Podcast Episodes

Curcumin is what makes turmeric orange. It is also a very popular supplement. What does it do exactly? How should it be taken? How is it used in integrative oncology? Can you take it with chemo? Tina & Leah answer these questions and much more in this episode of The Cancer Pod. Want to support the show? Just buy us a coffee! Buymeacoffee and THANK YOU! Links we mentioned on this episode and other cool stuff: A review of the health benefits of Curcumin Foods Turmeric in cancer care Memorial-S...

Mushrooms are a valuable food and medicine, but which ones are best? Are they safe during treatment for cancer? What’s the proper dose? Do they really affect immune function? Tina & Leah discuss all of this and more from a practical- and as always-naturopathic perspective. The use of mushrooms dates back thousands of years. As a food, mushrooms add nutrients like vitamin D, B vitamins and even protein to your diet. As a medicine, all mushrooms contain components that help support proper immune ...

L-glutamine is a "conditionally essential" amino acid. What's that? Tune in & find out: what glutamine is, what it does, and when you shouldn't be taking it. Tina & Leah discuss generalities and then delve into specifics, particularly for those who have (or had!) cancer. Glutamine is one of those supplements that many people take…. willy-nilly. That’s a bad idea. There is a time and a place for glutamine supplementation. Listen in to find out more. Why is glutamine so tricky to use a...

Hair changes from treatment for cancer are common. Listen as Tina & Leah discuss what to expect, including which drugs lead to hair loss, how to reduce your risk, nutrients involved in hair regrowth, and ways to support hair recovery after treatment. Hair loss, also called alopecia, can be a challenging side effect for many people undergoing treatment. The loss of control, the cultural headwinds, the utter capitulation... It’s a private initiation into a club you never wanted to be part of. Lea...

Skin & nail changes can happen with chemotherapy, radiation, oral drugs, and immune-directed therapies for cancer. There are ways to lower your risk with natural agents and simple measures. Tune in to hear two naturopathic physicians, Tina & Leah, discuss what you can do. Changes to your nails and skin are more than merely aesthetic. If left untreated, they can be severe enough to prompt modifications in your treatment plan. Reducing your risk of developing skin and nail damaging side effects i...

Nerve damage from chemotherapy can lead to lingering effects after treatment. There are several natural agents that can help. But, some can actually make it worse too! Listen in while Tina & Leah discuss how to prevent chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and what to (safely) do if you already have it. Chemotherapy drugs are designed to be toxic to cancer cells but sometimes they are also toxic to your nervous system. This can have long-term consequences. Take heart, there are ways...

Can anything really be a “cure-all?” What a concept! There are things this 100-year-old herbal formula can do, and there are things it can't. Tina & Leah chat facts about Essiac & Flor-Essence teas. Herbal medicine, plant medicine, botanical medicine, whatever you like to call it, there’s evidence for its use dating back thousands of years. We love using medicinal plants for ourselves and our patients. The promise of a cure for cancer, however, needs to be looked at closely. Is it possible? Cou...

The terms “antioxidants” and “free radicals”- what do they mean exactly? Are antioxidants safe to take as a supplement? Tina & Leah tell you the truth, even if it is inconvenient. (Don’t blame the messengers!) Antioxidants only do good, right? The theory is that antioxidants prevent cancer by limiting damage in and around our cells. Truth: Foods high in antioxidant compounds are associated with less cancer (think plants!). BUT, does this mean that antioxidant supplements are a good idea? The tr...

Ketogenic diets are all the rage these days, but what is ketosis? Should you try to achieve it? If so, how? Tina & Leah talk facts about the ketogenic diet, what it is and what it isn’t. What does it mean to be in a state of ketosis? And, most importantly, does the ketogenic diet have anti-cancer effects? There are studies out there on the ketogenic diet in people with cancer, and we stick close to the data in these studies. There is plenty of theory around why a ketogenic diet should be usefu...

Vitamin C: so simple, so necessary... but what is it used for exactly? And what does deficiency look like? Is vitamin C deficiency linked to cancer incidence? Recurrence? Are there times when it should not be taken? Tina & Leah answer all of these questions and more! Vitamin C is vital to the production of collagen, immune cells, and energy from fats in our diet, to name just a few of its actions. Sometimes called ascorbic acid or ascorbate, vitamin C is a nutrient that you can get from various...

What exactly is collagen? Does it really support skin and joints? And, most pressing: IS IT SAFE to take (in general? if you've had cancer?) Tina and Leah answer all of this and more as they discuss one of the most popular functional foods available today. Did you know there are at least 28 different types of collagen in the human body? It is by far the most abundant protein in humans, accounting for about 30% of the total protein content in the body. Collagen is a "scaffolding" protein becaus...

Vitamin D may be the most pivotal nutrient in all of cancer care. Tina and Leah talk about this hormone masquerading as a “vitamin.” How much is ideal? Do you need to take it? Can you get what you need from the sun? Is it even safe to take? There is a tremendous amount of information on vitamin D and cancer, so there is a lot to sift through to figure out what is well-founded and what is hype. Tina and Leah discuss the data, their experiences with patients, and how you can optimize your levels....