Better Than Before Breast Cancer with The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach

• #406 The Surprising Truth About Behavior Change After Breast Cancer

  In this episode of Better Than Before Breast Cancer, Laura Lummer dives into the real—and often overlooked—challenges of making and maintaining lifestyle changes after a breast cancer diagnosis. Starting with a powerful quote from Lao Tzu, “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading,” Laura reflects on the emotional weight, conditioned beliefs, and survival instincts that make behavior change both essential and incredibly difficult.  Whether you’ve felt stuck in old habits or overwhelmed by the pressure to be “perfectly healthy,” this episode offers a refreshing and compassionate perspective. Laura shares scientific research, personal stories, and practical strategies to help you make lasting, loving changes that align with your true values—not fear.    What You’ll Learn in This Episode:  Why trauma and resistance often block behavior change after breast cancer  How conditioned thinking and emotional fatigue affect your motivation  The two extremes: falling back into old habits or going “all in” out of fear  The surprising science on why a diagnosis alone isn’t enough to change behavior  How to set meaningful, manageable goals without stress or shame  The importance of self-compassion and social support in sustainable change  How fear-based “health perfectionism” may actually harm your peace    Powerful Quotes:  💬 “We’re more defined by what we do consistently than by being perfect.” 💬 “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.” – Lao Tzu 💬 “Self-compassion may buffer against self-criticism and promote resilience in the face of setbacks.” – Health Psychology Journal    Mentioned Research:  Cancer survivors and behavior change – Cancer Medicine  Review of long-term health behavior after cancer – British Journal of Cancer  Exercise and survivor well-being – National Institutes of Health  Social support and sustained behavior – International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity  Physical activity’s impact on recurrence – IJBNPA  Cancer fear and emotional distress – Psycho-Oncology  Self-compassion and resilience – Health Psychology      Resources & Support:  👉 Ready to make changes that feel aligned, intuitive, and supportive? Explore personalized coaching, life-changing lessons, and a powerful community of breast cancer survivors inside the Better Than Before Breast Cancer Life Coaching Membership.  👉 Grab a free download, meal plan, or join the waitlist for metabolic health coaching at thebreastcancerrecoverycoach.com    Listen Now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favorite shows.  Don't forget to rate, review, and share with a fellow survivor who might need this loving reminder today.   

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• #405 Is Gluten Affecting Your Gut and Mood After Breast 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

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• #404 Sync Your Meals, Heal Your Body - Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science

  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!  

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• #403 Holding Happiness Hostage After Breast Cancer

  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

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• #402 Breast Cancer & PTSD - Why Support is Key to Healing

  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. 💗

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