Back to Basics Naturally was established in 2006 by Dr. Mary Lou Sackett. In addition to being a retired Chiropractor after nearly 30 years in practice, she is a Certified Practitioner in Health and Healing through Nutrition, Exercise and Education through the Creative Health Institute and has over 6 years of training and experience.

In 2003, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Refusing chemo, radiation and mastectomy, she instead learned to make some major changes in her lifestyle which resulted in dropping over 50 pounds of excess weight and healing her health challenges! It is her sincere desire to present information to others who wish to improve their lives.

Classes, workshops and coaching are available. Also available are products and services to assist you in changing your lifestyle to one that is healthier and more uplifting. The bookstore is growing and will be open during workshops or by appointment. See also the 'products' tab for making purchases online!

From a radio interview on January 12, 2008:

"My name is Mary Lou Sackett. I am a retired chiropractor in southern Michigan.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2003. I agreed to have the original incisional biopsy, which determined breast cancer, but without a clear margin. I then agreed to a second surgery to remove the lump and to have a sentinel node biopsy. I was told that I had at least stage 2 breast cancer. The doctors wanted me to have radiation and a mastectomy, or radiation and chemotherapy.

Due to my natural health care background, I decided against their recommendation, knowing that I needed to assist in improving my immune system, not further weaken it. I also had a lot of fear due to the fact that my sister had died from cancer very quickly after her diagnosis just a year before.

A good friend of mine, a counselor, that I hadn't seen in about 9 years showed up at my door at this time and told me that her brother had healed his liver that had been nearly destroyed due to alcoholism. He drank wheat grass juice and used Dr. Ann Wigmore's live food lifestyle to save his life. She suggested I begin the next two-week program at Creative Health Institute in Union City, MI where I would learn Dr. Wigmore's raw living foods lifestyle and be able to drink wheat grass juice. This institute was founded by Donald Haughey and based on Dr. Ann Wigmore's center, which was then located in Boston, MA. This idea felt right to me as I knew that the nutritional needs of my body could be improved and I didn't really have enough knowledge at that time, so I enrolled immediately.

This lifestyle change was all that I did differently from my regular chiropractic care, getting enough rest and drinking plenty of pure water. I learned that an acidic body is a very sick body, so I began eating alkalizing foods, such as green leafy foods, fruits, some nuts and seeds. Everything we ate was organic, fresh, vegan and alive. By this I mean it was enzyme rich and not cooked. We also ate many blended foods, which are easy to digest and gives the body an opportunity to use its energy for cleansing and healing the body.

After completing the program, I came back about 6 weeks later to participate in CHI's three-month energy exchange program. This helped me really make the lifestyle changes easy for me. I have followed the program taught to me at CHI nearly 100% since. I had no idea at first if this would help my breast cancer or how much it would change my life, but in just a few month's time, many wonderful changes occurred!

In just a few months:

Shed excess fifty pounds easily
Complexion improved
Joint pains disappeared
Hair grew faster and improved color
Sleeping better
Went through menopause with NO symptoms!
No longer have chest pains or shortness of breath when climbing stairs or walking
Feel calmer, more peaceful
No more constipation (was severe)
No more cravings for coffee or sugar
Increased stamina
Skin tans more easily without burning (I am fair skinned & used to burn quickly)
Bees quit bothering me (I think they are attracted to an acid body)
I don't feel old anymore
And best of all, I had an AMAS cancer antibody test in August 2004 which was NORMAL. [http://www.oncolabinc.com/= a normal AMA level can occur in non-cancer, in terminal cancer, and in successfully treated cancer in which there is no further evidence of disease; clinical status must be used to distinguish these states.]

The bottom line is that nearly 5 years later I continue to be free of any health challenges other than an occasional stuffy nose. The only thing I did differently was to incorporate what I learned at the Creative Health Institute, which was founded by Donald Haughey about 35 years ago after he restored his health thanks to Dr. Ann Wigmore. They became good friends and she urged him to open this institute, which was then called Hippocrates MidWest. People have come from all over the world to C H I to detoxify and rejuvenate their bodies, to learn raw living food preparation or sometimes just for rest and relaxation after completing their two week program."

Now I am pleased to offer a condensed version of what I learned from this program and my own study. Please see "services" tab for more information. Another improvement that I would like to add to the above list is that my dental checkups have been great! I used to have cavities at nearly every checkup. I haven't had one in several years now!