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Bethanne Patrick: So you're concerned that people don't get enough information about alternative medicine and other ways of healing. You are also a medical intuitive. What does that mean?

Diane Ladd: That means using your intuitions to see what's going on inside yourself, to know yourself and other human beings, to feel, to pick up the energy. Energy is living matter. Today, there are many new books out about energy. About things we've known and studied for the last 25 years, and these books are coming out right and left -- you cannot keep a good man down. The truth is coming out now, in every profession, law, politics, show business, medicine, and it's time for more hugs and more truth. It's time to kick a little dirt, as I say in my book. And the thing about the book is I also talk about my father and things he taught me -- my daddy was a veterinarian.

Bethanne Patrick: Ah, very interesting.

Diane Ladd: In the rural areas of Mississippi. And I'm not related at all to Alan Ladd. They're a great family -- I'm not related to them. I am related to Tennessee Williams.

Bethanne Patrick: Oh my goodness, now that's a great ancestor to have.

Diane Ladd: But the book is funny. I do share wonderful stories about very precious friends like Johnny Cash and Jim Carter-Cash, Rock Hudson, these are some wonderful stories that happened and I'm allowed to share these stories with you.

Bethanne Patrick: And are these stories related?

Diane Ladd: Yes, indeed they are. The autobiographical part of this book has entirely to do with experiences of balancing the human body.

Bethanne Patrick: If someone is shy or nervous about alternative medicine because they don't know much about it or they've never heard about it or someone's told them, "Oh, you don't want to try that. That's not good for you." How would you introduce them to the topic and what would you suggest they do?

Diane Ladd: Well, first of all, the word itself is a confusing. Today we're calling alternative medicine complimentary medicine. Remember, we're still a young country. In Chin, their complimentary medicine is their traditional medicine.

Bethanne Patrick: That's a very good point.

Diane Ladd: They're complimentary medicine is our traditional medicine. And, let me say, I certainly don't believe in throwing out the baby with the bath water. I believe in traditional medicine. I do not believe in taking something that can hurt me, unless I'm dying. What I don't understand is that there are supposedly cures for cancer that other countries are allowing to be sold and used. Yet our country, the AMA and the FDA, they're not allowing certain things. Why? They're allowing drug companies to sell pharmaceutical drugs that have horrible side effects.

Bethanne Patrick: What's the most important thing?

Diane Ladd: We are aware today how many cells our bodies are composed of. Some people I've read, 70 trillion, some 100 trillion, some say 30 trillion. I don't know that science can count every single cell but I know that we are an amazing machine. All these cells are serving my body and everyday the divine essence in me is running this machine. So it is important that the air I breathe is clean; it's important that I get fresh water; it's important that I get anger out of me because anger sets off free radicals. It's important that I try to keep my machine well-oiled and beautiful.

Bethanne Patrick: Well it is a beautiful running machine and we have to say, you're very important in all the things that you've done, but I have to just mention to our listeners that Time magazine called you one of the top 10 actresses not only in this country but in the whole world. That's a very big accolade and you also have another big accolade in your life which is your beautiful daughter, Laura Dern. You're the only mother-daughter pair that ever has won Academy awards in the same year.

Diane Ladd: We were nominated, unfortunately we did not win, but we were both privileged to be nominated together. There are three mothers and daughters teams that have been nominated. We were the first ones ever, and still are, to be nominated for the same film in the same year. And the late Princess Diana had chosen that movie, Ramblin Rose, the world premiere, and flew us to London and gave us a party in our honor. For this country girl that was an incredible, incredible accolade. When you read the book, you will see that meant more to me than I could ever possibly tell you.

Bethanne Patrick: I cannot recommend this enough. There is so much in this book as the blurbs will tell you and as you'll see when you read it. There are sections called 'How I helped myself,' 'How You Can Help Yourself,' 'Miracles,' and then 'Fate, Love and the Future.' Is there anything about this book that you want to say but you've not yet been able to say?

Diane Ladd: Yes. I do not give advice. I just share suggestions from experiences that I have personally lived.

Bethanne Patrick: That's very, very important to hear.

Diane Ladd: That's what we can do in life. When we hold the door open for somebody walking behind us and we give them a smile instead of a rude slap by letting the door slam. We're spreading a valuable treasure of a diamond called positive energy. And you know, a diamond's nothing but a by god piece of coal stuck to its job. If we stick to our job within ourselves, then we can flourish the diamond part of us. And we have to do it not only for ourselves but for the next generation. We have to find the humanity within us. I say in my dedication, "let the children of this world stand on our shoulders, in the hopes that perhaps they will see further than we have and then maybe this human race will really become humane." That's my hope.