#412 Emotional Eating After Breast Cancer - Why it Happens and How to Heal Gently
Better Than Before Breast Cancer with The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach
Release Date: 05/26/2025
#437 Life After Breast Cancer - The Power of Living On Purpose Every Day
Better Than Before Breast Cancer with The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach
In this episode, Laura explores a question that often brings women more confusion than clarity: “What is my purpose?” Drawing from her own reflections and from coaching breast cancer survivors, she reframes the conversation around a far more supportive question: “Am I living on purpose?” You’ll hear how intentional living supports cognitive health, stress resilience, emotional wellbeing, and metabolic healing after breast cancer. Laura breaks down the psychology and neuroscience behind purposeful living, explains why so many of us resist it, and shares simple, doable ways to build...
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#436 Breast Cancer Recovery and The Block of Familiarity
Better Than Before Breast Cancer with The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach
Why do we keep holding on to things that don’t serve us—relationships, habits, or clutter that drains our energy? In this episode, Laura Lummer explores how the brain’s desire for safety keeps us clinging to what’s familiar, even when it hurts us. You’ll hear about two fascinating studies on the psychology of familiarity and habit formation, and learn how awareness, curiosity, and small acts of release can help you create space for what’s truly meant for you. 💬 “Comfort feels safe, even when it’s not healthy. But awareness is what frees you.” Join Laura inside the Better...
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#435 Finding Balance and Flow in the Middle of The Good and The Bad
Better Than Before Breast Cancer with The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach
When you’ve lived through breast cancer, life often feels like a mix of opposites — gratitude and fear, healing and side effects, joy and grief. In this episode, Laura shares what it means to hold space for both the good and the hard, and how allowing energy to flow supports both emotional and physical healing. She explores the science of psycho-neuro-immunology, the lymphatic system, and fascia, and connects it to traditional healing wisdom about flow and stagnation. Learn how to create physiological safety, release stored emotions, and find balance in the space between the light and the...
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#434 Breaking The Protective Barrier - The Healing Power of Radical Transparency
Better Than Before Breast Cancer with The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach
When we try to protect others from our pain, we often end up isolating ourselves. In this episode, Laura Lummer, The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach, shares her concept of the protective barrier — the invisible wall that forms when we hold our emotions in and pretend everything is “normal.” Through the lens of radical transparency and supported by research on emotional expression, Laura explains how honest communication reduces stress, strengthens immunity, and builds trust with our champions — the people who love and support us through it all. Listen and learn how vulnerability can be...
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#433 Metabolic Health Day Insights with Katie Resor
Better Than Before Breast Cancer with The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach
Back from Metabolic Health Day, I’m joined by client and Terrain Advocate-in-training, Katie Resor, to share the most use-today insights: energy and fatigue through a metabolic lens, nature and circadian rhythm, simple detox wins, EMF practices that fit real life, and the vendors/tests we loved. You’ll also hear reflections on community, hope, and why health is a terrain we tend—not a finish line. Show links include the conference recordings and resources we mention. Explore more support: Grab your copy of the Metabolic Health Day conference recordings here: Better Than...
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#432 Celebrating Milestones Beyond Scans and Labs
Better Than Before Breast Cancer with The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach
Being cancer-free doesn’t always mean we’ve healed. After 14 years of managing cancer, I’ve learned that healing is about more than scans and lab results—it’s about reclaiming joy, peace, and meaning in the present moment. In this episode, I share stories of women who stopped waiting for permission to live and how research shows that hope, gratitude, and laughter can support real healing—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Explore more support: Better Than Before Breast Cancer Life Coaching Membership: Creating a Life You Love in 168 Hours a Week: ...
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#431 Shine Through October - Prevention Metastasis and Living Fully
Better Than Before Breast Cancer with The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach
October is a complicated month for so many of us touched by breast cancer. Pink ribbons are everywhere—sometimes they feel celebratory, other times they stir up fear, grief, or difficult memories. Both experiences are real, and both deserve to be honored. In this episode, I invite you to see October through a different lens. Instead of focusing only on awareness, what if we made it about aliveness? I talk about how prevention deserves as much energy as detection, why metastatic breast cancer looks very different today than it did 10–15 years ago, and how daily acts of self-love—like...
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#430 Healing Starts with Honesty
Better Than Before Breast Cancer with The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach
Healing doesn’t begin with shame—it begins with honesty. In this episode, I share why telling yourself the truth is the most powerful first step in creating health and joy after breast cancer. You’ll hear: Why judgment keeps us stuck in old patterns How curiosity creates opportunities for growth A simple framework to reflect on your strengths and challenges My personal story of facing the truth and finding healing When you pair honesty with compassion, you’ll see just how much power you have to create a body you love and a life you trust. Explore more support: ...
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#429 Dr. Toni Engram and the Whole - Body Benefits of Biological Dentistry
Better Than Before Breast Cancer with The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach
Biological dentistry goes far beyond cavities and cleanings—it’s about understanding how your mouth connects to your entire body. In this episode, Dr. Toni Engram explains how the oral microbiome impacts inflammation, hormones, digestion, and even healing from chronic illness. We cover: Why dental materials (like mercury fillings and fluoride) matter for long-term health. How to safely approach dental care during cancer treatment. Everyday practices—like nutrient-dense food, flossing, and tongue scraping—that protect oral and systemic health. Listen now and discover how...
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#428 Breast Cancer and Stress - How to Protect Your Energy in the Last 90 Days of the Year and Beyond
Better Than Before Breast Cancer with The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach
Why does it feel so hard to hear yourself when life gets busy—especially during breast cancer recovery? In this episode: The science of stress, sleep, and comfort eating Why white space is not a luxury but a recovery tool Four research-backed ways to restore energy and balance Practical if-then scripts to protect your health this season Explore more support: Better Than Before Breast Cancer Life Coaching Membership: Creating a Life You Love in 168 Hours a Week: Let’s Connect! If this episode helped you breathe a little easier, please share it...
info_outlineHave you ever found yourself standing in front of the pantry during a stressful moment, reaching for something sweet, salty, or crunchy—just to take the edge off?
If so, you’re not alone. In this episode of the Better Than Before Breast Cancer podcast, I open up about my own experience with emotional eating during cancer recovery and share gentle, compassionate strategies to help you understand and shift this pattern—without guilt or shame.
We’ll explore:
-How cortisol (your stress hormone) drives cravings
-What emotional triggers might be signaling
-How to respond to your body’s needs with love and presence
You'll learn mindful, doable ways to support yourself when stress eating feels like the only option, plus calming alternatives that nourish both body and soul.
Whether you're fresh out of treatment or navigating long-term survivorship, this episode is a supportive space for reflection, kindness, and taking small steps toward healing.
🔍 What You’ll Learn:
- Why emotional eating is common
- The science behind stress, cortisol, and cravings
- How emotional eating can impact inflammation and recovery
- Gentle ways to pause, reflect, and respond to cravings
- Practical “comfort menu” ideas to replace emotional eating
- Nutrient-rich foods that naturally calm stress and support healing
- How to build a supportive food environment at home
Referred to in this episode:
Feel Good Reset Lesson on Foods that Calm
Better Than Before Breast Cancer™ Life Coaching Membership
🧠 Study on Chronic Stress and Inflammation
Title: Immunology of Stress: A Review Article
Published in: Cureus, 2023
Summary: This review explores how chronic stress impacts the immune system, leading to increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL-6 and TNF-α. These changes can exacerbate health issues, including those relevant to breast cancer survivors.
Full Text: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11546738/PMC
🧘♀️ Study on Mindfulness-Based Interventions and Emotional Eating
Title: Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Obesogenic Eating Behaviors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Published in: Obesity Reviews, 2024
Summary: This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effects of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) on various obesogenic eating behaviors, including emotional eating. The findings suggest that MBIs can be effective in reducing such behaviors, which is particularly beneficial for individuals recovering from breast cancer.
Full Text: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11791380/ResearchGate+1PMC+1MDPI+3MDPI+3Wikipedia+3PMC
📣 Share the Love:
If this episode supported you, please share it with a fellow survivor or leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your voice helps other women find this healing space.
Connect with Laura Lummer:
💌 Join my email list for weekly wellness tips & podcast updates → The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach
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🎥 Watch on YouTube → @BetterThanBeforeBreastCancer