Macrobiotic Teacher • Co-Director • Senior Practitioner

Maria Gillott Borges is one of the most experienced and respected macrobiotic educators in Portugal, with over 40 years of continuous practice and teaching. She began her macrobiotic journey in 1978, studying directly with Michio and Aveline Kushi, and later trained with Denny and Judy Waxman as a specialised cook for serious health conditions.

A Graduate of the Kushi Institute, Maria became deeply involved in the international macrobiotic community. She is Co-Director of the One World Summer Festival (1996–present), one of Europe’s most influential macrobiotic gatherings, where she has taught, coordinated programmes, and mentored hundreds of students.

From 1999 to 2017, she served as Patron of the Ohsawa Macrobiotic Study House in Brighton, supporting macrobiotic education, community living, and immersive study programmes.

Maria is also Co-Director and Senior Teacher at the Escola Macrobiótica Portuguesa, where she brings her extensive expertise in nutrition, oriental diagnosis, cooking, lifestyle and energetic theory to train new generations of practitioners.

Beyond macrobiotics, Maria holds a Degree in Fine Art from Leicester University, bringing creativity, depth and aesthetic sensitivity to her teaching. Warm, intuitive and profoundly knowledgeable, Maria combines traditional macrobiotic wisdom with a compassionate, modern understanding of health and personal transformation.