What if your body is conveying important information that you need to heal, long before your conscious mind has figured it out?

When you're facing serious illness, everyone seems to have an opinion about what you should do. Doctors, family members, books, podcasts, online communities, and other survivors may offer completely different advice, and sometimes the approaches that helped one person seem to directly contradict those that helped another.

So how do you determine what is right for you?

In this episode of Renegade Remission, we explore the science of intuition, the gut-brain connection, and why learning to recognize your body's signals may help you navigate complicated decisions with greater clarity and confidence.

You'll discover:

• Why a “gut feeling” may involve real physiological signals rather than being merely a figure of speech
• How the nervous system and gut communicate—and why the digestive tract is sometimes referred to as a “second brain”
• What researchers discovered when people's bodies began responding to risky choices before their conscious minds recognized the danger
• Why intuition can become particularly useful when a decision contains too many variables for conscious analysis to easily process
• Why conflicting healing stories don't necessarily mean someone is wrong—they may remind us that individual bodies and circumstances differ
• Five practical steps for becoming better at recognizing your own intuitive signals

Most importantly, you'll learn a simple practice you can begin using today to begin testing your intuition with small, low-risk decisions.

Listen now to learn how to recognize what your body may be trying to tell you—and strengthen your ability to hear it when you need guidance most.

Join my free email community for practical healing tools, research, survivor stories, and encouragement between episodes:

https://TheRenegadeNutritionist.com

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice. Intuition should not replace appropriate medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals when making decisions about serious or chronic illness.

This podcast explores stories and science around ALS, dementia, MS, cancer, mind body recovery, healing, functional medicine, heart disease, regression, remission, integrative medicine, autoimmune conditions, chronic illness, terminal disease, terminal illness, holistic health, quality of life, alternative medicine, natural healing, lifestyle medicine, and remission from cancer, offering hope and insights for those seeking resilience and renewal.

What if the people closest to you are changing how much stress your body has to recover from each day?

When you’re facing serious illness, support can make an enormous difference—but simply having people around you isn't necessarily the same as being supported.

Some people leave you calmer, clearer, stronger, and more capable of facing what comes next. Others may leave you anxious, defensive, exhausted, or questioning decisions you felt confident about before the conversation began.

And research suggests that those differences may reach further into the body than we realize.

In this episode of Renegade Remission, we explore how the quality of your relationships can influence the physiological environment in which your body is trying to heal.

You'll hear the remarkable recovery story of breast cancer survivor Sylvie Lessard and the phone call with her sister that helped restore her sense of agency after her cancer diagnosis, when she helped Sylvie come back to herself and then stayed beside her.

You’ll discover:

• How supportive relationships can change the body's stress response
• What happened when researchers compared wound healing after supportive conversations versus marital conflict
• Why being surrounded by people is not the same as feeling genuinely supported
• How chronic criticism, tension, excessive demands, and other forms of social strain may add to the physiological load your body is already carrying
• Why one person who helps you feel safe and capable may matter more than a large social circle
• How supportive people can help practically by attending appointments, preparing food, asking questions, helping you think clearly, and carrying some of what has become too heavy
• How to recognize which relationships leave you restored—and which consistently leave you depleted
• How to change the “dose” of a draining relationship without necessarily removing that person from your life

Listen now to learn how to identify the people who support your healing, reduce unnecessary relationship stress, and become more intentional about who gets access to your limited energy while you recover.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice. Relationships and social support are only some of the many factors that can influence health and well-being, and no relationship pattern causes or cures serious illness. Please seek appropriate medical or mental health support for your individual needs, particularly if you are experiencing abuse, coercion, or an unsafe relationship.

This podcast explores stories and science around ALS, dementia, MS, cancer, mind body recovery, healing, functional medicine, heart disease, regression, remission, integrative medicine, autoimmune conditions, chronic illness, terminal disease, terminal illness, holistic health, quality of life, alternative medicine, natural healing, lifestyle medicine, and remission from cancer, offering hope and insights for those seeking resilience and renewal.

What if you’re sleeping enough, but still not giving your body the kind of rest it needs to heal?

When you’re facing serious illness, it’s easy to turn healing into a full-time job: researching treatments, changing your diet, exercising, attending appointments, taking supplements, managing symptoms, and constantly trying to figure out what you should do next.

But your body also needs time when you stop asking it to perform.

In this episode of Renegade Remission, we explore why recovery is an active part of healing—and why true rest involves much more than simply getting enough sleep.

Through the remarkable recovery stories of Dr. Terry Wahls, who went from progressive multiple sclerosis and a tilt-recline wheelchair to riding a bicycle again, and breast cancer survivor Sylvie Lessard, we’ll look at what can happen when recovery, replenishment, and enjoyment become intentional parts of a healing plan.

You’ll discover:

• What happens inside your body during sleep and why it matters for tissue repair, muscle, hormones, and immune regulation
• Why meditation and other forms of wakeful rest may help reduce fatigue and physiological stress
• Why enjoyable activities like music, reading, time outside, creativity, and laughter can be genuinely restorative
• How to tell the difference between restorative rest and inactivity that may contribute to weakness and deconditioning
• Why movement and rest aren't opposites—and why healing may depend on the rhythm between challenge and recovery
• How to stop waiting until you’re completely depleted before giving your body a chance to recover

Most importantly, you’ll learn how to create a simple recovery rhythm that fits your current capacity, including better sleep, small periods of wakeful rest, enjoyable activities that replenish you, and appropriately timed movement.

Listen now to learn how to give your body more opportunities to recover from everything you’re asking it to do, without assuming that healing means spending your life in bed.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice. Always consult your licensed healthcare provider before making changes to your treatment plan, sleep practices, physical activity, medications, supplements, or other aspects of your healthcare. Individual needs can vary significantly during serious or chronic illness.

This podcast explores stories and science around ALS, dementia, MS, cancer, mind body recovery, healing, functional medicine, heart disease, regression, remission, integrative medicine, autoimmune conditions, chronic illness, terminal disease, terminal illness, holistic health, quality of life, alternative medicine, natural healing, lifestyle medicine, and remission from cancer, offering hope and insights for those seeking resilience and renewal.

What if one of the simplest ways to support your healing is waiting right outside your door?

Serious illness can shrink your world. Between fatigue, pain, treatments, appointments, hospital rooms, and long stretches spent resting indoors, it can become surprisingly easy to go days without meaningful exposure to daylight, fresh air, trees, open sky, or the natural world.

But stepping outside may affect far more than your mood.

In this episode of Renegade Remission, we explore what happens inside the body when you spend time outside—and why nature may deserve a place in your healing plan.

You’ll hear the remarkable story of Shin Tereyama, who was sent home under hospice care after advanced kidney cancer spread to his lungs and rectum. Extremely frail and dependent on a walker, Shin began climbing to the roof of his apartment building before sunrise each morning simply to breathe fresh air, feel the morning light, and give thanks for another day. Nature became one part of a much larger transformation in how he lived, and over the following years, his cancer gradually disappeared.

We’ll also look at research suggesting that exposure to nature and outdoor light can influence the nervous system, cardiovascular function, inflammation, circadian rhythm, attention, and even aspects of immune activity.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why natural environments may help shift your body out of chronic stress and toward a more restorative state
• What researchers learned when hospital patients recovering from surgery had a view of trees instead of a brick wall
• Why morning outdoor light helps regulate the circadian rhythms involved in sleep, metabolism, hormones, and immune function
• What research on green spaces has found about blood pressure, cardiovascular health, and inflammatory markers
• The intriguing connection between forests, phytoncides, and natural killer-cell activity
• Why nature can give an exhausted brain a break from the constant mental demands of serious illness
• How to receive some of these benefits even if illness, disability, or treatment makes it difficult to leave your home

Listen now to learn how to create a simple nature practice that meets your body exactly where it is today and gives you another practical way to participate in your healing.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice. Always consult your licensed healthcare provider regarding your individual health needs, treatment plan, physical limitations, or any changes to your health practices.

This podcast explores stories and science around ALS, dementia, MS, cancer, mind body recovery, healing, functional medicine, heart disease, regression, remission, integrative medicine, autoimmune conditions, chronic illness, terminal disease, terminal illness, holistic health, quality of life, alternative medicine, natural healing, lifestyle medicine, and remission from cancer, offering hope and insights for those seeking resilience and renewal.

When you're facing a serious illness, the pressure to "stay positive" can become one more thing to worry about. You may already be frightened about your diagnosis, angry about what has happened, or grieving everything illness has changed, only to wonder whether feeling those emotions could somehow interfere with your recovery.

But healing emotionally does not require you to be happy all the time.

In this episode of Renegade Remission, we explore the important difference between feeling a difficult emotion, suppressing it, and becoming stuck in it, and what research suggests may happen inside the body when emotions are continually pushed down rather than allowed to move through us.

You'll also hear the remarkable remission story of Di Foster, who was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer after her cancer spread extensively to both lungs and was told she had approximately 12 months to live. Di came to believe that genuine positivity wasn't about avoiding fear, anger, or sadness at all. It was about becoming willing to face those emotions honestly so she could continue living fully alongside them.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why you do not have to stay positive every moment in order to support healing
• The difference between emotional suppression and healthy emotional regulation
• What happens physiologically when we try to hide or contain difficult emotions
• What studies involving trauma, immune function, cancer, and chronic illness have found about emotional expression and acceptance
• Why processing an emotion is different from repeatedly ruminating on it
• How to recognize when reflection has stopped helping and started keeping your body stuck in the same stress response
• A practical process for safely making room for fear, anger, sadness, and grief and then allowing yourself to move forward

Listen now to learn how to tend the whole emotional garden, giving the weeds the attention they need without forgetting to make room for the flowers.

Join my free email community for practical healing tools, research, survivor stories, and encouragement between episodes:

https://TheRenegadeNutritionist.com

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not offer medical advice. Consult your licensed healthcare provider before making any changes to your treatment or health regimen. Reliance on any information provided is solely at your own risk.

This podcast explores stories and science around ALS, dementia, MS, cancer, mind body recovery, healing, functional medicine, heart disease, regression, remission, integrative medicine, autoimmune conditions, chronic illness, terminal disease, terminal illness, holistic health, quality of life, alternative medicine, natural healing, lifestyle medicine, and remission from cancer, offering hope and insights for those seeking resilience and renewal.

What if just five minutes of genuine joy each day could change what is happening inside your body while you heal?

When you're facing a serious or chronic illness, being told to "stay positive" can feel dismissive—or downright impossible. But making room for positive emotion isn't the same as pretending everything is okay. You can be frightened, angry, grieving, or uncertain and still give your body moments of laughter, gratitude, beauty, connection, and joy.

In this episode of Renegade Remission, we explore what science tells us about the physical effects of positive emotion—and why joy may deserve an intentional place in your healing plan.

You'll hear the story of Christy Cromwell, who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and began deliberately practicing joy while living with the uncertainty of her diagnosis. Rather than waiting until she was well to give herself permission to be happy, she brought laughter, photography, gratitude, and meaningful experiences back into her life while the tumor was still there.

We'll also explore research into the "undoing effect" of positive emotions, cortisol and inflammation, laughter and immune activity, gratitude, sleep, and cardiovascular recovery from stress.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why positive emotions can help your body recover after periods of stress
• What joy and laughter may do to your nervous, cardiovascular, hormonal, and immune systems
• Why practicing joy does not mean suppressing fear, sadness, anger, or grief
• How gratitude can retrain a brain that has become consumed with scanning for danger
• Why laughter may be more biologically meaningful than we give it credit for
• How to create your own "joy list" and "joy squad"
• A simple five-minute daily practice for bringing positive emotion back into your life—even when you're sick, exhausted, or frightened

Most importantly, you'll learn why you don't have to wait for treatment to end, remission to arrive, or life to become easier before allowing yourself to experience some of the life you're fighting so hard to preserve.

Listen now to discover why joy isn't frivolous during serious illness—and how small moments of positive emotion can become part of the environment you're creating for healing.

Join my free email community for practical healing tools, research, survivor stories, and encouragement between episodes:

https://TheRenegadeNutritionist.com

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not offer medical advice. Consult your licensed healthcare provider before making any changes to your treatment or health regimen. Reliance on any information provided is solely at your own risk.

This podcast explores stories and science around ALS, dementia, MS, cancer, mind body recovery, healing, functional medicine, heart disease, regression, remission, integrative medicine, autoimmune conditions, chronic illness, terminal disease, terminal illness, holistic health, quality of life, alternative medicine, natural healing, lifestyle medicine, and remission from cancer, offering hope and insights for those seeking resilience and renewal.

Can just five minutes a day help you begin releasing anger, resentment, and emotional pain you've carried for years?

In this guided meditation from Renegade Remission, you'll practice a simple forgiveness visualization inspired by the Hawaiian tradition of hoʻoponopono, designed to help you gently release old hurts without excusing what happened or reconnecting with those who caused the pain.

Using a calming boat visualization and a simple four-line prayer, this meditation helps you loosen the emotional tether that keeps your nervous system tied to past wounds so you can move forward with greater peace, freedom, and hope.

Whether you're working toward forgiving someone else or learning to forgive yourself, this short practice can become part of your daily healing routine.

In this episode you'll experience:

• A calming guided meditation you can return to again and again
• A simple visualization for releasing anger, resentment, and emotional pain
• The healing Ho'oponopono-inspired forgiveness prayer
• A gentle practice for forgiving yourself or someone who has hurt you
• A peaceful way to help your mind and body move forward

For the science behind forgiveness and how chronic resentment may affect the nervous system, immune function, and healing, be sure to listen to the previous episode, Can Forgiveness Help Your Body Heal?

Join my free email community for practical healing tools, research, survivor stories, and encouragement between episodes:

https://TheRenegadeNutritionist.com

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not offer medical advice. Consult your licensed healthcare provider before making any changes to your treatment or health regimen. Reliance on any information provided is solely at your own risk.

This podcast explores stories and science around ALS, dementia, MS, cancer, mind body recovery, healing, functional medicine, heart disease, regression, remission, integrative medicine, autoimmune conditions, chronic illness, terminal disease, terminal illness, holistic health, quality of life, alternative medicine, natural healing, lifestyle medicine, and remission from cancer, offering hope and insights for those seeking resilience and renewal.

What if an old hurt can continue triggering a physical stress response long after the actual danger has passed?

In this episode of Renegade Remission, we explore what happens when anger, resentment, and painful memories are repeatedly relived in the body—and whether forgiveness can help create a different internal environment for healing.

You’ll hear the extraordinary story of Evy McDonald, who was diagnosed with ALS at 29 and given approximately one year to live. As her condition worsened, Evy began examining years of anger, resentment, self-criticism, and unresolved hurt. She committed herself to what she called “total forgiveness,” alongside changes in nutrition, faith, service, and the way she approached the life she still had. Her decline eventually stopped, her strength returned, and according to her account, her ALS symptoms never came back.

We also look at research examining what happens physiologically when people mentally revisit an injury with anger versus forgiveness, including measurable differences in heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, autonomic activity, emotional distress, and even some markers of immune function.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• What forgiveness actually means—and why it does not require forgetting, excusing harm, reconciling, or abandoning boundaries
• How repeatedly reliving anger and resentment can reactivate the body’s stress response
• What studies involving serious illness have found when forgiveness is intentionally practiced
• Why forgiveness may support sleep, emotional well-being, cardiovascular regulation, and a calmer internal state
• A simple process for beginning to release resentment, even when part of you is not ready to forgive yet

Listen now to understand why forgiveness is not about letting another person off the hook, but about freeing your own body from continuously reliving the injury.

Join my free email community for practical healing tools, research, survivor stories, and encouragement between episodes:

https://TheRenegadeNutritionist.com

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not offer medical advice. Consult your licensed healthcare provider before making any changes to your treatment or health regimen. Reliance on any information provided is solely at your own risk.

This podcast explores stories and science around ALS, dementia, MS, cancer, mind body recovery, healing, functional medicine, heart disease, regression, remission, integrative medicine, autoimmune conditions, chronic illness, terminal disease, terminal illness, holistic health, quality of life, alternative medicine, natural healing, lifestyle medicine, and remission from cancer, offering hope and insights for those seeking resilience and renewal.