herbalist, author, life-style counselor, life coach, practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine

• Annemarie Colbin - whole foods chef and author

• Edward Esko - macrobiotic educator

• Wendy Esko - macrobiotic chef, author, now employed by Eden Foods

• Carl Ferre - macrobiotics teacher, and editor of the Macrobiotics Today magazine published by the G. O. M. F (George Ohsawa Macrobiotics Foundation)

• Alex Jack - co-author of The One Peaceful World Cookbook: Over 150 Vegan, Macrobiotic Recipes for Vibrant Health and Happiness (2017

• Sachi Kato - co-author of The One Peaceful World Cookbook: Over 150 Vegan, Macrobiotic Recipes for Vibrant Health and Happiness (2017

• Warren Kramer - macrobiotic health counselor

• Christina Pirello - whole food chef, author, macrobiotics teacher, and host of a public television cooking show ("Christina Cooks") featuring plant-based whole foods

• Patrick Riley - macrobiotic health counselor, shiatsu master

• Michael Rossoff - acupuncturist and health educator

• William Speer - macrobiotic health counselor

• Bill Tara - macrobiotic educator

• Jamie Trevena - macrobiotic health coach

• Denny Waxman - macrobiotic health counselor

• Melanie Brown Waxman - Portugal

Fourth generation teachers

• Gina Compella

Training institutes

• George Ohsawa Macrobiotics Foundation, aka GOMF (California) - active

• Kushi Institute (Boston, MA) - established 1978, now defunct

• Natural Gourmet Institute for Health & Culinary Arts - culinary arts school founded by Annebarie Colbin, Ph. D. in 1977, absorbed by Culinary Institute of America in (2018?)

• Strengthening Health Institute (Philadelphia, PA) - active

• The Macrobiotic Association (London, England) - active, provides classes and an accreditation process for macrobiotic health coaches, cooks and consultants

Food Markets, Suppliers and distributions companies

• Eden Foods - Clinton, MI, organic and macrobiotic food packager and distributor

• Essene (Philadelphia, PA)

• Erewhon (Boston, MA)

Food growers, harvesters, and preparers

• Seaweed from Maine
• Blue Moon Acres
• The Bridge (maker of tofu, seitan, amazake)