Special bonus lecture with Alex Jack by sign-up by Tuesday December 9 midnight ET:
Your Immune Function and You: A Path to Balance and Prevention
January 10-11, 17-18 | Online on Zoom
Macrobiotic Winter Conference 2026
Connect, be inspired, expand your knowledge
and strengthen your health
How to support your brain, relieve chronic pains and aches,
keep the joints flexible or reverse autism?
How to make dishes simple, yet tasteful and
adjust them to your age and needs?
What foods and cooking techniques can help you
strengthen your digestion, reduce cravings, comfort or satisfy?
This winter conference is designed to uplift, educate, and empower you during the deepest months of winter. This gathering is a rare opportunity to reconnect with yourself, with community, and with the healing wisdom of food. Together, we’ll explore how to nourish the body, calm the mind, and build true resilience at a time of year when we need it most.
Over 4 days of inspiring lectures and hands-on cooking classes, you’ll discover how your body really works and how the choices you make—food, lifestyle, environment, and mindset—shape your long-term health. You’ll learn directly from internationally respected macrobiotic counselors, physicians, chefs, and teachers from the U.S. and Europe, each offering practical tools and deep insights grounded in decades of experience.
From understanding inflammation, joint health, brain function, and autism, to exploring subtle food energetics, cravings, and environmental influences like EMFs, you’ll gain a clearer picture of how conditions develop—and, more importantly, how they can be prevented or improved. Our cooking teachers will guide you through warming, delicious, and healing dishes you can begin making immediately to support vitality through the winter months.
Whether you’re seeking knowledge, inspiration, or a renewed sense of purpose, this conference offers a supportive space to learn, connect, and grow. Join us and walk away with a deeper understanding of your own health—and the tools to protect your well-being for years to come.
From understanding inflammation, joint health, brain function, and autism, to exploring subtle food energetics, cravings, and environmental influences like EMFs, you’ll gain a clearer picture of how conditions develop—and, more importantly, how they can be prevented or improved. Our cooking teachers will guide you through warming, delicious, and healing dishes you can begin making immediately to support vitality through the winter months.
Whether you’re seeking knowledge, inspiration, or a renewed sense of purpose, this conference offers a supportive space to learn, connect, and grow. Join us and walk away with a deeper understanding of your own health—and the tools to protect your well-being for years to come.
What can you look forward to?
Saturday January 10
Saturday January 10
Welcome and basic information on the conference
As autism diagnoses rise worldwide, it becomes increasingly important to look beyond single explanations toward a more integrated view. This presentation explores genetic, environmental, and dietary influences, including Michio Kushi’s macrobiotic classification of 3 major autism types and remarkable recovery stories through natural living. Alex will also discuss a pioneering transformative music therapy that has shown remarkable results in helping to reverse autistic symptoms in children and adults.
Alex Jack is a leading macrobiotic counselor, teacher, author, and international educator. He has co-authored books with Michio Kushi, directed the Kushi Institute, and currently heads Planetary Health. Through his writing, lectures, and conferences, Alex continues to inspire people worldwide to take charge of their health and contribute to a more peaceful, balanced planet.
A peaceful, rejuvenating pause to savor your meal and recharge.
Open discussions with Donna Clifford, R.N., a macrobiotic nurse and author of Act Like Rice and Mark Leonas, a long-term macrobiotic practitioner.
Most diseases don’t arise by chance—they develop from a set of everyday habits that either support health or undermine it.
In this eye‑opening lecture, we will explore the Five Basic Activities that influence nearly every chronic condition: breathing, drinking, eating, exercising, and managing expectations. When these patterns lean in the wrong direction, disease becomes predictable; when corrected, prevention becomes powerful.
Using clear, comparative physiology, you’ll discover why some cultures remain free from certain illnesses while others struggle with them—and what this means for your own health. The session concludes with a set of Wellness Protecting Numbers, practical guidelines you can apply immediately to build resilience, prevent disease on multiple fronts, and protect your long‑term well‑being.
Walk away with a deeper understanding of how the body works—and the tools to maintain your healthful freedom.
Join Sachi for a heartwarming winter cooking class featuring delicious and nourishing fish recipes. Learn how to prepare comforting favorites like Fish Chowder, Fish Meunière with Garlic, and Sweet and Sour Fish Marinade, along with other simple and strengthening dishes.
Sachi will also share her best tips on selecting, preparing, and storing fish for optimal freshness and flavor.
Using gentle movements, breath, and sound, you will experience yoga in its simplest, most authentic form. The sessions will help unwind, release stress, and bring a greater sense of ease and balance.
Be inspired by remarkable firsthand accounts of resilience and recovery in our Recovery Panel.
This session features:
- Jake Floursheim, who healed from endometrial cancer
- Grandmother of Eva Cikrytová, who began to talk and rediscovered joy of life after years of apathy at the age of 93.
- Grandfather of Danka Jack, who got off many medications at the age of 95.
Join us for this unique opportunity to ask questions, and gain valuable insights into the power of determination, adaptability, and macrobiotic approach to health.
Leave feeling empowered, motivated, and ready to take charge of your own journey!
Open Discussions with Donna Clifford, R.N., a macrobiotic nurse and author of Act Like Rice and Mark Leonas, a long-term macrobiotic practitioner.
Sunday January 11
Sunday January 11
Recent research has uncovered three key threats to brain health—cholesterol, viruses, and toxic metals—and how nutrition can defend against them. Learn how certain foods lower cholesterol, strengthen immunity, and protect the brain from oxidative damage. Discover the latest findings from Harvard and other leading studies on foods and herbs, which can preserve memory and cognitive vitality.
Dr. Neal Barnard, physician, clinical researcher, and founding president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, will share insights from his pioneering studies on the power of plant-based nutrition to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and support lifelong brain health.
Squash offers a gentle, natural sweetness that soothes the pancreas and reduces sugar cravings. In this class, we’ll explore its many uses—from creamy soups and savory stews to wholesome biscuits and cakes. You’ll also discover the energetic qualities of squash as a “soil” vegetable, and how different cooking methods can transform its energy to highlight unique flavors and qualities.
Laura Castoldi, founder of I Buoni Sani and director of La Sana Gola cooking school in Bergamo, brings her deep personal and professional experience to this class. After overcoming breast cancer through macrobiotic healing, she dedicated her life to exploring the power of food as medicine and art. Author of La mia cucina contro il cancro, Laura teaches with warmth and creativity, helping others rediscover health, joy, and balance through cooking.
A peaceful, rejuvenating pause to savor your meal and recharge.
Open discussions with Donna Clifford, R.N., a macrobiotic nurse and author of Act Like Rice
Join Sheri for a fun, hands-on cooking adventure inspired by the vibrant tastes of Mexico. Discover new seasonings, explore bold combinations that awaken your creativity and gain confidence in making tasty dishes with healthy, macrobiotic ingredients. Come ready to cook, create, and enjoy the joy of healthy, colorful food!
Sheri-Lynn DeMaris is a popular macrobiotic chef, teacher and cookbook author. She is founder of Macro Magic and a founder of the Macrobiotic Global Institute, and has taught at restaurants and cooking schools throughout the U.S. and Europe.
Every meal is more than calories—it is sunlight, moonlight, intention, and love transformed. This talk explores the hidden energies of food through Western, Eastern, and macrobiotic wisdom, revealing how taste, environment, and consciousness shape the vitality that becomes our very being.
Bob Carr, a longtime macrobiotic teacher, counselor, and shiatsu practitioner, draws on decades of experience helping people understand how food and energy influence body and mind. A popular presenter at major macrobiotic events worldwide, Bob brings a deep, intuitive understanding of how the energetic qualities of food can harmonize and transform our lives.
A few words before we part for a few days.
Saturday January 17
Saturday January 17
Sunday January 18
This class focuses on wholesome meals that strengthen digestion and harmony within, featuring comforting seasonal recipes, delicious leftover dishes, and traditional homemade sauerkraut. Together we’ll explore how to adapt meals for different ages and needs, trust our intuition in the kitchen, and rediscover the joy of simple, nourishing cooking.
Drawing on over forty years of experience in macrobiotic teaching, healing, and the art of living, Anna Mackenzie brings a deeply holistic approach to food and life. Having taught and cooked for families, new mothers, and people at all stages of life, she shares her wisdom on how cooking can be a healing, joyful practice that connects us to nature, to one another, and to the rhythm of the seasons.
A peaceful, rejuvenating pause to savor your meal and recharge.
Cynthia Vann, author of Humanity at a Wireless Crossroads, provided an insightful update on recent developments concerning smart meters, smartphones, 5G radiation, and related technologies. She also addressed the adverse health effects of artificial electromagnetic fields (EMFs), offering valuable perspectives and information on this pressing topic.
Our cravings are not mistakes—they are messages.
Join Lara for an insightful talk on how food cravings can serve as meaningful messages from the body rather than obstacles to overcome. Through a macrobiotic lens, you’ll learn how cravings reflect energetic imbalances influenced by diet, lifestyle, and emotions. Discover how to listen to these signals with awareness and transform them into opportunities for greater harmony, balance, and self-understanding.
In this uplifting and informative cooking class, Virginia Harper—a pioneer in the natural healing of inflammatory bowel disease and autoimmune conditions—will demonstrate a soothing, digestive-friendly meal.
Discover how easy-to-digest proteins, gentle fats, and polyphenol-rich vegetables can calm and strengthen the digestive system. Drawing on over 35 years of experience in macrobiotics and food energetics, Virginia will share how specific cooking styles enhance the body’s ability to absorb and use nutrients with ease.
Using gentle movements, breath, and sound, you will experience yoga in its simplest, most authentic form. The sessions will help unwind, release stress, and bring a greater sense of ease and balance.
Our joints—the vital connectors between bones—are essential for movement, balance, flexibility, and stability. When joints become weakened or dry, our posture, mobility, and comfort suffer, and conditions like arthritis and inflammation often follow.
Join nutritionist and macrobiotic counselor Jane Stanchich as she guides you through a targeted “joint-care” diet and exercise regime designed to nourish cartilage and joint fluids. Drawing from her own successful recovery from osteoarthritis and over 35 years of teaching, Jane will share practical, science-based insights in a clear and supportive manner.
Open discussions with Donna Clifford, R.N., a macrobiotic nurse and author of Act Like Rice and Mark Leonas, a long-term macrobiotic practitioner.
Sunday January 18
Discover a natural and effective approach to relieving chronic pain and headaches. In this enlightening lecture, Martin Halsey, renowned macrobiotic teacher and founder of the Health Academy in Italy, shares how food choices, cooking styles, and simple home remedies can reduce inflammation and ease pain.
Learn how balanced meals, external treatments, gentle exercises, and mindful practices work together to relieve arthritis, migraines, lower back pain, and other chronic conditions—restoring comfort, vitality, and peace of mind.
Join Eszter and Nóra for a cozy, hands-on class that transforms a cherished Hungarian classic into a nourishing macrobiotic meal.
Cabbage is immune-boosting, rich in vitamin C, it supports the body’s defenses against colds and infections. Filled with beans and tofu, served with brown rice and tempeh, this stuffed cabbage honors tradition while embracing balance and vitality.
Learn how wholesome, winter-season vegetables can comfort the body, and strengthen digestion.
Eszter and Nóra are founders of Joy of Life Foundation in Hungary, where they offer macrobiotic and vegetarian cooking workshops
A peaceful, rejuvenating pause to savor your meal and recharge.
Open Discussions with Donna Clifford, R.N., a macrobiotic nurse and author of Act Like Rice.
Join our Counselors’ Panel featuring four seasoned macrobiotic teachers and counsellors. This engaging session offers attendees the unique opportunity to ask questions and receive advice on health and diet. Whether you’re seeking guidance on specific health issues or looking to refine your dietary practices, our experienced panelists are here to provide insights and support to help you achieve optimal well-being.
Don’t miss this chance to learn from the best in the field and take a step towards a healthier lifestyle.
Last observations, comments and food for thought.
Ready to expand your knowledge, enrich your health, and transform your well-being—inside and out?
Who will be presenting?
We have invited some of the most renowned macrobiotic teachers, chefs and counselors from around the world, medical experts,
as well as young and enthusiastic teachers
Virginia Harper
Transformational leader in natural healing
Sachi Kato
Macrobiotic chef, teacher and counselor, former head chef at Kushi Institute
Bob Carr
Director of Wonder-Full Life Center and former director of East-West centre in Cleveland, marobiotic teacher and counselor
Jane Stanchich
Macrobiotic teacher, counselor and licensed nutritionist, co-founder and director of Great Life Global
Neal Barnard, M.D.
Founder of The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medcine
Gayle Stolove
Professional macrobiotic cook and counselor, survivor of breast cancer
Cynthia Vann
Macrobiotic teacher, counselor and shiatsu Former U.S. Air Force officer, macrobiotic practitioner and environmental health specialist
Anna Mackenzie
Macrobiotic teacher, counselor and cook from England
Nóra Szauder
Coach and co-founder of Joy of Life Foundation in Hungary
Martin Halsey
Macrobiotic teacher and counselor, founder of macrobiotic center in Switzerland and macrobiotic school in Italy, co-founder of macrobiotic school in Portugal
H. Robert Silverstein, MD, FACC
Medical Director at Preventive Medicine Center
Alex Jack
Director of Planetery Health and former director fo KI in Becket, macrobiotic teacher, counselor, and author
Donna Clifford, R.N.
Registered nurse and macrobiotic teacher, counselor and author
Laura Castoldi
Director of La Sana Gola cooking school, macrobiotic cooking teacher and counselor, and author
Manjari Agarwala
Yoga therapist and macrobiotic teacher from India
Lara Holmes
Macrobiotic cooking teacher and counselor from England
Danka Jack
Macrobiotic teacher and counselor from Slovakia
Jaki Florsheim
Macrobiotic practitioner, endometrial cancer survivor
Eszther Kanizsai
Co-founder of Joy of Life Foundation in Hungary and macrobiotic cooking teacher
Sheri DeMaris
Co-founder of Macrobiotic Global Institute, macrobiotic teacher, counselor and chef
What do participants say about our conferences?
“I was slipping away from macrobiotics due to my move, but I feel like the conferance is helpimg me to regain a way of life that I love.”
Megan O'Connor
“Hearing lectures on improving both physical and mental health, attending cooking classes and learning new recipes, sharing ideas with macrobiotic counselors and like-minded people all renew my energy and inspire me to be even more conscientious in my daily macrobiotic practice.””
Audrey Polt
“I enjoyed the topics that were perhaps more advanced and deepened my understanding how macrobiotics applies to other parts of life other than just cooking.”
Brian Smith
“I appreciated the inclusive atmosphere, allowing for different styles of cooking and practice to be presented, and encouraging us to find our own way for our individual condition, situation, and practice.”
Elaine Danforth
“Whenever I attend the conference it inspires me to dig deeper into my macrobiotic practice
especially when I'm struggling to keep on track.”
Kate Howard
“Entire conference was amazing. Looked forward to it each day.”
Lila Kutolowski
“The conference was excellent! The only thing that was missing was the usual fabulous macrobiotic food. I enjoyed the talks: Cooking ideas to recharge my meals, health concepts to broaden my knowledge with highly knowledgeable teachers, a range of ideas to think about, and the yoga was exactly what I’ve been looking for which includes the yogic breathing exercises. The teachers were great and the overall program was rich, well organized and fun.”
Ellen Harris
“These conferences always help my life and macrobiotic practice. I learn new recipes and cooking techniques and also develop a deeper understanding of all that is entailed in this diet and lifestyle.
But one of the main things I get from it is a sense of community, and the support and energy that comes from that. Over the years I have become a much better cook, and have a much greater understanding of why I am doing what I am doing.”
Elizabeth Moreland
“Always motivating! Love hearing about individual practices! I learn the most from that!”
Wendy Steinbaum
“Connecting with like minded people is always refreshing in today's world. There were so many interesting and varied topics that were so stimulating. Very much appreciated this conference.”
Patricia Spaniol
When?
January 10/11, 17/18, 2026
Where?
Online on Zoom
All sessions recorded!
What is all included?
- More than 20 teachers, chefs, and medical experts
- 6 lectures focused on healing health issues, newest medical discoveries, and understanding your personal needs
- 6 live cooking classes from all over the world
- 2 traditional yoga classes with Manjari live from India
- Recovery Panel
- Counselors' Panel
- Special report on wireless trends and how to deal with them
- Live discussion sessions
- Interaction with experienced counselors
- Recordings of all the presentations
- Recipes from all cooking classes
Join by Tuesday December 9 midnight (ET)
and get Alex Jack’s special lecture:
Your Immune Function and You:
A Path to Balance and Prevention
Autoimmune diseases are skyrocketing from 3-12% each year. These include rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, lupus, celiac disease, and thyroid conditions like Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
In this illuminating presentation, Alex will explore the origin, cause, and prevention of autoimmune conditions, present inspiring case histories and offer clear dietary guidelines. At the end, he will answer your questions.
Alex Jack is an author, a longtime macrobiotic counselor, co-author with Michio Kushi of The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health, and editor of the forthcoming Women’s Path to Macrobiotic Health. He has helped countless people to restore their health.
When and where: Online on Zoom on January 24 at 1 pm ET
The lecture will be recorded for those who sign up.
Imagine the transformation
with a more personalized practice, a surge of inspiration, and
advice from some of the most experienced counselors, teachers and chefs
—how would that improve your life?
Early-bird price (by Jan 1 midnight ET): $289
Full price: $327
Price of the recordings: $197
Join for the whole conference, pick your day or get the recording!
Individual days (+ its recording): $97
1 Weekend (+ weekend recording): $174
Recordings only: $197
Frequently Asked Questions
I have other arrangements and can’t attend all the lectures. Will the lectures be recorded?
Yes, all the lectures will be recorded, and you can watch them again anytime at your convenience.
The only thing that is not recorded are the open discussion sessions to ensure the privacy of the participants and create a safe atmosphere for mutual sharing.
Can I pay by check?
Unfortunatelly, we don’t receive checks anymore. Please, contact us at contact@planetaryhealth.com if online payment is not an option for you.
How long will I have access to the recordings and other materials?
Recipes will be sent to your email and the recording will be available for 3 years 😊
Can I pay in installments?
Yes, please contact us at contact@planetaryhealth.com to make an arrangement.
Would you like to ask another question?
Please contact us at contact@planetaryhealth.com and we will be happy to reply to you.
“I highly recommend the Conference. It is a great learning experience. It develops spirit and higher development,
and motivates people to care about themselves, others, and the whole planet.”
– R.T.
Who is organizing this for you?
Alex Jack, an internationally renowned macrobiotic teacher, counselor, and author, worked closely with Michio and Aveline Kushi for nearly forty years and served as former director of Kushi Institute in Becket. He co-wrote The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health, The Book of Macrobiotics, and many other books on diet, health, and the environment with Michio Kushi and has recentlz finished a multivolume series on the Spiral of History.
Danka Jack is a macrobiotic teacher from Slovakia. She grew up in a macrobiotic family, learning and applying the remedies and principles in her daily life since childhood. She is the Special Projects director at Planetary Health, giving courses and consultations in macrobiotics and 9 Star Ki.
This conference is more than just an educational event—
it’s a community experience that will leave you empowered and inspired.