August 1, 2023 • 31 mins
A cancering journey can be a tough road. Conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation can take a toll on a patient mentally, emotionally and physically. But, there are some things that can be done to help alleviate some of the side-effects and even enhance the treatments!
Join me today as I speak with Jen Nolan, owner and lead oncology nutrition consultant with Remission Nutrition. Jen has a lot of fascinating information about practical things a cancering patient can do the benefit their treatment plan and even some information for anyone looking to improve their health through food.
Connect with Jen at Remission Nutrition:
https://www.remissionnutrition.com/
Suggested Resources:
- Nutiva
- Perfect Aminos
- Designs for Health
- Four Sigmatic
- Force of Nature
- BOOK: The Metabolic Approach to Cancer
Suggestions for snacks to take on a trip or to the hospital:
- grain-free, low-carb granola
- jar/carton unsweetened nut milk or coconut milk
- fresh berries
- hard boiled eggs
- egg salad with avocado mayo and crunchy veggies (think celery) or canned tuna
- grass fed meat sticks
- green apple slices and nut butter (sugar-free nut butter packets are available)
- 1/2 avocado with salt and lemon/lime juice (eat with a spoon)
- macadamia nut hummus with veggies (celery, cucumber, bell pepper, etc.).
- suggested recipe: Macadamia Nut Hummus
- Jen's Go-To Travel snack: In a "dry" jar combine ground flax, hemp hearts, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, cinnamon, coconut flakes, blueberries. In a "wet" jar bring a nut milk. Pour milk into the "dry" jar and eat with a spoon.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Ivelisse Page (00:33):
Welcome to today's episode on the Believe
Big Podcast.
My name is Ivelisse Page and Iam so honored to be able to
spend this time with you.
Are you or someone you knowgoing through a cancering
process and need tools on how tohandle treatments or how to make
them more effective?
Well, you're at the right place.
My guest today is Jen Nolan, whois the owner and lead oncology
(00:57):
nutrition consultant forRemission Nutrition.
Jen received her undergraduatedegree in food science, human
nutrition, and dietetics fromColorado State University.
Woohoo! Yay CSU! She holds aMaster's degree in Holistic
Nutrition, is a certifiednutrition genome practitioner.
(01:18):
And has her 250 hour Oncologynutrition consulting
certification in the field ofoncology nutrition.
Her knowledge of metabolicnutrition is unsurpassed in the
field, and she is also acertified Metabolic Balance
coach, which is a sophisticatednutrition system based on
(01:39):
client's blood values and uniquehealth profile that originated
in Munich, Germany.
Wow, Jen! Welcome to the show!
Jen Nolan (01:47):
Thank you.
I'm so happy to be here.
Ivelisse Page (01:49):
I am always curious as to each person's
favorite health tip, and I'msure our listeners would love to
know yours.
Can you share one with us?
Jen Nolan (01:58):
Absolutely.
it's interesting because I wasthinking about all these things
like saunas and all the healthyfoods and all these things, and
it came down to the fact thatfor me, my biggest health tip is
really it's joy and play.
I feel the most nourished andfilled up after I've been out
for a mountain bike ride in thewoods, in nature, or I love to
(02:20):
roller skate.
So I like to go to the beach androller skate.
So that's another thing.
It's just about being withpeople and smiling and laughing
and having fun in nature.
Ivelisse Page (02:28):
That's a great one.
I don't think we realize theimportance of being around other
people, community being outsideand doing something that you
enjoy.
So that's a great tip.
Believe Big has been workingwith Remission Nutrition for
many years.
And what I love most about whatyou all do is that you really
(02:49):
alleviate the stress a patientor your clients feel about what
they should be eating and when.
For those that haven't heardabout Remission Nutrition, can
you share with us what a personcan expect when they connect
with you?
Jen Nolan (03:02):
Yeah, you bet.
We start with, mostly right now,one-on-one consultations, which
is really lovely because wereally do dive deep into the
individual's case and everyoneis so unique.
Everyone's situation is sounique.
A lot of different treatmentplans and schedules and all of
those things, so that's what wedo.
We really like to get in andindividualize each plan.
(03:26):
So our first consultation ispretty lengthy, it's about two
hours with our consultant.
And then we try to do follow upsessions as long as people are
able.
We really hope that people cando follow ups because that's
where we download a lot ofinformation and then it's oh
geez, that's a lot ofinformation and how do we take
it step by step and make itreally realistic for them?
(03:47):
So that's what we do.
We do zoom calls and we workwith people all over, so not
just locally, all over thecountry and even worldwide,
which is pretty special.
I talk about food a lot, ofcourse, or we do, but a lot of
the time, it's oh wait, did weeven talk about food?
Cuz we talk a lot about themental, emotional wellbeing and
(04:08):
just really support everybody,wherever they are.
Ivelisse Page (04:11):
Yeah.
And I love that's what you guysdo.
You really do an integrativeapproach and not just basic
nutrition.
And also can you share withthose listening cuz what you do
is very different than whatpeople may find in a hospital.
What is the difference betweenwhat you guys do at Remission
Nutrition versus someone goingto visit their nutritionist, at
(04:33):
a hospital.
Jen Nolan (04:34):
Yeah, I mean, I have training in both, so that's been
really helpful for me tounderstand what clients are
seeing or hearing when they'reat the hospital.
I mean, the most common thingthat I hear is my doctor told me
to eat whatever I want.
And while the dieticians at thehospital probably aren't saying
that, it's very like caloriefocused as opposed to nutrient
(04:56):
density and really figuring outhow we can best support their
body during the treatment ratherthan just don't lose weight,
which is what they hear a lot.
So we really wanna dig in andgo, how can we support you as
you're going through treatmentand before and after.
So it's utilizing, I would say,food is medicine a little bit
more than just food is calories.
Ivelisse Page (05:18):
Yes.
that's a great explanation.
We had Jess Kelley on the show afew months ago, and to talk
about oncology nutrition and themany different diets that you
all help patients and clientswith.
But today, we wanted to zero inon tips that you share on how to
make treatments more effectiveand also how to offset the
(05:38):
negative side effects oftreatments.
So, I know you have many toolsand hacks, but let's focus first
on the top things that you sharewith patients on how to make
their treatments more effective.
What would you say is the firstthing?
Jen Nolan (05:51):
I think my number one favorite if people are up for
it, is to utilize fasting fortreatment, which can sound
scary, especially if somebody isbrand new to fasting.
So I might stairstep them intothat idea a little bit.
But I see if there's anythingthat I see right there in front
of me as something that isreally working, it's fasting for
(06:13):
treatment and so that's coolthat we can take away food while
somebody is going throughtreatment, maybe the day before,
day of and the day after, andmaybe it's not all food.
Maybe we use some broths andthings like that.
It really depends on the person.
But, it seems to really work.
And so I love that.
I love that I can see somebodylike, wow, I wasn't super
(06:37):
nauseous, I wasn't throwing up.
I didn't have diarrhea orconstipation, or whatever.
And then they're able to eat.
So what oftentimes happens isduring treatment, they're trying
to force down food and they feellike junk.
And so it's like we talk aboutit like with animals when
they're ill.
They don't eat.
(06:57):
And so if we can do that in areally safe way, most important
is that people still really loadup on hydration and electrolytes
and things like that.
And maybe have a backup planbecause that's one thing that
can happen if somebody goes totheir treatment and they sit
down and they go downhill.
They get dizzier, they just feelyucky.
And the nurses are like, here,eat this.
Instead, they're like, nope,I've got this in my bag.
(07:19):
So it's like a little healthierbackup plan with them.
So we really try to set peopleup for success in that world.
And I don't ever want people tofeel bad.
It's oh, I only made it tohowever many hours, 24 hours,
or, that's great, But if we canutilize fasting, that's my
numero uno and we really helppeople do it.
Ivelisse Page (07:39):
And I love that you do it step by step, but I
love too that it makes the sideeffects less, but I also heard
that it helps make thetreatments more effective.
Why is that?
Jen Nolan (07:51):
Yes, it can.
And there is some really greatres research out there that
shows even on humans, that showsthat it could help the efficacy
of the treatment.
I liken it to a one two punch alittle bit.
So if you take away cancer'sfuel, then it gets a little
weary, like the cancer cells geta little bit tired and then the
(08:15):
treatment can come in and dothat punch.
So that's another reason in mymind, in a really simplified way
of explaining why that mightwork.
And so it just makes the cancercells maybe more vulnerable and
they can get hit by thattreatment.
Ivelisse Page (08:33):
That's great, so two benefits one, it could make
the treatments more effectiveand it would also mitigate the
nausea and the other symptomsthat people experience while
they're going through that.
That's fantastic.
What would be your next tip?
Jen Nolan (08:45):
Oftentimes people come to me and they are
obviously not very happy aboutsay, a diagnosis, but also
sometimes very angry, which isalso understandable.
And they use a lot ofterminology like war and
fighting and arsenal and poisonand toxins.
And they're like, I don't wannahave that toxic stuff in my
(09:06):
body.
And so I talk to them about howwe can reframe the thought
process and the language usedaround the treatment.
And so I have a really lovelyfriend of mine right now is
going through a cancer journey,and he's like, wait, what do we
call it again?
And I'm like, we call it thehealing love potion.
It is our healing love potion,and we're gonna visualize it
(09:27):
going in and doing its job, andwe're gonna visualize it leaving
the body.
And that is so easy to standover here and say, but it can
really help.
And I feel that so strongly thatthe power of intention, the
power of the language bringsjust a positive energy to us.
Ivelisse Page (09:44):
Definitely.
I've heard, Dr.
Caroline Leaf talk a lot aboutthe brain and how it can build
branches when you're thinking ofnegative things versus positive
things and how they get replacedand, it's just amazing.
It's amazing.
I really, truly believe that.
And on the opposite side too,when I was doing my mistletoe
injections during my cancerbattle, as the mistletoe was
(10:06):
going in, as I was injecting it,I visualized like little pac-men
attacking all the cancer andeating all the cancer cells up.
I literally did.
And I just feel like anythingthat you can do to help your
body heal, is so important.
And so I truly believe that themind is super powerful.
Jen Nolan (10:25):
I agree.
Ivelisse Page (10:26):
All right.
And what about from a dietaryperspective?
Jen Nolan (10:29):
While we do utilize various dietary plans with what
we do, everyone's different.
Oftentimes when somebodyespecially is undergoing
treatment, we will utilize aketogenic diet and there's
different levels of ketosis, butgetting somebody in more of a
therapeutic level of ketosis canbe quite helpful.
And I believe the reason whythat's so helpful is because
(10:53):
first of all, it can help withsome side effects and it can
help hopefully the efficacy ofthe treatment for the similar
reason that fasting can work.
So again, it's sort of that onetwo punch.
It's taking out that primaryfuel source that cancer cells
love and takes them away, and sothat's part of it.
(11:13):
I also believe that it can helptake down inflammation.
And if we don't have a lot ofinflammation in the body, then
cancer isn't as happy.
Cancer loves an inflammatoryenvironment.
So there's several reasons whythat ketogenic diet can be
helpful.
It also might make fasting alittle bit easier because if
(11:36):
you're already in ketosis, thenyou're not on that blood sugar
roller coaster and you might beable to fast a little more
easily.
So it just sets you up forsuccess with that as well.
Ivelisse Page (11:46):
And those who aren't familiar with a ketogenic
diet, what are some of the foodsthat you avoid or that you
promote in a ketogenic diet fortreatment?
Jen Nolan (11:55):
I think this is a good question right now because
I feel like for those thataren't familiar with the
ketogenic diet, but might be,now that we've said the word
right, they might start seeingall of these products out there
that are keto this, keto that,and it basically means that it's
a high fat, and it's very fadlike right now, so there's a lot
of junk food keto things outthere.
(12:15):
So we have to be really carefulcuz we don't want to use
processed foods.
So I'm more of a whole foodsbased ketogenic diet.
So again, it's low carbohydratebecause carbohydrates can turn
to sugar in the body, whichsugar is a primary fuel source
for cancer cells.
So we take that away, but wehave to put something back in.
We utilize fat and I love thingslike olive oil and really
(12:40):
healthy sources of fat,avocados, avocado oil, nuts and
seeds, coconut, things like thatrather than a lot of the animal
based fats, people tend to feela little bit better.
And then as a nutritionist, ofcourse, I like it when people
can eat as many vegetables aspossible, high fiber vegetables
that help with digestion and allthose things.
So hopefully that answers yourquestion.
(13:02):
It's basically utilizing fat andfat is very caloric, which is
cool too.
So that can help if somebody isstarting to lose weight and
things like that.
Ivelisse Page (13:13):
Yeah, I agree.
And it's similar to gluten-freeproducts or vegan products.
If it's not a Whole Foods based,then you're eating a lot of
preservatives or added sugars orcorn fillers and things like
that are not good for you.
I love that you said that.
You mentioned losing weight, andI think that is a big issue for
many patients when they're goingthrough treatment.
(13:34):
What do you recommend forpatients to gain that weight
back in a healthy way withoutusing things like Ensure, which
are so filled with chemicals andso bad for you?
Jen Nolan (13:43):
I tell the story all the time that when I was in
school back at CSU, they did ataste test for the budding
nutritionist for Ensure.
I think it was Ensure at thetime, testing the different
flavors, the chocolate or thestrawberry, or the vanilla, and
I was so sad.
So anyway, you're right.
And what we try to do isencourage, first of all, protein
(14:04):
is quite important.
So what are different forms ofprotein that we can get into the
body?
There's different proteinpowders out there.
I like to do Food First as muchas possible, rather than powders
because I feel like the body hasa better chance of probably
digesting it.
But we have a lot of differenttricks around that.
Different shakes that are likeweight gain shakes, broths are
(14:25):
really helpful, like bone brothsand things.
I also really think it's soimportant to use the muscles.
So people that are, say they'rehaving fatigue, a lot of people
are when they're going throughtreatment, we say using your
muscles can help with fatigue soit can help even when people
don't wanna do anything, right?
(14:46):
If they can get outside for aquick walk, little bit of
sunshine or use some light handweights that can help.
Same thing with muscles.
It's sort of that saying, if youdon't use it, you lose.
It's just like that, and muscleweighs more than fat.
So if we can utilize themuscles, build them up, then
weight can go up.
It's a challenge for sure,because a lot of times appetite
(15:07):
is low and all of the thingsthat we're always trying to go
here, take this ginger to helpyour appetite and things like
that.
Ivelisse Page (15:13):
I think that's really valuable to patients to
understand and, is theresomething simple?
I know when I was going throughmy treatments, my exercise was
walking to the mailbox and back.
I was just so wiped out.
Is there a simple exercise thatyou think will build muscle that
patients could do or somethingthat they could look into.
I know like they have thoselittle stretch bands that my
(15:34):
husband travels with, that couldbe gentle enough for someone
going through treatment, butthat can build muscle.
What would you recommend?
Jen Nolan (15:40):
I love the little, resistance bands.
Those are nice.
Or the really lightweights, thelittle hand weights.
And if somebody's sitting,because they're so tired and
they're sitting there, theymight be able to use those hand
weights.
Have a couple of sets around indifferent spots where they tend
to hang out.
That can be helpful.
The other thing is if you'remaking tea and you're waiting
for the tea water to boil, thenstand against either the wall or
(16:04):
the countertop and do some verygentle pushups if you're able.
Of course not everybody's able,depending on certain things, but
push pushups.
I also love to use step-ups.
If you have a couple of stairsand you have a railing, that's
awesome too because you can holdonto the railing.
You step up, you step down acouple times and switch legs and
that can help cuz those biggermuscles in your legs are really
(16:28):
important.
It's utilizing your muscles in agentle way.
Ivelisse Page (16:32):
Love it.
I could have done that.
You mentioned the shakes and thepowders and things, and so I
know we're gonna get questionsabout that.
Might you be able to share yourfavorite one that we can put in
the show notes for people todownload and to try at home?
Jen Nolan (16:45):
You bet.
So Nutiva actually is a brandthat has a hemp protein powder.
So that's nice because a lot ofpeople are looking for more sort
of plant sources and that'sfine.
It's not gonna pack as much of apunch as say, an animal based
protein powder.
I use a couple and I do use moreof a bone broth powder for some
(17:07):
people, but I don't use it allthe time, every day, and so I
just pepper that in.
There's also another companythat's doing more of this amino
acid.
It's Perfect Aminos, and I'vebeen playing with that a little
bit because what's nice about itis that it doesn't raise blood
sugar.
It doesn't add calories is theonly thing, but you would add
that to water and drink it.
(17:28):
And it's flavored probably notthe most amazing thing.
So that's a little bit tricky.
But it can really help if we seesomebody's labs looking pretty
ugly in terms of like theirprotein levels are really low
and things like that.
And they don't have a bigappetite, then that product can
help.
It gives them the amino acidstheir bodies need, and it can
(17:49):
help with hydration, so they'renot ingesting a bunch of
calories.
So there's a ton of differentthings, in fact, in the
Metabolic Approach to Cancerthere's also that weight gain
shake, and that's a great recipethat helps with a lot of
different things.
So not just gaining weight.
So a lot of gut health things.
And so that's a good recipe.
(18:10):
I don't use as much whey proteinpowder anymore.
I prefer more of bone brothprotein powder.
So I believe the one that I haveright now is probably from
Designs for Health, but there'sa couple, I'm just really
careful.
I don't use any of the likevanilla or chocolate flavors
personally because they're sostrong and they don't have sugar
probably, but they use like someof the alternative sweeteners
(18:32):
and it's too much and it tendsto be a little bit easier just
to put some frozen berries andtaste that.
Ivelisse Page (18:38):
I found that to be with some of them that makes
it sweeter.
But I'm very sensitive to thesugar.
I love the Four Sigmatic onethat has the mushrooms and
things in it.
And it has the cacao, a cocoflavor.
And I just put that withblueberries and almond milk and
it's delicious and it has nosugar.
So I really love that one too.
(19:00):
But I'll put yourrecommendations in the show
notes.
And again, these are just ideasand thoughts and what I wanna
make sure I continue to impressupon those that are hearing is
that you really need to speak tosomeone who is knowledgeable for
your specific situation.
Everybody's body is differentand responds differently and may
need different things.
And so that's why I'm sograteful for what you guys do at
(19:21):
Remission Nutrition that reallyindividualizes a plan based on
where someone is in theirtreatment process, whether
they're a healthy person withoutcancer or one with a cancering
process.
So, making sure everyonerealizes these are just
suggestions.
It's not medical advice at anyform, or treatment advice.
It's really things to open upyour mind and your thoughts to
(19:42):
what else is out there thatcould be used.
You mentioned the people's bloodcounts and things that could be
low because of the negative sideeffects of treatments.
What about low blood counts?
What have you done for that?
Jen Nolan (19:54):
That seems to be a pretty common thing.
So whenever somebody goes in toget their blood work done right
before treatment, it's often tolook at those numbers to see how
their body is holding up fromthe last treatment or the last
treatments.
And so they're looking at thoselabs and they're like, okay,
yes, we can go ahead and dotreatment.
And so one of those, the clusterof numbers oftentimes are those
(20:17):
blood counts.
So we'll look at say, whiteblood cell counts, red blood
cell counts, platelet counts,things like that.
And we have some really nice,non-invasive things that we can
utilize that can help.
So one of my favorites is forplatelets.
We will use sesame oil and wecan use sesame oil also as a
(20:39):
fat, so that's cool, right?
It's a food, it's gonna get somecalories in.
But if they could do even atablespoon a day of sesame oil
in their diet, that can raiseplatelets.
It can drive platelet productionup.
So that's really neat.
And so if platelets are high, wedon't wanna utilize that, right?
There's a really nice sort ofsweet spot with platelets, but
(21:01):
we definitely don't want themtoo low.
And so we'll use sesame oil infood and I like to get the raw,
organic sesame oil for this, notthe smoked or toasted sesame
oil.
I keep it in the fridge.
I have people not cook with it,cuz that makes me a little bit
nervous because it's a seed oiland you don't want it to be
cooked in heat.
(21:21):
And you can also use ittopically.
So you can put it on elbows,knees, things like that.
And that can drive platelets, sothat's one thing.
For white blood cell counts, Ihave my little favorite trick of
taking a little jar of coconutoil, like at the tiniest mason
jar you can get, put coconut oilin it and then take about four
or or six drops of high qualityeucalyptus oil and mix it up
(21:43):
really well.
And then you take it and dab itunder your nose throughout the
day.
Kind of cool, you don't have toingest anything.
And so that can help withplatelets.
There's other things that peoplecan utilize, like certain types
of mushrooms for white bloodcells too.
But unless they're working witha naturopathic oncologist and
they're being monitored, I don'twanna add a bunch of supplements
(22:06):
to their plan.
I'd like to use these morenon-invasive things that feel
really good to the person.
Ivelisse Page (22:11):
Yeah.
I know that patients appreciatethat a lot.
not having to add one more thingto their protocol.
What about if red blood cellcounts are high?
Jen Nolan (22:20):
So I call it, blood building food.
And I know that might soundgross, but if your blood cells
are low, you can take in someblood building foods.
And again, this is veryindividualized depending on the
person.
But if I can get somebody toutilize some of organ meat, and
I usually watch for facialexpressions when I say certain
things like sardines or organmeats.
(22:41):
And then I go a differentdirection if I get the wrong
face, but, there's some amazingblends out there.
So there's um, oh, what's itcalled?
I forget the name of thecompany.
It's called Force of Nature, andthey're pretty accessible, so
you can order'em online, butthey're these meat blends, so
they have one that's like abison mixed with organ meats.
(23:02):
And it's cool because you canhelp your red blood cell counts,
and you can get protein in.
And, you cannot taste the organmeats because it's all blended
together.
So I happen to like organ meats,so you know somebody might not
love it, but I like to just makemeatballs out of it or, put it
in like a lettuce wrap orsomething like that so you don't
(23:24):
have as much of the flavor, maskthe flavor with a yummy sauce or
something.
And that can really help driveup red blood cells.
Ivelisse Page (23:32):
I'm gonna try it.
I'll do a post on social aboutit because I hear all the time
people are saying that thenutrients and the things that
are in those organ meats, evenjust a small bit each day can be
so beneficial to you.
Although I love sardines, Ididn't know that was considered
an organ meat.
Jen Nolan (23:48):
It's not, I just said that because I watch for faces,
so I do recommend.
But I'll tell you what I didjust get was cod liver in a can.
It's Icelandic cod liver, sothat is a canned kind of organ.
And it was a little bit harderfor me than actual bison or
something like that.
Ivelisse Page (24:06):
Here in Colorado that's pretty accessible.
We'll definitely look into thoseand we'll put that company's
information in the show notes aswell for people that would like
to check it out.
You touched on it a little bitwith fasting, but what can a
person do to mitigate nausea andthe lack of appetite?
Jen Nolan (24:22):
Which is quite common.
I have so many different things.
So nausea can come fromobviously the treatment and
sometimes from smells.
So if somebody else is cookingin the kitchen and they're
hanging out on the couch and thesmell comes through and they're
like, oh, I can't, I'm not gonnareally eat that now.
Because they smell it and thatcauses nausea.
(24:43):
So I have had people, this isone of my favorites, if they
have a grill with a side burnerand as long as it's not-2 below
or something to go outside andcook sometimes, some things that
might be a little bit toofragrant for the inside of the
house.
So just make it outside or evensometimes in an instant pot, cuz
that sort of contains the smellsa little bit.
(25:03):
So that's one thing.
Ginger is a miracle food.
I truly believe.
It can help with so manydifferent things.
Stomach upset, nausea, evencirculation, which is crazy so
it can stimulate circulation,which is very important for us.
So, ginger is one of my faves,and I will take a lemon juice,
just some fresh lemon juice or alittle lemon rind, put it into a
(25:27):
mug, or even one of thoseteapots that you can steep right
in with loose tea.
I'll add chunks of ginger tothat.
And I just let it steep for awhile.
If people want it to be moreroom temperature or cooler, they
can make a really concentratedbit and then add that to their
water sometimes.
So that can really helpthroughout the day.
But ginger and a lot ofdifferent things can help.
(25:48):
And then appetite, anotherfavorite is fennel.
So you can chew on the littlefennel seeds and that can help
stimulate appetite.
and you can use fennel incooking, which is, it's a lovely
food.
So that's another thing that canstimulate appetite.
Ivelisse Page (26:05):
These are great tips.
I'm so excited to hear them all.
You also help patients to takecare of their liver, why is that
important and what do yourecommend?
Jen Nolan (26:14):
Another one of the numbers or cluster of lab values
that the doctors are watchingare the liver enzymes.
And that's important because theliver gets hammered, let's say
during treatment or can.
And so we always call it liverlove.
What are the things that we cando to really love the liver?
And one of my favorites isthings that are bitter.
(26:34):
So bitter foods, they stimulatethe liver to detox so that liver
is in charge of detoxing.
And if we can give it foods thatmight stimulate detox, that's a
great thing.
So I love bitter foods.
Like I was saying, dandeliongreens are really now oddly
available in the stores, so it'sbecome a big thing.
So you can buy them and you cancook with them like you would
(26:56):
spinach.
You can add them to salads,little snips, they're pretty
bitter.
So I also love to make pestowith them.
I cut the pesto, I'll do halfand half with fresh basil and
it's delicious.
I'll do a dairy free pesto.
I might use a little bit of apecorino cheese just to give it
that flavor.
Lemon, garlic, salt, pepper,things like that, and tons of
(27:19):
olive oil.
It's delicious.
It would mask maybe the flavorof liver.
Ivelisse Page (27:23):
That does sound delicious.
Can you send me that recipe too?
Since we are almost outta time,I can't even believe it, I would
love to hear from you if youcould share one aspect of
nutrition that everyone shouldand can incorporate into their
diet.
Jen Nolan (27:38):
I think that eating Whole Foods, that's a big one,
right?
But if there were one thing, andagain, it depends on the person
and where they are when theycome, but sugar is number one, I
think.
It's cutting out sugar,especially the processed sugars
and things like that.
That's really in my mind, veryimportant.
We didn't talk about theterrains, but I know you have a
(28:00):
lot in the various podcasts, butit hits on all of the terrains.
So if you can take that onething out, and it's very
addictive and it's very hard,but we support people doing that
all the time.
And that's my biggie.
It's just take out the sugar.
Ivelisse Page (28:15):
Do you have any tips on how to do that?
Jen Nolan (28:18):
Oftentimes with the power of threes there's 21 day
fix.
So it's a three weeks fix.
Pull it out, cleanse from it.
And that doesn't mean you do allthe things at once, but if you
can go, okay, I'm just gonnatake out sugar, awesome, for 21
days.
The chances of you wanting itafter the 21 days are pretty
low.
Everybody's has a differentsensitivity to it.
(28:40):
So some people are like, I cannever touch that again, or it
just opens up the floodgates.
Some people are like, I can havethat little treat once in a
while and I'm cool.
So, again, everybody'sdifferent.
But if somebody can do a 21 daysort of sugar fix, it's pretty
great.
Ivelisse Page (28:56):
And I've heard some great things about monk
fruit, so is that something youshould still eliminate too, or
is that something that you couldsubstitute as your cleansing or
moving forward in your health?
Jen Nolan (29:07):
Again, that's an individual question or answer
for each client because somepeople I find that it can just
perpetuate more cravings.
And so while monk fruit can beokay.
It might not raise somebody'sblood sugar, it depends on the
person, are they super addictedto sugar?
If somebody's super addicted tosugar, I have had a lot of
success with clients usinghypnosis, and that's
(29:29):
interesting.
It's just like any addiction,right?
Where hypnosis can really behelpful in getting it out.
If somebody's really addicted.
I'm careful with thosealternative sweeteners.
Ivelisse Page (29:39):
That's great advice.
As we close the show, is thereanything else that you would
like to add that I didn't askyou that you think would be
helpful to know in regards tohelping, to mitigate the side
effects of treatments?
Jen Nolan (29:51):
I mean, back to the fasting piece, if you're going
to do it, get the support anddon't just jump into it.
Hydration is so important, and Ifind that a lot of our clients,
they're doing all of thesethings.
They're taking the supplements,they're eating the right foods,
and they're drinking half ormaybe even less of what their
body needs.
(30:12):
It's one of the reallyinteresting parts.
It's like the low hanging fruit.
There's this foundational piecethat is missed, a lot so it can
really help.
It can help with cravings, itcan help with side effects.
Drink water.
Drink water.
Stay hydrated.
Ivelisse Page (30:28):
How much water should one drink?
Jen Nolan (30:29):
I usually say half of your body weight in ounces per
day of water.
Herbal tea counts, caffeinatedbeverages do not.
And if somebody's doing a lot ofsauna-ing and things like that,
they need to have more.
Ivelisse Page (30:41):
Jen, thank you so much for joining us today.
Thank you for sharing all theseincredible tools and tips that I
know everyone listening willreally appreciate you sharing
your knowledge.
So thank you so much.
Jen Nolan (30:54):
Thank you.
And I just have to say Iappreciate the work you do, all
of you at Believe Big.
It's really important andbeautiful, and we appreciate
you.
Ivelisse Page (31:04):
Oh, thanks Jen.
If you enjoyed this episode andyou'd like to help support our
podcast, please subscribe andshare it with others.
Be sure to visit believebig.orgto access the show notes and
discover our bonus content.
(31:24):
Thanks again and keep believingbig!
Welcome to today's episode on the Believe
Big Podcast.
My name is Ivelisse Page and Iam so honored to be able to
spend this time with you.
Are you or someone you knowgoing through a cancering
process and need tools on how tohandle treatments or how to make
them more effective?
Well, you're at the right place.
My guest today is Jen Nolan, whois the owner and lead oncology
(00:57):
nutrition consultant forRemission Nutrition.
Jen received her undergraduatedegree in food science, human
nutrition, and dietetics fromColorado State University.
Woohoo! Yay CSU! She holds aMaster's degree in Holistic
Nutrition, is a certifiednutrition genome practitioner.
(01:18):
And has her 250 hour Oncologynutrition consulting
certification in the field ofoncology nutrition.
Her knowledge of metabolicnutrition is unsurpassed in the
field, and she is also acertified Metabolic Balance
coach, which is a sophisticatednutrition system based on
(01:39):
client's blood values and uniquehealth profile that originated
in Munich, Germany.
Wow, Jen! Welcome to the show!
Jen Nolan (01:47):
Thank you.
I'm so happy to be here.
Ivelisse Page (01:49):
I am always curious as to each person's
favorite health tip, and I'msure our listeners would love to
know yours.
Can you share one with us?
Jen Nolan (01:58):
Absolutely.
it's interesting because I wasthinking about all these things
like saunas and all the healthyfoods and all these things, and
it came down to the fact thatfor me, my biggest health tip is
really it's joy and play.
I feel the most nourished andfilled up after I've been out
for a mountain bike ride in thewoods, in nature, or I love to
(02:20):
roller skate.
So I like to go to the beach androller skate.
So that's another thing.
It's just about being withpeople and smiling and laughing
and having fun in nature.
Ivelisse Page (02:28):
That's a great one.
I don't think we realize theimportance of being around other
people, community being outsideand doing something that you
enjoy.
So that's a great tip.
Believe Big has been workingwith Remission Nutrition for
many years.
And what I love most about whatyou all do is that you really
(02:49):
alleviate the stress a patientor your clients feel about what
they should be eating and when.
For those that haven't heardabout Remission Nutrition, can
you share with us what a personcan expect when they connect
with you?
Jen Nolan (03:02):
Yeah, you bet.
We start with, mostly right now,one-on-one consultations, which
is really lovely because wereally do dive deep into the
individual's case and everyoneis so unique.
Everyone's situation is sounique.
A lot of different treatmentplans and schedules and all of
those things, so that's what wedo.
We really like to get in andindividualize each plan.
(03:26):
So our first consultation ispretty lengthy, it's about two
hours with our consultant.
And then we try to do follow upsessions as long as people are
able.
We really hope that people cando follow ups because that's
where we download a lot ofinformation and then it's oh
geez, that's a lot ofinformation and how do we take
it step by step and make itreally realistic for them?
(03:47):
So that's what we do.
We do zoom calls and we workwith people all over, so not
just locally, all over thecountry and even worldwide,
which is pretty special.
I talk about food a lot, ofcourse, or we do, but a lot of
the time, it's oh wait, did weeven talk about food?
Cuz we talk a lot about themental, emotional wellbeing and
(04:08):
just really support everybody,wherever they are.
Ivelisse Page (04:11):
Yeah.
And I love that's what you guysdo.
You really do an integrativeapproach and not just basic
nutrition.
And also can you share withthose listening cuz what you do
is very different than whatpeople may find in a hospital.
What is the difference betweenwhat you guys do at Remission
Nutrition versus someone goingto visit their nutritionist, at
(04:33):
a hospital.
Jen Nolan (04:34):
Yeah, I mean, I have training in both, so that's been
really helpful for me tounderstand what clients are
seeing or hearing when they'reat the hospital.
I mean, the most common thingthat I hear is my doctor told me
to eat whatever I want.
And while the dieticians at thehospital probably aren't saying
that, it's very like caloriefocused as opposed to nutrient
(04:56):
density and really figuring outhow we can best support their
body during the treatment ratherthan just don't lose weight,
which is what they hear a lot.
So we really wanna dig in andgo, how can we support you as
you're going through treatmentand before and after.
So it's utilizing, I would say,food is medicine a little bit
more than just food is calories.
Ivelisse Page (05:18):
Yes.
that's a great explanation.
We had Jess Kelley on the show afew months ago, and to talk
about oncology nutrition and themany different diets that you
all help patients and clientswith.
But today, we wanted to zero inon tips that you share on how to
make treatments more effectiveand also how to offset the
(05:38):
negative side effects oftreatments.
So, I know you have many toolsand hacks, but let's focus first
on the top things that you sharewith patients on how to make
their treatments more effective.
What would you say is the firstthing?
Jen Nolan (05:51):
I think my number one favorite if people are up for
it, is to utilize fasting fortreatment, which can sound
scary, especially if somebody isbrand new to fasting.
So I might stairstep them intothat idea a little bit.
But I see if there's anythingthat I see right there in front
of me as something that isreally working, it's fasting for
(06:13):
treatment and so that's coolthat we can take away food while
somebody is going throughtreatment, maybe the day before,
day of and the day after, andmaybe it's not all food.
Maybe we use some broths andthings like that.
It really depends on the person.
But, it seems to really work.
And so I love that.
I love that I can see somebodylike, wow, I wasn't super
(06:37):
nauseous, I wasn't throwing up.
I didn't have diarrhea orconstipation, or whatever.
And then they're able to eat.
So what oftentimes happens isduring treatment, they're trying
to force down food and they feellike junk.
And so it's like we talk aboutit like with animals when
they're ill.
They don't eat.
(06:57):
And so if we can do that in areally safe way, most important
is that people still really loadup on hydration and electrolytes
and things like that.
And maybe have a backup planbecause that's one thing that
can happen if somebody goes totheir treatment and they sit
down and they go downhill.
They get dizzier, they just feelyucky.
And the nurses are like, here,eat this.
Instead, they're like, nope,I've got this in my bag.
(07:19):
So it's like a little healthierbackup plan with them.
So we really try to set peopleup for success in that world.
And I don't ever want people tofeel bad.
It's oh, I only made it tohowever many hours, 24 hours,
or, that's great, But if we canutilize fasting, that's my
numero uno and we really helppeople do it.
Ivelisse Page (07:39):
And I love that you do it step by step, but I
love too that it makes the sideeffects less, but I also heard
that it helps make thetreatments more effective.
Why is that?
Jen Nolan (07:51):
Yes, it can.
And there is some really greatres research out there that
shows even on humans, that showsthat it could help the efficacy
of the treatment.
I liken it to a one two punch alittle bit.
So if you take away cancer'sfuel, then it gets a little
weary, like the cancer cells geta little bit tired and then the
(08:15):
treatment can come in and dothat punch.
So that's another reason in mymind, in a really simplified way
of explaining why that mightwork.
And so it just makes the cancercells maybe more vulnerable and
they can get hit by thattreatment.
Ivelisse Page (08:33):
That's great, so two benefits one, it could make
the treatments more effectiveand it would also mitigate the
nausea and the other symptomsthat people experience while
they're going through that.
That's fantastic.
What would be your next tip?
Jen Nolan (08:45):
Oftentimes people come to me and they are
obviously not very happy aboutsay, a diagnosis, but also
sometimes very angry, which isalso understandable.
And they use a lot ofterminology like war and
fighting and arsenal and poisonand toxins.
And they're like, I don't wannahave that toxic stuff in my
(09:06):
body.
And so I talk to them about howwe can reframe the thought
process and the language usedaround the treatment.
And so I have a really lovelyfriend of mine right now is
going through a cancer journey,and he's like, wait, what do we
call it again?
And I'm like, we call it thehealing love potion.
It is our healing love potion,and we're gonna visualize it
(09:27):
going in and doing its job, andwe're gonna visualize it leaving
the body.
And that is so easy to standover here and say, but it can
really help.
And I feel that so strongly thatthe power of intention, the
power of the language bringsjust a positive energy to us.
Ivelisse Page (09:44):
Definitely.
I've heard, Dr.
Caroline Leaf talk a lot aboutthe brain and how it can build
branches when you're thinking ofnegative things versus positive
things and how they get replacedand, it's just amazing.
It's amazing.
I really, truly believe that.
And on the opposite side too,when I was doing my mistletoe
injections during my cancerbattle, as the mistletoe was
(10:06):
going in, as I was injecting it,I visualized like little pac-men
attacking all the cancer andeating all the cancer cells up.
I literally did.
And I just feel like anythingthat you can do to help your
body heal, is so important.
And so I truly believe that themind is super powerful.
Jen Nolan (10:25):
I agree.
Ivelisse Page (10:26):
All right.
And what about from a dietaryperspective?
Jen Nolan (10:29):
While we do utilize various dietary plans with what
we do, everyone's different.
Oftentimes when somebodyespecially is undergoing
treatment, we will utilize aketogenic diet and there's
different levels of ketosis, butgetting somebody in more of a
therapeutic level of ketosis canbe quite helpful.
And I believe the reason whythat's so helpful is because
(10:53):
first of all, it can help withsome side effects and it can
help hopefully the efficacy ofthe treatment for the similar
reason that fasting can work.
So again, it's sort of that onetwo punch.
It's taking out that primaryfuel source that cancer cells
love and takes them away, and sothat's part of it.
(11:13):
I also believe that it can helptake down inflammation.
And if we don't have a lot ofinflammation in the body, then
cancer isn't as happy.
Cancer loves an inflammatoryenvironment.
So there's several reasons whythat ketogenic diet can be
helpful.
It also might make fasting alittle bit easier because if
(11:36):
you're already in ketosis, thenyou're not on that blood sugar
roller coaster and you might beable to fast a little more
easily.
So it just sets you up forsuccess with that as well.
Ivelisse Page (11:46):
And those who aren't familiar with a ketogenic
diet, what are some of the foodsthat you avoid or that you
promote in a ketogenic diet fortreatment?
Jen Nolan (11:55):
I think this is a good question right now because
I feel like for those thataren't familiar with the
ketogenic diet, but might be,now that we've said the word
right, they might start seeingall of these products out there
that are keto this, keto that,and it basically means that it's
a high fat, and it's very fadlike right now, so there's a lot
of junk food keto things outthere.
(12:15):
So we have to be really carefulcuz we don't want to use
processed foods.
So I'm more of a whole foodsbased ketogenic diet.
So again, it's low carbohydratebecause carbohydrates can turn
to sugar in the body, whichsugar is a primary fuel source
for cancer cells.
So we take that away, but wehave to put something back in.
We utilize fat and I love thingslike olive oil and really
(12:40):
healthy sources of fat,avocados, avocado oil, nuts and
seeds, coconut, things like thatrather than a lot of the animal
based fats, people tend to feela little bit better.
And then as a nutritionist, ofcourse, I like it when people
can eat as many vegetables aspossible, high fiber vegetables
that help with digestion and allthose things.
So hopefully that answers yourquestion.
(13:02):
It's basically utilizing fat andfat is very caloric, which is
cool too.
So that can help if somebody isstarting to lose weight and
things like that.
Ivelisse Page (13:13):
Yeah, I agree.
And it's similar to gluten-freeproducts or vegan products.
If it's not a Whole Foods based,then you're eating a lot of
preservatives or added sugars orcorn fillers and things like
that are not good for you.
I love that you said that.
You mentioned losing weight, andI think that is a big issue for
many patients when they're goingthrough treatment.
(13:34):
What do you recommend forpatients to gain that weight
back in a healthy way withoutusing things like Ensure, which
are so filled with chemicals andso bad for you?
Jen Nolan (13:43):
I tell the story all the time that when I was in
school back at CSU, they did ataste test for the budding
nutritionist for Ensure.
I think it was Ensure at thetime, testing the different
flavors, the chocolate or thestrawberry, or the vanilla, and
I was so sad.
So anyway, you're right.
And what we try to do isencourage, first of all, protein
(14:04):
is quite important.
So what are different forms ofprotein that we can get into the
body?
There's different proteinpowders out there.
I like to do Food First as muchas possible, rather than powders
because I feel like the body hasa better chance of probably
digesting it.
But we have a lot of differenttricks around that.
Different shakes that are likeweight gain shakes, broths are
(14:25):
really helpful, like bone brothsand things.
I also really think it's soimportant to use the muscles.
So people that are, say they'rehaving fatigue, a lot of people
are when they're going throughtreatment, we say using your
muscles can help with fatigue soit can help even when people
don't wanna do anything, right?
(14:46):
If they can get outside for aquick walk, little bit of
sunshine or use some light handweights that can help.
Same thing with muscles.
It's sort of that saying, if youdon't use it, you lose.
It's just like that, and muscleweighs more than fat.
So if we can utilize themuscles, build them up, then
weight can go up.
It's a challenge for sure,because a lot of times appetite
(15:07):
is low and all of the thingsthat we're always trying to go
here, take this ginger to helpyour appetite and things like
that.
Ivelisse Page (15:13):
I think that's really valuable to patients to
understand and, is theresomething simple?
I know when I was going throughmy treatments, my exercise was
walking to the mailbox and back.
I was just so wiped out.
Is there a simple exercise thatyou think will build muscle that
patients could do or somethingthat they could look into.
I know like they have thoselittle stretch bands that my
(15:34):
husband travels with, that couldbe gentle enough for someone
going through treatment, butthat can build muscle.
What would you recommend?
Jen Nolan (15:40):
I love the little, resistance bands.
Those are nice.
Or the really lightweights, thelittle hand weights.
And if somebody's sitting,because they're so tired and
they're sitting there, theymight be able to use those hand
weights.
Have a couple of sets around indifferent spots where they tend
to hang out.
That can be helpful.
The other thing is if you'remaking tea and you're waiting
for the tea water to boil, thenstand against either the wall or
(16:04):
the countertop and do some verygentle pushups if you're able.
Of course not everybody's able,depending on certain things, but
push pushups.
I also love to use step-ups.
If you have a couple of stairsand you have a railing, that's
awesome too because you can holdonto the railing.
You step up, you step down acouple times and switch legs and
that can help cuz those biggermuscles in your legs are really
(16:28):
important.
It's utilizing your muscles in agentle way.
Ivelisse Page (16:32):
Love it.
I could have done that.
You mentioned the shakes and thepowders and things, and so I
know we're gonna get questionsabout that.
Might you be able to share yourfavorite one that we can put in
the show notes for people todownload and to try at home?
Jen Nolan (16:45):
You bet.
So Nutiva actually is a brandthat has a hemp protein powder.
So that's nice because a lot ofpeople are looking for more sort
of plant sources and that'sfine.
It's not gonna pack as much of apunch as say, an animal based
protein powder.
I use a couple and I do use moreof a bone broth powder for some
(17:07):
people, but I don't use it allthe time, every day, and so I
just pepper that in.
There's also another companythat's doing more of this amino
acid.
It's Perfect Aminos, and I'vebeen playing with that a little
bit because what's nice about itis that it doesn't raise blood
sugar.
It doesn't add calories is theonly thing, but you would add
that to water and drink it.
(17:28):
And it's flavored probably notthe most amazing thing.
So that's a little bit tricky.
But it can really help if we seesomebody's labs looking pretty
ugly in terms of like theirprotein levels are really low
and things like that.
And they don't have a bigappetite, then that product can
help.
It gives them the amino acidstheir bodies need, and it can
(17:49):
help with hydration, so they'renot ingesting a bunch of
calories.
So there's a ton of differentthings, in fact, in the
Metabolic Approach to Cancerthere's also that weight gain
shake, and that's a great recipethat helps with a lot of
different things.
So not just gaining weight.
So a lot of gut health things.
And so that's a good recipe.
(18:10):
I don't use as much whey proteinpowder anymore.
I prefer more of bone brothprotein powder.
So I believe the one that I haveright now is probably from
Designs for Health, but there'sa couple, I'm just really
careful.
I don't use any of the likevanilla or chocolate flavors
personally because they're sostrong and they don't have sugar
probably, but they use like someof the alternative sweeteners
(18:32):
and it's too much and it tendsto be a little bit easier just
to put some frozen berries andtaste that.
Ivelisse Page (18:38):
I found that to be with some of them that makes
it sweeter.
But I'm very sensitive to thesugar.
I love the Four Sigmatic onethat has the mushrooms and
things in it.
And it has the cacao, a cocoflavor.
And I just put that withblueberries and almond milk and
it's delicious and it has nosugar.
So I really love that one too.
(19:00):
But I'll put yourrecommendations in the show
notes.
And again, these are just ideasand thoughts and what I wanna
make sure I continue to impressupon those that are hearing is
that you really need to speak tosomeone who is knowledgeable for
your specific situation.
Everybody's body is differentand responds differently and may
need different things.
And so that's why I'm sograteful for what you guys do at
(19:21):
Remission Nutrition that reallyindividualizes a plan based on
where someone is in theirtreatment process, whether
they're a healthy person withoutcancer or one with a cancering
process.
So, making sure everyonerealizes these are just
suggestions.
It's not medical advice at anyform, or treatment advice.
It's really things to open upyour mind and your thoughts to
(19:42):
what else is out there thatcould be used.
You mentioned the people's bloodcounts and things that could be
low because of the negative sideeffects of treatments.
What about low blood counts?
What have you done for that?
Jen Nolan (19:54):
That seems to be a pretty common thing.
So whenever somebody goes in toget their blood work done right
before treatment, it's often tolook at those numbers to see how
their body is holding up fromthe last treatment or the last
treatments.
And so they're looking at thoselabs and they're like, okay,
yes, we can go ahead and dotreatment.
And so one of those, the clusterof numbers oftentimes are those
(20:17):
blood counts.
So we'll look at say, whiteblood cell counts, red blood
cell counts, platelet counts,things like that.
And we have some really nice,non-invasive things that we can
utilize that can help.
So one of my favorites is forplatelets.
We will use sesame oil and wecan use sesame oil also as a
(20:39):
fat, so that's cool, right?
It's a food, it's gonna get somecalories in.
But if they could do even atablespoon a day of sesame oil
in their diet, that can raiseplatelets.
It can drive platelet productionup.
So that's really neat.
And so if platelets are high, wedon't wanna utilize that, right?
There's a really nice sort ofsweet spot with platelets, but
(21:01):
we definitely don't want themtoo low.
And so we'll use sesame oil infood and I like to get the raw,
organic sesame oil for this, notthe smoked or toasted sesame
oil.
I keep it in the fridge.
I have people not cook with it,cuz that makes me a little bit
nervous because it's a seed oiland you don't want it to be
cooked in heat.
(21:21):
And you can also use ittopically.
So you can put it on elbows,knees, things like that.
And that can drive platelets, sothat's one thing.
For white blood cell counts, Ihave my little favorite trick of
taking a little jar of coconutoil, like at the tiniest mason
jar you can get, put coconut oilin it and then take about four
or or six drops of high qualityeucalyptus oil and mix it up
(21:43):
really well.
And then you take it and dab itunder your nose throughout the
day.
Kind of cool, you don't have toingest anything.
And so that can help withplatelets.
There's other things that peoplecan utilize, like certain types
of mushrooms for white bloodcells too.
But unless they're working witha naturopathic oncologist and
they're being monitored, I don'twanna add a bunch of supplements
(22:06):
to their plan.
I'd like to use these morenon-invasive things that feel
really good to the person.
Ivelisse Page (22:11):
Yeah.
I know that patients appreciatethat a lot.
not having to add one more thingto their protocol.
What about if red blood cellcounts are high?
Jen Nolan (22:20):
So I call it, blood building food.
And I know that might soundgross, but if your blood cells
are low, you can take in someblood building foods.
And again, this is veryindividualized depending on the
person.
But if I can get somebody toutilize some of organ meat, and
I usually watch for facialexpressions when I say certain
things like sardines or organmeats.
(22:41):
And then I go a differentdirection if I get the wrong
face, but, there's some amazingblends out there.
So there's um, oh, what's itcalled?
I forget the name of thecompany.
It's called Force of Nature, andthey're pretty accessible, so
you can order'em online, butthey're these meat blends, so
they have one that's like abison mixed with organ meats.
(23:02):
And it's cool because you canhelp your red blood cell counts,
and you can get protein in.
And, you cannot taste the organmeats because it's all blended
together.
So I happen to like organ meats,so you know somebody might not
love it, but I like to just makemeatballs out of it or, put it
in like a lettuce wrap orsomething like that so you don't
(23:24):
have as much of the flavor, maskthe flavor with a yummy sauce or
something.
And that can really help driveup red blood cells.
Ivelisse Page (23:32):
I'm gonna try it.
I'll do a post on social aboutit because I hear all the time
people are saying that thenutrients and the things that
are in those organ meats, evenjust a small bit each day can be
so beneficial to you.
Although I love sardines, Ididn't know that was considered
an organ meat.
Jen Nolan (23:48):
It's not, I just said that because I watch for faces,
so I do recommend.
But I'll tell you what I didjust get was cod liver in a can.
It's Icelandic cod liver, sothat is a canned kind of organ.
And it was a little bit harderfor me than actual bison or
something like that.
Ivelisse Page (24:06):
Here in Colorado that's pretty accessible.
We'll definitely look into thoseand we'll put that company's
information in the show notes aswell for people that would like
to check it out.
You touched on it a little bitwith fasting, but what can a
person do to mitigate nausea andthe lack of appetite?
Jen Nolan (24:22):
Which is quite common.
I have so many different things.
So nausea can come fromobviously the treatment and
sometimes from smells.
So if somebody else is cookingin the kitchen and they're
hanging out on the couch and thesmell comes through and they're
like, oh, I can't, I'm not gonnareally eat that now.
Because they smell it and thatcauses nausea.
(24:43):
So I have had people, this isone of my favorites, if they
have a grill with a side burnerand as long as it's not-2 below
or something to go outside andcook sometimes, some things that
might be a little bit toofragrant for the inside of the
house.
So just make it outside or evensometimes in an instant pot, cuz
that sort of contains the smellsa little bit.
(25:03):
So that's one thing.
Ginger is a miracle food.
I truly believe.
It can help with so manydifferent things.
Stomach upset, nausea, evencirculation, which is crazy so
it can stimulate circulation,which is very important for us.
So, ginger is one of my faves,and I will take a lemon juice,
just some fresh lemon juice or alittle lemon rind, put it into a
(25:27):
mug, or even one of thoseteapots that you can steep right
in with loose tea.
I'll add chunks of ginger tothat.
And I just let it steep for awhile.
If people want it to be moreroom temperature or cooler, they
can make a really concentratedbit and then add that to their
water sometimes.
So that can really helpthroughout the day.
But ginger and a lot ofdifferent things can help.
(25:48):
And then appetite, anotherfavorite is fennel.
So you can chew on the littlefennel seeds and that can help
stimulate appetite.
and you can use fennel incooking, which is, it's a lovely
food.
So that's another thing that canstimulate appetite.
Ivelisse Page (26:05):
These are great tips.
I'm so excited to hear them all.
You also help patients to takecare of their liver, why is that
important and what do yourecommend?
Jen Nolan (26:14):
Another one of the numbers or cluster of lab values
that the doctors are watchingare the liver enzymes.
And that's important because theliver gets hammered, let's say
during treatment or can.
And so we always call it liverlove.
What are the things that we cando to really love the liver?
And one of my favorites isthings that are bitter.
(26:34):
So bitter foods, they stimulatethe liver to detox so that liver
is in charge of detoxing.
And if we can give it foods thatmight stimulate detox, that's a
great thing.
So I love bitter foods.
Like I was saying, dandeliongreens are really now oddly
available in the stores, so it'sbecome a big thing.
So you can buy them and you cancook with them like you would
(26:56):
spinach.
You can add them to salads,little snips, they're pretty
bitter.
So I also love to make pestowith them.
I cut the pesto, I'll do halfand half with fresh basil and
it's delicious.
I'll do a dairy free pesto.
I might use a little bit of apecorino cheese just to give it
that flavor.
Lemon, garlic, salt, pepper,things like that, and tons of
(27:19):
olive oil.
It's delicious.
It would mask maybe the flavorof liver.
Ivelisse Page (27:23):
That does sound delicious.
Can you send me that recipe too?
Since we are almost outta time,I can't even believe it, I would
love to hear from you if youcould share one aspect of
nutrition that everyone shouldand can incorporate into their
diet.
Jen Nolan (27:38):
I think that eating Whole Foods, that's a big one,
right?
But if there were one thing, andagain, it depends on the person
and where they are when theycome, but sugar is number one, I
think.
It's cutting out sugar,especially the processed sugars
and things like that.
That's really in my mind, veryimportant.
We didn't talk about theterrains, but I know you have a
(28:00):
lot in the various podcasts, butit hits on all of the terrains.
So if you can take that onething out, and it's very
addictive and it's very hard,but we support people doing that
all the time.
And that's my biggie.
It's just take out the sugar.
Ivelisse Page (28:15):
Do you have any tips on how to do that?
Jen Nolan (28:18):
Oftentimes with the power of threes there's 21 day
fix.
So it's a three weeks fix.
Pull it out, cleanse from it.
And that doesn't mean you do allthe things at once, but if you
can go, okay, I'm just gonnatake out sugar, awesome, for 21
days.
The chances of you wanting itafter the 21 days are pretty
low.
Everybody's has a differentsensitivity to it.
(28:40):
So some people are like, I cannever touch that again, or it
just opens up the floodgates.
Some people are like, I can havethat little treat once in a
while and I'm cool.
So, again, everybody'sdifferent.
But if somebody can do a 21 daysort of sugar fix, it's pretty
great.
Ivelisse Page (28:56):
And I've heard some great things about monk
fruit, so is that something youshould still eliminate too, or
is that something that you couldsubstitute as your cleansing or
moving forward in your health?
Jen Nolan (29:07):
Again, that's an individual question or answer
for each client because somepeople I find that it can just
perpetuate more cravings.
And so while monk fruit can beokay.
It might not raise somebody'sblood sugar, it depends on the
person, are they super addictedto sugar?
If somebody's super addicted tosugar, I have had a lot of
success with clients usinghypnosis, and that's
(29:29):
interesting.
It's just like any addiction,right?
Where hypnosis can really behelpful in getting it out.
If somebody's really addicted.
I'm careful with thosealternative sweeteners.
Ivelisse Page (29:39):
That's great advice.
As we close the show, is thereanything else that you would
like to add that I didn't askyou that you think would be
helpful to know in regards tohelping, to mitigate the side
effects of treatments?
Jen Nolan (29:51):
I mean, back to the fasting piece, if you're going
to do it, get the support anddon't just jump into it.
Hydration is so important, and Ifind that a lot of our clients,
they're doing all of thesethings.
They're taking the supplements,they're eating the right foods,
and they're drinking half ormaybe even less of what their
body needs.
(30:12):
It's one of the reallyinteresting parts.
It's like the low hanging fruit.
There's this foundational piecethat is missed, a lot so it can
really help.
It can help with cravings, itcan help with side effects.
Drink water.
Drink water.
Stay hydrated.
Ivelisse Page (30:28):
How much water should one drink?
Jen Nolan (30:29):
I usually say half of your body weight in ounces per
day of water.
Herbal tea counts, caffeinatedbeverages do not.
And if somebody's doing a lot ofsauna-ing and things like that,
they need to have more.
Ivelisse Page (30:41):
Jen, thank you so much for joining us today.
Thank you for sharing all theseincredible tools and tips that I
know everyone listening willreally appreciate you sharing
your knowledge.
So thank you so much.
Jen Nolan (30:54):
Thank you.
And I just have to say Iappreciate the work you do, all
of you at Believe Big.
It's really important andbeautiful, and we appreciate
you.
Ivelisse Page (31:04):
Oh, thanks Jen.
If you enjoyed this episode andyou'd like to help support our
podcast, please subscribe andshare it with others.
Be sure to visit believebig.orgto access the show notes and
discover our bonus content.
(31:24):
Thanks again and keep believingbig!
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