Herbal Body Cleansing

At the same time, Cathey Hainer, a cancer patient says, she initiated a quest for effective nontraditional means to fight her cancer and counter the harmful effects of the chemo. Her brother and sister-in-law gave her a book called A Cancer Battle Plan, by Anne E. Frahm which planted the seed that herbal body cleansing could be one of her most powerful weapons. "The book was an eye-opener," she says. "It was the first time I ever encountered the thinking that what we ate affected our health." Of course, she was horrified to learn that her former eating habits--lots of junk food, cheese, ice cream, several cups of coffee a day plus a nightly glass of wine--were implicated by medical research as significant risk factors for cancer, especially of the breast.

This information led her to seek the help of a nutritionist and to undertake a complete dietary reversal. "I wasn't a big meat eater but I stopped eating it altogether," she says. "The nutritionist, whom I trusted because she was affiliated with an M.D., told me to keep fish and chicken to a bare minimum, gets off all alcohol, caffeine, dairy and processed foods and to curtail my wheat intake. Instead, I was to eat a diet full of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains and especially soy." In the past, Hainer had used soy only in milk form, but she started consuming tofu and soy powder three to four times a week. Her nutritional supplements were mostly antioxidants (vitamins A, C, E and the minerals selenium and zinc) and essential fatty acids (omega-3s).

Next she found a naturopathic doctor who supported her new diet but added enzyme supplements to the mix. A traditional Chinese doctor, recommended by a friend with breast cancer, began treating her with acupuncture and "the worst-tasting herbal teas in the world." She also started drinking Essiac tea (a decades-old herbal formulation adapted from Native Americans) and then did what for her was the most radical thing of all: She joined a support group, at Dr. James Gordon's Mind/Body Center in D.C. "Initially I was a little hesitant about exploring my feelings in a group of strangers," she admits. "But now I praise it to the skies. I cannot say enough good things about it. The meditation and guided imagery techniques I learned there gave me a positive outlook, which helped me maintain my self-esteem and sense of personal power."

All the while she was writing about her experience in USA Today. One day a reader sent her a tape from mind-body pioneer Bernie Siegel, M.D.; which taught her how to use mental imagery to visualize herself healthy. "The first time I heard his message of power, control and optimism, I cried," she recalls. "When you have cancer, you are petrified every waking moment. It's wonderful to hear that you are OK and that you can control your world."