Macrobiotic Research Project

MACROBIOTICS IN THE UNITED STATES: An Assessment of Services and Activities

Study Areas in Michigan: Detroit

Detroit, MI

Summary and Impressions of the Macrobiotic Community: Bonnie Breidenbach started macrobiotics in the 1980's. Detroit never developed a strong foundation of community support like that found in Philadelphia, Boston or New York. There are a wide variety of macrobiotic resources and services available to its residents, including counselors, cooking teachers and whole food supermarkets. On the other hand, there are no structured community activities presently and there is no community newsletter. Nevertheless, anyone seeking to follow a macrobiotic lifestyle could have their needs satisfied.

Paid or Potluck Dinners: No dinners or potlucks.

Education Centers: None

Seminars: None.

Newsletter: None.

Support Groups: Rose Parker is trying to develop a support group.

Visiting Counselors and Cooking Teachers: Ed Esko lectures every 4 - 5 months.

Resident Counselors: Rose Parker, Bonnie Breidenbach

Resident Cooking Teachers: Valerie Wilson

Professional Cooks or Caterers: Lenore Baum.

Work Study Programs: None.

Other Counselor Interests: Rose works full time for the City of Detroit, Buildings Department.

Promotional Activities: None

Publications, Books, Cassettes: At local health food stores

Web Sites: http://lenoresnatural.com/; http://edenfoods.com/

Cottage Industries: None.

Macrobiotic Restaurants: Cosmic Café advertises macrobiotic dishes; there are 13 other restaurants with vegan dishes in Detroit, a relatively low number in such a large metropolis.

Natural Food Chain Stores: Whole Foods.

Independent Natural Food Stores: Vic's World Class Market, Health Foods of Rochester, Hiller's Markets, Better Health Store, Natural Food Patch, Sprout House, Arbor Farms, Zerbo's, JP's Health Food, Good Foods West, Busch's, Main Party Store, Fertile Crescent Market, Healthy Solutions, Better Health, Betty's Natural Food Co, Rainbow Health Foods, Holiday Market, Healy's Health Nut, Good n' Plenty.

Natural Food Co-Ops: Hartlands Nutrition Connection Co-Op, Cass Corridor Food Co-Op, People's Food Co-Op, Ypsillanti Food Co-Op, Good Food Co-Op East.

Mail Order Buying Clubs: Julie Ferre organizes a buying group purchasing at "Mountain People's Warehouse" in None.

Macrobiotic Community Assessment: Moderate Services: 2 part time counselors & 1 part time cook. Macro services started in 1980’s but community didn’t develop. Dormant Activities: no organized activity; only one café with macro plate.

Area Description: Detroit is one of the world's greatest industrial centers. It is often called the Automobile Capital of the World. It is Michigan's largest city and the nation's seventh largest. Its metropolitan area population is 4,266,700.

Municipalities with Macrobiotic services or community activities: Ann Arbor, Birmingham, Brighton, Canton, Clarkston, Dearborn Heights, Detroit, Farmington Hills, Garden City, Grosse Point, Livonia, Redford, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak, St Clair Shores, Southgate, Taylor, Troy, West Bloomfield.

Link to Macrobiotic Practitioners who were interviewed in Detroit, MI for this project who also earn money by providing Macrobiotic services

This work was supported by Grant/Cooperative Agreement Number U48/CCU409664-09 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A 2-year grant sponsored by Centers of Disease Control; October 2000 to September 2002

University of South Carolina, Prevention Research Center-Special Interest Project, School of Public Health