My Beautiful Life: How I Conquered Cancer Naturally Paperback – Illustrated, February 15, 2007

I read about this book through another amazon purchase: The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone. Both are inspiring books -- as a result I have become a vegan trying to follow a macrobiotic path for the past month. As a physician and a daughter of a breast cancer survivor, I'm very concerned about pursuing optimum health for my family's sake and for that of my patients. Although mainstream cancer treatment has made so much progress, especially in the area of childhood cancers, there are definitely things left to be desired. Mina's story really goes to show that the human body has the capacity to heal itself if given the optimum conditions and nourishment, which are, not surprisingly, found a in a way of life that get us back into a deep connection with nature. Mina's optimism, complete confidence in the macrobiotic treatment prescribed for her, and her family's support and devotion all played a role in her healing. In fact, I'm recommending this book to anyone I know who has cancer or other health problems.The first part of the book was a bit hard to get through -- quite a bit of melodrama, but the book gets better as Mina gets diagnosed with cancer, and even more so as she became cured. Fascinating read.

good book. It shares her story and shows how you can change your life even if you have nothing

I have bought 3 copies of this book, one to gift a friend, one to loan, and one to keep in the house for my own reference. Mina's story is well told and a huge amount of information is woven into the drama of her story. She had stage 4 ovarian cancer, and using macrobiotics all traces of her cancer are gone. She is, in 2014, an energetic leader in macrobiotics in the LA area. Macrobiotic practice is more than what you eat. It includes spiritual practices (meditation, gratitude, positive thinking, prayer, service, etc.), exercises (Do-In and walks outside), careful preparation and eating of delicious natural foods, order in ones home and life, study and ongoing learning, etc. I highly recommend this book to anyone with cancer or with a family member with cancer, and most especially for women with reproductive cancers.

Mina's cure is indeed inspirational, but I have been researching macrobiotics since reading her book and am quite alarmed to discover that Michio Kushi's wife and daughter both died of cancer, and Michio himself has had surgery for colon cancer. For a man who claimed to cure (and prevent) cancer this is quite shocking.In Mina's book she describes how excellent Kushi is at diagnosing disease etc. I am afraid I lost all belief in macrobiotics at this point.I read more about Kushi online and learned that he was not following a macrobiotic diet (and others said his wife wasn't either). As he preaches the positive effects of this wonderful, healthy way of life, surely he'd be on a macrobiotic diet if he truly believed in it. I gather George Ohsawa died at a relatively young age. What is going on here?!I read one review of this book that said Mina claimed she could cure someone of cancer. If this is true, and I am inclined to believe the reviewer, it is deeply worrying. No one can make such a claim.I recently read books on heart disease prevention and reversal. I was impressed with Drs Esselstyn and Ornish and note they follow their own advice. Likewise T. Colin Campbell who wrote the excellent China Study. These are the kind of men I trust!Mina's is also the most expensive Kindle book I have bought.

Mina Dobic is a testament to the strength of the human spirit. I have read this book several times and learn something every time I read.

Mina is truly inspiring. Because of her nook and a few others I now feel confident that I can release my stage 4 prostate condition.

I don't believe it. It did not work for me. Decent story though.

After reading Mina's book my husband and I were given a shred of understanding that had eluded us for 3.5 years. The warning that should be given is, do not attempt to do this plan without a qualified Macrobiotic teacher. Our do it yourself mentality added more conditions that did not exist before this journey began. We had danced around the edges of macrobiotics and struggled through the diet for his disease found in Michio Kushi's book. However, when it became clear we were in over our heads, we took a chance and called the number in the back of "My Beautiful Life".After a few weeks dealing with the financial enormity of traveling to Boston and studying for a week-long intensive course there, we realized it would be a matter of 'your money or your life' and our life was becoming the loser. Like the story Mina shared, my husband's family came to his rescue and sent him down there. He found a very vibrant 70 year old woman with a bright smile and confident demeaner. She discovered several conditions that had been overlooked or left as a mystery by the medical establishment. She diagnosed and then sent him home with internal and external remedies, a book of how to make these and a weekly menu to follow.I highly recommend Mina as the Premier expert of Macrobiotics, with the caveat that you help your patient by simplifying the schedule of drinks and plasters to put on the fridge (DAY, TIME, How Long, etc)and either dictate on recorder or laminate the menu in bullet point form for ease of flow. The menu was not user friendly, especially to a 71 year old man who had never cooked more than a steak in his life and was too ill to decipher the overload of information. It is important that the patient cook for themselves and the support team just hangs on for the ride. If there are questions, read them over, then ask in one phone call as she insists on fostering independence. Be sure to read the complete booklet and recommendations in the beginning so you know what to expect and where to find the impossible to find groceries.The good news is his condition drastically improved, most notably a tremor that had dogged him for 4 years disappearing in 2 weeks. Also recent blood work confirms that his Prostate Cancer (PSA)numbers are retreating which is also good news. Lastly, he has become more confident and has that feeling of value back that was lacking in retirement.