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Macrobiotic Community  of

Hartford, CT

 

Hartford, CT Area Macrobiotic Resources-Inner Area

 

 

 

Hartford, CT Area; Outer Communities

 

 

Community Description

Area Description

Hartford is the capital and second largest city of Connecticut.  About 40 insurance companies and their subsidiaries have their headquarters in Hartford, known as the Insurance City.  It is also an important manufacturing center.  Its metropolitan population is 1,157,600.

Municipalities With Macrobiotic Services Or Activities

Farmington, Hartford, Litchfield, Mansfield Center, Middletown, Newington, Southington, Storrs, Torrington, Waterbury, West Hartford, West Simsbury, Wethersfield.

Summary and Impressions of the Community

Greater Hartford is an outstanding macrobiotic community, not only because of the large number of macrobiotic cooking teachers available, also due to the energy and enthusiasm of three people with outstanding leadership qualities--Dr Robert Silverstein, Bonnie Kramer and Wadsworth Fyler.  They are attracting hundreds of people to macrobiotics in their area.  They sponsor senior macrobiotic counselors to speak, conduct one of the most extensive cooking programs found anywhere, and organize macrobiotic dinners, pot luck dinners and other social events. Macrobiotics in the area was started by Bill Spear in 1980 when he opened a center in Middletown, CT. When he left, John Kozinski and Steve LaPenta operated until the early 1990's.  Bonnie Kramer started giving cooking lessons in 1995 in Hartford, and currently acts as the Director of Nutritional Services to the Dr Robert Silverstein's Preventive Medicine Center.  The activity generated by Bonnie, together with Waddy Fyler, has been extraordinary.  The community in Hartford is very dynamic and is expanding all the time.  

Macrobiotic Community Assessment

Healthy Services:  Preventive Health Care Center; 1 counselor & 3 cooking teachers; visiting counselors.   Healthy Activities:  Monthly pot luck (for men), monthly catered dinner; a macro restaurant; lectures.  Macro center started in 1980 and lasted till the early 1990’s.  

 

Professional Services

Resident Counselors

Dr Robert Silverstein  

Resident Cooking Teachers

Bonnie Kramer; Sharon Reed, a certified counselor from the KI and registered nurse; Jane Giorgini  

Visiting Counselors and Cooking Teachers

Ed Esko, John Kozinski.

Professional Cooks or Caterers

Bonnie Kramer  

 

Interviewed Macrobiotic Practitioners

Bonnie Kramer

Length of Macrobiotic Practice

20 Years

Community Functions

Nutritional counselor. Director of education service and macrobiotic counseling for the Preventive Medicine Center of Dr Robert Silverstein in Hartford.  Gives cooking lessons at the center since 1995.  Also, cooks 3 times a week for private people for take outs, and caters a dinner once a month at Wadsworth Fyler's house. Bonnie is also interested in environmental issues and devotes her time working with the state legislature for clean energy and air.

Macrobiotic Study

Way of Health and Level I at the Kushi Institute in Becket, MA.

Alternative Healing Modes

None

 

Support System

Paid or Potluck Dinners

Monthly catered dinners by Bonnie Kramer at Waddy Fyler's house.  These are attended by 18 - 40 people.  Outside speakers are occasionally invited. In addition, there is a monthly pot luck on Sunday afternoon called Male Macro Munchers, attended only by men; about 12 people attend these events.  

Education Centers

Prevention Medicine Center, operated by Dr Robert Silverstein

Seminars

Guest speakers in the past at monthly dinners have included John Kozinski, Alex Jack, Ed Esko and Sue Krieger, among others.

Newsletter

None

Support Groups

At dinners and potlucks.  

Work Study Program

None

Publications, Books, Cassettes

At local health food stores. 

Web Sites

http://www.9starki.com/virginia.htm

http://www.prevmedctr.org/

 

Natural Food Sources

Macrobiotic Restaurants

"It's Only Natural" in Middletown, CT is a macro restaurant; 1 other restaurant with vegan options, in addition to Wild Oats.

Natural Food Chain Stores

Wild Oats. 

Independent Natural Food Stores

Garden of Light, Sprouts, Foodworks, Weshop, L'abondance, Mrs Green's Natural Market, Back to Earth, Good Life, Natural Life Center.

Natural Food Coops

Willimantic Food Co-Op  

Mail Order Buying Clubs

None.

Cottage Industries

The Bridge; traditional foods including amasake, seitan, tofu.