🎗️Celebrating a Meaningful Milestone with Yes to Life 🎗️
We are thrilled to share some exciting news with you all. Our wonderful practitioner, Nicola Corcoran, has been invited to serve as a Medical Supporter for the esteemed cancer charity, Yes to Life. This is a significant honour and a testament to Nicola's dedication to holistic healthcare and support for individuals facing cancer diagnoses.
“Having had breast cancer 14 years ago I can personally attest to the paralysis that can come with a cancer diagnosis and the need for meaningful help. For many in this situation Yes to Life is a lifeline, offering advice, education, financial aid and sign-posting. In the UK they are second to none in providing a direct line of support to those who are exploring integrative oncology or seeking more holistic help. The fact that they are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year is a testament to the ongoing and much needed work that they do.
My own cancer story lead me to train as a naturopath and it stands to reason that I work extensively with those who have also received a diagnosis. Much of my work focuses on strengthening the body so that it can heal from a place of nourished equilibrium. All body systems are intricately, elegantly, interconnected and we are designed to heal. Over time, imbalances caused by deficiency or toxicity can impair our natural ability to thrive from a place of homeostasis, or balance. Our cells and genes respond to their direct environment. When we address ‘root cause’ (any underlying imbalance which is causing symptoms) we improve this internal terrain. Supporting health this way requires that we give the body what it needs to repair through diet, lifestyle and supplementation. We have evolved alongside the wonderful nutrients that nature provides, be they hormone balancing phyto- oestrogens or anti-inflammatory polyphenols. It is of interest that many of these compounds are powerful metabolic pathway blockers of cancer cells.
I have a particular interest in hormonally driven cancers of which we are seeing a huge upsurge in numbers. Beyond the obvious breast, ovarian, uterine and prostate, there are other cancers which are driven by hormonal imbalance, particularly lung and colon. Many of these hormonal cancers can be viewed as lifestyle diseases: we live in a time of never-before-seen endocrine disruption. On a daily basis we are exposed to substances which mimic and interfere with our delicate, natural hormone regulation, from paint fumes to self-care products, cleaning agents, plastics and herbicides. For those of us who have a propensity to detoxify oestrogens slowly or inefficiently this can be catastrophic. To compound matters the Western ultra-processed diet which is heavy in inflammatory seed oils, synthetic folic acid, high fructose corn syrup and glyphosate, and low in fibre further impairs detoxification. I highly recommend DUTCH hormone testing (Dried Urine Testing for Complete Hormones) which gives a full and unique hormone picture. Since we can positively influence detoxification and gene expression, this information is priceless in creating a specific diet and supplement plan to influence longevity.
There is other, equally important work to be done in unlearning what we believe we know about cancer. For many of us our beliefs around this disease are heavily influenced, both subconsciously and through media coverage which uses combative language with regards to healing which is unhelpful at best and damaging at worst. Understanding that cancer speaks of a physical state of imbalance over a period of many years can guide us to a place of relearning: improving hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, emotional responses and unique genetic propensities. If we reframe cancer as a call to action it can bring life into glorious technicolour as we begin to untangle ourselves from unhealthy habits be they mental, physical or emotional.
If you have recently been given a cancer diagnosis and are curious to address whole body healing rather than focusing on the symptoms of disease, Yes to Life are a world-class resource to explore. They offer free education, can help with funding and have a wonderful practitioner directory. I will soon be offering on-line wellness sessions through their wellbeing portal, so watch this space. If you are interested in working with me on a one-to-one basis I offer consultations from the Anderida Practice.”
Nicola Corcoran ND
Registered Naturopath SoN, FNTP