Believe Big Podcast

Think blood sugar only matters if you have diabetes? Think again.  

Ivelisse welcomes oncology nutrition consultant Jen Nolan of Remission Nutrition to unpack how blood sugar balance quietly shapes your energy, mood, sleep, cravings, and long-term metabolic health.

If you've ever hit an afternoon slump, battled brain fog, or found yourself reaching for snacks you didn't really want, Jen explains what your body may be trying to tell you, along with a few surprising signs that are easy to miss. She and Ivelisse explore the "orchestra" of hormones that work alongside blood sugar, why this conversation matters especially after menopause or hysterectomy, and how cancer treatment, steroids, and stress can throw things off balance.

Best of all, Jen shares simple, doable strategies you can start today, from a breakfast swap and the order you eat your food to an easy movement trick you can do without leaving your chair. Her message is full of grace: small, sustainable changes add up.

Tune in for practical wisdom that can help you feel more energized, sleep better, and take back control of your cravings. Plus, hear details about the upcoming Believe Big Integrative Health Symposium in Towson, Maryland!

Learn more about Jen Nolan here.

Suggested Resources

• Remission Nutrition
• Remission Nutrition - Blog
• Nutrition Genome
• Believe Big Podcast, Episode #36, Jen Nolan - Tips to Handle Treatments & Make Them More Effective

Your donations power our podcast's mission to support cancer patients with hope, insights, and resources. Every contribution fuels our ability to uplift and empower. Join us in making a lasting impact. Donate now! 🌟

In this latest release of the Believe Big podcast, Ivelisse sits down with Jason Jacobi, whose son Luca was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of two after a sudden episode on a normal, summer day.

Jason recounts the shock of that diagnosis and how his family's Christian faith carried them through it. He shares why they chose to pursue integrative therapies alongside chemotherapy, plus a favorite health tip along the way. 

The conversation also touches on the emotional and financial toll of a pediatric cancer diagnosis, and the community that showed up to help. It's a candid look at faith, family, and finding support in the hardest moments.

Suggested Resources:

• Luca's Believe Big Video
• Believe Big Website
• "I Have Cancer, Now What?" - Video
• Additional Pediatric Cancer resources
  
  

Your donations power our podcast's mission to support cancer patients with hope, insights, and resources. Every contribution fuels our ability to uplift and empower. Join us in making a lasting impact. Donate now! 🌟

This episode kicks off Season 5 of the Believe Big podcast, and Ivelisse  welcomes back Dr. Lucas Tims of Root Causes Medical Clinic to untangle the confusing world of cancer testing.

 Dr. Tims unpacks chemosensitivity tests like RGCC and Datar/OncoStat, including real criticisms around consistency and a key blind spot: lab dishes can't recreate the body's tumor microenvironment, so immune-modulating therapies like mistletoe or IV vitamin C can look ineffective even when they're not. 

He explains where these tests still shine, especially for narrowing down later-line chemo or targeted options. He then draws a clear line between monitoring and treatment selection: Signatera tracks ctDNA/MRD after surgery to watch for recurrence, while Tempus profiles tumor genomics to surface druggable targets like PD-L1 for immunotherapy. He also introduces Astron Health as a second-opinion, tumor-board-style review, and Celcuity for pinpointing true driver pathways, with relevance reaching beyond solid tumors into blood cancers. 

Throughout, Dr. Tims returns to one grounding principle: no single test tells the whole story. He encourages listeners to work with their clinicians and pair tumor testing with integrative "terrain" testing, inflammation, immune function, toxins, hormones, gut health, and stress, for the fullest picture of their cancer.

Learn more about Dr. Lucas Tims and Root Causes Medical Clinic here.
Substack: rootcauses.substack.com
The SEED Program White Papers >

Suggested Resources:

• BOOK:  The Metabolic Approach to Cancer by Dr. Nasha Winters and Jess Higgins Kelley
• About RGCC Cancer Testing and Oncostat
• Datar Cancer Genetics website, home page
• Signatera
• Tempus
• Astron Health
  
  

Your donations power our podcast's mission to support cancer patients with hope, insights, and resources. Every contribution fuels our ability to uplift and empower. Join us in making a lasting impact. Donate now! 🌟

This is our last Summer Replay Episode.  Join Ivelisse as she welcomes Pastors Jason and Lindsay Swain to discuss the transformational power of lament and how it supports healing, resilience, and hope, especially for those facing cancer or loss. 

They share favorite health tips centered on exercise, community, and life-giving hobbies, and explain why Jason paused a church series to teach “The Grace of Lament” after the 20th birthday of their daughter Summer, who died suddenly 20 years ago. 

The Swains describe grief as messy, unpredictable, and a long-term ebb and flow that time may lessen but not heal, emphasizing Jesus as healer and the need for safe guides, counseling, friends, and intentional space to feel. 

They advise others to avoid “Christianese,” not rush grief, show practical help without waiting to be asked, and use lament psalms to bring honest sorrow and hope to God.

 Don’t miss this important episode and take time to make lament part of your faith in healing.

Connect with Jason and Lindsay Swain at Two Rivers Church:
https://tworiverschurchfc.com/

Suggested Resource Links:

• Two Rivers Church - About page
• Jason's Lament sermon series
• Believe Big podcast with Kim Hamer:  100 Acts of Love

Your donations power our podcast's mission to support cancer patients with hope, insights, and resources. Every contribution fuels our ability to uplift and empower. Join us in making a lasting impact. Donate now! 🌟

What if everything you thought you knew about cancer diagnosis was wrong? 

Dr. Tom Cowan joins Ivelisse in this Summer Replay episode from 2024 to challenge the conventional story, suggesting cancer isn't a rogue cell gone wild, but the body's clever way of "bagging up" toxins, fear, and old beliefs it hasn't been able to release. 

He walks through how fasting, saunas, mistletoe, and even shifting your thoughts can help your body let go of that load, while pushing back on how much weight we give to screenings and tumor markers. 

It's a conversation that gently asks you to question everything, including the fear that so often drives our choices. Whether or not you agree with every point, it's the kind of perspective-shifting conversation that reminds us how much power we have in our own healing story.

To learn more about Dr. Tom Cowan, visit his website at
http://drtomcowan.com

Suggested Resources:

• BOOK:  The Contagion Myth by Dr. Tom Cowan
• BOOK:  Cancer and the New Biology of Water by Dr. Tom Cowan
• BOOK:  Human Heart, Cosmic Heart by Dr. Tom Cowan
• BOOK:  Radical Hope by Dr. Kelly Turner
• Dr. Cowan's Garden
• The New Biology Clinic
• The New Biology Curriculum
• PubMed

Your donations power our podcast's mission to support cancer patients with hope, insights, and resources. Every contribution fuels our ability to uplift and empower. Join us in making a lasting impact. Donate now! 🌟

Discover the Power of Herbal Medicine in Cancer Care with Petra Sovcov

Join host Ivelisse Page on the Believe Big podcast as she welcomes Petra Sovcov, a clinical herbal therapist and Doctor of Natural Medicine based in Vancouver, BC. 

Founder of Healing House Natural Wellness, Petra brings decades of experience helping patients with chronic inflammatory conditions, including cancer and autoimmune diseases. In this enlightening episode, Petra shares practical, science-backed insights on how herbal remedies can complement conventional care to support detoxification, emotional health, and mental clarity.

Petra discusses:

• Why it’s vital to slow down and make informed decisions in a health crisis
• How to source high-quality herbs and read product labels wisely
• Which herbs are most effective for detox and emotional balance
• How herbal tinctures can enhance treatment outcomes

Whether you're a patient, caregiver, or health advocate, this episode is full of actionable tips to naturally strengthen your healing journey. 

Learn more about Petra Sovcov at Healing House Natural Wellness

Suggested Resource Links:

• Petra's Blog
• Institute of Holistic Nutrition - online
• Wild Rose College of Herbal Medicine
• Herbalists Without Borders
• BC Herbalist Association
• Canadian Council of Herbalist Associations
• American Herbalist Guild
• American Herbal Pharmacopia

Your donations power our podcast's mission to support cancer patients with hope, insights, and resources. Every contribution fuels our ability to uplift and empower. Join us in making a lasting impact. Donate now! 🌟

In this episode of the Believe Big podcast, Ivelisse welcomes Dr. Lucas Tims from Root Causes Medical Clinic for an engaging conversation about the emerging use of Ivermectin in cancer therapy. Together, they explore Ivermectin’s historical use, safety profile, and its promising potential as a repurposed, supportive treatment in integrative cancer care.

Dr. Tims emphasizes the importance of personalized treatment plans developed alongside experienced integrative practitioners. The episode also dives into the real-world challenges of integrating Ivermectin into conventional protocols and how to navigate conversations with your care team.

Whether you're a patient, caregiver, or healthcare professional, this episode offers an insightful look into the evolving landscape of cancer care and how combining conventional and complementary approaches may offer more options, and more hope, than ever before.

Learn more about Dr. Lucas Tims here:  Root Causes - Providers

Suggested Resources:

• Root Causes Medical Clinic
• BLOG: Root Causes Knowledge
• Believe Big Podcast, episode #10 - IVC in the Cancer Arena with Dr. Lucas Tims
• Believe Big Podcast, episode #53 - Sugar and Its Role in Cancer Cells with Dr. Lucas Tims
• Believe Big - Key Questions to Ask Your Oncologist 

Your donations power our podcast's mission to support cancer patients with hope, insights, and resources. Every contribution fuels our ability to uplift and empower. Join us in making a lasting impact. Donate now! 🌟

This week we're throwing back to a powerful conversation between Ivelisse and Megan Van Zyl, founder and CEO of Cancer Peace University. 

Megan dives into healing cancer from every angle, physical, emotional, and spiritual, starting with her favorite health tip: connecting lifestyle change to a deeper sense of purpose. She unpacks immune "anergy," chronic infections like H. pylori and hepatitis, toxins, parasites, and the often-overlooked links between thyroid health, mitochondrial function, and oxygen deficiency in cancer. Megan also walks through detox roadblocks like slow methylation, MTHFR issues, lymph stagnation, and liver backup, sharing practical tools like dry brushing, rebounding, coffee enemas, and infrared saunas, plus the role of modified citrus pectin in reducing cancer cell "clumping" around biopsy or surgery.

But the conversation goes beyond the physical. Megan explores psycho-neuroimmunology and how childhood trauma can quietly suppress the immune system's natural killer cells, why talk therapy sometimes isn't enough, and offers gentle tools like free-association journaling and trauma timelines for deeper healing. 

Faith, hope, and stories of spontaneous remission are woven throughout, reflecting the heart of Cancer Peace University's mission. It's an episode full of insight, encouragement, and real hope for anyone walking through a cancer journey.

Learn more about Megan Van Zyl and Cancer Peace University:

https://cancerpeaceuniversity.com/the-bridge-program/ 

Suggested Resource Links:

• Cancer Peace University
• BOOK:  Patient, Heal Thyself by Jordan Rubin
• The Warburg Effect
• BOOK:  Change Your Cancer Story: Why Some Heal & Others Don't by Megan Van Zyl
• BOOK:  Braving the Storm: Find Hope During a Cancer Diagnosis by Megan Van Zyl
• BOOK:  Fuel Your Body, Not Your Cancer - Anti Cancer Cookbook by Megan Van Zyl

Your donations power our podcast's mission to support cancer patients with hope, insights, and resources. Every contribution fuels our ability to uplift and empower. Join us in making a lasting impact. Donate now! 🌟

Ivelisse sits down with her dear friend and integrative oncology expert Dr. Nasha Winters for a conversation that feels as much like a heart-to-heart as it does a masterclass. Together they tackle one of the most confusing and consequential topics in women's health: hormone replacement therapy.

Dr. Winters opens with a simple but powerful daily habit, meeting the sunrise, as an underrated tool for hormonal balance. From there, she unpacks what hormones actually are (messengers, not just chemicals to replenish), traces the eye-opening history of exogenous hormones and their generational effects, and makes a compelling case that most menopausal symptoms are rooted in metabolic imbalance and stress, not deficiency.

She also challenges the assumption that "bio-identical" means safe, offers non-hormonal options for common symptoms, and lays out what a wise, terrain-focused approach to tapering actually looks like.

Warm, honest, and full of practical wisdom — this one is worth sharing with every woman you love.

Learn more about Dr. Nasha Winters here.

Suggested Resources:

• The Metabolic Approach to Cancer by Dr. Nasha Winters
• Menopause Reset by Dr. Mindy Pelz
• Radical Remission website (Dr. Kelly Turner)
• Love, Medicine and Miracles by Dr. Bernie Siegel
• Good Clean Love - lubricant
• FORIA - Intimacy Melts
• URIEL - Argentum Calendula ointment

Your donations power our podcast's mission to support cancer patients with hope, insights, and resources. Every contribution fuels our ability to uplift and empower. Join us in making a lasting impact. Donate now! 🌟

What does it look like to pray with bold faith when you're facing something bigger than you can handle? In this episode, Ivelisse welcomes Mark Batterson,  lead pastor of National Community Church and bestselling author of The Circle Maker,  for a conversation that will inspire you to keep circling your hardest prayers without letting fear have the final word.

Drawing from the ancient story of Honi, who drew a circle in the sand and prayed boldly for rain, Mark shares what it means to bring God audacious, persistent prayers, especially in the face of illness. He opens up about his own healing from 40 years of asthma, his wife Lora's breast cancer journey, and how "circling your Jericho" can transform the way you face a diagnosis. You'll also hear how mindset, laughter, gratitude, nutrition, and community are all part of participating in your healing, and how to tune into the Holy Spirit's voice through Scripture, silence, and wise counsel.

Whether you're in the middle of a health battle or walking alongside someone who is, this episode will remind you that God's dreams for your life are worth the wait, and worth the prayer.

Learn more about Pastor Mark Batterson here.

Suggested Resources:

• National Community Church
• Ebeneezer's Coffee House
• The Miracle Theatre
• The DC Dream Center
• Capital Turnaround
• The Dream Collective
• BOOK:  The Circle Maker
• BOOK:  Do It For A Day
• BOOK:  Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God
• Believe Big Gratitude Journal

Your donations power our podcast's mission to support cancer patients with hope, insights, and resources. Every contribution fuels our ability to uplift and empower. Join us in making a lasting impact. Donate now! 🌟