By Alex Jack
Summer Conference presenters included (clockwise from the left): Amber Maisano, Danka and Alex Jack, Oliver Cowmeadow, Bill Tara, Dr. Mary Cross, Laura Castrodi, and Bob Carr
“What a kick! Am I counting right—a four-hour broadcast from Planetary? And Verne Varona with his trademark Chicken-Lady story, and Michio describing his initial decision to relocate to Earth via the Pleiades!” enthused seasoned macrobiotic practitioner and teacher Mike Chen.
“Such intense vitality,” he continued. “All to go with the heartfelt reminiscences! Who didn’t get to feel like a twenty-year-old again? It was an amazing evening for all those who helped initialize macrobiotics and the Kushi Institute in New York, Massachusetts, and elsewhere to gather live on Zoom for the first time in decades.”
Mike was referring to Planetary Health’s special One Peaceful World Mini-Conference on May 17, held to mark the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Michio Kushi, the acclaimed leader of the international macrobiotic community, who lived from 1926 to 2014. Altogether, about 500 people watched the event live or on video. My wife, Danka, and I moderated the gathering, which opened with a slide presentation on Michio’s life and legacy and continued with tributes from his students, family, and associates.
Those sharing reminiscences included Evan Root, an early manager of Erewhon and Sanae Restaurant in Boston; Sandy Pukel, a natural foods pioneer in Miami and founder of Holistic Holiday at Sea cruises; Jane Stanchich, who trained chefs at the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain; Haruo Kushi, the Kushis’ son and a noted cancer and diet epidemiologist; Robert and Christina Pirello, the manager and star of Christina Cooks on PBS-TV; and longtime counselors and teachers Bill Spear, Bob Carr, Michael Rossoff, and Lynn Chittick.
Gayle Stolove, a thirty-year breast cancer survivor and founder of Wholly Macro food delivery service in Fort Lauderdale, gave a cooking demonstration on how to make tiramisu, Michio’s favorite dessert whenever she prepared food for him during his speaking engagements in South Florida. Rounding out the heartfelt event was teacher and entertainer Verne Varona, who offered his trademark impersonation of Michio, lovingly capturing his clipped Japanese accent and amusing expressions and mannerisms.
Macrobiotic Summer Conference
A month later, the One Peaceful World Day celebration was followed by the online Macrobiotic Summer Conference, an annual gathering that moved online after Covid and now attracts participants from around the world. Held over two consecutive weekends, the conference allowed time to breathe between sessions, with fifteen-minute breaks woven into the program.
I opened the event with a slide show presentation, “The Hidden Causes of Digestive Issues and Weight Gain.” One of the biggest contributors to these modern epidemics is soft drinks, especially since the introduction of HFCS, or high-fructose corn syrup, as the main sweetener over the last generation. HFCS is not metabolized like cane sugar. Following a spike in blood sugar, it bypasses the insulin response and suppresses leptin, the hormone that signals satiety. As a result, people keep on eating—the holy grail of the processed food industry. Anti-depressants are another major factor, causing many otherwise slender people to gain enormous weight.
Yet beyond UPFs (ultra processed foods) and SSRIs (psychiatric medications), other largely unrecognized forces are also contributing to personal and planetary decline: climate change, the digital environment, and existential anxiety. Climate change raises internal temperatures, interferes with fat metabolism, disrupts digestion, and contributes to weight gain. Exposure to screens—computers, tablets, and smartphones—now averages six to seven hours a day for people worldwide. The light and radiation from these devices disturb fat metabolism, blood circulation, sleep, and other natural rhythms, contributing to weight gain, irregular eating habits, and declining fertility.
Finally, forever wars, doomscrolling, and the inner chyron of personal, family, and national crises that runs through our heads have led to a crisis of faith and anxiety not seen since the height of the Cold War. “The weight of the world,” as I put it, has translated into widespread digestive problems, bingeing, and weight gain.
Staying healthy was the central thread running through many other lectures and presentations. Mary Cross, a dentist in Canada who practices macrobiotics, spoke on how to remineralize the teeth through wise food selection, preventive hygiene, and managing “grazing,” or snacking between meals. In the Q&A session after her talk, she fielded many questions about common dental procedures and explained why she does not recommend implants.
François Roland, founder of the Macrobiotic Center of Cleveland, gave a master class on “Staying Strong and Vital Through the Later Years.” He focused on preserving Jing, the essence of vitality in Far Eastern medicine, and strengthening the kidneys, the organ in which it is stored and which governs longevity. He explained the traditional saying that “blood is the mother of Chi, and Chi is the commander of the blood,” and described the eight traditional types of Chi, or Ki, energy. His presentation was so simple and yet so profound that participants spontaneously asked us to invite him back, and Danka and I readily agreed.
Bill Tara, co-founder of the Human Ecology Project, spoke on “Macro and Micro: How the Human Microbiome Reflects Our Relationship with Nature.” Defining health as “homeostasis with the environment,” he observed that, for the first time, human-made consumer products outweigh the biomass of the planet. Global warming, he noted, mirrors internal inflammation, and our judgment is directly connected with our intestinal, or gut, health. Bill, who also founded MacroVegan with his wife Marlene, ended with an eloquent appeal to avoid all animal food. During his talk, participant Dorcas Gerace wrote in the chat, “If we stand for nothing, we fall for everything!”
Martin Halsey, director of the macrobiotic center in Lake Como, Italy, focused on “Healing the Skin Naturally: A Macrobiotic Approach.” He offered a deeper yin-yang understanding of the root causes behind common conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, and fungal infections. He devoted special attention to practical remedies such as skin scrubs and foot soaks that can bring quick relief.
In “Don’t Even Think about Laughing! The Everyday Healing Power of Humor,” Verne Varona explored how laughter can truly be the best medicine. As a young man, he joined Ringling Brothers Circus and attended clown school, where he learned the arts of pantomime. Later, he studied with the Kushis and became a leading macrobiotic teacher, counselor, and author of Macrobiotics for Dummies. In his hilarious talk, he occasionally stepped into Michio’s persona, leaving everyone amused, entertained, and more whole.
Oliver Cowmeadow, director of the Macrobiotic School in Devon, U.K., gave a talk on “Guiding without Forcing: Supporting Loved Ones Toward Health.” Nearly everyone who has benefited from macrobiotics has wanted to share it with relatives, friends, and associates. Too often, however, our enthusiasm lands flat, is ignored, or even makes matters worse. Drawing on his seasoned experience as a counselor and student of the emotions, Oliver perceptively analyzed the art of communicating healing advice without the drama and anguish that so often accompany it.
The most dramatic session of the conference was the Recovery Panel. Three women described how macrobiotics relieved them of years of acute suffering, chronic pain, or life-threatening illness. Miriam Madhummati healed herself from Crohn’s disease, Laura Castoldi recovered from breast cancer, and Marisa Marinelli overcame ulcerative colitis and thyroid cancer. Their stories testified to human will, resilience, and the healing power of food in the face of what had once seemed almost hopeless odds. They reminded the audience how fortunate we are to have discovered macrobiotics. By the end, there was hardly a dry eye in the audience.
It’s Summertime and the Cookin’ Is Easy
Complementing the lectures and panels on diet and health were the cooking classes—the practical, fragrant, hands-on side of the conference. Gayle Stolove followed her memorable tiramisu for Michio with a class on “Summer Tofu Kale Lasagna.” With her companion Hymie, she prepared an exquisite pasta dish. I was especially moved by her description of how she carefully tucked in the curling strips of pasta at the bottom of the pan, even though no one would ever see them. It reminded me of Aveline Kushi’s advice to speak, perform, or cook for the kami, the nature spirits, even if no one comes to your class or can see the result.
Dagmar Lužná prepared “Dumplings and Beyond,” a class on nourishing Czech kitchen favorites. Dumplings are beloved throughout Central Europe, and Danka and I invited Dagmar to share her repertoire with an appreciative international audience. Onetime Kushi Institute kitchen manager and head chef Amber Maisano’s “Summertime and the Cookin’ Is Easy” featured Dandelion and Green Apple Salad with Almond Dill Dressing, Anytime Fruit Compote, and The Best Quinoa Salad. The latter truly lived up to its name, according to participant Patricia Giuliano Lansky, who prepared it the night before using the recipes distributed in advance so participants could cook along with the teacher.
Laura Castoldi’s “Gluten-Free and Truly Delicious” class on natural sweets was acclaimed both by those with gluten intolerance and those without. Danka, who still struggles with eating gluten, was thrilled with Laura’s Buckwheat Crêpes with Cannellini Bean and Hazelnut Filling, Carob and Walnut Muffins with Creamy Almond and Shiro Miso Topping, Sweet Cornbread, and Cookies with Dried Plums and Nuts. I know those who still enjoy whole wheat, me included, will, too!
Virginia Harper’s “Summertime Cooking: Light, Cooling, and Digestive Friendly” featured Avocado and Black Bean Salad, Cheesy Tofu Casserole, and Chia Pudding. During the Recovery Panel, both Miriam and Marisa credited Virginia with helping them to recover their health. After healing her own Crohn’s disease and Hashimoto’s thirty years ago, Virginia went on to become a leading counselor worldwide for digestive disorders. She brings the same artistry and skill to the kitchen, and watching her cook reminded me of the magic of Aveline Kushi and Lima Ohsawa.
Mieke Vervecken, director of a macrobiotic cooking school in Belgium, shared a refreshing selection of dishes inspired by the cuisines of Flanders, Vietnam, and India. In her own international travels, Mieke has gathered an extraordinary repertoire of special dishes, sauces, and desserts. Her class included Buckwheat Summer Salad, Apple Beignets, Wakame Salad with Daikon, Orange, and Sesame, and Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Dressing.
Yoga live from New Delhi with Manjari Agrawala offered another refreshing, practical dimension to the conference. Over two sessions, Manjari guided participants through simple breathing, stretching, and humming exercises while seated. The sessions were gentle and relaxing, a perfect antidote to the more formal lectures and cooking classes.
Open Discussions at mealtime with moderators Donna Clifford and Mark Leonas gave participants further opportunities to speak, connect, and learn from one another. Subjects ranged from how to source new natural foods and products to sharing home remedies. In one of these sessions, Cynthia Vann, author of Humanity at a Wireless Crossroads, reported on her recent trip to the ER following excruciating appendix pain. She underwent surgery and survived, but she also described a harrowing, almost epic encounter with EMFs in the hospital, which set her heart racing up to 200 beats per minute. She had to plead with doctors and nurses to be moved away from monitoring equipment that was triggering her sensitivity to artificial electromagnetic radiation.
Onward and Upward
Bob Carr received the annual Michio Kushi Peace Prize on the final afternoon of the conference. The award is given each year for outstanding lifetime contribution to health, peace, and sustainability. Past recipients at this year’s conference included Virginia Harper and Jane Stanchich, who helped moderate the Recovery Panel.
Bob recounted how he came to macrobiotics after graduating from Brown University and working briefly for an advertising company in Manhattan. He went on to found the East West Center in Cleveland and the Kushi Institute of Germany and taught and cooked at French Meadows Summer Camp for many years. For the last decade, he has lived in the Czech Republic, where he directs Wonder Full Life Centrum, a few hours from Prague. Last autumn he celebrated his eightieth birthday and still raises his 10-year-old son and works his fields daily, combining organic, natural, biodynamic, and Anastasian techniques. His good humor, modesty, and deep understanding of yin and yang make him a compelling example of macrobios—the Great or Wonderful Life.
The annual Auction for macrobiotic education followed. An assortment of offerings—from counseling and cooking sessions to books, 9 Star Ki readings, and natural foods gift certificates—were opened for bid. Several thousand dollars were raised to help defray streaming technology costs, scholarships, book donations to prisons and hospitals, and other expenses.
Despite record summer heat around the world—including the highest temperature ever recorded in the Czech Republic—and some technical streaming problems, the Summer Conference was a great success. “The event brought together a community of health-conscious individuals focused on personal development, practical skills, and elevating their daily habits into a deeper spiritual lifestyle,” as one participant reflected. “I gained new motivation to take better care of myself, my family and the planet.” “It helps me to stay on course with what I have forgotten to remember!” another quipped. And in a world where time itself is rapidly accelerating, observed a third, “It was a wonderful reminder of how beneficial macrobiotic principles and cooking can be to one’s health when applied!”
Video Recording of the celebration of Michio Kushi’s 100th birthday anniversary, including a pdf of Gayle Stolove’s Tiramisu recipe, are available for a donation to Planetary Health.
Donate and get it here.
For more information or to purchase video recordings of the 2026 Macrobiotic Summer Conference (including a pdf of all the recipes) go to: Online Macrobiotic Summer Conference – Planetary Health
Alex Jack is president of Planetary Health. He lives in Prague with his wife Danka. They host the online Summer and Winter Macrobiotic Conferences, give classes and consultations, and organize other special events.Alex Jack is a macrobiotic teacher, counselor, and president of Planetary Health. His most recent book is Planetary Commonwealth: A New Dawn for Humanity.