Since the Gerson Institute was founded in the late 1970s, it has grown from a tiny office in San Diego, California, to an internationally recognized pillar of the natural health movement. The Gerson community is deep and founded on the support of many dedicated and passionate individuals.
One of those dedicated and passionate individuals is Kyoko Abe, who represents the Gerson Institute as a Gerson Ambassador for Japan. Based on her nearly 20 years of work in the Gerson community, the Gerson Institute is honoring Kyoko for her tireless work and commitment to spreading awareness and knowledge about the Gerson Therapy, health, nutrition and wellness.
Where it all began…
After graduating from the Department of English Literature at Fuji Women’s University (Sapporo, Hokkaido), Kyoko worked as a writer in the editorial department of a monthly health magazine for six years, covering stories about patients who recovered from various ailments using alternative therapies and interviewing natural health doctors. She then worked for the Japanese branch of American Biologics, an integrative medical service company, translating manuals into Japanese. Kyoko then became an active member of the Japan Food Journalist Association and the Medical Journalist Association of Japan, working as an independent journalist in the field of health, nutrition and holistic therapies.
Kyoko’s gravitation towards natural health began almost 20 years ago, at the 1998 Cancer Control Society convention in Los Angeles, California, where she met Charlotte Gerson and visited the licensed Gerson clinic in Tijuana, Mexico (at that time, guests were sometimes invited to visit, but that policy has since changed and the licensed Gerson clinic in Tijuana, Mexico is no longer offering guest visits).
Ignited with passion from her meeting with Charlotte Gerson and backed with her experience as a writer on alternative health, Kyoko translated several books into Japanese, including: The Gerson Therapy by Charlotte Gerson and Morton Walker; Healing the Gerson Way by Charlotte Gerson and Beata Bishop; The Breast Cancer Prevention Program by Samuel S. Epstein M.D. and etc.; The Brain Chemistry Diet by Michasel Lesser M.D.; The Metabolic Typing Diet by William L. Wolcott and etc.; and Silent Clots by Dr. James Privitera and etc.
Above and Beyond
After the passing of Kyoko’s close friend and famous journalist Mr. Koichi Imamura* in 2003, Kyoko was compelled to continue the work of her dear friend by pursuing certification as a Gerson Home Set-Up Trainer. Over the past 14 years, Kyoko attended at least 10 Gerson Therapy training events, traveling from Japan to San Diego, eventually bringing the Gerson Therapy to Japan as a Gerson Ambassador through workshops, lectures and cooking classes.
2004: Gerson Basics Workshop
2005: Gerson Basics Workshop; Fundraising Event; Module I Practitioner Training (as a journalist); Became a Certified Gerson Home Set-Up Trainer
2007: Week-long internship training at the Charlotte Gerson Health Restoration Center
2011: Began hosting Gerson Therapy seminars at her home in Japan
2012: Gave speech at Charlotte Gerson’s 90th Birthday Celebration; Began hosting Gerson cooking classes in Japan
2013: Gerson Basics Workshop
2014: Gerson Basics Workshop; Companion/translator for patient at licensed Gerson clinic in Tijuana, Mexico
2015: Gerson Basics Workshop
2016: Gerson Hands On Workshop (HOW); Translator for Module II interns in Japan
2017: Companion/translator for two patients at licensed Gerson clinic in Tijuana, Mexico
Catching up with Kyoko
Kyoko has been to the licensed clinic in Tijuana, Mexico, twice this year as a patient companion and translator, and continues to translate for Module II interns in Japan. The Gerson Institute was fortunate to have two visits from Kyoko this year, and we were able to sit down for a Gerson lunch to talk about what motivates her to continue teaching, helping patients and translating health and nutrition information – her answer, with respect, honor, grace and humility, was hope.
Keep up with Kyoko and her work as the Gerson Ambassador to Japan through her website and follow her on Facebook!
Kyoko’s visit to Gerson Institute headquarter office in San Diego (September 2018).
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*Translated A Cancer Therapy: Results of 50 Cases by Dr. Max Gerson into Japanese.
Written by: Nicole Ferrer-Clement
Post by: Kayla Szampruch & Nicole Ferrer-Clement