Cancer Cured Me

What if we are beginning the conversation about breast health far too late?In this powerful episode, I’m joined by Dr Nyjon Eccles, founder and clinical lead of The Natural Doctor, a Harley Street practice specialising in precision longevity medicine.With more than 25 years of clinical experience, Dr Eccles works at the intersection of functional medicine, hormonal health, metabolic health and preventative oncology. Our conversation challenges some of the assumptions many of us have been given about breast screening, cancer risk and HRT and explores what a more preventative and personalised approach to women’s health could look like.We talk about:• The important difference between breast thermography and mammography • Why breast density matters, particularly for younger women • Whether women should begin monitoring their breast health before the age of 50 • What an abnormal thermogram may reveal before structural changes are detected • The relationship between nutritional deficiencies and breast health • The difference between synthetic, bioidentical and body-identical HRT • What women could ask their GP when discussing hormone replacement therapy • Why “normal” test results may not always mean optimal health • Functional medicine, longevity and finding the possible root causes of illnessAnd stay until the end, because I ask Dr Eccles one final question:If he could place one piece of health advice on the wall of every GP surgery in the country, what would it be?His answer is remarkably simple and it may completely change the question you ask at your next appointment.Find Dr Nyjon Eccles:The Natural Doctor: https://thenaturaldoctor.orgSubstack: Precision LongevityThis episode is for information and education only. It does not replace individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always discuss changes to medication, HRT or supplements with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

September can feel like a second New Year. The children go back to school, summer comes to an end and suddenly there is pressure to achieve everything we planned before Christmas.In this gentle welcome back episode, I’m talking about why we don’t need to launch ourselves into September at full speed and how that pressure can affect the nervous system. I also share some simple ways to support yourself through the change of season, from sleep, hydration and morning daylight to getting outside and returning to the breathwork practices from my Summer of Beautiful Breath series.Whether you are getting back into a routine, supporting anxious children or adjusting to someone leaving for university, this is your reminder to be kind to yourself and move into September at a pace that feels right for you.Follow Cancer Cured Me for more conversations about healing, nervous system regulation and living your best life.

When stress takes over and everything suddenly feels too much, it can be incredibly difficult to think your way back to calm. That is why I love the physiological sigh. It works directly with the body and it is one of the quickest and simplest breathing practices you can use in a stressful moment.In week five of my Summer of Beautiful Breath series, I’m sharing this powerful breathing technique, popularised by neuroscientist Dr Andrew Huberman and studied by researchers at Stanford Medicine.When the same breathing pattern is repeated for around five minutes, it is known as cyclic sighing. In a Stanford Medicine study, participants practised five minutes of structured breathing every day for one month. The exhale-focused cyclic sighing group showed particularly promising improvements in mood and reductions in resting breathing rate.In this short episode, I explain:• What the physiological sigh is • How to practise it safely • Why the second inhale matters • How a longer exhale can help calm the body • The difference between a physiological sigh and cyclic sighing • How repetition can make this tool easier to remember when you are under stress • A guided practice you can do with meThis is such a useful technique to keep in your nervous system toolkit because you do not need any equipment, preparation or special environment. You simply need to remember: in, in, out.Please only practise when it is safe to do so and never while driving. Stop if you feel dizzy, light-headed or uncomfortable.If this episode helps you, please follow Cancer Cured Me and share it with someone who needs a simple way to find a little more calm this week.Research mentioned: Stanford Medicine’s cyclic sighing study

A52 Breathing Method: Build Stress Resilience with 5-5-2 BreathworkSummer of Beautiful Breath Part 4: A gentle breathing practice to support nervous system regulation, heart rate variability and resilience to stress.Can a two-second pause help your body become more resilient to stress?In Part 4 of the Summer of Beautiful Breath, we build on last week’s coherent breathing practice with the A52 breathing method.The A stands for autonomic and 5-5-2 describes the breathing rhythm:Breathe in gently for five seconds.Breathe out for five seconds.Pause for two seconds after the exhale.That short pause creates a mild and manageable feeling of air hunger. By learning to stay calm with that sensation rather than immediately gasping for air, we can begin to build greater tolerance for physical discomfort and support a more regulated response to stress.If the pause doesn’t feel comfortable today, there is no need to force it. Simply return to the gentle coherent breathing rhythm of five seconds in and five seconds out from last week’s episode. Building capacity happens gradually.What the A52 breathing method isHow to practise the 5-5-2 breathing rhythmWhy we pause briefly after the exhaleUnderstanding carbon dioxide tolerance and air hungerHow slow breathing can support heart rate variabilityUsing breathwork to build resilience to everyday stressWhy nasal breathing may help us breathe more calmly and efficientlyA guided A52 breathing practice for beginnersSave this episode so you can return to the practice regularly. Even a few minutes of slow, intentional breathing can give your nervous system a valuable opportunity to practise meeting mild discomfort without moving immediately into panic.Next week I will share another beautifully simple breathing tool designed to help you interrupt moments of panic and return to a greater sense of calm.Follow Cancer Cured Me so you don’t miss Part 5 of the Summer of Beautiful Breath.A gentle safety note: Practise somewhere safe and never while driving or in water. Stop and return to your natural breathing if you feel dizzy, breathless or uncomfortable. If you are pregnant or have a respiratory or cardiovascular condition, speak to an appropriate healthcare professional before introducing breath holds.

What if one of the simplest ways to help your body feel calmer was simply to slow down your breathing?Welcome to Part 3 of my Summer of Beautiful Breath series. This week, we’re exploring coherent breathing, a beautifully simple breathing practice where we breathe in and out for the same length of time.We’ll practise breathing in for five counts and out for five counts, bringing the breath down to around six breaths per minute.In this short guided practice, I explain why slowing the breath can support the relationship between our breathing, heart and nervous system and why coherent breathing is often used to help with stress, anxiety, heart rate variability (HRV) and resilience.I’ll also guide you through a couple of minutes of coherent breathing so you can experience it for yourself.In this episode:• What coherent breathing actually is • Why we’re aiming for around six breaths per minute • The connection between breathing and heart rate variability (HRV) • Why HRV can be a useful marker of resilience and our response to stress • How our everyday breathing can become faster without us even noticing • A simple guided 5-count inhale and 5-count exhale practice • How to adapt the count to four or six if five doesn’t feel comfortable • Why nasal and diaphragmatic breathing still matter • How to build this into a simple daily breathwork practiceYou don’t need a wearable, an app or any complicated breathwork technique. Just a few quiet minutes and your breath.Try practising this once a day over the next week and notice what changes. Not just in the numbers, if you track HRV, but in how you actually feel.And remember what we’ve been building throughout this series: notice your breath, bring it lower into the body, breathe through your nose where comfortable and gradually begin to slow it down.Small practices. Repeated often. That’s where the magic can happen.Coherent breathing, coherent breathing exercise, breathing for anxiety, breathing for stress, breathwork for nervous system regulation, HRV breathing, heart rate variability, six breaths per minute, slow breathing exercise, diaphragmatic breathing, nasal breathing, breathwork for resilience, calming breathing exercise, nervous system regulation, guided breathing practice

Could tension around your diaphragm be affecting the way you breathe?In the second episode of my Summer of Beautiful Breath series, I’m guiding you through a gentle breathwork and self-massage practice to help you explore and soften tension around the lower ribs and diaphragm.We’ll use slow nasal breathing while gently working beneath the rib cage, noticing any tight or tender areas without forcing or pushing through discomfort.In this short guided practice, you’ll explore:• How your diaphragm and rib cage move as you breathe • A gentle technique for massaging around the lower ribs • How to use slow nasal breathing during the practice • What to do if breathing through your nose feels difficult • How to recognise tension without trying to force it awayOur bodies can carry tension we haven’t consciously noticed. This practice offers you a few quiet minutes to reconnect with your breath, soften through the upper body and give your nervous system a gentle signal that it is safe to slow down.If you haven’t yet listened to the first episode in this series, start there to observe where and how you are breathing before moving on to today’s practice.IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE: Please only practise this if it feels comfortable for you. Stop if you experience pain and do not apply pressure beneath the ribs if you are pregnant or have a medical condition that could make the practice unsuitable. If you are uncertain, seek advice from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.Next time, we’ll explore a simple coherent breathing practice that you can return to whenever you need a moment of calm.Subscribe to Cancer Cured Me so you don’t miss the rest of the Summer of Beautiful Breath series

Let us know you’re joining here! Welcome to the very first episode of my Summer of Beautiful Breath series.If you’ve ever thought, “Breathwork sounds lovely… but I never actually remember to do it when life gets stressful,” then this episode is for you.As a nervous system coach, I’ve seen time and again how just a few intentional breaths can completely change how we feel, think and respond. The challenge isn’t whether breathwork works. It’s remembering to use it in everyday life.In this episode, I share a simple exercise to help you discover whether you’re naturally breathing into your chest or your belly, why this matters for your nervous system, and how you can begin retraining your breathing with just a few minutes of practice each day.Throughout the summer I’ll be releasing a collection of short, practical breathing exercises and somatic tools designed to help you feel calmer, think more clearly, reduce stress and build a greater sense of safety within your body.Whether you’re living with anxiety, burnout, overwhelm, or simply want to feel more grounded, these episodes are designed to become a peaceful few minutes in your day.You’ll learn:• The difference between chest breathing and diaphragmatic breathing• How breath influences your nervous system• Why the vagus nerve plays such an important role in stress regulation• A breathing practice you can start today• How tiny daily habits can create lasting changeIf you’d like to work with me one-to-one, join one of my retreats, or find out more about my Personal Reset or VIP Morning, visit:🌿 https://lalaloves.comIf you enjoy this episode, I’d be so grateful if you’d follow the podcast, leave a review and share it with someone who might need a little more calm this summer.

This is an unexpectedly emotional, funny and somewhat oversharing episode where I end up crying! Today marks 25 years of marriage to my husband, Jason, so naturally I dragged him into the studio to tell the story of how we actually ended up together, warts and all, and I promise it's a goody! We had known each other for years. We were best friends. The timing was never right. And when something finally did happen, Jason promptly suggested we should probably forget the whole thing and stay friends.Thankfully, I had other ideas.This is a very unfiltered conversation about university days, terrible 90s fashion, an extremely awkward first date, a proposal that did not go remotely to plan and what 25 years of marriage really looks like.There is plenty of laughing, bickering and Jason taking the mickey out of my love of manifestation, Reiki, sound healing and anything involving energy or frequency.But somewhere along the way, the conversation becomes far more emotional than either of us expected.We talk about love through depression, miscarriage, cancer and some of the hardest years of our lives, as well as the extraordinary healing power of feeling genuinely safe with another person.It is funny, honest, slightly chaotic and very us.And yes, I cried.