HealthyRetired · My Story · Personal recollections of Healthy Retired

In my late twenties, I met Rik Vermuyten, a macrobiotic teacher and counsellor with a background in clinical chemistry and acupuncture. Through his counselling, lectures and workshops, he shared an approach to health that brought together food, daily life and traditional ways of observing the body.

I attended his training seminars on diagnosis in Traditional Chinese Medicine. A whole new world opened up for me.

Looking more closely

My earlier macrobiotic training had introduced me to another way of cooking and living. These seminars added another dimension: learning to pay closer attention to myself.

I learned about observing body language, looking at my stool, studying my face and examining the palm of my hand. Within the traditional framework we were being taught, these observations were interpreted as clues about a person's condition.

For me, the experience was fascinating. My body became something I could observe more carefully, rather than something I took for granted until I felt unwell.

Even a visit to the toilet became an opportunity to pay attention. Not the most glamorous classroom, perhaps, but certainly a personal one!

Food became part of the conversation

The seminars also explored how changes in food could influence health. This connected naturally with what I had already learned through macrobiotics.

I began to look more closely at the relationship between what I ate and how I felt. I was learning to notice my body's responses and to consider whether changing my food might help me feel better.

This was an important step in my journey. Food was becoming more than a set of rules from a book: it was something I could explore through my own experience.

Observation and diagnosis

Today, I distinguish between noticing a change and knowing its cause. Observing my body can help me recognise that something is different, but the appearance of my face or the lines in my palm cannot reliably establish how an internal organ is functioning.

The traditional interpretations I learned belong to that system of medicine. I describe them here because they were part of my education and had a real influence on me, rather than as instructions for readers to diagnose themselves.

A persistent or worrying change deserves a qualified medical assessment. Personal observation and professional care can both have a place in looking after ourselves.

Another step towards MY Biotics

Looking back, meeting Rik Vermuyten added something valuable to my life: a stronger interest in understanding my own body.

The seminar in Lisieux had helped change how I ate. These later seminars helped change how I observed myself.

Over the years, I became more flexible in my approach. My teachers gave me ideas to explore, while my own experience helped shape what I kept. This became another step towards what I now jokingly call MY Biotics.

That curiosity is still with me today—and it is one of the reasons I started HealthyRetired.

A note for readers: This is my personal story, not a guide to diagnosing illness. Before changing your diet based on this website, consult your doctor or another qualified health practitioner, especially if you have a medical condition or take medication.

Background source: Rik Vermuyten's teacher biography at Macrobiotics International, checked on 11 October 2026. This supports the brief description of his training and teaching work; the account of attending his seminars is my own recollection.