My Beautiful Life: How Macrobiotics Brought Me from Cancer to Radiant Health

Along the way, Mina passed from cancer victim to cancer survivor, from patient to healer, from student to teacher. Born and having lived in former Yugoslavia for over 40 years, today she is one of the leading macrobiotic cooks and counselors on the West Coast of the USA, inspiring many others with her wisdom, love and compassion.

Thanks to the Dobics and many other families around the world, macrobiotics is beginning to enter the mainstream and influence the course of modern society.

Despite notable strides by the medical research community introducing newly developed therapies and medications, every 15 seconds someone is diagnosed with heart disease or cancer. At the turn of the century cancer affected one out of twenty-seven people. By 1950, the rate had leaped to one in eight; and by 1985, official estimates were that one out of three people would develop the disease.

If cancer continues increasing at this rate, by the year 2000, every other person could ultimately develop it. By the year 2020, cancer could strike four out of five people and, soon thereafter, virtually everyone!

This book tells how to recover from cancer and, better yet, how to prevent it through diet and a simple lifestyle. It explains the philosophy of living in balance with nature. It reminds us how we humans, with our emphasis on fixing things and arrogance of improving on nature, have brought ourselves and other species to the verge of extinction.

This book is about something which is missing in this present world. It is about love, about the real purpose of life which is to nurture and celebrate ourselves, other creatures, the earth, and the Universe which gave us life. It gives us hope for humankind and for the world.

For Mina, these pressures accumulated to the point that in 1987 she was diagnosed with fourth stage (terminal) ovarian cancer metastasized throughout her body. But this courageous woman was not about to surrender her life to outside influences.

Her spirit rebelled against doctors judging she had "two months to live". How could anyone else know the strength of her heart? Of her soul? How could they know the depth of her passion for life and desire to care for her family?

With the help of a doctor friend knowledgeable about the importance of a balanced and nourishing diet, Mina took matters into her own hands. Undergirded by the loving support of family and friends, she faithfully followed the instructions of Michio Kushi, a leading macrobiotic healer. In six months she was pronounced cancer-free!

I liked this book because it testifies to the miraculous healing powers of our human bodies and the Universe which created us. Her story assures us that cancer need not be a sentence of premature death. I found very helpful the details of her daily routine and recipes that restored her health. Reading it can help prevent cancer. It is a beautiful gift for anyone struggling to overcome this life-threatening disease.