Editor,

I just wanted to clarify what I said July 23 at the Windham Public Library during a lecture and book signing. Michael Hartwell wrote a nice article (July 27), but he erroneously used the work “cured” when he stated that I believed the macrobiotic diet (based on organic whole grains, beans, vegetables & sea vegetables) I followed had “cured” my breast cancer.

The word I actually used was “healed.” I believe that the diet is not a cure. I do believe that my diet and lifestyle changes were the largest part of my “healing.” In fact, I believe that I wouldn’t be here today, cancer-free and in vibrant health, had I not adopted this way of eating and changed my lifestyle.

Let me explain. Macrobiotics is not something you follow and the cancer goes away, such as when you take an antibiotic for an infection. This way of eating brings the body back into balance, enabling it to heal, and promoting health by strengthening the immune system with plant-based compounds that boost the immune and cancer-fighting forces in the body.

My body came back to a healthy state. And I feel that if I were to go back to my old way of eating and lifestyle, the cancer could reoccur. So, this is not a “cure,” per se. In macrobiotics, we believe that health is not a static state. We’re either moving away from it, or toward it. This way of eating has helped me move toward health and away from illness!

Meg Wolff

Author of “Becoming Whole: The Story of My Complete Recovery From Breast Cancer”

Cape Elizabeth