Mayumi Nishimura is one of the world’s most famous macrobiotics* experts, a cookbook author, and Madonna’s personal chef for seven years. In the introduction to her cookbook Mayumi’s Kitchen, she tells the story of how macrobiotics became such an important part of her life.
“In my 20+ years of macrobiotic cooking, I have seen hundreds of people — including Madonna, for whom I have cooked for seven years — who have experienced the beneficial effects of macrobiotics. They discovered that by following the macrobiotic diet, an ancient, natural way of eating in which whole grains and vegetables are the main source of energy and nutrients, you can enjoy a healthy body, beautiful skin and a clear mind.
I am sure that once you take a step towards adopting this way of eating, you will see how joyful and attractive macrobiotics can be. Gradually, you will gain an understanding of the value of whole foods, and you will have no desire to return to your old diet. You will feel young again, free, happy and one with nature.
How I fell under the spell of macrobiotics
I first encountered the concept of healthy eating when I was 19 years old. My friend Jeanne (who later became my husband) lent me the Japanese edition of Our Bodies, Ourselves by the Women’s Health Books of Boston. This book was written at a time when most of our doctors were men; she encouraged women to take responsibility for their own health. I was struck by a paragraph that compared a woman’s body to the sea, describing that when a woman is pregnant, her amniotic fluid is like the waters of the ocean. I imagined a happy baby swimming in a small, cozy ocean inside of me, and then I suddenly realized that when that time comes, I would like these waters to be as clean and transparent as possible.
It was the mid-70s, and then everyone was talking about living in harmony with nature, which meant eating natural, unprepared food. This idea resonated with me, so I stopped eating animal products and started eating a lot more vegetables.
In the late 1980s, my husband Jeanne was studying in Boston, Massachusetts, and I was working at my parents’ hotel in Shinojima, Japan. We took every opportunity to see each other, which usually meant meeting in California. On one of his trips, he gave me another life-changing book, The New Method of Saturating Eating by George Osada, who was the first to call macrobiotics a way of life. In this book, he claimed that all diseases could be cured by eating brown rice and vegetables. He believed that the world could become a harmonious place if all people were healthy.
What Osawa said made a lot of sense to me. The smallest particle of society is a single individual, then a family, a neighborhood, a country and a whole world are formed. And if this smallest particle is happy and healthy, then so will the whole. Osawa brought this idea to me simply and clearly. Since childhood, I have wondered: why was I born in this world? Why should countries go to war with each other? There were other difficult questions that seemed to never get answered. But now I finally found a lifestyle that could answer them.
I started following a macrobiotic diet and in just ten days my body underwent a complete transformation. I started falling asleep easily and jumping out of bed easily in the morning. The condition of my skin improved noticeably, and after a few months my period pains disappeared. And the tightness in my shoulders is also gone.
And then I began to take macrobiotics very seriously. I spent my time reading every macrobiotic book I could get my hands on, including The Macrobiotic Book by Michio Kushi. Kushi was a student of Osawa and in his book he was able to further develop Osawa’s ideas and present them in a way that would be easier to understand. He was and still is the most famous macrobiotic expert in the world. He managed to open a school – the Kushi Institute – in Brooklyn, not far from Boston. Soon I bought a plane ticket, packed my suitcase and went to the USA. “To live with my husband and learn English,” I told my parents, although in fact I went to learn everything from this inspiring person. It happened in 1982, when I was 25 years old.
Kushi Institute
When I came to America, I had very little money with me, and my English was very weak, and I could not attend courses that were taught in English. I enrolled in a language school in Boston to improve my language skills; but course fees and daily expenses gradually reduced my savings to almost nothing, and I could no longer afford training in macrobiotics. Meanwhile, Jinn, who had also delved deeply into the concept of macrobiotics, dropped out of the school he attended and entered the Kushi Institute ahead of me.
Then luck smiled upon us. Genie’s friend introduced us to the Kushi couple, Michio and Evelyn. During a conversation with Evelyn, I took the liberty of mentioning the plight in which we found ourselves. I must have made her feel sorry, because later she called me to her place and asked if I could cook. I answered that I could, and then she offered me a job as a cook at their house – with accommodation. Food and rent were deducted from my salary, but I got the opportunity to study at their institute for free. My husband also lived with me in their house and worked for them.
Kushi’s job was not easy. I really knew how to cook, but I wasn’t used to cooking for others. In addition, the house was a constant flow of visitors. My English was still not up to par, and I could barely understand what the people around me were saying. In the mornings, after preparing breakfast for 10 people, I went to English classes, then I studied on my own for a couple of hours – usually repeating the names of products and different ingredients. In the evenings – having cooked dinner for 20 people already – I went to classes at the macrobiotics school. This regime was exhausting, but the drive and my diet gave me the necessary strength.
In 1983, after almost a year, I moved. The Cushes bought a large old house in Becket, Massachusetts, where they planned to open a new branch of their institute (later it became the headquarters of the institute and other departments). By that time, I had gained confidence as a cook and learned the basics of macrobiotics, plus I had a desire to do something new. I asked Evelyn that she and her husband would consider sending Genie and me to a new location to help settle in. She talked to Michio, and he agreed and even offered me a job as a cook – to cook for cancer patients. I think he made sure that I could immediately earn at least some money, I happily agreed to his offer.
The days in Beckett were as busy as in Brooklyn. I became pregnant with my first child, Liza, whom I gave birth at home, without the help of an obstetrician. The school opened, and on top of my job as a cook, I got the position of chief of macro cooking instructors. I have also travelled, attended an international conference on macrobiotics in Switzerland, visited many macrobiotic centers around the world. It was a very eventful time in the macrobiotic movement.
Between 1983 and 1999, I often put down roots first and then moved again. I lived in California for a while, then got my first job as a private chef at the home of David Barry, Oscar winner for best visual effects. I gave birth to my second child, Norihiko, also at home. After my husband and I separated, I returned to Japan with my children to take time out. But I soon moved to Alaska—via Massachusetts—and tried to raise Lisa and Norihiko in a macrobiotic commune. And often between shifts, I found myself back in western Massachusetts. I had friends there and there was always something to do.
Acquaintance with Madonna
In May 2001, I was living in Great Barrington, Massachusetts teaching at the Kushi Institute, cooking for cancer patients, and working at a local Japanese restaurant. And then I heard that Madonna was looking for a personal macrobiota chef. The job was only for one week, but I decided to give it a try as I was looking for a change. I also thought that if I could make Madonna and her family members healthier through my meals, then it might draw people’s attention to the benefits of macrobiotics.
Until that time, I had only cooked for a celebrity once, for John Denver, and that was just one meal in 1982. I had only worked for David Barry as a personal chef for a few months, so I couldn’t say that I had enough experience to get this job, but I was confident in the quality of my cooking.
There were other applicants, but I got the job. Instead of a week, it was 10 days. I must have done my job well, because the very next month, Madonna’s manager called me and offered to be Madonna’s full-time personal chef during her Drowned World Tour. It was an amazing offer, but I had to take care of my children. Lisa was then already 17, and she could take care of herself, but Norihiko was only 13 years old. After discussing the matter with Genie, who was living in New York at the time, we decided that Lisa would stay at Great Barrington and take care of our home, while Genie would look after Norihiko. I accepted Madonna’s offer.
In the fall, when the tour ended, I was again asked to work for Madonna, who had to travel to several places in Europe to shoot a film. And again I was inspired by this opportunity, and again the question of children arose. At the next family council, it was decided that Lisa would remain in Massachusetts, and Norihiko would go to my sister in Japan. I was uneasy about the fact that the family was “abandoned” through my fault, but it seemed that the children did not particularly mind. Moreover, they supported and encouraged me in this decision. I was so proud of them! I wonder if their openness and maturity was the result of a macrobiotic upbringing?
When filming ended, I stayed to cook for Madonna and her family at their home in London.
Towards a new style in macrobiotics
What makes a macrobiote chef different from any other personal chef is that he has to cook not just what his client wants, but what will help keep the client healthy – both body and soul. The macrobiota cook must be extremely sensitive to the slightest change in the state of the client and prepare dishes that will bring into harmony everything that has gone out of balance. He must turn both home-cooked and off-site dishes into medicine.
During the seven years that I worked for Madonna, I mastered a huge number of such dishes. Cooking for her made me become more inventive, more versatile. I traveled with her on four world tours and looked for new ingredients everywhere. I used to use what was available in whatever kitchen we were in—most often hotel kitchens—to prepare food that was both delicious, energizing, and varied at the same time. The experience allowed me to try new foods and exotic spices and seasonings to diversify what would otherwise look mundane. All in all, it was an amazing experience and an opportunity to create and polish my idea of a “petit macro”, a style of macrobiotic that would suit many people.
Small Macro
This expression is what I call macrobiotics for everyone – a new approach to macrobiotics that caters to different tastes and to a lesser extent adheres to the Japanese tradition in cooking. I draw my inspiration from Italian, French, Californian and Mexican cuisine almost as much as I do from traditional Japanese and Chinese. Eating should be joyful and bright. Petit macro is a stress-free way to enjoy the benefits of macrobiotics without giving up your favorite food and cooking style.
Of course, there are some basic guidelines, but none of them require absolute implementation. For example, I recommend avoiding dairy and animal proteins because they lead to chronic disease, but they can appear on your menu from time to time, especially if you are healthy. In addition, I suggest eating only naturally prepared food, no refined ingredients, and including organic, local vegetables in your diet when possible. Chew thoroughly, eat in the evening no later than three hours before bedtime, finish eating before you feel full. But the most important recommendation – do not go crazy on the recommendations!
There is nothing in petit macro that is strictly prohibited. Food is important, but feeling good and not being stressed is also very important. Stay positive and do only what you like!”