The Start
The concept of "macrobiotic" has existed since Hippocrates and Aristotle. Hippocrates used the term to describe healthy people who lived long; Aristotle used it to describe a lifestyle that promoted a simple diet, health and longevity. What is known today as a macrobiotic diet is grounded in the same principles. Its "beginning" took place over time and required the work of three people.
Christoph Hufeland
Christoph Hufeland was a highly-regarded German physician who lived from 1762 to 1836. He was known for his work in pediatrics, public health and medical education. In 1796, he published a book titled "Makrobiotik oder Die Kunst, des Menschliche Lebens zu Verlängern" ("Macrobiotics, or the Art of Extending Ones Life") that coined the term macrobiotic diet and described how to strengthen "life force" with proper diet and lifestyle.
Sagen Ishizuka
A Japanese army doctor who treated many of his patients using a diet of brown rice and vegetables, Sagen Ishizuka developed a theory of nutrition that combined his study of Western medicine with a traditional Oriental diet of natural foods that focuses on whole grains and vegetables. In 1898 he published his theory in a book titled "Diet for Health." Ishizuka advocated five principles: Food is the foundation of life, health or sickness, food must be balanced according to its yin/yang quality, the main staple foods are whole grains, the food we eat should be unrefined and natural and foods are best if they are grown locally and eaten in season. Several others who believed in Ishizuka's theory founded an organization called Shoku-Yo-Kai for the purpose of teaching Ishizuka's diet.
George Ohsawa
George Ohsawa was 18 years old and suffering from tuberculosis when he learned about Ishizuka's diet. He followed the diet and his health was restored. Ohsawa joined Shoku-Yo-Kai and became a prolific writer devoted to teaching others about the macrobiotic philosophy of healing through diet. In 1948 Ohsawa established a school to teach the macrobiotic principle of health and in 1959 he published a book titled "Zen Macrobiotics" that outlined the 10-level macrobiotic diet he created. Ohsawa is acknowledged as the father of modern macrobiotics.
Michio Kushi
Shortly after studying with Ohsawa and after personally experiencing the positive results of a macrobiotic diet, Michio Kushi moved to Boston, became proactive in the macrobiotic movement and is largely responsible for spearheading its growth in the United States. He founded Erewhon, the nation's first natural food distribution company and, together with his wife, founded the Kushi Institute to provide education about the macrobiotic diet and to support ongoing research. He lectured extensively in the United States and around the world on the macrobiotic diet. Having embraced the philosophy that the macrobiotic diet is the way to health and health is the way to peace, he established several global organizations to promote the macrobiotic lifestyle such as One Peaceful World Network.
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