MY JOURNEY

I was first introduced to macrobiotics in 1982 when my sister Melanie fell in love with a man who had been following a macrobiotic lifestyle for several years. Melanie went to macrobiotic courses at the Community Health Foundation in London and became a fully-fledged macrobiotic zealot. We used to argue passionately about the philosophy behind macrobiotics but I had to admit the foods were giving her more energy and her skin a radiant healthy appearance.

I had grown up with the feeling that my heart could be stronger, I had occasionally suffered palpitations and experienced pains in my chest. I had read enough to know that my current diet was far from ideal. Surprisingly for my age, twenty at the time, I experienced several acute attacks of gout. Melanie persuaded me to try a macrobiotic diet for three months. If I did not feel better she would stop nagging me. I accepted her macrobiotic challenge and learnt how to cook the foods. At first the food was pleasant but a bit bland. I missed my sugary foods, breads and deserts. However as time went by my enjoyment of my new macrobiotic foods increased and any longings for my old diet weakened. Within six weeks I noticed a gradual improvement in my health.

I was surprised to find my digestion and bowel movements greatly improved even though I was not aware of any problems before. My energy levels increased and where there used to be a heavy feeling, sometimes accompanied by a mild headache I now felt lighter and freer. It was as though a great weight holding me back was lifted. By the third month I had no re-occurrence of the gout and I felt more secure about my heart.

Naturally I continued with my macrobiotic diet and went to more classes, learning more about the ideas behind macrobiotic thinking. Melanie had now married a well know macrobiotic teacher and counsellor called Denny Waxman. He asked me to join him in running a macrobiotic centre in Philadelphia in 1984. I move to America and immersed myself in a complete macrobiotic lifestyle, running courses, helping Denny with his counselling and of course continuing to eat macrobiotic foods.

There was strong macrobiotic community in Philadelphia and I met many people who had recovered from all kinds of illnesses - arthritis, cancer, diabetes, asthma, eczema, migraines, ovarian cysts, heart disease, digestive disorders. I was able to see first hand the amazing healing powers the macrobiotic diet had. People who had been given a death sentence after the diagnosis of terminal cancer had managed to reverse the condition.

Despite some cynicism about the concepts surrounding macrobiotics I was still experiencing significant improvements in my health and witnessing the extraordinary range of benefits other people enjoyed. During this time I was able to study with Michio Kushi, generally recognised as the main authority on macrobiotics. His lectures were always a revelation, I came out feeling my mind had been stretched and expanded in ways I did not think possible.

I also used to assist him with his consultations where I could see first hand how he would design a specific macrobiotic diet for each person. These were heady time in macrobiotics, full classes, people queuing to get a personalised macrobiotic diet from counsellors and large macrobiotic communities. I also enjoyed many macrobiotic cooking classes with Michio's wife Aveline and twice a week helped cook macrobiotic meals for the ninety or so people that came to the centre for macrobiotic dinners. For those two years in America all I did was study, work and talk macrobiotics.

In 1986 I was invited back to London to run the Community Health Foundation, Europe's largest natural health centre at the time with a macrobiotic clinic, teaching rooms, cooking school, foods shop, bookshop and restaurant. Here you could learn anything from tai chi to acupuncture. I was able to continue my connection with Denny Waxman, Shizuko Yamamoto and the Kushis as they became regular special macrobiotic teachers and counsellors in London.

In London I started my own macrobiotic counselling practice and taught on macrobiotic courses. The culmination of this phase was writing a book with Doctor Hugh Faulkner, 'Against All Odds' charting his recovery from pancreatic cancer. He was given three months to live but through macrobiotics enjoyed another seven years of good health, eventually dying in his mid eighties.

Since 1993 I have continued to live a macrobiotic lifestyle bringing up four boys and helping others start their macrobiotic journeys. I was fortunate to be able to enjoy a successful career as a feng shui consultant writing many books on the subject. Writing my book Modern Day Macrobiotics takes me back to my roots and in Modern Day Macrobiotics I want to give you the benefit of more than twenty-years experience eating macrobiotically, helping thousands of other people with macrobiotic diets and raising my own family. I leter went on to write Macrobiotics For Life.

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