Every human being is the author of his own health, -an old Buddhist saying.

It began in August 2005, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The tumor was located toward the back of the breast close to the chest wall. My best option was to have the breast removed. The day before the surgery was scheduled, the surgeon called.

"Your pre-opt tests came back," he said. "Your liver enzymes are about three times higher than normal."

"What are liver enzymes?" I asked.

"Liver enzymes let us know how healthy the liver is," he explained. "You're not taking any medication that would affect the liver so we better find out what's going on. Surgery is on hold until we run some tests."

On hold. This malignancy was growing inside me and I was on hold. The tests were inconclusive. The CAT scan, ultrasound, hepatitis tests, and iron absorption test offered no answers.

"The surgery is still risky," the surgeon warned. "Surgery could make your liver worse."

At this stage I was more worried about the cancer than the liver, so I told him, "I'll take my chances."

Three days later I had the mastectomy. The cancer didn't appear to have spread to my lymph nodes. This good news was short-lived when we decided I would not undergo any further cancer treatment because of my unhealthy liver.

Every three months for the next year I took liver function tests. The results were always the same: the liver enzymes were three times higher than normal. But I was not idle during this year. I read hundreds of medical journals, poured through hundreds of medical studies, and read dozens of books on nutrition and soil depletion. When my doctor wanted to begin treatment for my liver, I decided to put my research to work. I became my own guinea pig.

"I'm going to take six months," I told him, "and then I'll be back."

The liver, I discovered, removes toxic substances from the body, produces most of the body's cholesterol, and acts as a storage unit for vitamins A, D, K, and B12. The liver enzymes show how well the liver is functioning and, obviously, mine wasn't functioning too well. With research notes in hand, I developed a plan of action. For the storage unit, I stopped the daily vitamin and mineral supplements that I had taken for years, to prevent overdosing. For the toxic substances and cholesterol, I switched to organic foods and olive oil for cooking and baking. I stuck to this plan for six months. After the six months passed, I called my doctor to arrange tests.

Two weeks later I sat in the doctor's office. He walked in with a puzzled expression.

"Well?" I asked.

"Your tests are normal." He acted surprised. "Actually, they are better than normal. Your liver enzymes are below normal. Your overall cholesterol dropped forty points. Your good cholesterol went up forty points. Even your bad cholesterol dropped a few points. What did you do?"