April 24, 2013
Kushi Institute
Michio Kushi, Chairman of the Board
Lawrence Kushi, Board Member
Ken Courage, Board Member
Kushi Institute Staff, Students & Friends
Dear Michio,
In the wake of the death of my colleague, Kushi Institute cooking teacher, Diane Avoli, it is with regret that after 27 years of being the only teacher and counselor at the Kushi Institute with uninterrupted tenure, I must resign. As you may be aware, certain individuals at the Institute have subjected me to harassment, discriminatory treatment, defamatory comments and other malicious acts. In some cases this behavior may have been motivated by the notion that my leaving would result in personal gain to those remaining, but whatever the reason, the result has been a working environment that is difficult to endure. In addition, I have been greatly concerned about the incidence of alcoholism, nutritional deficiencies and sickness that have proliferated among those involved with the Kushi Institute. Most disturbing is the number of female faculty cooking class teachers who have died of cancer, including Aveline Kushi, Luchi Baranda and Diane Avoli. Because one of the things these women had in common was a careful compliance with the Institute recommended woman’s vegan macrobiotic diet, the question inevitably arises as to whether there is any connection between the diet and the disease. I am by no means suggesting that there is a conclusive connection – only that the responsible thing would be for the Institute to initiate discussion, study and research into the possibility, and to be open to perhaps evolving its program if it turns out there is evidence of a correlation between the diet and any disease, illness or nutritional deficiency.
In my extensive, life-long research, study, and work with over 30,000 students and clients, I have seen evidence that I find convincing that the vegan macrobiotic diet might cause certain health problems. As a result, I have adjusted the recommendations I make in my private macrobiotic teaching and counseling practice www.macrobiotic.com. I am very proud of my accomplishments in this field both with the Institute and on my personal time. I have successfully helped many people recover from cancer and other health problems, such as the recent case noted on You Tube of (name redacted) being brain cancer free for eight years. (Name redacted) was my counseling client at the Kushi Institute and in my private practice over the past 8 years. In my private practice, I have other cases in which terminally diagnosed cancer patients are living many years beyond their predicted demise, as well as healing stories from a wide variety of illnesses. I have numerous documented positive testimonials from my private practice and people I have taught and counseled at the Kushi Institute. I was recently chosen by 3 cancer study participants at the Kushi Institute as their counselor of choice for the cancer study being conducted by Dr. Yu. Demands for my counseling services at the Kushi Institute are high. Indeed, I intend to continue my work in the field, but I feel that I cannot ethically continue to conform to an approach about which real questions have been raised if there is no flexibility or willingness to undertake a full and fair scientific examination outside the current dietary dogma at the Kushi Institute.
Please note that Jeanette Thomas-Kozinski is also resigning from years of being on call 7 days a week assisting the Kushi Institute office in scheduling my classes and appointments without compensation and especially during times of crisis such as during the illness of Luchi Baranda.
Respectfully yours,
John Kozinski
www.macrobiotic.com
[email protected]
413-623-5925
cc:
Kushi Institute
Michio Kushi, Chairman of the Board
Lawrence Kushi, Board Member
Ken Courage, Board Member
Kushi Institute Staff, Students & Friends
Dear Michio,
In the wake of the death of my colleague, Kushi Institute cooking teacher, Diane Avoli, it is with regret that after 27 years of being the only teacher and counselor at the Kushi Institute with uninterrupted tenure, I must resign. As you may be aware, certain individuals at the Institute have subjected me to harassment, discriminatory treatment, defamatory comments and other malicious acts. In some cases this behavior may have been motivated by the notion that my leaving would result in personal gain to those remaining, but whatever the reason, the result has been a working environment that is difficult to endure. In addition, I have been greatly concerned about the incidence of alcoholism, nutritional deficiencies and sickness that have proliferated among those involved with the Kushi Institute. Most disturbing is the number of female faculty cooking class teachers who have died of cancer, including Aveline Kushi, Luchi Baranda and Diane Avoli. Because one of the things these women had in common was a careful compliance with the Institute recommended woman’s vegan macrobiotic diet, the question inevitably arises as to whether there is any connection between the diet and the disease. I am by no means suggesting that there is a conclusive connection – only that the responsible thing would be for the Institute to initiate discussion, study and research into the possibility, and to be open to perhaps evolving its program if it turns out there is evidence of a correlation between the diet and any disease, illness or nutritional deficiency.
In my extensive, life-long research, study, and work with over 30,000 students and clients, I have seen evidence that I find convincing that the vegan macrobiotic diet might cause certain health problems. As a result, I have adjusted the recommendations I make in my private macrobiotic teaching and counseling practice www.macrobiotic.com. I am very proud of my accomplishments in this field both with the Institute and on my personal time. I have successfully helped many people recover from cancer and other health problems, such as the recent case noted on You Tube of (name redacted) being brain cancer free for eight years. (Name redacted) was my counseling client at the Kushi Institute and in my private practice over the past 8 years. In my private practice, I have other cases in which terminally diagnosed cancer patients are living many years beyond their predicted demise, as well as healing stories from a wide variety of illnesses. I have numerous documented positive testimonials from my private practice and people I have taught and counseled at the Kushi Institute. I was recently chosen by 3 cancer study participants at the Kushi Institute as their counselor of choice for the cancer study being conducted by Dr. Yu. Demands for my counseling services at the Kushi Institute are high. Indeed, I intend to continue my work in the field, but I feel that I cannot ethically continue to conform to an approach about which real questions have been raised if there is no flexibility or willingness to undertake a full and fair scientific examination outside the current dietary dogma at the Kushi Institute.
Please note that Jeanette Thomas-Kozinski is also resigning from years of being on call 7 days a week assisting the Kushi Institute office in scheduling my classes and appointments without compensation and especially during times of crisis such as during the illness of Luchi Baranda.
Respectfully yours,
John Kozinski
www.macrobiotic.com
[email protected]
413-623-5925
cc: