May 21, 2024 โข 20 mins
Welcome to Season 2 of the Essence of Health Tea Time podcast!
The three most common cancers in women are Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, and Ovarian Cancer. Studies show that 13 percent of women will be diagnosed with female breast cancer at some point during their lifetime.
While we know there are a variety of factors that can play a part in the development of cancer, there are ways to reduce your risk and enhance your overall quality of life.
This month on The Essence of Health Tea Time podcast, weโll have a two part episode with guest, Dr. Simran Malhotra. On todayโs episode, Dr. Shayla and Dr. Simran will be spilling โ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ค - ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐โ.
Dr. Simran Malhotra is a triple board-certified physician in internal medicine, hospice & palliative care, and lifestyle medicine as well as a certified health and wellness coach. She is a BRCA 1 previvor with a strong family history of breast & female reproductive cancers and has an encouraging story of how she has managed this medical history at such a young age.
She founded Wellness By LifestyleMD, a platform where she aims to educate people, particularly women at high risk of cancer like herself, on the powerful impact that positive lifestyle changes can have on their quality of life and even longevity.
Synopsis:
- Discover the problem with processed foods and how they increase your cancer risk
- Gain an understanding of how exercise can lower your cancer risk
- Explore other lifestyle factors that may be increasing your cancer risk
- Get the โmotivating teaโ on practical strategies to maintain overall health and wellness to lower your cancer risk
Connect with Essence of Health:
โ Join the FREE Nourish & Flourish 5 Day Challenge at www.DrShayla.com/NFchallenge
โLearn more about Essence of Health Wellness Clinic & Coaching at www.DrShayla.com/EOH
โSubmit a question to our "Ask The Expert" segment of this podcast so that you can get my opinion on your questions related to plant based nutrition, health and wellness.
Submit your questions for this segment here: https://essenceofhealth.link/ask-the-expert
โClick the SUBSCRIBE button on your favorite podcast platform so that you never miss a moment of the Essence of Health Tea Time Podcast!
โGet your FREE "Healthy Tips For A Healthy Lifestyle" Guide to get you started on your health and wellness path. https://essenceofhealth.link/e-book
โFollow Dr. Shayla on social media at Essence of Health Wellness Clinic on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and at DrShayla on TikTok.
โ-----------------------------------------------------------------
Connect with Dr. Simran Malhotra:
Awaken Your Wellness Columnist at Everyday Health: https://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/awaken-your-wellness/
Website: https://www.coachsimranmd.com/
Instagram: @Drsimran.malhotra
LinkedIn: @Simran Malhotra
The Essence of Health is in You!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to the Essence of Health Tea Time Podcast.
(00:12):
I am your host, Dr. Shayla Toons-Whithers.
As a double board certified family and obesity medicine physician with over 12 years of experience
in medicine, I teach motivated individuals how to achieve their desired quality of life
while preventing and reversing chronic diseases.
(00:33):
It's tea time!
What part of your health journey is most challenging?
Is it the actual effort of sticking to a plan?
The cooking and the meal planning?
The exercise routine?
Not enough time for everything you think you need to do?
Or the confusion of it all?
(00:54):
If you said yes to any of these obstacles, then keep listening to learn how you can smash
these problems just by checking your email.
You check your email inbox every day already, but what if checking your inbox brought you
better health instead of the stress it sometimes can bring?
Well, I have news for you.
(01:15):
You can improve your health, get a jump start on improving your health conditions, and start
to feel like a better version of you just by checking your email inbox over the next
5 days when you join the free Nourish and Flourish 5 Day Challenge.
You'll get health tips, actionable videos, a goal and habit tracker, and healthy recipes
(01:38):
every day for 5 days.
Better health is the best investment you'll ever make, and this is only a small investment
of your time.
You have nothing to lose, but everything to gain.
The Nourish and Flourish 5 Day Challenge was designed to set the foundation for healthy
habits for life.
(01:58):
Say yes to yourself today and sign up now at drshayla.com forward slash nfchallenge.
I'll also place these details in the show notes.
The essence of health is in you.
See you in your inbox.
And so tell us about you're touching on the flip side of this, those other foods that
can actually cause more damage to those cells.
(02:21):
I know, I was just going to say, so kind of like I was just talking about the Twinkie,
right?
So these are these highly processed foods are actually pro-inflammatory, right?
So they have all they process sugar, they have saturated fat, they have added oils,
and all of this can lead to more inflammation in the body and cause more damage to our gut
(02:43):
and to ourselves and to our blood vessels.
And so over time can lead not just to diseases like cancer, but also, you know, the number
one killer in Americans heart disease, right?
metabolic syndrome, like all of these lifestyle related chronic diseases that are affecting
us at epidemic levels today.
And so, you know, I think the one food when it comes to cancer in particular, that I think
(03:08):
about, you know, the WHO named processed meats as a class one carcinogen back in I think
2012, 2015.
Yeah, I think so.
It's been quite a while, but people still seem to not even realize or know that that's
been deemed.
And, and, and, you know, that's kind of part of the world we live in.
(03:29):
It took 20 years of evidence and science to prove that tobacco smoke causes lung cancer
for them to actually put a label on the package.
And so, you know, there are a lot of things that we know today do increase risk of cancer,
but if you're waiting for, you know, there to be a label on the package or whatever,
(03:49):
it's not coming for a long time because unfortunately, there's a lot of powers that be that influence
the way that, you know, food and alcohol, all these things are marketed in our society.
Unfortunately, it's not always for our best interest.
So, you have to advocate for yourself.
(04:10):
And so, when it comes to cancer risk reduction, in particular, colorectal cancer now, you
know, processed meats, we know things like bacon, sausage, salami are carcinogens.
So, I would definitely avoid those.
Yeah, yeah.
Great.
Thank you.
And so, I feel like we've talked a lot about food.
So, even beyond food, what are some of those other lifestyle interventions that you found
(04:33):
to be effective in cancer prevention?
For breast cancer in particular, if we go back to that, there's really four things outside
of what you can do with your diet that have a lot of evidence behind them for cancer risk
reduction.
Number one is exercise.
So, and, you know, I'm sure you've talked about exercise before, but, you know, exercise
is no doubt hands down associated with a decreased risk of not just premenopausal breast cancer,
(04:59):
but also postmenopausal breast cancer.
And then, exercise is the one thing that is also associated with a decreased risk of all
the other chronic lifestyle-related illnesses that we just talked about, right?
Metabolic syndrome, heart disease, stroke, like all the things.
So, exercise is amazing.
And you know, exercise doesn't mean going to a class and having to go to the gym.
(05:22):
I mean, exercise is movement, right?
There was a big study that was done a few years ago that showed even increments of 10
minutes at a time of some sort of movement can reduce your overall risk of all-cause
mortality.
So, that is very powerful.
Everyone has 10 minutes, right?
Yeah.
(05:43):
So, there's that, this is not going to be a popular opinion, just putting it out there,
trigger warning.
There is no safe amount of alcohol, especially when you talk about breast cancer.
Alcohol is toxic to breast cells.
And so, it is known to increase risk of breast cancer.
And I don't think people know that.
(06:04):
I don't think that's like a common knowledge.
I think it's because it is one of those things, like you said, is there's no, you know, people
tend to want to say, well, you know, nobody really wants to totally get rid of their cancer.
Or, you know, glass of red wine or whatever.
And so, I think kind of like the bacon thing, you know, it's just like not going to be readily
(06:26):
available.
Right, right.
So, I guess, you know, the recommendation here would be consume the most minimal amount
of alcohol possible.
And I'll be honest, like for me, it was probably like at the latter end of my journey.
Like, you know, I transitioned to a whole food plant based diet from a traditional kind
(06:47):
of Canadian, South Asian Indian diet, eating meat, eating all those things and dairy.
And so, I kind of cut those things out slowly before I got to the alcohol.
So, it was definitely the last piece because it's so intertwined with, like you said, like
our social life as well.
Right.
And so, what I'll also mention over the past few years of my own research, it's pretty
(07:10):
amazing.
The Sober Curious Movement right now, I think with this younger generation, which is so,
you know, where I live just outside of Washington, DC, they even have a bar that is like a fully
like alcohol free.
The Mocktail Bar.
Oh, that's cool.
It is so cool.
And so, there's all these spirit companies and beer companies that are creating alcohol
free drinks.
And so, it's really not hard to have an enjoyable social event with, you know, alcohol free
(07:36):
drinks that are fun and set the mood and all of that.
So, no safe amount of alcohol.
And then tobacco, I don't even think we need to mention that.
Right.
Everyone knows that smoking cigarettes is bad.
It increases risk of several different kinds of cancers.
And then the last piece, again, this is a big one in our society today.
(07:59):
You know, about 75% of this country, America, is overweight and obesity is linked with over
10 to 12 different types of cancers.
If I'm remembering off the top of my head with breast cancer being a very well known
one.
And so, I think while our diet is not directly linked, like it's not a causal link to breast
(08:28):
cancer, meaning if you eat this way or that way, it's definitely going to cause cancer.
What we know is that obesity and excessive weight definitely causes cancer and our diet
is strongly linked to that excess weight.
So, and there was recently a big article, again, stating, showing, telling us that the
average American's daily calories, more than 50 to 55% of them come from processed and
(08:52):
highly processed foods.
I mean, more than their diet comes from processed and highly processed foods.
And these foods are, like we said, have all the things that are linked to gaining more
weight and, you know.
And all these other health conditions.
All these other health conditions for gut health, which ultimately then increase your
risk of cancer.
(09:13):
And actually, this article even stated that eating this diet is associated with an increased
risk of cancer.
So, I like to say it's an indirect link.
Yeah.
And there are even more studies that have even come out about gut health and its link
to obesity.
If, you know, folks have been listening, there's another episode that I did with the gut health
(09:34):
specialist, too, where we talked about that, too, and the links of gut health to obesity.
So, there are, you're right, there are these multiple factors, too, that play a part.
Absolutely.
If you're frustrated with your weight, taking more medications than you like to, have been
told that you are at risk for the development of a chronic preventable disease, or just
(09:54):
are not feeling in the best of health, then I'm talking to you.
Why?
Because you're tired of fat dieting.
You know it's time for a change, and you want a sustainable plan to improve your health.
If you have found yourself at this place in life, well, I have developed a program that's
just for you.
It's called The Essence of Health, and it's your prescription for transformation.
(10:19):
My goal with this program is to give you the tools needed to create sustainable lifestyle
changes within a group coaching setting, along with one-to-one individualized coaching to
give you a personalized path to health that's just for you.
The benefits are priceless.
So, join today.
Head on over to eohcoaching.com to learn more.
(10:43):
The Essence of Health is in you.
All right.
So, what are some practical tips, just to kind of even wrap us up here, what are some
practical tips that you can offer to individuals looking to lower their cancer risk in transition
to a plant-based diet?
What do you usually tell the folks who you coach?
The first thing I say is, when you walk into someone's life or you find them on social
(11:06):
media or whatever, recognize that they didn't just become like this.
If someone was to look at my life, there's like, well, I can't do all of that.
Recognize that I created this version of me over the last 10 years.
That's a process.
It's a journey.
And so, don't be discouraged and don't compare yourself to anybody else.
(11:33):
And I know we hear that all the time, but like I tell my kids, you only have to be better
than who you were yesterday.
I love that.
Yeah.
And even if that's just 1% better, I'll tell you as a palliative care doctor that every
small step you make towards moving your body more, reducing the amount of alcohol you're
(11:59):
having, eating more plants, every small step you make will make such a big impact 10, 15,
20 years from now to reduce your risk of all of these chronic diseases.
And what I can tell you from my perspective of caring for the sickest people for almost
a decade is that the last 10 to 15 years of the average American's life is spent deconditioned
(12:22):
and debilitated, meaning mostly in bed, in and out of hospitals, taking a whole boatload
of medications.
And all any single one of my patients has ever expressed to me is wanting to be independent,
wanting to be able to go for a walk, wanting to have more time with their families, wanting
to be able to just do normal everyday things.
(12:44):
And so I'm not even saying to do all of this so you can live that extravagant life and
start that business and travel and do all these extravagant things that we all dream
of.
I'm saying do these things so that you can just continue to do the basic everyday things
that are so important to us as human beings for our dignity, for our autonomy.
(13:08):
I have goosebumps talking about it because people don't realize how big the little things
really are.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's so much about the quality of the life that you get to live.
And it's kind of like what you said towards the beginning of our talk about we tell you
these things not because if you eat plant-based and you work out, it's not because you'll
(13:31):
never die or you'll never get a chronic health condition, but it's because a certain quality
of life that you would like to live, you would like to maintain that independence.
I hear people tell me all the time I'd like to be able to make sure I'm able to keep up
with my kids or take care of my grandkids.
And so these things that you talk about are the keys to helping you to maintain a certain
(13:54):
quality of life so that you can enjoy those facets.
Absolutely.
And it's like, you know what, like I like to talk about this a lot.
Think about it from an abundance perspective, right?
So think about all the things that you can do.
Like if you have some restriction with exercise, say you can't get on a treadmill, instead
of focusing on what you can't do, you know, what can you do, right?
(14:16):
Like come at it from an abundance perspective.
Same thing with plant-based nutrition.
Think about all the things you can eat versus focusing on the things you can't.
And the other thing is that it's about progress, right?
So it's not about perfection.
My family and I eat mostly a plant-based diet.
I have a five and seven year old, which means we go to way more kids birthday parties than
(14:40):
we would like to.
And unfortunately, in this culture and this society, that means a lot of sugar, cupcakes,
cakes, candy, pizza, sugar sweetened beverages.
Like that is just what is normal to serve at these events.
And so when you're surrounded by it, you know, it's important to recognize that you don't
(15:02):
have to come at it from a scarcity perspective.
It's about what you're doing most of the time.
So whatever you're doing 80 to 90% of the time is really what's going to create the
biggest impact.
That 10 to 15% of the time, you should enjoy your life, right?
Eat the cupcake, you know, eat the slice of pizza.
Like it's okay.
That's not what's going to make a difference.
It's when that's what you're doing all the time is what leads to problems.
(15:25):
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah, you're exactly right.
And I'm glad you said that too, because people do, they feel like, well, you know, I can't
ever, I even have people say, oh, I can never ever, ever give up my steak.
And, you know, it's like, yeah, you can, you know, if you have to have it some of the time,
you know, once a month or whatever, then do that if that makes you feel that was what
you need to do.
(15:45):
But then let's talk about all those other things that you can do.
There's one more distinction I'll make there because a lot of times people will say, oh,
I tried that and I don't like it, or I just can't.
And what I tell my kids all the time is, you know, whenever I put something new on the
table, they know they don't have to eat it, but they should have to try it.
Right.
And what they know, right.
(16:05):
And what they know now is that they like, and science has shown us that you have to
eat something, what if it's new to you, you have to eat it eight to 10 to 12 times for
your palate to adapt and adjust and develop a taste for it.
And at the same time, you know, everything you eat is really what determines the kind
(16:27):
of gut bugs that you have in your microbiome.
And so as you change the way you eat, your gut bugs are going to change as well.
And you're going to develop an increased diversity, better, healthier, happier gut bugs, which
will then actually make you love this food.
I can now tell, like, we were traveling recently.
(16:49):
And one of the days I had this plant based like burger, which was like, it looked really
good and it was really good, but it was like fried and it was not from a health perspective,
very good.
Yeah, probably more oil than you're used to consuming.
And I had french fries and I had a milk, like a vegan milkshake.
And like, I was just excited that like this even existed where we were.
(17:11):
So I was like, yeah.
And then so I like ate it.
And like about two hours later, I felt so bad.
Like I felt so horrible.
And so that's the other confirmation that once you cultivate a healthy gut microbiome,
when you go back to your old, you know, foods that you used to love your body, your gut
(17:32):
microbiome, it'll tell you right.
Yeah, exactly.
But it's a process.
So, oh, for sure.
I always tell people the first time I had tofu, I was like, oh, this is disgusting.
I'm never going to eat this.
And I love it.
I know how to cook it and make it flavorful.
But yeah, it is.
You do.
(17:52):
You have to try these things several times and just reintroduce your palate, you know,
to a variety of foods.
And you will.
Your body will thank you and then you'll grow to learn how to enjoy it.
And I promise you, you know, like when you go to the average restaurant and you see the
kids menu and it's like chicken nuggets, french fries, mac and cheese and like pasta with
(18:13):
red sauce.
That's like the pizza, like average, right.
But kids actually have a very diverse palate if you actually trust that there's no such
thing as kid food and that food is just food, right.
Like my five and seven year old love mushrooms.
They love olives.
They love sauerkraut.
(18:34):
They love pickles.
They love farro.
They love quinoa.
They like, you know, they eat everything and because they were exposed to it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
We eat a lot of different ethnic foods in the house, you know, Indian food or yeah.
Yeah.
And they do.
They love it.
You know, I've had even adults who wouldn't try somebody but my kids will.
(18:57):
An abundance mindset.
That is the biggest tip.
Yeah.
Yeah, for sure.
Well, thank you so much, Dr. Summer for coming on the show.
Now tell the audience how they can connect with you online.
So I'm mostly on Instagram.
I can't keep up with all the social platforms.
So on Instagram, I'm drsimran.mohultra.
So you can find me there and then I have a website.
(19:20):
It's coachsimranmd.com where I have lots of resources and you can connect with me there.
Wonderful.
And for the audience, I'll put all of that in the show notes.
So be sure to check out Dr. Simran there.
All right.
Well, thank you so much.
Thanks, Dr. Sheila.
Thank you for joining me today on the Essence of Health Tea Time podcast.
Click the subscribe button on your favorite podcast platform so that you never miss a
(19:45):
moment of the Essence of Health Tea Time podcast.
Check out the show notes to obtain your free tips for Healthy Living God to get you started
on your health and wellness path.
Follow me on social media at Essence of Health Wellness Clinic on Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube and at doctor.tw at EOHWC on TikTok.
(20:10):
Interested in becoming a member of the Essence of Health coaching program?
Well head on over to www.eohcoaching.com.
The Essence of Health is a year.
Welcome to the Essence of Health Tea Time Podcast.
(00:12):
I am your host, Dr. Shayla Toons-Whithers.
As a double board certified family and obesity medicine physician with over 12 years of experience
in medicine, I teach motivated individuals how to achieve their desired quality of life
while preventing and reversing chronic diseases.
(00:33):
It's tea time!
What part of your health journey is most challenging?
Is it the actual effort of sticking to a plan?
The cooking and the meal planning?
The exercise routine?
Not enough time for everything you think you need to do?
Or the confusion of it all?
(00:54):
If you said yes to any of these obstacles, then keep listening to learn how you can smash
these problems just by checking your email.
You check your email inbox every day already, but what if checking your inbox brought you
better health instead of the stress it sometimes can bring?
Well, I have news for you.
(01:15):
You can improve your health, get a jump start on improving your health conditions, and start
to feel like a better version of you just by checking your email inbox over the next
5 days when you join the free Nourish and Flourish 5 Day Challenge.
You'll get health tips, actionable videos, a goal and habit tracker, and healthy recipes
(01:38):
every day for 5 days.
Better health is the best investment you'll ever make, and this is only a small investment
of your time.
You have nothing to lose, but everything to gain.
The Nourish and Flourish 5 Day Challenge was designed to set the foundation for healthy
habits for life.
(01:58):
Say yes to yourself today and sign up now at drshayla.com forward slash nfchallenge.
I'll also place these details in the show notes.
The essence of health is in you.
See you in your inbox.
And so tell us about you're touching on the flip side of this, those other foods that
can actually cause more damage to those cells.
(02:21):
I know, I was just going to say, so kind of like I was just talking about the Twinkie,
right?
So these are these highly processed foods are actually pro-inflammatory, right?
So they have all they process sugar, they have saturated fat, they have added oils,
and all of this can lead to more inflammation in the body and cause more damage to our gut
(02:43):
and to ourselves and to our blood vessels.
And so over time can lead not just to diseases like cancer, but also, you know, the number
one killer in Americans heart disease, right?
metabolic syndrome, like all of these lifestyle related chronic diseases that are affecting
us at epidemic levels today.
And so, you know, I think the one food when it comes to cancer in particular, that I think
(03:08):
about, you know, the WHO named processed meats as a class one carcinogen back in I think
2012, 2015.
Yeah, I think so.
It's been quite a while, but people still seem to not even realize or know that that's
been deemed.
And, and, and, you know, that's kind of part of the world we live in.
(03:29):
It took 20 years of evidence and science to prove that tobacco smoke causes lung cancer
for them to actually put a label on the package.
And so, you know, there are a lot of things that we know today do increase risk of cancer,
but if you're waiting for, you know, there to be a label on the package or whatever,
(03:49):
it's not coming for a long time because unfortunately, there's a lot of powers that be that influence
the way that, you know, food and alcohol, all these things are marketed in our society.
Unfortunately, it's not always for our best interest.
So, you have to advocate for yourself.
(04:10):
And so, when it comes to cancer risk reduction, in particular, colorectal cancer now, you
know, processed meats, we know things like bacon, sausage, salami are carcinogens.
So, I would definitely avoid those.
Yeah, yeah.
Great.
Thank you.
And so, I feel like we've talked a lot about food.
So, even beyond food, what are some of those other lifestyle interventions that you found
(04:33):
to be effective in cancer prevention?
For breast cancer in particular, if we go back to that, there's really four things outside
of what you can do with your diet that have a lot of evidence behind them for cancer risk
reduction.
Number one is exercise.
So, and, you know, I'm sure you've talked about exercise before, but, you know, exercise
is no doubt hands down associated with a decreased risk of not just premenopausal breast cancer,
(04:59):
but also postmenopausal breast cancer.
And then, exercise is the one thing that is also associated with a decreased risk of all
the other chronic lifestyle-related illnesses that we just talked about, right?
Metabolic syndrome, heart disease, stroke, like all the things.
So, exercise is amazing.
And you know, exercise doesn't mean going to a class and having to go to the gym.
(05:22):
I mean, exercise is movement, right?
There was a big study that was done a few years ago that showed even increments of 10
minutes at a time of some sort of movement can reduce your overall risk of all-cause
mortality.
So, that is very powerful.
Everyone has 10 minutes, right?
Yeah.
(05:43):
So, there's that, this is not going to be a popular opinion, just putting it out there,
trigger warning.
There is no safe amount of alcohol, especially when you talk about breast cancer.
Alcohol is toxic to breast cells.
And so, it is known to increase risk of breast cancer.
And I don't think people know that.
(06:04):
I don't think that's like a common knowledge.
I think it's because it is one of those things, like you said, is there's no, you know, people
tend to want to say, well, you know, nobody really wants to totally get rid of their cancer.
Or, you know, glass of red wine or whatever.
And so, I think kind of like the bacon thing, you know, it's just like not going to be readily
(06:26):
available.
Right, right.
So, I guess, you know, the recommendation here would be consume the most minimal amount
of alcohol possible.
And I'll be honest, like for me, it was probably like at the latter end of my journey.
Like, you know, I transitioned to a whole food plant based diet from a traditional kind
(06:47):
of Canadian, South Asian Indian diet, eating meat, eating all those things and dairy.
And so, I kind of cut those things out slowly before I got to the alcohol.
So, it was definitely the last piece because it's so intertwined with, like you said, like
our social life as well.
Right.
And so, what I'll also mention over the past few years of my own research, it's pretty
(07:10):
amazing.
The Sober Curious Movement right now, I think with this younger generation, which is so,
you know, where I live just outside of Washington, DC, they even have a bar that is like a fully
like alcohol free.
The Mocktail Bar.
Oh, that's cool.
It is so cool.
And so, there's all these spirit companies and beer companies that are creating alcohol
free drinks.
And so, it's really not hard to have an enjoyable social event with, you know, alcohol free
(07:36):
drinks that are fun and set the mood and all of that.
So, no safe amount of alcohol.
And then tobacco, I don't even think we need to mention that.
Right.
Everyone knows that smoking cigarettes is bad.
It increases risk of several different kinds of cancers.
And then the last piece, again, this is a big one in our society today.
(07:59):
You know, about 75% of this country, America, is overweight and obesity is linked with over
10 to 12 different types of cancers.
If I'm remembering off the top of my head with breast cancer being a very well known
one.
And so, I think while our diet is not directly linked, like it's not a causal link to breast
(08:28):
cancer, meaning if you eat this way or that way, it's definitely going to cause cancer.
What we know is that obesity and excessive weight definitely causes cancer and our diet
is strongly linked to that excess weight.
So, and there was recently a big article, again, stating, showing, telling us that the
average American's daily calories, more than 50 to 55% of them come from processed and
(08:52):
highly processed foods.
I mean, more than their diet comes from processed and highly processed foods.
And these foods are, like we said, have all the things that are linked to gaining more
weight and, you know.
And all these other health conditions.
All these other health conditions for gut health, which ultimately then increase your
risk of cancer.
(09:13):
And actually, this article even stated that eating this diet is associated with an increased
risk of cancer.
So, I like to say it's an indirect link.
Yeah.
And there are even more studies that have even come out about gut health and its link
to obesity.
If, you know, folks have been listening, there's another episode that I did with the gut health
(09:34):
specialist, too, where we talked about that, too, and the links of gut health to obesity.
So, there are, you're right, there are these multiple factors, too, that play a part.
Absolutely.
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(09:54):
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(10:19):
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(10:43):
The Essence of Health is in you.
All right.
So, what are some practical tips, just to kind of even wrap us up here, what are some
practical tips that you can offer to individuals looking to lower their cancer risk in transition
to a plant-based diet?
What do you usually tell the folks who you coach?
The first thing I say is, when you walk into someone's life or you find them on social
(11:06):
media or whatever, recognize that they didn't just become like this.
If someone was to look at my life, there's like, well, I can't do all of that.
Recognize that I created this version of me over the last 10 years.
That's a process.
It's a journey.
And so, don't be discouraged and don't compare yourself to anybody else.
(11:33):
And I know we hear that all the time, but like I tell my kids, you only have to be better
than who you were yesterday.
I love that.
Yeah.
And even if that's just 1% better, I'll tell you as a palliative care doctor that every
small step you make towards moving your body more, reducing the amount of alcohol you're
(11:59):
having, eating more plants, every small step you make will make such a big impact 10, 15,
20 years from now to reduce your risk of all of these chronic diseases.
And what I can tell you from my perspective of caring for the sickest people for almost
a decade is that the last 10 to 15 years of the average American's life is spent deconditioned
(12:22):
and debilitated, meaning mostly in bed, in and out of hospitals, taking a whole boatload
of medications.
And all any single one of my patients has ever expressed to me is wanting to be independent,
wanting to be able to go for a walk, wanting to have more time with their families, wanting
to be able to just do normal everyday things.
(12:44):
And so I'm not even saying to do all of this so you can live that extravagant life and
start that business and travel and do all these extravagant things that we all dream
of.
I'm saying do these things so that you can just continue to do the basic everyday things
that are so important to us as human beings for our dignity, for our autonomy.
(13:08):
I have goosebumps talking about it because people don't realize how big the little things
really are.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's so much about the quality of the life that you get to live.
And it's kind of like what you said towards the beginning of our talk about we tell you
these things not because if you eat plant-based and you work out, it's not because you'll
(13:31):
never die or you'll never get a chronic health condition, but it's because a certain quality
of life that you would like to live, you would like to maintain that independence.
I hear people tell me all the time I'd like to be able to make sure I'm able to keep up
with my kids or take care of my grandkids.
And so these things that you talk about are the keys to helping you to maintain a certain
(13:54):
quality of life so that you can enjoy those facets.
Absolutely.
And it's like, you know what, like I like to talk about this a lot.
Think about it from an abundance perspective, right?
So think about all the things that you can do.
Like if you have some restriction with exercise, say you can't get on a treadmill, instead
of focusing on what you can't do, you know, what can you do, right?
(14:16):
Like come at it from an abundance perspective.
Same thing with plant-based nutrition.
Think about all the things you can eat versus focusing on the things you can't.
And the other thing is that it's about progress, right?
So it's not about perfection.
My family and I eat mostly a plant-based diet.
I have a five and seven year old, which means we go to way more kids birthday parties than
(14:40):
we would like to.
And unfortunately, in this culture and this society, that means a lot of sugar, cupcakes,
cakes, candy, pizza, sugar sweetened beverages.
Like that is just what is normal to serve at these events.
And so when you're surrounded by it, you know, it's important to recognize that you don't
(15:02):
have to come at it from a scarcity perspective.
It's about what you're doing most of the time.
So whatever you're doing 80 to 90% of the time is really what's going to create the
biggest impact.
That 10 to 15% of the time, you should enjoy your life, right?
Eat the cupcake, you know, eat the slice of pizza.
Like it's okay.
That's not what's going to make a difference.
It's when that's what you're doing all the time is what leads to problems.
(15:25):
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah, you're exactly right.
And I'm glad you said that too, because people do, they feel like, well, you know, I can't
ever, I even have people say, oh, I can never ever, ever give up my steak.
And, you know, it's like, yeah, you can, you know, if you have to have it some of the time,
you know, once a month or whatever, then do that if that makes you feel that was what
you need to do.
(15:45):
But then let's talk about all those other things that you can do.
There's one more distinction I'll make there because a lot of times people will say, oh,
I tried that and I don't like it, or I just can't.
And what I tell my kids all the time is, you know, whenever I put something new on the
table, they know they don't have to eat it, but they should have to try it.
Right.
And what they know, right.
(16:05):
And what they know now is that they like, and science has shown us that you have to
eat something, what if it's new to you, you have to eat it eight to 10 to 12 times for
your palate to adapt and adjust and develop a taste for it.
And at the same time, you know, everything you eat is really what determines the kind
(16:27):
of gut bugs that you have in your microbiome.
And so as you change the way you eat, your gut bugs are going to change as well.
And you're going to develop an increased diversity, better, healthier, happier gut bugs, which
will then actually make you love this food.
I can now tell, like, we were traveling recently.
(16:49):
And one of the days I had this plant based like burger, which was like, it looked really
good and it was really good, but it was like fried and it was not from a health perspective,
very good.
Yeah, probably more oil than you're used to consuming.
And I had french fries and I had a milk, like a vegan milkshake.
And like, I was just excited that like this even existed where we were.
(17:11):
So I was like, yeah.
And then so I like ate it.
And like about two hours later, I felt so bad.
Like I felt so horrible.
And so that's the other confirmation that once you cultivate a healthy gut microbiome,
when you go back to your old, you know, foods that you used to love your body, your gut
(17:32):
microbiome, it'll tell you right.
Yeah, exactly.
But it's a process.
So, oh, for sure.
I always tell people the first time I had tofu, I was like, oh, this is disgusting.
I'm never going to eat this.
And I love it.
I know how to cook it and make it flavorful.
But yeah, it is.
You do.
(17:52):
You have to try these things several times and just reintroduce your palate, you know,
to a variety of foods.
And you will.
Your body will thank you and then you'll grow to learn how to enjoy it.
And I promise you, you know, like when you go to the average restaurant and you see the
kids menu and it's like chicken nuggets, french fries, mac and cheese and like pasta with
(18:13):
red sauce.
That's like the pizza, like average, right.
But kids actually have a very diverse palate if you actually trust that there's no such
thing as kid food and that food is just food, right.
Like my five and seven year old love mushrooms.
They love olives.
They love sauerkraut.
(18:34):
They love pickles.
They love farro.
They love quinoa.
They like, you know, they eat everything and because they were exposed to it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
We eat a lot of different ethnic foods in the house, you know, Indian food or yeah.
Yeah.
And they do.
They love it.
You know, I've had even adults who wouldn't try somebody but my kids will.
(18:57):
An abundance mindset.
That is the biggest tip.
Yeah.
Yeah, for sure.
Well, thank you so much, Dr. Summer for coming on the show.
Now tell the audience how they can connect with you online.
So I'm mostly on Instagram.
I can't keep up with all the social platforms.
So on Instagram, I'm drsimran.mohultra.
So you can find me there and then I have a website.
(19:20):
It's coachsimranmd.com where I have lots of resources and you can connect with me there.
Wonderful.
And for the audience, I'll put all of that in the show notes.
So be sure to check out Dr. Simran there.
All right.
Well, thank you so much.
Thanks, Dr. Sheila.
Thank you for joining me today on the Essence of Health Tea Time podcast.
Click the subscribe button on your favorite podcast platform so that you never miss a
(19:45):
moment of the Essence of Health Tea Time podcast.
Check out the show notes to obtain your free tips for Healthy Living God to get you started
on your health and wellness path.
Follow me on social media at Essence of Health Wellness Clinic on Facebook, Instagram, and
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(20:10):
Interested in becoming a member of the Essence of Health coaching program?
Well head on over to www.eohcoaching.com.
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