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

Study Areas in Ohio: Cincinnati-Dayton, Cleveland-Akron

 

Cincinnati-Dayton, OH

Map of Cincinnati-Dayton

Summary and Impressions of the Macrobiotic Community: Cincinnati had an active macrobiotic community during the eighties. It was introduced to the Cincinnati area by Brad Collins and Robin in the early 1980's.  Brenda Clark and Gale Howe started their involvement in the community in the mid 1980's and continued till the early 1990's. Stan Kingman has organized potluck dinners for the past 20 years. Charles Kabenji was also active for a long time, but now focuses only on shiatsu massage. Community activities diminished around 1993-94 when some key players got divorced and others' new spouses did not support their partner's interest in macrobiotics. In mid 2001, the untimely passing's of Judy Paris and Stewart Morrissey, long time macrobiotic practitioners, shocked the community. Some macrobiotic activity remains, but the bonds that held it together for so long have been severed. Ruth and Howard Hughes make an effort to keep the macrobiotic spark alive from their nearby Indiana farm.  
Paid or Potluck Dinners: No dinners. There are monthly potluck lunches at the Hughes farm in Brookville, IN.
Education Centers: None.
Seminars: Annual seminars are held at the Hughes farm on a weekend when people can camp out with their families. 
Newsletter: After 15 years, the newsletter produced by Ruth and Howard Hughes, stopped last year.  
Support Groups: None  
Visiting Counselors and Cooking Teachers: None  
Resident Counselors: None  
Resident Cooking Teachers: Ruth Hughes  
Professional Cooks or Caterers: None  
Work Study Programs: None  
Other Counselor Interests: None  
Promotional Activities: None  
Publications, Books, Cassettes: Some in health food stores.
Web Sites: 9 Star Ki by Wayne Weber http://www.9starki.com/  
Cottage Industries: None  
Macrobiotic Restaurants: There are no macrobiotic restaurants in the area; 7 restaurants have vegan options.  
Natural Food Chain Stores: Wild Oats.
Independent Natural Food Stores: Clifton Natural Foods, Twin Pines Natural Foods, Bilkers, Cincinnati Natural Foods, Country Fresh Farm Markets, Jungle Jim, Healthy Alternatives Natural Foods.
Natural Food Co Ops: None  
Mail Order Buying Clubs: None  
Macrobiotic Community Assessment: Moderate Services: 1 part time cooking teacher.  Dormant Activities: annual seminar only.  Used to be strong community from the early 1980’s to early 1990’s.
Area Description: Cincinnati is a major industrial and commercial center of the Midwest.  It lies on the Ohio River in the southwestern part of the state.  It is one of the most beautiful cities in the nation and was once called the Queen City of the West.  Its metropolitan area population is 1,526,100.
Municipalities with Macrobiotic services or community activities: Carlisle, Cincinnati, Dayton, Fairfield, Oxford, Ohio; Brookville, Indiana  

       

 

Cleveland-Akron, OH

Map of Cleveland Akron

Summary and Impressions of the Macrobiotic Community: The East-West Foundation of Cleveland, established by Robert Carr 25 years ago, is the longest continuously operated macrobiotic center in the country. When Robert left Cleveland to operate a macrobiotic center in Germany, he left the operation of the Cleveland center in the hands of Francois Roland, who kept it going for 5 years till Robert returned. There are three macrobiotic counselors and four certified cooks providing services in the area.  The Center hosts weekly elaborate dinners for 30-40 people, has an excellent web site, and an online newsletter.  Few other communities can boast such extensive macrobiotic services.  Robert's consistently strong leadership has been recognized by macrobiotic practitioners everywhere; nearly every great teacher has lectured at the center over the many years of its existence.  An estimated 5,000 - 10,000 people have been exposed to macrobiotics through cooking lessons, lectures, and consultations in the Greater Cleveland area in the past 15 years.
Paid or Potluck Dinners: Every Wednesday, there is an elaborate macrobiotic buffet at the macrobiotic center, attended by 30-40 people.
Education Centers: There are cooking classes available at the Center, books, shiatsu, and outside lecturers.  Just about every senior macrobiotic teacher has visited the Cleveland center at one time or another in the past: Michio Kushi, Muramoto, Geraldine Walker, Cornelia Aihara, Mary Kett, Diane Avoli, among others.  There was a Kushi Institute extension program for 3 years in Cleveland in the early 1990's, but not anymore.
Seminars: Francois Roland lectures on Basics of Macrobiotics, diet and healing, and other macrobiotic topics.
Newsletter: There is a newsletter published by Robert Carr that is available for a fee over the internet.
Support Groups: Only at the weekly dinners
Visiting Counselors and Cooking Teachers: None  
Resident Counselors: Robert Carr, Francois Roland, Janet Vitt.
Resident Cooking Teachers: Barbara Jurecki (planning to move to Colorado); Francois Roland, Bob Carr, Janet Vitt.
Professional Cooks or Caterers: Janet Vitt does takeouts 3 times a week.
Work Study Programs: None  
Other Counselor Interests: Francois Roland teaches and gives shiatsu treatments, and travels for counseling or teaching, on demand.
Promotional Activities: Internet.
Publications, Books, Cassettes: At the Macrobiotic Center and whole food supermarkets.
Web Sites: Macrobiotics in Cleveland; no information on usage (http://junior.apk.net/~rncjr/); http://mustardseedmarket.com/
Cottage Industries: None  
Macrobiotic Restaurants: A macrobiotic dish may be ordered at A.J. Gross; otherwise, there are no macrobiotic restaurants.  Each Mustard Seed Market restaurant has a macrobiotic special.  11 restaurants advertise vegan options on their menus. 
Natural Food Chain Stores: Wild Oats; 2 stores.
Independent Natural Food Stores: Mustard Seed Market, Nature's Bin West, Weber's, Nature's Bin East, Web of Life, Take a Bite, Feel Rite Health Food Shop, Hobart Health Foods, American Harvest, Marshalls, Caitos, Nature's Goodness, New Earth Natural Foods, Cappabiancas, Seven Grains.
Natural Food Co-Ops: Cleveland Food Co-Op; 2 stores, Kent Natural Foods Co-Op, Akron Cooperative Market  
Mail Order Buying Clubs: None  
Macrobiotic Community Assessment: Abundant Services: 3 counselors & 3 cooking teachers. Abundant Activities: macro center; weekly macro dinner; lectures, newsletter. 
Area Description: Cleveland is the largest metropolitan area in Ohio and one of the leading industrial centers in the country.  It lies on the southeastern shore of Lake Erie, at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River.  Cleveland is a large steel producer, and ranks as a transportation, medical and cultural center of the midwest and a chief port of the Great Lakes.  Its metropolitan area population is 2,202,100.
Municipalities with Macrobiotic services or community activities: Akon, Cleveland, Cleveland Heights,  Kent, Lakewood, Richfield, Sagamore Hills, Woodmere.
Link to Macrobiotic Practitioners who were interviewed in Cleveland-Akron, OH for this project who also earn money by providing Macrobiotic services

 

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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.

   

Macrobiotics Research Project: 

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

15 Medical Park, Suite # 301, Columbia, SC 29203