Do you think it’s normal to feel discomfort in your body?

Or do you recognize discomfort as your body’s attempt to communicate with you?

In this thought-provoking episode, I challenge the idea that our bodies betray us.

We’ll talk about how we've been conditioned to ignore discomfort, push through pain, and normalize symptoms like bloating, fatigue, inflammation, and poor sleep—until something more serious forces us to listen.

I’ll share my personal experiences and real-life stories—including the heartbreaking loss of my brother to a curable cancer—to illustrate why tuning into your body’s signals matters now, not later.

I’ll walk you through the challenges of behavior change, the role of chronic stress in disconnecting us from our own bodies, and how mindfulness can help us rebuild trust and awareness.

This episode isn’t just for breast cancer survivors—it’s for everyone who wants to live a more connected, healthy, and intentional life.

🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why people wait until illness to seek help (and what it’s costing them)
• How chronic stress numbs our ability to recognize body signals
• The psychology of behavior change and why we resist it
• Why your “normal” symptoms might actually be warning signs
• How to shift from blaming your body to supporting it with compassion

💬 Memorable Quote:

“Let’s drop the idea that our body betrays us—and start asking it what it’s trying to say.”

🧠 Scientific Research Cited:

1. Chronic Stress Reduces Interoceptive Awareness:
   “Stress and Interoception: An Overview and Research Agenda”
   Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2016
   📖 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2016.00569/full
2. Stages of Change and Behavior Change Readiness:
   “Stages and Processes of Self-Change of Smoking: Toward An Integrative Model of Change”
   Prochaska & DiClemente, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1983
   📖 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7077052/
3. Cancer Diagnosis Delays Due to Symptom Normalization:
   “Understanding delay in cancer diagnosis: a review of diagnostic pathways”
   Br J Cancer, 2009
   📖 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2946132/
4. Mindfulness and Interoception for Healing:
   “Mindfulness-Based Interventions and Interoception: A Neurobiological Perspective”
   NIH, 2016
   📖 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4824261/

🤝Work with Laura:

Subscribe, listen, and share to help other women embrace joy as their right and not just a reward.

💌 Join my email list for weekly wellness tips & podcast updates → The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach

👩‍💻 Follow me on Instagram for daily inspiration → @thebreastcancerrecoverycoach

👩‍💻 Follow me on Facebook → The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach

🎙 Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts → Better Than Before Breast Cancer with The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach

🎥 Watch on YouTube → @BetterThanBeforeBreastCancer

In this episode of the Better Than Before Breast Cancer podcast, we're diving into how common post-treatment medications—like Tamoxifen, Aromatase Inhibitors (Letrozole, Anastrozole, Exemestane), Herceptin, Fulvestrant, and Bisphosphonates (like Fosamax and Reclast)—can deplete critical nutrients your body needs to feel good and stay strong.

Have you ever wondered if the medications you're taking after breast cancer treatment could be affecting your energy, mood, or even your bone health? You're not imagining things.

You'll learn:

• Which nutrients are most commonly depleted by these medications (like magnesium, vitamin D, calcium, B12, and CoQ10)
• The symptoms that may be tied to nutrient deficiencies (think fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, and more)
• How some medications may increase cholesterol levels or raise your risk of fatty liver
• Why supporting your body with the right foods and lifestyle habits can make all the difference

Plus, I’ll share simple, whole-food nutrition strategies and daily lifestyle tips that can help you feel more energized, support your bones, balance your mood, and reduce long-term side effects—without adding overwhelm.

Whether you’re taking medications now or just want to be prepared, this episode is packed with practical, supportive guidance to help you stay nourished and in tune with your healing body.

Resources and Studies Mentioned:

Tamoxifen and Metabolic Risks

Aromatase Inhibitors and Bone Health

Bisphosphonates and Bone Metabolism

Fulvestrant and Bone Health

Herceptin and CoQ10 Support

Metformin and Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Subscribe, listen, and share to help other women embrace joy as their right and not just a reward.

💌 Join my email list for weekly wellness tips & podcast updates → The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach
👩‍💻 Follow me on Instagram for daily inspiration → @thebreastcancerrecoverycoach
🎙 Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts → Better Than Before Breast Cancer with The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach

Keywords:
breast cancer medications, tamoxifen nutrient depletion, aromatase inhibitor side effects, breast cancer bone health, post-treatment nutrition, breast cancer fatigue, Herceptin side effects, bisphosphonates and calcium, breast cancer recovery tips, managing cholesterol after cancer

Have you ever wondered why foods like bread or pasta don’t sit quite right with you anymore—even though you’ve never had a problem with gluten in the past?

In this episode of Better Than Before Breast Cancer, we explore how gluten, gut health, glyphosate, and mood are deeply connected—especially after breast cancer treatment.

You’ll learn:

• Why gluten can affect your gut and brain even without celiac disease
• The role of zonulin and leaky gut in inflammation and depression
• How breast cancer treatments like hormone therapy and aromatase inhibitors impact your gut
• What glyphosate is, how it’s used in wheat harvesting, and why it may make gluten harder to tolerate
• What the science says: two studies on gluten, gut health, and depression
• Simple steps to support your gut, reduce brain fog, and feel more like you again

This episode is for you if you’ve been feeling bloated, foggy, or emotionally off and want to understand how food, gut health, and healing work together after cancer.

Resources & Studies Mentioned:

Better Than Before Breast Cancer Life Coaching Membership

Meal plans

📚 Gluten intake and depression study (Nutrients, 2021)

📚 Glyphosate and gut microbiome disruption (Frontiers in Microbiology, 2020)

🎧 Tune in now and start feeling better from the inside out.

Listen on your favorite platform:
🎙 Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts → Better Than Before Breast Cancer with The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach

💌 Join my email list for weekly wellness tips & podcast updates → The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach

👩‍💻 Follow me on Instagram for daily inspiration → @thebreastcancerrecoverycoach

In this eye-opening episode of the Better Than Before Breast Cancer Podcast, host Laura Lummer dives into the powerful connection between your body’s natural rhythms and the timing of your meals. Have you ever noticed how aligned you feel when you live in sync with nature’s cycles? Drawing from Ayurveda—an ancient system of medicine from India—and contemporary scientific research, Laura reveals how understanding your body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm, can significantly enhance your health, especially after breast cancer.

What You’ll Discover in This Episode:

• A gentle introduction to Ayurveda and how this 5,000-year-old wisdom emphasizes living in harmony with Earth's natural cycles.
• Clear, practical explanations of circadian rhythm, metabolism, hormonal balance, and their critical roles in breast cancer recovery.
• How Ayurvedic principles align surprisingly well with modern Western nutritional science.
• The profound health benefits of aligning meal timing with daylight hours, including improved sleep, reduced inflammation, and optimized metabolism.
• Easy strategies to shift your eating patterns gently, starting with simple steps like adjusting dinner times.

Key Studies Referenced:

JAMA Oncology Study:
Catherine R. Marinac, Dorothy D. Sears, Lok-Hei Lam, Shirley W. Flatt, Loki Natarajan, Ruth E. Patterson; "Prolonged Nightly Fasting and Breast Cancer Prognosis."
JAMA Oncology, 2016; Read the full study here.

Cell Metabolism Study:
Emily N.C. Manoogian, Satchidananda Panda et al.; "Time-restricted eating improves cardiometabolic health in overweight individuals."
Cell Metabolism, 2019; Explore the study here.

Listen in to explore:

• How simple shifts in meal timing can powerfully support your body's natural detoxification pathways and hormonal balance.
• The Ayurvedic recommendations for ideal meal times and how they beautifully complement modern scientific guidelines.
• Ways to incorporate a loving, compassionate mindset toward food, meal timing, and your body's natural rhythm.

This episode encourages you to foster a nurturing, compassionate relationship with your body by syncing your daily habits with the earth's rhythms, creating lasting health and harmony after breast cancer.

Connect with Laura: Visit The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach for personalized metabolic health coaching, mindset transformation, and guidance specifically tailored for breast cancer survivors.

Enjoyed the episode?

Subscribe, leave a review, and share with friends who could benefit from this healing wisdom!

Have you ever caught yourself waiting for permission to be happy? Saying things like, "I'll relax after this stressful phase is over," or "I'll treat myself once I hit that goal"? You're not alone—so many of us delay joy, saving it like a precious prize to be earned later.

In this heartfelt episode, Laura invites you to explore the deeply-rooted mindset of treating happiness as something conditional rather than essential. She shares relatable examples—waiting for the stressful season at work to pass before taking a restful weekend, holding off on self-care until you reach your ideal weight, or delaying relaxation until all your tasks are complete.

Drawing from personal experiences navigating life after breast cancer, Laura gently reveals how postponing joy can negatively impact your emotional, mental, and even physical health. She encourages listeners to recognize that joy isn’t just a reward reserved for achieving milestones or good news—it's a fundamental right, a powerful tool for healing, and a crucial element of overall wellness.

Listen in as Laura offers practical ways to incorporate spontaneous joy into everyday life. Discover simple, nurturing activities that you can embrace immediately, like enjoying your morning tea, connecting with nature, or dancing freely in your kitchen.

Join us for an empowering conversation that will inspire you to shift your mindset, embrace happiness in the present moment, and fully integrate joy into your healing journey.

In this episode you'll learn:

• How childhood conditioning shapes our views of joy and reward
• Specific ways you might unknowingly be postponing happiness
• The tangible health benefits of regularly allowing joy into your life
• Easy, actionable ideas to experience spontaneous joy starting today

Remember, you deserve joy right now, not just after achieving certain goals. Tune in and start welcoming happiness as a vital part of your healthier, better-than-before life.

Subscribe, listen, and share to help other women embrace joy as their right and not just a reward.

💌 Join my email list for weekly wellness tips & podcast updates → The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach
👩‍💻 Follow me on Instagram for daily inspiration → @thebreastcancerrecoverycoach
🎙 Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts → Better Than Before Breast Cancer with The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach

Did you know that up to 90% of breast cancer survivors experience PTSD symptoms after diagnosis? Many women struggle with anxiety, emotional numbness, and hypervigilance long after treatment ends—but they often feel like they should be “over it” by now.

In today’s episode of Better Than Before Breast Cancer, I’m diving deep into:
✅ How common PTSD is after breast cancer (with real statistics and research)
✅ The hidden ways PTSD impacts your daily life, relationships, and physical health
✅ Why women resist emotional support and think they should "just handle it" alone
✅ How seeking help can actually improve both PTSD symptoms and long-term health
✅ Where to find professional, peer, and holistic support options

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, disconnected, or like you “should be doing better” after breast cancer, this episode is for you. You don’t have to figure this out alone. Healing is possible, and support is available.

Resources & Support Mentioned in This Episode:

🔹 Find a CBT or EMDR Therapist
🔹 Palouse Mindfulness (Free Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction)
🔹 Better Than Before Breast Cancer™ Life Coaching Membership

More Ways to Connect & Get Support:

💌 Join my email list for weekly wellness tips & podcast updates → The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach
👩‍💻 Follow me on Instagram for daily inspiration → @thebreastcancerrecoverycoach
🎙 Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts → Better Than Before Breast Cancer with The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with another survivor who needs to hear this message. Your healing matters. 💗