How to Eat Well and Live Better After Cancer Treatment

Welcome everyone to let's Chit Chat wellness and travel.

This is our self care edition.

We are so happy to have our special guest.

We have Tuesday Holster.

Did I pronounce that right?

Yes.

Oh my goodness.

I need to put your names.

We practiced ahead of time so I'm so glad I did not butcher it.

Let me tell you a little bit about Tuesday and yes, I love her name.

Today is Tuesday so it's like amazing that we're doing this event on a Tuesday.

She is a registered dietitian nutritionist who specializes in oncology nutrition.

So this is going to be a fun conversation you all.

She uses a plant forward all foods fit approach to reduce the risk of cancer and reoccurrence while reducing food fears.

This is huge.

She uses social media to but bust cancer nutrition myths and spread the most accurate science based information.

So I cannot wait to have this conversation Tuesday.

So you heard my bio but tell the audience who you are and thank you for being here.

Yes.

So I am you.

You said it pretty well.

I am a cancer dietitian.

I work in the online space.

I did this in the hospital setting previously and I felt that there was really a kind of a lack of what people needed during and after cancer from dietitians and the nutrition aspect in general.

So I thought that I would kind of fill that gap and hopefully get, you know, accurate information out there.

Like you said, kind of the Mythbuster things.

There's tons of info out on the Internet so I was like, why not put out the real info?

So I really enjoy being in the online space.

Yeah, it's so funny.

We google everything nowadays but yeah, we google a lot.

But I love, you know, I worked in healthcare for 20 years in the field of radiology.

Did some brain research, worked in my first one was into a cancer center.

My first radiology position was in cancer and I worked in cancer oncology for years, many years.

It became a great passion because cancer runs heavily in my family, mainly breast cancer and then ovarian cancer.

My grandmother passed away of ovarian cancer so my mom's side cancer is really strong.

I actually just had my second lump that I had to have an MRI done to check it out and it's all good now.

But that's one of the things that I have always had to deal with that people wonder why is they think that I eat the way I eat and I'm not perfect how I eat.

Don't.

Don't get me wrong.

I'm not perfect how I eat, but I made Choices that I didn't want to be like my 32 year old cousin and you know, be diagnosed with a deadly form of cancer, you know, that she lost her battle with at the young age of 32.

You know, I know what my, what my lineage says and I wanted to make choices as far as my food because I feel that if you can control something and it be such a simple choice, why not, you know, And I love that your focus is food and not allowing the fears because sometimes people say, oh well, I can't eat this, I can't eat that.

Oh my goodness, you know, and then it fears.

So how do you help your clients and what you do take us kind of through.

So they can see a lot of people don't know dietitians, they don't know new nutritionists, they really don't.

So I get kind of a lot of different, like a mix of clients.

So I will get people like maybe say similar to yourself, that have a family history, are just a little bit more aware of, you know, the habits that I am choosing could, you know, eventually lead to something negative.

And they just want to be a little bit more aware.

So I have clients like that where they just, you know, their parent had it.

They have some sort of genetic mutation that they know about that predisposes them to cancer and they just want to learn what they should be eating, what they shouldn't be eating.

And I would say this is true of all the clients, any kind of spectrum.

And that is a big part of what I do is just like giving the information and reducing those fears.

Because you hear things all the time, like, don't eat sugar or don't eat this.

And there's, it's really not true.

Like you can eat everything, even things that are, you know, I will give the information of this food, like alcohol, we, we know that that's linked to increased risk of cancer.

But I'm not like at, you know, crazy about it where I'm like, don't ever have alcohol.

And I'm not, you know, never super strict and more about, you know, you're trying to live life and there's like a quality of life that needs to be sustained.

So kind of finding that balance of, you know, what's the best thing for you to do?

And like, how can we fit these other things into your life that make you happy?

And that might not be the best thing, but how do these fit for you?

So I do a lot of that.

I see.

I have a few clients that are in treatment, active Treatment.

So I help them with symptom management and just making sure they're eating enough usually.

And then post cancer, it's similar to the people that are just, you know, have never had cancer and are curious.

They want to reduce that risk of recurrence, and they've heard all these things and they're scared, and it's usually like, I don't know, three, six months out of treatment is when I get people reaching out to me, because that's kind of when things are like, all right, let's get this on track.

I want to do the right thing.

I want to know what to do moving forward to reduce this risk.

And just the fears are a huge thing because a lot of my clients eat really well, where I'm like, you eat even better than I do.

But it's really strict because they're so nervous.

So kind of loosening that up.

Like, I have clients that will end up eating, you know, more variety of things whenever they're with me because they're like, oh, I just thought I wasn't supposed to eat that.

So I kind of have a wide range.

But it all goes down to, you know, breaking down those fears, figuring out that's the all foods fit approach, making sure that they're still enjoying, you know, the qual.

The quality of their life as well.

And, you know, some people want to live forever and they want to eat perfect, and, like, that's fine.

But for me, I'm like, if I go five years earlier because I have drinks with my friends, like, okay, whatever.

And so everyone has kind of different things that they're comfortable with, so respecting that, but, like, encouraging people to think about their, you know, quality of life and, like, what do you enjoy and what makes you happy?

Yeah, I.

I love how you said quality of life and eating variety.

Because, I mean, let's just be real here.

I mean, you.

You've been doing this for a long time, and you're human.

Just like I'm human.

I've been in medical field for a long time.

I have people that I have seen over the last 20 years that they know they need to do something, but they're, you know, it doesn't matter.

If you promise them everlasting life, they're not going to do that.

It's just not every day.

So that's where I love how you talk about, you know, quality of life, finding a happy medium with your clients and helping them to see, you know, okay, you're not going to stop drinking alcohol.

Okay, we know that's not going to happen.

But what can we do, you know, in the middle and help you?

We can find a happy medium.

So you're not drinking every Friday?

Yes, Saturday, you know.

Yeah, I love that.

So I love too how you're talking about variety of food and how people come to you.

Because I as a health coach, I get clients that come to me post cancer and a lot of times they come from doctors.

Like, I'll get doctors that send me clients or dietitians that send.

And people come and they have this list of things to do and they're like, I know what I'm supposed to be doing, but I just don't know how.

Yep.

You know, I just like, they're like, and the community that I work with, we eat totally different, you know, and every community eats differently.

You know, I had a young lady from another culture, we did a call the other day and she had a question about rice.

And my husband comes from, you know, a background where rice is like a staple.

And my southern eating self, rice is on every plate, you know?

Yes.

I mean, I grew up, you didn't have a meal without rice.

And this young lady said, oh, me too, you know, so she had talked to other, you know, people that weren't really familiar with her culture and they kept telling her, don't eat rice, don't eat rice.

And she's like, I don't know how not to eat rice.

Yeah.

You know, so really understanding our clients background and, and really kind of meeting people where they are, there are certain things that people are not going to give up.

I don't care what you tell them, what it might do to them.

So helping people to see proportion, having things in the right proportion is safe.

You know, you got a variety of stuff.

Your body is just bombarded with all that beautiful food.

Yeah, definitely.

No, like that's definitely the point of like how you said meeting people where they are.

That's like a huge part of, you know, health and nutrition coaching is, you know, not all everybody fits within a box.

And I think that's what people will ask me, kind of like a vague, vague question, like people that aren't my clients and I don't really know them.

And I'm like, well, it like really depends on like we would have to have like a five hour conversation to really know the answer to that.

So it definitely is like, you know, helpful to, to kind of understand that.

And that's why you said, I don't know how to do that.

Coaching is like, we all have the information we all have the Internet.

You can find info anywhere.

But you really, you know, need a coach for, like, the accountability and implementation piece, which, you know, if someone's in treatment and they're not eating enough, it's like, eat more.

Yeah.

How?

Like, you're not going to know unless you go through, like, will this work for you?

Will this not?

And that's really where a coach comes in for that.

For that piece.

Yeah.

And there's so many factors to it, too, you know, I know, like, I don't know if you, you know, I know you.

You've done this for years.

And I know, like, clients will say they'll always.

I had one call the other day, and a lady kept talking about, wait, wait, wait.

And I'm like, well, before you talk about losing weight, there are so many other things beyond weight that you want to look at first.

You know, losing weight in our minds in this culture is, like, so top priority.

Yeah.

We forget about, you know, that quality of life.

Looking at things that get down to our cellular level.

And I just.

I agree with you.

Food, eating, real food, it does that.

It gets down into the cellular portion of your body where your body actually can do something with the food.

It actually benefits from this real food in the cells, you know, getting all through the body, through the bloodstream, and it gives you a better quality of life.

And when you've had any kind of treatments, your body needs that nutrition, it needs that hydration.

It needs to get moving.

You know, I.

I love all of those aspects.

Getting moving, drinking, eating.

But.

But let me ask you this.

What made you go into cancer?

Nutrition.

Sure.

So, you know, the.

The internship we have to go through to be dietitians is pretty strenuous.

It's like a year long.

And I specifically went to 14 different rotations, so I'm in 14 different settings of.

This is, you know, school, nutrition, a nursing home, all these different areas.

And I kind of was drawn more to clinical, which is funny because I thought I did.

Definitely didn't want to do that.

So I just enjoyed it more, and I think it's super interesting.

So I went into the hospital and I kind of had like, a few, you know, places where I'm like, this interests me.

This doesn't interest me.

And they ask you, you know, what do you want to do really?

And, you know, when you're.

When you're fresh out of school, you're like, I'll do anything.

Like, please don't let me work.

And.

But I did mention that I liked oncology and So I got assigned the oncology floor, and I worked at the hospital many years, so I did see literally everything.

I ended up working all the units at some point, but the oncology unit was always my favorite.

And it really just has to do with the population one, because they want to improve and they want to, like, see me.

And they would be like, oh, I'm so happy you're here, like, have questions, and there's other people that would be like, get out of my room.

So, you know, it seems like, well, duh, obviously you want to work with people that want to work with you.

Right?

That's what I got from that population of they wanted to see me, so I wanted to help them.

And that kind of gives you the heart for that.

And of course, we all have people.

Like you mentioned, people in your family have had cancer.

Same with me.

So I think, you know, most people can relate to that because cancer is so prevalent.

So that gives you kind of like the little extra drive when, you know, people that have gone through the same thing and, you know, you want to help them and you want to help people that are in the same situation.

Yeah, I.

I tell you, it's.

It's just amazing.

I mean, and I.

I do want to ask because I know with my family members, those that.

And I remember a study that was done.

There was a study done.

I have to remember where it was said.

But I just know in my family alone too, that after cancer treatment, their doctors encouraged them, please, you know, really make nutrition changes.

And they met with dietitians and nutritionists and.

And my aunt just struggled, and she finally listened to me, and we worked together on getting moving and drinking water and really putting in a thing, putting into practice the things that nutritionist suggested, things in ways that she would actually follow through and do.

So.

It was so amazing to see this woman go from, you know, having to use her scooter to being able to walk without just, you know, just with a cane and, you know, get in and out her car and go shopping at the store.

Like, she loves to go shopping for clothes.

You know, it just amazes me when people add good quality food and nutrition to their lives, how the body responds.

So how important would you say because we're talking about self care when it comes to your, you know, your clients and your customers?

I know you definitely push self care.

And one of the ways people can incorporate self care is just what we're talking about, you know, looking at ways to add real food into their bodies so they can.

Their bodies can Repair itself after that treatment.

Right?

Yeah.

And like what you said, like adding food and that's really what I like to focus on versus like, you know, all the diets out there are like, eliminate this thing.

And I really focus on like, let's add more fruits and vegetables, let's add more plant based protein and some whole grains.

And really focusing on those things that they can add to their diet that makes it feel less like a punishment.

It's like I'm eating, you know, I get to eat more of this thing.

This thing's good for me.

It makes me feel good, it energizes me.

It, you know, is good for my cellular health, it's good for my gut health or whatever.

And you're doing these things like as an addition to what you might have been doing.

And then I'll tell my clients, like a lot of times that will lead to those things.

You shouldn't be eating as much, kind of getting phased out or eating less because you're not going to have the room for all of that stuff.

So that's kind of like how I focus on like, you know, that part.

And I do go over like stress and sleep and how that affects, oh my goodness, everything.

Because some people will say like, I'm not losing weight.

Why am I not losing weight?

And I'm like, okay, you sleep two hours a day, like none.

And you're super stressed.

So your hormone levels are through the roof.

So that's definitely like an important piece to nutrition, especially for people that are like trying to lose weight.

It's very difficult to make any sort of change when you're like in a bad space mentally and you're not taking care of yourself otherwise.

Yeah.

Because with that stress, that cortisol is straight through the roof.

You're always on alert.

So, you know, it's just so much that goes into.

It's just not food that goes into, you know, weight loss.

I, that's like a whole nother conversation.

Yeah.

Sugar with cancer.

I mean that is.

When we talk about self care, I think of laying back with your hair wrapped in a little towel, your feet up because you just painted your nails and your toes and got a bubble bath and you got some bon bons.

Yeah.

And you're eating them, you know, or that, that chocolate.

And when you, I know like my family members, the doctors have encouraged them, you know, cut back on the artificial sugars, you know, really leave the sugars alone.

What is your opinion on, you know, pre and post, you know, just as a cancer nutritionist, Sugar.

So I think, you know, the myth is sugar feeds cancer.

Sugar is going to give you cancer.

If you don't eat sugar, you will not have cancer.

Which are not factual statements.

But in terms of sugar, if you're eating it as like a kind of a coping mechanism like you were describing, that's more of like a habit based situation.

And people will say like, I'm addicted to sugar or like kind of phrases like that.

But the same, like hormones are released like dopamine and like I call them the happy hormones when you're doing a habit that you enjoy.

And so that could also be like riding a bike, like laughing, listening to music, it releases the same hormone.

So it's just that people haven't found, you know, a different mechanism to, you know, release those hormones.

And it's kind of like the reward hormone in the body.

So you're being rewarded and you're getting this positive feedback from eating a bunch of chocolates.

But it's not because you're addicted.

It's because of the positive, like reinforcement your body's giving you.

For whatever reason that happens.

You know, I'm obviously not a doctor, so.

I know.

Right, right, right.

Flexible.

But it's like kind of finding, you know, why is this your coping mechanism, you know, what emotions are, you know, surrounding you to where this is what you're going to.

So that's more of like, I would say habit based change like what you described.

But in terms of sugar in general, just like continuing to add in those good things and you know, your sugar is going to be, intake is going to be less.

If you're doing all these other things that you're supposed to be eating and you're really getting all your water and you're really getting all your fruits and vegetable servings, you're not going to have, have the stomach space to eat, you know, a thousand calories in chocolate.

And it's really like what sugar does to our waistline that increases risk of cancer.

It's not the actual sugar.

But, you know, people that eat more sugar tend to be heavier.

People that are heavier tend to get cancer more often.

So there's kind of like a lot of factors even, you know, with that.

Question as well, and now not even throwing all the other things that are coming on out.

You know, I love that you talked about, you know, sugar, the, the, the things that come with sugar, the memories, you know, what sugar, the good benefits of sugar, because we do kind of demonize sugar.

But I noticed when I coach clients, I do the same Thing as you did.

I love for people to.

When they tell me, I love to find out what their favorite food is.

And when I find that out, it's usually something that, you know, they don't eat in the right proportion.

And they always say, I eat something really bad.

And I'm like, no, it's not bad.

What is it?

You know?

But I also love to find out, like you said, what is your connection to that food?

Because I know that I like smoked gouda.

And when I start.

When I became a vegan, I had to give it up.

And I was like, oh, no, I can't give up this smoked gouda.

But I didn't know why, because I'm like, it's not even that good, you know, I mean, it's good, but it's not that good.

But I thought about it deeply, and I remember as a child, that was what my mother and I did on Friday night.

She would let me peel the little red cover off, and I thought that was so neat, you know, peeling the COVID off the gouda.

And she would slice them and we eat them on little crackers, and we sit there and watch.

It was a great.

It was a great memory that I didn't want to give up, you know, and it only comes back to me when I peel the red off of that gouda.

So I had to find a vegan smoked gouda to get that memory.

But, you know, because I was.

I was giving up cheese because it wasn't my friend.

It was not helping me out at all.

I tell that story to say, you know, the clients, that it's not so much the food.

If we can get down to the connection or the memories or the things that come along with that food, like what you said, you know, that can help us to balance out, you know, why it is that we eat it and then put it in the right proportion.

So if my clients like bon buns or things that I know they're trying to cut back on that sugar, cut it out.

Maybe don't keep the whole container of bun buns.

I don't even know if people nowadays know what a bun bun is.

I'm dating myself here.

No, I know what it is.

So, you know, maybe instead of the container, but take out maybe five or 10, you know, or however many in the service size.

I don't even know how many come in there.

But take them out, put them in a separate container, and those are the ones that you eat that evening, you know, instead of having a whole container.

Because I'm Telling you, give me a bag of some jalapeno lime late July chips, I am going to eat that whole bag.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So, yeah, I, I agree with you.

You know, it's not the food, it's how, you know, how we go about it.

You know how we go about it.

Yeah.

I love this conversation.

I do want to chat about.

You have programs going on.

You have a Facebook community.

You're very involved.

But I also want to know, what do you do for self care?

Good question.

I love watching movies.

I'm a big, like, movie buff, so always trying to find something good and new to watch.

Although, like, I have my favorites and I just wish that I could like unsubscribe see them and then re see them.

Right.

You probably can relate to that.

But it sounds like kind of like a lazy thing.

But I like really, really enjoy that as well as, like, I like to go on walks with my dogs, with my husband, you know, yoga, anything that's like just a little bit more on the relaxing side.

And it just depends on the day, like what I feel like.

But a lot of times, like people will feel bad if they just lay on the couch and do nothing.

But like, that's what I need to do for self care because I'm going like 24 7.

So when I actually lay down is like the main time I rest.

So like a Sunday, like on the couch all day is like my favorite thing.

Oh, don't talk about a Sunday.

Oh, my goodness.

Yeah, I.

Those.

You know, I don't know why people think that.

I mean, if I did that every day.

Yeah, but like you said, when you're on the go all the time, it's nothing like being home on your couch with a onesie on and you know, your chips and your drinking, you're sitting there in front of the TV or your tablets and catching up on your favorite shows.

I have that one evening where I just catch up on everything.

Yeah.

Because I don't watch TV during the week.

So it's that one night that I catch up on my favorite two or three shows and like binge watch.

Unless my husband and I favorite show, Amazing Race comes on that we watched that.

We binge on that on Fridays once that comes.

And we've been watching that since we got married, so we don't hear.

Yeah, that is the.

Have you watched it?

I know what it is, of course, but I've never watched it, like, regularly.

I've seen a few episodes, but yeah.

We love to travel, so we wanted to go on that show so bad.

But some of the things they do were like.

And all the married couples that go on there, they always argue on there.

And I'm like, yeah, no, we can't get on there and show out.

Yeah.

So, you know, those are all things for self care, having fun, you know, taking.

Taking yourself back a little bit.

Because we work so hard caring for people in the fields that we're in.

We give a lot.

So, you know, time for yourself.

And it doesn't have to be things that cost you a lot of money.

I love how you say you just enjoy yourself in your home, on your couch, going out, you know, with your hubby, with your dog.

You know, basic things we all can do.

Yeah.

Well, thank you so much, Tuesday.

It has been amazing.

I do want to ask, because I love to encourage entrepreneurship, so I want to ask your opinion to the audience.

If you could just briefly share.

Why do you feel, you know, entrepreneurship for women and men?

Is it important?

And if so, what tip would you give to people who are maybe thinking about, should I go out on my own?

You know, I have this job or I have this degree and I've been doing this, but I'm thinking about doing this.

What tips would you have for them?

Well, I would say just, like, assess.

Like, are you happy doing what you, you know, because some people are like, I'm comfortable in a job.

I'm fine here.

And, like, that's fine.

You don't need to be an entrepreneur because there are a lot of stresses that come with that.

There's obviously stresses that come with, you know, working for the man, so to speak.

But sometimes those are less.

Like, I work much more now than I did when I was in the hospital.

And while I didn't enjoy the time that I was there all the time, you know, I had, you know, good moments.

But when I was getting ready to leave, I was not happy, and I'm happier working more for myself.

So just, like, really assessing, like, the pros and cons of the situation for you, like, is this going to add stress to your life, to try to do your own business?

Because it is stressful and there's ups and downs and you don't have, like, an income that you're getting all the time.

Like, so if you're, you know, more comfortable being, like, financially stable, then it's probably not for you, because there's no guarantees with that.

So I can't think kind of just like assessing what you really want, what's really important to you is, you know, something that you need to do before diving into entrepreneurship, which can be really stressful.

That is real.

We are.

And that's why I love to ask that question, because some people say, oh, yes, go into it.

And I'm.

I'm very positive about it as well.

But I'm also realistic that it's a lot of work.

I.

It's a lot of work, but it's nothing like working for yourself.

And if you're not that type, don't do it just because, you know, because you won't be happy if you're the kind that some people are good with getting a check every week.

And that is okay.

Yeah.

Just know who you are, know what you can.

Whatever causes me less stress because to me, peace is priceless.

So, you know, I just enjoy being able to work for myself, but that's my personality.

Whereas, you know, I have family members, that's not their personality.

And they're doing just fine, you know, and so like you say, just assess everything.

But it's a beautiful thing, whichever one you do choose.

But yes, we encourage everybody, definitely, please, you know, enjoy your life, do self care.

And we thank you.

If you're listening to this podcast or watching it, I want to thank Tuesday for joining us.

Please visit her on Instagram the cancernutritionist.

You can check out her programs, you can check out her Facebook community.

Thank you again, Tuesday.

Thank you for having me and thank.

You everybody for joining this program.

We appreciate you joining in on a regular basis to let's chit chat, wellness and travel until the next episode.