About Us

DAVID BRISCOE was honored in 2012 by Michio Kushi and Kushi Institute International with a prestigious Aveline Kushi Award, regarded by many as “the Oscar of macrobiotics,” for his decades of dedication to macrobiotic education and counseling.

David is one of the most experienced macrobiotic teachers and counselors in the world today. Since 1972 he has gained expertise in every facet of macrobiotics, including personal practice, philosophy, healing principles, teaching, counseling, private healing chef service, restaurant ownership and educational center development.

He is widely considered one of the finest of macrobiotic chefs, having prepared countless delicious meals, including gourmet Hollywood buffets and ethnic international macrobiotic cuisine for large groups and events, and strengthening healing meals for health recovery for private individuals.

Through his 30+ years of cooking classes, chef-training programs, executive chef experience, co-owner of the award-winning Amber Waves Café, and world-wide travels, he has taught innumerable students the creative joy of healthy macrobiotic cooking. His private macrobiotic chef services are highly sought after and available to a limited number of selected clients. He is currently writing a series of cookbooks with Cynthia Briscoe.

David also provides consultant services to restaurants, professional chefs, macrobiotic business start-ups, web site creators, multi-media education authors, online course developers, and the natural foods industry.

In 1975 he was given the honor of being one of the few one-on-one macrobiotic apprentices to the late macrobiotic master, Noboru Muramoto, author of Healing Ourselves and Natural Immunity. In 1983 he was among the first to be certified by the Kushi Institute’s premier macrobiotic counselor accreditation program. During the 70’s and 80’s, David established macrobiotic education programs and centers throughout the U.S.

He has appeared on national TV programs and radio shows, including Dr. John McDougall’s radio show and numerous other live radio shows, ABC News, PBS, and the HBO® Special, “Six Months to Live.” He is the co-author of A Personal Peace, contributing author to The Whole Mind and an  occasional columnist for Macrobiotics Today, the world’s leading macrobiotic magazine.

David has developed macrobiotic curriculum and instruction programs for various educational organizations, applying his experience as a former secondary school teacher and as a trainer of teachers at the University of Kansas. He is a macrobiotic education visionary who first made use of the power of the internet for macrobiotic teaching and counseling, and has become the leader in developing online multi-media macrobiotic courses and training, launching his first online courses in 1999.

David’s online and on-site training courses have attracted many from the modern healing fields, including doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, pediatricians, gynecologists, body therapists, nutritionists, dietitians, and other interested students from all walks of life and over the world. He is regarded as one of the top trainers of macrobiotic counselors. Through his trainings, David hopes to be instrumental in developing the future generation of macrobiotic counselors, teachers and leaders.

David is well known for his skilled and personal approach to private macrobiotic counseling. He is highly regarded for his vast experience in the areas of macrobiotic healing diet, home remedies and lifestyle re-balancing.

In 1990 the late macrobiotic master, Herman Aihara, invited David to be his administrative, teaching and counseling associate at The Vega Study Center in California, and from 1991-1998 David worked closely with Herman and Cornellia Aihara. After Herman’s passing, David co-founded Macrobiotics America-Macrobiotics Global, the first macrobiotic organization to offer multi-media distance learning courses via the internet (www.macroamerica.com), beginning in 1999.

David travels and teaches throughout North America and overseas, speaking to medical and lay audiences, and he has been a featured presenter at the major macrobiotic camps and conferences, including The Vegetarian Education Institute’s Summer Camp, The Kushi Institute Summer Conference, French Meadows Summer Camp, The Fall Health Classic, One World Festival in the UK, and The Whole World Summer School in Belgium.

David also served as a guest faculty member at the world-famous Kushi Institute in Becket, MA. He holds the honorary position of being a macrobiotic counselor for The George Ohsawa Macrobiotic Foundation of Chico, CA, the oldest macrobiotic education and publishing organization in North America. David was recently invited by Texas A&M University to participate in the design of a residential program to help patients recover from bowel conditions, such as IBS, through a macrobiotic diet. In 2016 he was invited by the UCSD Center for Integrative Medicine to be a teacher in their Integrative Nutrition program.

David experienced dramatic personal healing through his implementation of macrobiotics, beginning in 1972 at age 22. He recovered from supposedly incurable emotional/psychological illness, and he defied the the odds by no longer requiring medication that he was told he would have to take for the rest of his life. His story is recounted in the book, A Personal Peace, written by David and his mother, Charlotte Mahoney-Briscoe. This wonderful experience of “impossible” healing led to David becoming the main advocate for the application of macrobiotics to psychological healing. He regularly offers consultation to organizations and doctors seeking macrobiotic support for patients in need of emotional and psychological healing. Additionally, through macrobiotics, David recovered from many physical health problems that had challenged him since childhood.

A love of written words led David to begin writing poetry, plays, musicals and short stories at the age of 8. He is a published poet and non-fiction author. David was awarded a grant for poetry publishing by The National Endowment for the Humanities. He has taught classes in creative writing and writing for healing. His exploration of other artistic expression has taken him into the world of multi-media art, with numerous accolades for his work. He has been invited to present a series of ongoing West Coast exhibitions and “poetry performance evenings” throughout the year.

David lives in Northen California with his wife, Cynthia, and children, Justin, Nora, Iris, Ana and Rio, and near his grandchildren David, Micah, Gracie, Ella and Ava. He holds close to his heart his son, Ira, who passed away at the age of 18 in 2004.

Cynthia is also highly regarded for her insights into motherhood, advice on macrobiotic pregnancy and delivery, and her earthy and considerate approach to women’s health in general.

She is the main instructor for the online courses, Women’s Health & Lifestyle Personal Macrobiotic Coach Training, and Healthy Family, Pregnancy & Children Personal Macrobiotic Coach Training.

She is blessed with a natural gift for journeywork healing rooted in her deep connection to Native American spirituality. An accomplished artist, Cynthia has illustrated books for Avery Publishing Group, Japan Publications, and Contemporary Books, including books by the late Aveline Kushi and other macrobiotic authors.

Cynthia is currently working on several cookbooks and video home study courses. She is the mother of five children and five grandchildren, who care about others, animals, the earth, and looking at the stars at night.

Ira Briscoe Memorial

IRA BRISCOE loved his young friends and wanted all the best for them. On August 14, 2004, Ira died from injuries received during an accident while with his parents, David and Cynthia, at The Kushi Macrobiotic Summer Conference in Vermont.

At the young age of 18 Ira was already known as a true human being who was sought by his friends for advice on life, who inspired them to finish high school, and who was appreciated as a genuine friend who could be turned to in times of heartache or trouble without fear of betrayal or judgment.

One night during the Summer Conference, Ira told his mother, “I’ve never felt more alive in my life.” He loved the new macrobiotic adventure he had found for himself, and he was looking forward to starting a campus macrobiotic program upon his return to California and his first year at California State University-Chico.

Ira was always sharing his boundless enthusiasm for macrobiotics with his young friends, loaning them his books, inviting them for meals, and discussing with them his views on life and freedom that were transforming through his study of George Ohsawa’s writings and the writings of many others, including Henry David Thoreau. Ira’s wish for a happy life for all his friends remains with them always.

Ira’s generous spirit of hope for humanity inspires and energizes all that we do at Macrobiotics America.

For the extraordinary blessing of his 18 years with us we are truly grateful. In his soaring life of the spirit now we cheer him on, our eyes wide with wonder at the beauty that is forever Ira.

May all beings and all the earth be healthy and happy.

The Briscoes: David, Cynthia, Justin, Nora, Iris, Ana and Rio