How can I improve my health after cancer?

I was 32. Happy, fit, successful and socialising lots. But on the eve of my birthday, I got Triple Negative Breast cancer.  My body had been giving me signs it was rundown, but I kept going. 15 months later (11 months chemotherapy, surgery and 28 rounds of radiation), I wasn’t cured and had a high chance of my cancer returning. I needed to change. 

I’ve changed my entire life since cancer, but there's lots I wish I knew before getting it. What I could eat to nourish my body, how toxic stress was, how to navigate relationships when I felt exhausted, how to work without burnout, slow my busy lifestyle and respect my body. 

Now, I help women make simple changes that are right for them during or after treatment. In my Cancer Recovery Program, we work on physical and mental well-being, introducing simple habits that improve their health across nutrition, exercise, stress-management, relationships, career, and mindset.

I don’t want women to live with constant worry of their cancer coming back or put their life on hold. They’ve been through hell and deserve a long, fulfilling life. I designed my Cancer Recovery Program to help women like me shortcut the changes they can make to improve their health after cancer. 

Stress

I knew my life was stressful and I wasn’t good at regulating my reaction to stress. I knew I thrived on adrenaline. I felt exhausted when I stopped so why bother? Because I learned adrenaline is stress, and stress causes disease.

I was rushing from waking until sleep, so I decided to start my day slow. I rose an hour early each morning and used that time to say affirmations, meditate, eat slowly in the sun, set my priorities, and allow time to ‘get ready’ for work. I started infra-red saunas for downtime and detoxification. It doesn’t matter what you choose, just aim to start calm and in control.

I focused on rest. Not just downtime through the day, but the quality of rest at night. I didn’t realise how important sleep was. Deep sleep enables melatonin to be released, which drops body temperature and allows our immune system to search, destroy and repair our body. It’s the only time our gut can clean itself as it’s constantly digesting through the day. Our brain needs that time to sort and store memories. That it’s the only chance for our muscles, cells, and organs to repair after they’ve been at it all day.

I started cherishing my sleep, not resenting it. I formed good habits that enabled better deep sleep, because I needed my magical immune system to function at it’s best! I got an eye mask and earplugs, turned off the home Wi-Fi, put my phone in a separate room, went to bed by 9:30pm, and took melatonin to help my body into the deep sleep it needed after cancer treatment.

I learnt about nutrition

My oncologist suggested a Mediterranean diet was likely the best to follow for cancer prevention and I admit, my interpretation of Mediterranean (pizza, pasta, meat and cheese), wasn’t what she meant. When I studied health and nutrition coaching, I learnt that whole-foods and plants reduce inflammation, the root cause of many chronic diseases including cancer. I had no idea that ‘plants’ includes more than veggies. In fact, it’s veggies, fruits, wholegrains, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes. I wasn’t packing my diet with this pre-cancer, but they are the basis of my diet now. It doesn’t mean I don’t ever eat meat, eggs or dairy. I just mostly eat wholegrains, beans, legumes and veggies to beef up my meals these days. The other reason to eat a diet packed with whole plant foods is that we need lots of fibre for cancer prevention, and fibre only naturally occurs in plants.

I reduced alcohol, then stopped entirely

I loved to drink, even as a runner. What I didn’t realise was how much alcohol increases cancer risk. In fact, when I asked my medical oncologist what I could do to stop my cancer returning? Limit alcohol or don’t drink at all. What does limit mean exactly? 1 std drink a day for women with a maximum 10 per week. To be clear, a glass of wine is about 1.3 std drinks. When it comes to breast cancer and five other types of cancer, your risk increases significantly based on light to moderate drinking. With tasty non-alcohol alternatives plus the additional benefits of better sleep, weight-loss and less regretful behaviour, it wasn’t hard to make the change. 3 years on, I have 1-2 standard drinks per month. If I can do it, anyone can!

I worked on my self-love and limiting beliefs

This plays a major role in how I help clients. I knew I’d had traumatic things happen in life, so it seemed feasible I might be carrying those around in my cells. I uncovered my limiting beliefs and have been working on those since. For me, these were ‘people pleasing’ and ‘not being enough’. I had no idea these beliefs had been running the show. Making me work harder, faster, better. Not being able to say no. Going to social occasions despite feeling exhausted. Never really doing what I truly wanted to do. Never receiving compliments because I didn’t deserve them. Of all the changes I’ve made since cancer, uncovering my limiting beliefs has been the game-changer. Without this crucial work, I wouldn’t have become a health coach that can help you!

I did a relationship cleanout

You must have experienced this, whether you’re a people pleaser or not. No doubt you had people you wouldn’t expect reaching out asking how they could help, and people you expected to step up, not step up. There was something powerful that happened during my treatment that continues to this day. I got clear on who I want to spend time with. Who lifts me up and who drains me. Who is good in a particular mood versus others. Who I can be honest with. How to communicate what I feel like doing, wanted to talk about or not talk about. I learnt how to say no. Which out of everything, was the most invigorating.

I returned to work with boundaries and purpose

I continued to work through treatment, so it wasn’t a complete ‘return to work’, but it did feel like that. I needed a reset at work too. I reduced my hours and moved into a  new team to start fresh. I organised days off before and after regular scans to enable me to be in the right frame of mind. I asked to change projects when they felt too toxic or overwhelming.

When I re-gained my strength and energy, I used my day off to study health and nutrition coaching. Then slowly, I worked with my employer to allow me to transition out of corporate work and into my own business. It took guts, determination, and some seriously clear boundaries, but they were very supportive once I was honest about what I needed.

Now, I help women tackle their transition back to work. Most employers want to help their employees back to health, but they may not be sure what you need. Together, we uncover what you need, and how you can communicate that back to your workplace.

Let me help you!

In case you’ve missed it, cancer changed me. Or maybe it just helped me become who I’ve always meant to be. I became an integrated nutrition health coach to help women take control of their health after cancer. My Own Your Chemo Session and Cancer Recovery Program gives women tools and support to make healthy changes before, during or after cancer. I’ve been where you are, and I’d love to help you change your life!