On January 1, 2003, my mother found out that she had breast cancer. I immediately called my aunt. Five years prior she had been diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma and given less than 12 months to live. She researched alternative treatments and discovered the macrobiotic diet. Today she is completely healthy and cancer free. She recommended the same diet to my mother.

My mother had a lumpectomy and radiation, but turned down 5 years of tamoxifen drug treatment and also went on the macrobiotic diet. Today she feels great.

In following the macrobiotic diet she eliminated eggs, dairy, refined sugars and flours, hydrogenated oils, processed foods, additives, artificial colorings and preservatives, and animal products. As her health improved she wanted to add occasional desserts to her diet, so she started to bake bars, cookies, brownies, cakes and pies following macrobiotic criteria. When I tasted them I couldn't believe how delicious they were. At the time, I was working as a Latin teacher in Chicago and I took some of the bar and cookies to a local health food store. They became our first customer and that was the beginning of GoMacro.

Wishing you a long and great life!

Jolanta Sonkin
Co-Founder

Since many people are not familiar with the macrobiotic diet, we thought we would provide a little background and talk about what it means to us. Macrobiotic is Greek for long or great life. The diet originated in the orient and has been followed for thousands of years. The ancients of the east used the term, "golden body" to describe one who has achieved an invincible immune system. Although that goal may be unrealistic for most of us, with the help of macrobiotics we can make tremendous strides towards boosting our immune system. Around the end of the 19th century Sagen Ishizuka, a Japanese army doctor, established a theory of nutrition and medicine based on this traditional oriental diet. He suffered from a skin and kidney disease and used macrobiotics to restore his health. His healing technique was based on certain principles:

1. Foods are the foundation of health and happiness.
2. All foods are composed of antagonistic and complementary
elements which determine their yin and yang qualities.
3. Foods should be unrefined, whole and natural.
4. As much as possible, foods should be grown locally and
eaten in season.
5. Grains are the staple food of mankind

In the early 20th century George Ohsawa learned about macrobiotics from two of Ishizaka's disciples. Suffering from an incurable disease at the age of eighteen he embraced macrobiotics and lectured extensively until his death at the age of 74. Macrobiotics is practiced at many centers all over the world; the best known in the US are the Kushi Institute and the George Ohsawa Macrobiotic Foundation. Used to promote health and longevity, it is also beneficial in preventing and treating many illnesses.

Today macrobiotics is again undergoing a transformation as it seeks to promote biodiversity and a return to healthy eating habits amid a growing epidemic of obesity and illness. Our personal experience with macrobiotics in the last six years has transformed our health and necessitated changes in our lifestyle. Although firm believers in macrobiotic principles, we have had to update recipes and ingredients in order to appeal to a more diversified population. The core principles of moderation, of eating whole unrefined foods and living in balance with one's environment, have remained intact. We are confident that you too, can improve your health by incorporating some of these principles in your lives, for this is a lifestyle that can be introduced slowly, one step at a time. We hope you will join us.

Go Macro
Amelia Kirchoff and Jolanta Sonkin
Co-Founders