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Macrobiotic Community of

San Francisco & Peninsula, CA

Community Description
Area Description	San Francisco is one of the world's most interesting cities and a leading center of culture, finance and industry in the United States. Its scenic beauty and mild climate have helped it win a reputation as "America's favorite city." Its metropolitan area population, including the city and Peninsula (San Mateo County) to the south, is 1,373,600.
Municipalities With Macrobiotic Services Or Activities	Burlingame, Menlo Park, Millbrae, Mountain View, Pacifica, Palo Alto, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, San Francisco.
Summary and Impressions of the Community	The San Francisco Peninsula enjoys a very active community. Their weekly dinners, monthly speakers and Peninsula newsletter continue to attract widespread interest month after month, and year after year. Given the accessibility between the Peninsula, East Bay and Marin County to the north of San Francisco, and the experienced counselors and teachers in the whole Bay Area, the macro community is one of the most blessed in the United States. A small macrobiotic center at the home of Paul and Monique Mikis started in San Francisco in 1980 with weekly dinners. Meanwhile a Stanford professor, Eduardo Navas from Guatemala discovered the San Francisco macro group and brought it to Stanford, then started pot luck dinners at St Bedes Church in Menlo Park. When he died, the dinners stopped. Grace Yamamoto resumed activities with San Francisco chef Gary Alinder in 1987. The first dinner was on May 11, 1987, and is still the highlight of the macrobiotic community. Meanwhile the center moved from Menlo Park to Palo Alto where it continues.
Macrobiotic Community Assessment	Moderate Services: No resident counselors (Suzanne Jensen rarely counsels) & 1 resident cooking teacher. Other services available from Marin County and East Bay, so the Bay Area services are abundant. Abundant Activities: Weekly dinners and monthly pot lucks. Newsletter on the internet. Monthly visiting speakers. Macrobiotic Center started in the 1980’s in San Francisco then moved to the Peninsula.

Professional Services
Resident Counselors	Anne Mark; Suzanne Jensen only rarely.
Resident Cooking Teachers	Anne Mark; Suzanne Jensen only rarely.
Visiting Counselors and Cooking Teachers	Verne Varona on March, 2002, Michael Rossoff in April, 2002, Patrick McCarty and Shizuko Yamamoto in May, 2002. Each month another speaker is invited to the weekly dinners.
Professional Cooks or Caterers	Suzanne Jensen, Anne Mark, James Halloway; Gary Alinder cooks the weekly dinner

Interviewed Macrobiotic Practitioners
Susanne Jensen
Length of Macrobiotic Practice	26 Years
Community Functions	Cooking teacher; has counseled in the past but gave it up because she doesn't enjoy it. She normally refers people to other Bay Area counselors. Susanne is responsible for cooking at the summer conference at French Meadows in Oroville, CA.
Macrobiotic Study	Macrobiotic Teacher. Levels I, II and III at the Kushi Institute (KI). Cooked at study houses in Boston, taught with Cary Wolff in Germany, worked with Lauren Spector teaching cooking at the wellness center, studied yoga with Karin Stephans, then moved to the west coast to further study yoga, founded a restaurant for 18 months, began macrobiotic take outs, teaching cooking and making home dinners, catering. At one point she joined a macrobiotic community restaurant with revolving chefs, but it didn't work out. She also worked with the macrobiotic center of Oakland (with Joel Hutchins) doing cooking classes and catering.
Alternative Healing Modes	None
Gerard Lum
Length of Macrobiotic Practice	19 years
Community Functions	Coordinates Monday night dinners for 60 - 80 people (more on holidays), arranges the place, and the monthly speaker. Also, he writes the Peninsula Newsletter published on the internet.
Macrobiotic Study	Self study. Attended French Meadows summer camp 2-3 times.
Alternative Healing Modes	Homeopathic tablets for hay fever
Anne Mark
Length of Macrobiotic Practice	More than 25 years
Community Functions	Offers counseling, cooking classes, and take out meals.
Macrobiotic Study	Studied at the Kushi Institute and is currently studying with David Briscoe. Has attended KI summer camps, French Meadows summer camps, and Health Classics. She has scribed for many of the counselors at the KI summer campus including Michelle Nemer, Lino Stanchich, Diane Avoli, and Michio Kushi. Anne has attended courses and workshops at the KI (Cooking Intensives, Women's Health Weekends, Way to Health, and Home Remedies.)
Alternative Healing Modes	None

Support System
Paid or Potluck Dinners	Weekly Monday dinners; 60 - 80 attend; more on holidays. There are also monthly vegan pot luck dinners that rotate between different people's houses.
Education Centers	None
Seminars	A speaker is brought every month to the weekly dinners.
Newsletter	Peninsula Macrobiotic Community Newsletter on the internet.
Support Groups	At weekly dinners and potlucks.
Work Study Program	None
Publications, Books, Cassettes	At local health food stores
Web Sites	http://earthbeamfoods.com/; http://californiahealthfreedom.org/; http://www.peninsulamacro.org/newsletter.htm/; http://edenfoods.com/

Natural Food Sources
Macrobiotic Restaurants	Real Good Karma and Country Sun Natural Foods Deli serve macrobiotic food; 22 other restaurants with vegan options in addition to Whole Foods, Wild Oats and other whole food supermarkets.
Natural Food Chain Stores	Whole Foods, Real Food Company, Wild Oats, Andronicos
Independent Natural Food Stores	Rainbow Grocery, Alpha 4, Green Earth Natural Foods, Other Avenues Food Store, Earthbeam Natural Foods, Piazzas Fine Foods, Country Sun Natural Foods.
Natural Food Coops	Consumers Co-Op Society of Palo Alto.
Mail Order Buying Clubs	None. No need.
Cottage Industries	None