Ever looked at a birthday and felt more dread than delight? 

We flip that script by separating the number on the cake from the real story your cells are telling. As a holistic cancer dietitian turning 50, I break down why biological age—not chronological age—drives energy, resilience, and long-term cancer risk, and how simple daily habits can slow the clock from the inside out.

We map the biggest accelerators of aging plus the five high-impact pillars you can leverage today to start slowing your biological clock.

We also discuss the importance of making birthdays meaningful (+ 2 ideas to help you do this) and how to look at the passage of time as the gift it actually is.

Give it a listen and then if this helps you see aging differently, subscribe, share with a friend who needs the reframe, and leave a quick review.

I'd also love to hear from you! What’s one birthday ritual you’ll try this next year?

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In today's episode we're sharing Valerie’s breast cancer recovery story and the integrative tools that helped her tolerate chemo, rebuild resilience, and reframe fear of recurrence. From fasting and fiber to two-minute breathing breaks, we show how small daily choices shift terrain without blame.

• choosing surgery, chemo and radiation with an integrative mindset
• recognizing the exposome and lifelong exposures
• fasting around chemo and gut support with glutamine
• hydration, gentle walking and nature for recovery
• fiber and fermented foods for detox and microbiome
• herbs, yoga and tai chi for nervous system balance
• practical micro-breaks with music and belly breathing
• shifting from self-neglect to self-prioritization
• reducing scan anxiety as five years approaches
• becoming an integrative practitioner to help others

If you enjoyed today's episode and want more inspiring survivor stories I invite you to follow along, subscribe, and share our podcast with your friends and family.

👉 And if you want more guidance on how to enhance your breast cancer prevention plan, head here: Cracking The Code on Breast Cancer: https://groundandroot.com/breastcancerworkshop 

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Imagine if your breast cancer prevention plan is missing the organ that sets the speed for cell growth & regulates apoptosis, powers immune energy, and helps with estrogen clearance. That’s the thyroid—quietly directing the processes that keep breast tissue healthy or tip it toward risk. 

In today's episode we sit down with registered dietitian and functional endocrinology expert Lauren Papanos from Functional Fueling to connect the dots between thyroid hormones, breast health, and the oxidative stress that drives DNA damage when thyroid is too low or too high.

We break down why thyroid hormones matter far beyond “metabolism,” how iodine acts as both a building block and a local protector in breast tissue, and why sequencing is everything: replenish antioxidants first, restore mineral balance, then fine-tune iodine. 

You’ll learn practical food strategies—like where to find iodine-rich foods, how to time crucifers so they don’t block iodine when stores are low, & how to enhance bile flow as a hidden lever for T4-to-T3 conversion and estrogen clearance.

Most importantly, we move past TSH-only testing. Lauren's go-to panel includes TSH; total and free T4; total and free T3; reverse T3; and thyroid antibodies (TPO, TG), with functional ranges that flag issues early: 

• T4 <1.2 is a flag
• T3 <3 is a flag (<2.3 can cause breast changes)
• TSH >2 is a flag

We wrap with the foundations of where to start: eat enough, sleep well, right-size exercise, lower exposures, and even testing after big hormonal shifts like postpartum, perimenopause, menopause, or starting HRT.

If you’re ready to turn prevention goals into daily practice, press play, take notes, and share this with someone who still thinks “normal TSH” tells the whole story. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us which thyroid lab you’ll request next.

✨ Dive Deeper with Lauren ✨

• Thyroid Inflammation Lab Decoder Guide
• Functional Thyroid Foundations
• Lauren's 1:1 Program

AND If this conversation inspires you to get more clarity when it comes to reducing your risks for breast cancer... ⬇️

👉 Then I invite you to grab our on-demand workshop: Cracking The Code on Breast Cancer. Learn more here: https://groundandroot.com/breastcancerworkshop 

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Welcome to part 2 in our 2-part mini series focused on breast cancer.

Most people know the basics of breast cancer prevention—move more, drink less alcohol, eat plants—but what happens if you were already doing all of that (& more) and yet still got breast cancer?

In this episode we go beyond the standard prevention guidelines and show how your emotions, environment, and unique genetics create an inner terrain where cancer risk rises or falls, and we translate that science into clear, compassionate steps you can actually live with.

If this conversation inspires you to go even deeper... ⬇️

👉 Then I invite you to join our upcoming live 4-day workshop or watch the replays. Learn more here: https://groundandroot.com/breastcancerworkshop 

And please don't forget to subscribe, share with someone who needs it, and leave a rating and review to help more women find grounded, science-smart prevention.

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Welcome to part 1 in a 2 part mini-series on breast cancer.

Holistic breast cancer prevention requires us to look at how biology, behavior, and context interact. In this episode we walk through the basics of breast cancer subtypes—hormone receptors and HER2 status—then connect them to what’s actually changing risk in everyday life, from circadian rhythm to detox capacity. The picture that emerges is practical and empowering: even if you “did everything right,” there are levers you can pull to shift your internal environment away from tumor-friendly conditions.

We explore why incidence is rising among younger women, what breast density and earlier menarche really mean, and how night shift work and low melatonin can blunt immune surveillance. From there, we dig into our E3 model—emotions, environment, and epigenetics—to outline the hidden drivers most people miss. You’ll also hear why genes aren’t verdicts—BRCA mutations explain only a minority of cases—and how epigenetics, methylation, and antioxidant pathways guide whether risky signals get amplified or shut down.

Want guided help turning insights into action? ⬇️

👉 Join our upcoming live 4-day workshop to identify your personal drivers and build a tailored breast cancer prevention plan. Learn more here: https://groundandroot.com/breastcancerworkshop 

If today's conversation helped, subscribe, share with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find this resource.

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What happens after you ring the bell and the room goes quiet? We dig into that tender space where support fades, symptoms linger, and the question becomes: how do I actually heal now? 

We welcome Christine Bache on today's show—Ground & Root Coach, mom of three, and triple negative breast cancer survivor— to unpack the power of community as a core pillar of recovery and long-term prevention.

Christine walks us through her cancer journey and the shock of doing “everything right” beforehand yet still getting cancer. She shares the different holistic tools that helped in her recovery...including the importance of finding people who had walked the same path, who could validate the strange side effects her clinic hadn’t seen, and who shared tools that worked in real life. 

We talk about the difference between support groups that spiral into venting and spaces designed for healing—rooms where hard feelings are welcome, then gently guided toward action. Expect candid insights on how validation calms the nervous system, why belief shapes behavior, and how simple practices like acupuncture, walking, journaling, prayer, and nutrition build momentum when you’re rebuilding from the inside out.

If this episode resonates with you, please follow the show, share with someone who needs it, and leave a review telling us what community means to you. Your voice helps more survivors find their people.

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What if the most important shifts in your health start in a field you can’t see—but can absolutely feel? In today's episode we sit down with energy healer, longtime oncology social worker, & Ground & Root Coach, Vicki Landes, to explore how subtle energy shapes symptoms, resilience, and the way your body heals. 

Vicki shares her journey from hospital corridors and breast cancer care coordination to Jin Shin Jyutsu, Reiki, and shamanic tools, revealing why “enhancing energetic flow” sits alongside nutrition and movement as one of our core wellness pillars of recovery and prevention.

Across this conversation, we turn big ideas into quick wins. You’ll learn...

• The three-breath reset that calms your nervous system in under 30 seconds
• A hand-to-heart practice that eases anxiety
• A grounding exercise that helps to release tension
• A short energy-field scan to notice what you're feeling in your energetic field and how to clear stress and restore clarity
• And because balance needs boundaries, Vicki also shares how to protect your energy with a simple energetic shield

Whether you’re navigating an active cancer journey or focused on staying cancer free, these micro-practices are made to fit your day and build real resilience over time.

If this sparks something in you, try one tool today and notice what changes.

Then subscribe, share this episode with someone who needs to feel more calm & grounded, and leave a review to help others find these healing strategies.

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We invited our Ground & Root Integrative Dietitian, Kaslyn Hancock, to break down how two tiny shifts—stepping outside near sunrise and blocking blue light after sunset—can reset your circadian rhythm, deepen sleep, and boost daytime energy. This isn’t another “hack.” It’s a return to the simplest timing system your biology understands, translated for modern life with phones, laptops, and late dinners.

Kaslyn explains how changing light across the day programs hormones like melatonin, serotonin, and cortisol, and why constant indoor blue light confuses them. 

You’ll hear the most common signs of a scrambled clock—wired-but-tired nights, 2 p.m. crashes, cravings, restless sleep—and how quickly they can improve with consistent light cues. 

We also connect the dots to cancer resilience: stronger nighttime melatonin supports DNA repair, immune surveillance, and cellular housekeeping, making circadian rhythm a meaningful lever for prevention and recovery.

Some resources discussed during the episode (we are not an affiliate for any of these):

• Amazon Blue Light Blockers
• Block Blue Light Brand <-- 10% discount link
• Midwest Light Therapy <- great cost effective brand 
• Bon Charge
• Circadian App: https://www.circadian.life/

Ready to align your day with the light your body trusts? Press play, try the two practices for seven days, and tell us what changes first—sleep depth, morning energy, or evening calm. 

If this helped, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review to help others find it.

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What if the real breakthrough in cancer care isn’t choosing sides, but weaving them together? We open our playbook and share six core convictions that shape everything we do at Ground & Root—from the belief that healing is always possible to the crucial difference between treating and healing. You’ll hear how we blend evidence‑based medicine with earth‑centered living, circadian rhythm support, and energetic practices to reduce burden now and reshape the terrain to help you stay cancer-free.

We break down four wellness pillars that keep the plan simple yet strong. 

1. Earth‑Centered Living: whole foods, sun and nature time, movement, sleep, and resilience practices that rebuild your baseline. 
2. Enhancing Energetic Flow: practical tools to regulate your nervous system, process emotions, and move stuck energy so the body can repair. 
3. Finding Your Why: functional labs and DNA insights that replace guesswork with targeted action. 
4. Community Support: curating a circle that lifts you, co‑regulates your stress, and sustains hope over the long arc of healing.

Plus how to pull all of them together into the evolved healing formula we use with our clients and their families.

If this resonates, subscribe now so you never miss a weekly release, and share this episode with someone who needs a grounded, hopeful plan forward. Your review helps more people find a holistic, evidence‑rooted, and human approach to staying cancer‑free.

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A quiet shift is underway: cancer rates are falling in older adults but rising fast under 50. We unpack what’s driving that change and show why risk isn’t random—it's the result of an interplay between emotions, environment, and epigenetics that shapes how cells age, repair DNA, and defend against disease. 

Emotions aren’t a soft add-on; they tune physiology, alter glucose and inflammatory signaling, and determine whether your nervous system spends time in healing states. 

Environment spans food quality, movement, circadian rhythm, nature exposure, air and water, and everyday products that quietly raise toxic burden. 

Epigenetics reveals your blueprint—how you methylate, antioxidize, and clear hormones—so we can tailor inputs that shift gene expression toward resilience. Two people can share exposures yet see different outcomes because their pathways work differently; the key is to find your weak links and reinforce them.

You’ll hear how small, consistent changes stack up: better sleep and light hygiene to restore circadian rhythm, nutrient-dense meals that stabilize glucose and boost detox, reducing high-risk exposures without chasing perfection, and practical tools for stress and emotion processing that reawaken immune vigilance. 

If this conversation helps you see your health terrain with new clarity, subscribe, share with someone who needs it, and leave a review with one insight you’re taking forward.

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Join our Free Community: https://groundandroot.com/tribe

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