Q: Your new book combines the science of your successful Somersize weight loss program with cutting-edge information on bioidentical hormone replacement information for women and men. What led you to make this connection for an optimal health plan?

Suzanne: I first the discovered the imbalance in my own body. I was eating properly—the Somersize way—and exercising daily and yet 10 pounds kept hanging around. Eating less made no difference. I knew from writing my other books that insulin is the fat-storing hormone and that if one hormone is off, then all our hormones are off. At this same time, I started hearing from menopausal women on my website that they were experiencing the same problem. That's when I made the connection. Aha! It wasn't about what I was and was not eating but about the fact that my hormones were running amuck. Anyone, male or female, losing hormones due to stress or aging will find that losing weight becomes impossible. Eating correctly will moderate the weight gain, but we can’t get to our ideal weight without the combination of replacing the hormones we have lost with bioidentical (real) hormones, exercise, and proper eating. Of course, I believe Somersizing is the most enjoyable and sensible way to eat.

Q: Another topic you address in Slim and Sexy Forever is the dangerous cellular damage that can be caused by no-carb and too-low-carb diets. What do people need to know about this?

Suzanne: Every cell in our bodies requires protein, fat, and carbohydrates to reproduce. Going too low in carbohydrates for too long will cause cellular damage. Remember, the definition of cancer is the reproduction of abnormal cells, so you want to eat correctly to avoid the diseases that accompany abnormal cell reproduction. A decrease in carbohydrates also creates an imbalance in your levels of serotonin, the feel-good hormone. This causes cravings for carbohydrates, sugar, and caffeine, the very foods that will destroy your progress toward a slim figure, a healthy metabolism, and balanced hormones.

Q: What is your philosophy of health and nutrition?

Suzanne: Stated simply, it is years of good eating equal good health down the line. The most important thing I can say is, “Eat real food.” It is amazing how many Americans rarely eat real food—fresh fruits and vegetables, for example. In the poorer sections of this country, people do not have access to quality food. The only market might be adjacent to a gas station. The second tragedy is ignorance - when those who can afford to eat quality food don't make the connection between good health and good food. What kind of nutrition comes from food products laden with chemicals, preservatives, trans fats, and hydrogenated oils? The brain doesn't get nourishment, nor do the bones, joints, or major organs. This kind of diet carries a big price that will come due later in life. We wonder about the obesity and diabetes crises in this country. What do we expect when the 'fuel' we are giving these amazing houses we live in—our bodies—is unhealthy?

Q: How did your knowledge of natural bioidentical hormones and nutrition affect the treatment in your recent battle with breast cancer?

Suzanne: It was a difficult decision to go against the advice of my doctors, all of whom I love, but I was luckier than most women in that I had a vast knowledge of the importance of hormonal balance. Western medicine's standard of care advocates destroying, meaning disrupting hormone balance, surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and Tamoxifen, a hormone ablation drug that chemically keeps your body from producing hormones, the internal faucets of youth and health. Indeed, lately, reports have come out on the harmful effects of this powerful drug.

I chose, on my own, to build-up, continuing to take my life-giving bioidentical hormones. Instead of chemotherapy, I chose an anthroproscopic medicine called Iscador; a non-drug mistletoe extract that has been used since ancient times as a healing potion. The theory is that it so strengthens your immune system that you become invulnerable to disease. I refused Tamoxifen because of the statistics that I uncovered in my research; a 10% better chance that cancer would not reoccur, but a 40% increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and pulmonary embolism.

The Western medicine I did follow was surgery to remove the tumor along with lymph nodes, and I had six weeks of radiation. In retrospect, considering the internal damage done to me during radiation, and the complete debilitation of my body during those long, dreadfully sick weeks, if confronted with cancer again, I would also refuse radiation. By choosing to build-up, I am enjoying superb health and hormonal balance, my soul is intact, my body is working beautifully, I am happy and at this moment, cancer-free.

By the way, I do not advise anyone to do as I did. I am simply relaying my experience as an option to consider. I tell my story to empower others to look into other treatments. For me, it was the best decision of my life.

Q: This spring marks your fifth year NED—no evidence of disease—following breast cancer. Have you found that this anniversary has re-energized your life?

Suzanne: I do feel energized, because I did it my way and for me it was the right way. Cancer has been a great learning experience. It taught me that I have courage, and how much I am loved. It is a beautiful and joyous experience to know that you have made an impact on the people who mean the most. In addition, the outpouring of love and prayers from people around the globe has been overwhelming. There are many blessings with cancer if you choose to look for them. The first gift I am experiencing at reaching this five-year mark is that I can now let go of the worry. I look forward to my long healthy happy life ahead of me.

Slim and Sexy Forever, by Suzanne Somers is available at major booksellers everywhere.