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The Working Mums Podcast
Teaching working mums mind & emotional management tools so they enjoy their kids, their job & themselves again without all the shitty mum guilt.
The Working Mums Podcast
Ep #52 - Embracing Holistic Healing: Maria's Journey From Cancer to Empowerment
After receiving an unexpected diagnosis of stage three bowel cancer, Maria Honaker's life took a transformative turn. Join us as Maria—a holistic health coach, cancer survivor, and author—shares her courageous journey, from battling misdiagnoses to harnessing resilience through her passion for nutrition. Maria's story isn’t just about overcoming illness; it's about the empowering path she forged, resulting in her inspiring cookbook, "Eat Naturally: A Cancer Survivor's Cookbook," which beautifully merges her journalistic roots with a newfound dedication to wellness and self-advocacy.
In our conversation, we explore the diverse paths to health and healing, underscoring the importance of personalizing diets and wellness routines. Maria opens up about embracing a plant-based diet, exploring the benefits of herbs and breath work, and navigating the complexities of eating healthier alongside family preferences. We also touch on deeper topics like the body's acidity, stress, and the liberating power of addressing emotional traumas and practicing forgiveness. Maria's insights provide a blueprint for anyone looking to adapt a more mindful and balanced lifestyle.
Toxins lurk not just in food but in skincare too, affecting our health in surprising ways. Maria, a Tropic Ambassador, discusses her journey to toxin awareness and the nourishing alternatives available. We also discuss the importance of emotional support and goal-setting for cancer survivors, showcasing powerful visualization techniques and personal goal achievement stories. Maria’s journey is a testament to the power of resilience and self-discovery, encouraging listeners to approach their wellness journey with a blend of awareness, courage, and personalized care.
If you'd like to connect with Maria please use the links below.
Website - https://www.mariahoneker.com/
Cook Book - https://www.mariahoneker.com/cookbook-preorder
IG - https://www.instagram.com/holisticlivingwithmaria/
You can also watch this episode on YouTube with Captions - https://www.youtube.com/@TheWorkingMumsLifeCoach
If you'd like to have a chat about how I can help you further, please don't hesitate to click here & book a time with me, I'd love to meet you.
You can also follow me on IG @NickyBevan_LifeCoach
Before I start today's podcast, I just wanted to give a little bit of a warning, because we are talking about cancer, cancer diagnosis, so if that is triggering for you, this may not be a podcast that you want to listen to. It is an incredibly positive podcast, based on a survivor's story and the things that you can do or focus on to help your diagnosis, but and by no means is there any medical, we're not doing medical advice, it's just someone telling their story. But I just wanted to warn you in advance, should it be a trigger for you. If it's not a trigger, I hope you enjoy my conversation.
Speaker 1:Welcome, welcome, welcome everybody to this week's podcast, where I am joined by the most gorgeous Maria Honecker, although we are having technical issues here in the Bevan household. So we've zhuzhed our hair up, haven't we ready, maria? But my internet has already dropped out twice. So fingers crossed, everybody, send us good. Zhuzhed our hair up, haven't we ready, maria? But my internet has already dropped out twice. So fingers crossed, everybody, send us good zhuzhu that we actually get this recording done in a one hour so that we don't have to take time out again.
Speaker 1:So, maria, thank you very much for your time today. Do you want to introduce yourself?
Speaker 2:Yeah, sure. So I'm Maria Honaker. I live in Baines, about northeast Somerset, near Nicky, not that far away. I'm a mum of two boys what are they now? 13 and 10? And I'm originally from Sweden but I've lived here for 20-odd years now in the UK. I'm a holistic health coach since a few years ago. My passion is health and well-being. Married to a chiropractor, we've got a clinic in a nearby village of Poulter. So yeah, that's me in a nutshell. I'm nearly 48, 48 next month.
Speaker 1:Me too. Oh, are you a year 77 baby then? Yeah, oh, you didn't know that we're exactly the same age. Yeah, yeah, good age, nice. So the reason I've asked Maria to come and talk to us today is because this year she ticked something off her bucket list and she created this most beautiful book called eat naturally, and it's a cancer survivor's cookbook. One of my most favorite recipes in this, maria, is the blueberry and banana breakfast muffin. Oh my God, oh nice. It's just delicious and so easy. It's incredible.
Speaker 2:They're all quite easy, but, yeah, the odd one is a bit longer. But that's, I think, why it appeals to all sorts of people, kids included, because a lot of it isn't that hard no, it's really not and delicious obviously yeah, it's really not.
Speaker 1:And delicious obviously yeah, it is very delicious. So do you want to tell us what the journey and your story up until sort of this point in your life? Well, maybe not for birth because we've only got an hour.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and everyone would fall asleep. My earlier life was probably more exciting, but we that's why I had a conversation anyway, but uh, yeah, so, um, I guess the book, the idea for the book, started some seven and a half years ago now, um, so a long, long time ago. Um, my background is in journalism and I always enjoyed writing. But I I moved on from that, you know, years ago and I enjoyed. I'm more of a people person and I enjoyed more working in sort of PR and events and things. So I moved on from that and but seven and a half years ago roughly, and I was uh diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer.
Speaker 2:Um, so kind of, uh, the book idea came from that, but mainly because I um, well, it all came as a shock anyway, I, I didn't know, didn't think anything was wrong with me, really nothing major. Anyway, I've been to the doctors maybe three or four times and they said I was young, fit and healthy, you know, a good weight, I was active, I ate well, but I just knew that something was wrong and I suppose the only the only thing that showed that something was wrong, I had some blood in my stool. So that was. That was the main, main issue really. But I was told it was just piles and it was childbirth really. So that's where that came from.
Speaker 2:But I obviously know in your own body we're our best sort of, you know, we know ourselves are the best. So, um, I kept on going back and then my husband even said you know, um, I think there is definitely something not right. And so I went for second opinion in private care and then sort of then after that they said oh, I think you need a colonosc. I can't see anything sort of out of the ordinary, but the way you describe the blood doesn't sound right and it doesn't sound like piles. So then I went back to the GP again and all of a sudden, I don't know, I was taken seriously by a different GP, to be fair, with more experience.
Speaker 1:But at the same time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it took. It took a long time and that was over the phone. And then I was referred on uh for a colonoscopy and tests, um, which, pretty much on the day, confirmed, like they said it was 99% chance I had cancer, which, um, yeah, I didn't expect at all. So it's just a shock. My husband there as well. But it was just one of those where you're just like, yeah, they kind of talked to me it was like the nurse specialist, not even a doctor and kind of talked to me as if I knew that was the problem and we were just like, no, no, I didn't know that. No, so, yeah, so that was huge, was huge, I suppose, and a big shock. So you just go home, you know, the first few days you've got home, thinking you're gonna die, obviously, and, yeah, just thinking what, what do I need to do? Like put my papers in order, you know what we're gonna do with the kids they were like two and a half and five and you just think like they're never gonna, you know, be able to survive without me. So I think it was kind of having that why, from early on, um, it only took me like um a few days to sort of dwell on it and have a think. And then I, I just like that, I just decided to like swap my sort of mindset, if you like. I mean it sounds stupid but it is Sometimes, that is what it is and I just decided I was going to live and that was that really.
Speaker 2:And obviously there was more tests involved. They didn't know if I had spread, so they said you need like an immediate scan. And I never forget that because we were in the middle of a house boot from Poulton we bought a house in High Lyttelton and that week we were due to move when I found out that I had cancer. And I remember like them calling me back and said you know, it's good news, it's not spread. So you can like focus on your move now for now and and everything. And I remember thinking like it was like the best news. You know how can you be excited when you know you're, you know you're gonna have sort of surgery to remove it, you know a tumor and possibly some treatment. But I just remember like taking that as a huge win and I, yeah, obviously we moved house and everything. And and then I think it was about four weeks later they scheduled me to have surgery to remove the tumor, yeah, at the RUH. So, yeah, that was, surgery was September 2017. So, yeah, so that, yeah, that was it.
Speaker 2:Unfortunately, then, when they took it out, it was a longer surgery than they thought. It took six, six something hours, um, and when I woke up, they said, yeah, it was like a golf ball type of size tumor and um, then they send it off to testing and and whatever they've taken out they always take out some lymph nodes and things as well and um, then they send it off to testing and and whatever they've taken out they always take out some lymph nodes and things as well and um, unfortunately, I'd spread to like nine, nine lymph nodes out of the 27 that they took out. So they said that that meant, you know, really, I, I would be advised to have chemotherapy, um, the precaution, because obviously they don't know if it would have gone anywhere else. But um, which wasn't something I was very keen on, um, so I found that quite hard, knowing that I was going to have to take all this really sort of heavy drugs, toxins and just like, yeah, all through my body and everything. So I think early on, that's what happened. I I wanted to sort of adopt some sort of holistic way of dealing with it all, so sort of an integrated way, if you like, which is getting much more common now.
Speaker 2:Anyway, but when I started out, I think people, when I even said I was considering not having people, I think people were just like you're crazy, you have to have the drugs, you know. And I was like, yeah, I know I would have to do that because obviously I want to live. And then I did ask my oncologist and I know that they don't like to sort of talk about percentages but I said, you know what's the difference, like hypothetically, what you know what would make the difference of having the chemo? And they said, well, if you don't have the chemo, it's like 25% chance that you survive five years, which isn't very much. Um, if you have the chemo, they said it was more like 75% chance. So I thought that was kind of for me. I just thought, well, I have to give it a go, but I need to adopt a lifestyle that will be able to protect me from, you know, all the toxins that I'm gonna have to have the next six months.
Speaker 2:Um, yeah, and after that, the biggest sort of thing and my biggest passion that came out of that was food. Really, I mean, I was always a healthy eater but it was just to another level, you know, stepping things up. You know my first present for my husband at Christmas, when I've just started keeping this like a juicer and I had that earlier on and yeah, I just make it, like, you know, fresh juices every day. Just make it lots of sort of nourishing, um, whole food, um dishes, um. At the time, uh, for for those first few years I was mostly plant-based but I I was never a vegan. I never sort of thought like denied myself of anything, but I just all my research that I read up on that was what spoke the most to me and what the research showed. You know, you can never be wrong eating too many. You know plants in their natural form.
Speaker 2:You know I'm not talking about the veggie burger or, like you know, yeah, fake burger meat or um, but just like the real deal. You know showering yourself with, you know, nourishment basically. So, yeah, so that, apart from lots of other things, you know had acupuncture I tried, tried, you know, infrared saunas, I had supplements, all sorts of things but exercise, but that one thing that I felt, I think it was because I felt I enjoyed cooking. I've always loved cooking. My mom was a chef, my brother was an amazing cook and I mean, I grew up in a household where food was important, you know. So I always enjoyed that, but it was just the one thing that I felt I could be in control of when everything else was not in my control.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that I think you've. You've just picked up on two really amazing points there from from my perspective, because I think, especially for people that have been listening to me for a while, I teach that your thoughts create your feelings. It's not the circumstance, so it's not the diagnosis that creates the emotion, it's your thoughts about it. And then I think people think well, then naturally I should be able to feel happy and joyous, and that's just not always appropriate. It's not appropriate and it's not effective to go to a positive necessarily when it's that like false, toxic bullshit, isn't it? Toxic positivity just doesn't work. But two things that I've. I love that you've picked up on. One is your reason why, and because of your boys, I'm gonna get emotional. I, you decided I was gonna live. I decided I was going to live. I mean, that is such a strong purpose, isn't it making that decision within a couple of days yeah clearly was then.
Speaker 1:What enabled you. That commitment and that determination is what then saw you through and probably continues to see you through. And then the other thing that you know you said it just then is I focused on what I could control. I focused on what I could control, and I think so many of us focus on external things and we focus on the people and the weather and trying to change technology and we try and change, you know, all the things outside of us instead of looking inwards and going right. In this whole scenario, what do I get to control?
Speaker 1:yeah, yeah definitely for you that. That was the cooking and the food but I think as well it's.
Speaker 2:It's not comparing yourself either to anyone else's journey, because people do that all the time and you know. Again, coming back to sort of any sort of thing that you ever share, like it's, it's important to remember as well that you know you're sort of unique and our journeys are all that little bit different. But there are certain things that science, you know, the evidence shows, is good for all of us, so it can't go wrong with that. But then you know some treatments don't work for some people, some other things don't work, you know, for, for other people, and that's the same with anything in life, isn't it? You know it's, we're not the same.
Speaker 1:It might be either no, no, and every body is different, isn't it? So some people need meat and will thrive on meat, and other people like it can be toxic to their body and their body reacts differently. So when we try and follow a diet that we think is going to be like a wonder wind for everybody, it's. It's really not so when you started on your journey down the sort of more plant-based reducing toxins, what were you most surprised at?
Speaker 2:Most surprised at? That's a good question. Well, I think just that there's always so much more to learn and I thought that I knew a lot and, like you say, I the basics, like I guess we all know on paper that eating processed meats and lots of meats it's not good if you don't want bowel cancer, like that is a fact like. But then you know I didn't do that beforehand, anyway, I didn't sit around eating sausages every day, like you know. It's just stuff like that you knew. But I think more like, um, you know, I I felt quite clued up. But you know, when you start reading about the power of certain herbs or the power of certain like, you learn new things every day, don't you?
Speaker 2:or like even just like when we saw um, you know, like when we're talking about breath work the other week, like um, I knew a lot, but then of you know the book by James Nestor, you know, you remind yourself, like you know, as women we're chest breathers and actually the fact that we breathe up here that actually causes your whole body then to be acidic as well, and things like that. And cancer really doesn't like you know acid and you know you want to be in a more alkaline kind of you know want to be in a more alkaline kind of you know place as well. So it's, it's all those things that contribute to you know not being able to sort of breathe, running around stress, you know, yeah, and even thinking so.
Speaker 2:For me personally and I mean this will speak to a lot of people, not to everyone, but I definitely think me getting ill also, people get effect, sometimes get offensive about they don't want to take any responsibility because it just happens to you, like cancer is, it's just a coincidence, but quite often there's lots of little things that will lead to you know you getting in.
Speaker 2:And that's also with any illness and I believe I mean that for me, like stress, you know, over years, like worries and stress, maybe, perhaps, and also certain trauma, um, from being in my childhood not like I had a good childhood, but there were certain elements that happened, um, after my parents divorced and things that that affected you and made you sort of worry about things for a long time, and I think things like that, for me, was important to deal with, and also the ability to say sorry to horrible people when you know you were right but at the same time, you can't move on unless you forgive and move on from those people. So that was a big part, which has nothing to do with food, but for me personally, part of my journey that was a big, was a big thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah because I think as well, when we say sorry to people, we're not doing it for their benefit, we're doing it for ours yeah, yeah, definitely.
Speaker 2:I mean I'm sure they would also appreciate it, probably in your personal development. Yeah, not always but, personal development, you know, and, yeah, being able to move on, I think is that unresolved issue. If that's just eating away at you, even though you don't think it does, then that could have, you know, some devastating consequences really.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So do you eat sausages ever now? I don't ever eat sausages. No, I will have things like fish. I sometimes have chicken, like I'd have something, but sausages and bacon and things like that is a definite no. So no, I don't. I definitely do not eat that. And I don't really eat red meat either. Oh, okay, but I will have, will have, you know, full protein and things that I mean I I love um different things, but, yeah, if I feel like having a bit of chicken or, you know, if I want to have fish, then I will have that, but rarely will I have um red meat oh, so my primal brain as soon as you said that, because I do.
Speaker 1:I know not, I don't have them.
Speaker 2:No, my children would still like a sausage and they can have them once in a while yeah, once in a while, because otherwise I was like oh, I know it's tricky.
Speaker 2:it's fear as well, isn't it? You know your situation would be totally different. Um, for me is that kind of you know what happened back then and you know it's that kind of you know what happened back then and you know it's not something I have to have, like even like, if you want to have some nice meat, it doesn't have to be you know, you could have some grass-fed meat, but it doesn't have to be a sausage. Does it For me like I can live without a sausage definitely?
Speaker 1:to hear your view on this is because that primitive part of our brain is hasn't evolved since our caveman days. It associates everything with what it knows from back then, and back then we would have only have had meat barely occasionally when we hunted and caught an animal. It was not a daily, multiple times a day event, maybe once we had the animal, but not like for the whole year.
Speaker 2:And but that part, because that part of our brain hasn't evolved to suit our modern world, we find ourselves craving the sausages, craving the chocolate, craving alcohol, which is all toxins that absolutely limit the health of our life yeah, exactly, I mean, I think with any food you know, whatever you are, like a meat eater or eating fish or whatever, but like it's just go for it in the, in its most natural, local form, like as much as can. I mean we're lucky around where we live, like if you are, like you know, living in a sort of farmland, know you can get good quality meat if you want to you know, have that.
Speaker 2:But you know, and I know you know, like my husband, you know he probably won't want me to talk about him, but you know like just got quite a sensitive stomach and he does much better on just um. You know a primal thing as well, like we knew about that, you know way before like he's he can say otherwise he just gets really bloated, but it's so, it's tricky. You know everybody is, you know, again, different, aren't they? So you know, I don't think I'll ever sort of he eats a lot more vegetables thanks to me, but he would never eat exactly what I eat all the time anyway. So yeah, and that also changes, obviously as you get older, your body, you know we come into the perimenopause and things like that.
Speaker 2:But one thing that just came to me when you said what do you think actually surprised you the most? And I do remember actually, um, growing up I always had a sweet tooth. So I never ate sort of loads of sweets, but that was actually surprising how easily, in the snap of days, you could just never have sugar again. For, like, I mean, I have it sometimes now in things. But, um, you know, I mean I'm not as uh, sort of paranoid. If, if you, if there is sugar, I don't go and add sugar. If I was somewhere and I had a bit of something is, I'm not gonna freak out, but for a good few years I didn't have any like refined sugar at all and I didn't even, didn't even bother me and also when I did then later on have some sugar.
Speaker 2:It was so sweet it's like it's a.
Speaker 1:It's funny, isn't it? Because I I don't have a huge amount of um refined sugar. I do still like sweets, but I tend to. I tend sweet things, not sweets. But if I'm gonna have something, it'd be maple syrup or, as low as possible, honey or dates. And it's surprising how then, when you taste the artificial refined sugar, it's kind of sickly once you get used to it's so sweet.
Speaker 2:I know it's bizarre, it's strange, but how much more you then notice it, it's strange. But how much more you then notice it. Um, but then to think that some people no judgment at all, but like you know, some people and also sadly you see it in children a lot, you know eat so much of it all the time it's like the normal. And I mean I wouldn't say, you know, but when my, I know my youngest now in year six, but but you know, they often say, like what's in your lunchbox, it's so healthy. And I'm thinking, you know, it could be a lot healthier than that, but it's good, right, and you're just thinking, but what's everyone else eating?
Speaker 1:Like what are they?
Speaker 2:eating Like it's worrying, isn't it?
Speaker 1:It's worrying we have definitely, um, we are definitely being conditioned, I think, by the food industry, and and I don't think we can start on that conversation because we would be here for hours no, thank you. Yeah, how food is produced for money rather than health, I think is is really killing the health of our bodies and it's and it is quite scary how, how we're all just kind of getting used to having a snack being biscuits or sweets or some other sort of and again, like you say, this is no judgment, we don't.
Speaker 2:We don't, we're not even aware of that conditioning a lot of the time but it's in there, it's everywhere all the time and it books on it, talks on it, and it's constant and it's like, yeah, like you say, it only sort of seems like it's obviously, it's everywhere all the time and it books on it, talks on it, and it's constant and it's like, yeah, like you say, it only sort of seems like it's obviously it's been around for years. But but now and I think part of it is just the fast lifestyle as well it gives you like sort of you have to like everything's so rushed, you don't have time to and that's one of the sort of um uh goals, if you like.
Speaker 2:I mean, I've not really done my goals yet. I'm doing my vision board next week, but um, I, um, yeah to to uh, take this year. I wanted to be slower again, even slower than last year, and when you get ill, everything sort of gets a lot slower and you're being very mindful of that, and then all of a sudden, life gets back to normal and all of a sudden it gets busy again, and I just don't want to be that busy yeah, yeah, no, I'm with you.
Speaker 1:I'm with you on that. So we've talked quite a lot about food and and the healing benefits and food and top like the toxins that can be in food. But you're also a tropic ambassador, aren't you? So this isn't just the internal toxins that we put in our food and our drink, but it's also what we put onto our skin. So do you want to tell us a little bit about that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and that was again, you know, being more mindful of that when you get a diagnosis. For years I didn't put anything on my skin, like quite a few years after my diagnosis. You know, certainly in the first couple of years I I just didn't want to add to the burden of the body trying to work it all through, so I I just stripped it all back. Obviously you've got to wash your hair, but you know what shampoo do you use, and but just didn't sort of add anything. But then it comes to a point where you're just like, do you use, and, but just didn't sort of add anything. But then it comes to a point where you're just like, well, you could just feel a bit more alive. And there's a couple of people that I come across on instagram, both who've had um, I think one might still have it but have had cancer stage four, I think one of them anyway, and they were Tropic Ambassadors and I guess I used to just order the odd piece from them when I wanted to just, I suppose, have a little bit of lip color or a bit of you know, if I felt like all my skin's really dry. I actually do need something and I just really like their products, their ethos. You know, susie the, you know she's just done such an amazing job, like each ingredient that you know it's just. It's just that knowing as well that what you put on your skin is just all nice and nourishing and and makes you feel good and smell good and everything else and so. So then I one day I was like actually I remember that as well, it was like a September and I was actually I know there's a local business lady in Shrew Valley and I was like I know that in in lockdown, you know she couldn't run her sort of skincare business like in the clinic, so she started to do tropic and I was like I think I'll just contact her and find out. You know she couldn't run her sort of skincare business like in the clinic, so she started to do Tropic and I was like I think I'll just contact her and find out. You know how I could just join, because I might as well. And also supporting other people going through cancer as part of my coaching. I just thought, you know, it's a good thing to have to be able to reach out to people, you know, if they're getting sort of really sensitive skin or you know if they're getting sort of eczema or if they need something going through chemo. It's just nice to have those products, to be able to share them, and you know how they helped me, and part of that is obviously losing your old self as well and being able to sort of bring back your new self and feeling good about you know where you are now.
Speaker 2:So it was hugely important and, like you say, it's not just what we eat at all. You know it comes bombarding from all sorts. You know everything that's in our home. Obviously, we all have way too much electronics. We, you know, consume all of that, these different energies, of course the quality of the water, and you know everything, all of that, these different energies, and of course the quality of the water, and you know everything else. So, yeah, there's so much we can do, isn't there little bits swapping things out? Even these days I'm super sensitive, like like if someone comes home with like toilet paper like my husband would buy, like a bulk or something. I don't like these. They I'm pretty sure they're either got perfume or they're just by plane. You know, just by plane. How did?
Speaker 1:I yeah.
Speaker 2:So I was like these are the ones that we normally get, but you know, you come to that, or, or the other day I swapped, like, my skincare. I didn't have any left, you know, when you ran out, yeah, and there was something else and I just had this like burn here. It's like a raccoon, like it was. It was horrible. So you know, uh, your body just adapts and it's like all of a sudden you want to you try something else and it's like, actually, I don't, don't like that yeah, and it comes back to that control thing again as well.
Speaker 1:There are some things, unfortunately, you can't control, like the quality of the water that comes out of our tap very grateful that we have water coming out of a tap. The quality we have no control over, you know, the air, the cars and the external environment from an air perspective we don't have any control. But what we choose to put on us, in us and around our house, I use the most beautiful cleaning products called um, although I'm not very good with ingredients, so I'd be interested to run them by Stu, but they're called Tincture London and it's all natural and it smells like a spa I mean, it smells delicious. And so it's just tiny little steps like that that can make it just. It's just the things that we can control that just help support our body, because our liver and our organs are doing the most incredible job of fighting off all of these toxins, aren't they? But it's we could help it support it even more. I think by just kind of focusing our mindset and changing just a few little lifestyle.
Speaker 2:Shifts are quite, quite incredible, I think yeah, and rather than sort of getting stressed about the things that we can't do again or things that we quite like to but can't afford, or making little changes and then just be really excited about that and how much better that makes, you feel that you can get the most expensive cleaning products, which are natural, that you can't afford. But I often just make up as I go along, you know, with my essential oils and my, and when you look at a lot of other ones, that's all they got as well. You know, a bit of bicarbonate, a bit of vinegar, a bit of this. So if you can't afford to, you think you can't afford to do anything. There's lots we can do and actually don't need to spend a lot of money that sounds like another book idea maria do you think that's fine, but I'll think about it.
Speaker 1:I'll think about it, yeah, um so do you want to tell us if someone is listening and they themselves have had maybe a cancer diagnosis, or they know people how what support are you able to give them, especially locally, because you're local?
Speaker 2:um, yeah, tell us more about that yeah, so, um, naturally, as a health I attract a lot of people who either going through cancer or have been through cancer, but equally I support people who just want to boost their energy.
Speaker 2:And just Mainly, just say that my training was with Dr Rosie Daniel and she's a local lady trained GP and she's from Colford, so near where we are, and she was once the head of Penny Braun director there, so these days she works as an integrative specialist, so she sees a lot of people as well with different types of illnesses, but mostly still cancer patients as well, but but others too. So, yeah, so naturally that that is uh what I, um, you know, work the most with. But she's created something called a health creation program, uh, which goes which anyone can use and it's it's basically we mentor people through this six months program and it's all based around the 12 pillars of health and as a person. Then you work through some personal goals in a holistic way and see in what areas you're lacking and where you need support, without going into it too much. Yeah, and the cancer lifeline program, as a coach as well, is I use that as a foundation when I mentor people and it's also written by Dr Daniel, but also being able to share some of my own experiences without sort of giving any advice but just signposting. But the program, yeah, it's just helpful.
Speaker 2:And people come to me. You know, I got someone this afternoon who's she's a nurse, you know, this is someone in the NHS, you know and she's actually come out the other end but she's so anxious she said I can't wait, I need to wait till payday. And I said, well, why don't we just have the session now? She's, she's like I'm really like. She's like really upset and anxious and you just it's just horrible, isn't it? And just like worrying and it's there, what if it comes back? And you know. So people sometimes just need to talk to someone who knows what they're going through and to to get some exercises of how to sort of come out of that when it gets really overwhelming, because some days it does and it can stay with you for a long time. Um, so, yeah, I work with people one-to-one on an hourly basis, online, on Zoom and in person.
Speaker 2:I also run a local cancer support group in Midsomer Norton that I have to apply for funding because that is completely free to the people that attend. So I get funding for like eight weeks at a time. So we're currently going into week three, um, and last week we talked about so it's all from a holistic perspective as well to give them some you know empowerment of things that they can control outside of their conventional treatment. So, you know, we cover things like exercise, uh, complementary therapies, uh, food, like anxiousness, and methods, and you know therapies that can be used if you're really worried and stressed and feared. We talk about body image. You know the new, you all sorts relaxation, anything that you can think of that would be helpful um to them. So, yeah, it's lots of different things really with the coaching, um, but yeah, just so that that's why I do around workshops and talks. I've done a few talks actually on um, that kind of green lifestyle and detox and you know how to sort of eliminate any sort of unnecessary sort of toxins and yeah.
Speaker 1:So, um, yeah, those are sort of different things um that I offer and we'll put all your links in the notes so that everyone can get in touch with you or follow you on all your social channels afterwards.
Speaker 1:So the fact that it says a cancer survivors cookbook, what is very much as a, as a life coach, I'm looking sort of from this point into the future, rather than sort of the traditional therapies of looking at the past. So where, where are you now and what is your kind of mindset for the future? Is that too deep a powerful?
Speaker 2:bigger question no, it's, it's, um, yeah, it's. I think I'm think about seven and a half years in now, which when you think back just seems like an enormous amount of time, because I guess once you get to the five-year mark you're allowed to say that you're, like, cancer-free and you're in remission. Before then there's just no evidence of disease. So obviously I'm past that. I don't really sort of have checkups and things like that anymore, unless I feel like there's an issue. Sometimes you know you start getting weird pain or you get something and you're like, oh, what's that? And you might ask for like a colonoscopy or a scan sometime. But try and limit them. Really don't want to have too many of those. But I remember again going back to the past, but at the time of the diagnosis another thing, apart from sort of finding my why and stuff early on as well, was the importance of setting goals yeah because I think initially I was even too scared to get a contract phone.
Speaker 2:I think I mentioned that in my session, because, you know, two years, but what if I'm not here? Who's going to pay for my contract phone? Can I get a contract phone? Will they allow me to get a contract, you know, can I renew it? It was all that kind of and then, like a few days in, it's like of course I can get a phone, you know I, a few days in, it's like of course I can get a phone. You know I'm here now, aren't I? And then, yeah, or like renew my phone, or.
Speaker 2:But one thing that was, uh, is sort of again going to sort of goal setting and visualization, which I found incredibly powerful when I started out in terms of doing, you know, scan, seeing yourself fully healed, and all of that that I sometimes do with my clients. Um, was that I visualized and set myself a goal for my 50th birthday, but thinking that now I'm only two years off and what are we gonna do? You know it definitely involved a beach, beach, yeah, and I can see myself on said beach. But, yeah, where that would be, I don't know. Yeah, but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get there. Yeah, um, yeah, so it's that power, isn't it? So, of course, that was then.
Speaker 2:And I guess, yeah, it's time, um, to set some more sort of goals. And when I say goals, mine aren't sort of, you know, when you come to the end of the year, when you've not sort of hit your goal, it's like no punishment involved, but it's just trying to set those goals to work toward. And also, when you kind of reach them, it is so empowering, isn't it? And, yeah, thinking, oh god, I've done that because my book was on my vision board for a few years. But looking back and preparing for my vision board workshop at Midsomer Norton on Saturday, just coming Saturday, I, you know, you see book and book and writing, and I was thinking I've done that and I was not going to be on my board this year, yeah, yeah yeah, I think visualization it doesn't necessarily suit everybody, which is why everybody needs to find their own way of setting goals yeah, manifestation kind of skills, but visualizing is one of my most favorite things to do from a like a manifestation and goal setting.
Speaker 2:Some people like you say, are not see as their hearers or some people. So, yeah, exactly, it depends what works for you, isn't it Same with any type of exercise? I always say, you know, when I talk to clients, you know it doesn't have to be going to the gym. You know, you can bounce on the rebound at home. You can do gardening, you can walk, you can do I don't know DIY, but you don't have to go to the gym, do you? Yeah, a lot of people just get stressed out and thinking I can't do that, it's like, but you don't have to go to the gym. My little 10 year old and asked for some weights for Christmas. He's going for it this morning. He's like, wake me up early and he's in his room. It's like I'm building myself. So I guess, like you're gonna have to be my coach yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 1:I love that. I love it. So much is there. Before we wrap up our chat today, maria, is there anything else that you wanted to?
Speaker 2:add. Well, I'm trying to think it's local in terms of the book, obviously, um I there is a new event in baines bath. It's called the libraries festival or festival of libraries or something, and they have a huge range of events on, I believe, from I think it's something like the 8th of february till the well 23rd or something like that. But anyway, I'm in Bath Library I believe it's Saturday, the 22nd where they've gathered all local, uh, small published authors and we're there to sort of talk about our books, sell our books, um, in Bath Library.
Speaker 1:So that's great and that's, that's 2025. In case you're listening, in a couple of years, which I always think is really trippy to think that this podcast is released. People go back. I listen to podcasts that my coach and the people that I listen to, like they've recorded that three or four years ago. So if you are in 2027, high for start, but yes, that was 2025.
Speaker 2:2025, yeah, that's definitely 2025. But yeah, I just thought that's quite nice. And again, libraries are so nice, isn't it? Even the kids, our kids still enjoy it now. And you know, I think libraries have come a long way in terms of even doing things with wellbeing. When I walked in with the kids the other day, you know, in Mids have come a long way in terms of even doing things with well-being. I, when I walked in with the kids the other day, you know, in Midsomer Norton Library, they had like a section on, you know, well-being for teens and, you know, can read different books on, you know, anxiety, stress in terms of schooling and things like that.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, um books you can. Yeah, I definitely as well. When my diagnosis came, I read so many books and again, there's so many good books out there, yeah yeah, amazing.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much. Well, you've inspired me because I have a vision of myself when I'm 80. And I'm very strong mentally and emotionally, um, physically, but I've got this most beautiful long gray hair and I just look really vibrant and, as you were talking, then I'm like that doesn't start when I'm 80, that has to start now, like I have to be the healthy shorter girl for that yeah, now, in order for me to be that version of myself in, yeah, those when you're 80, 32 years time.
Speaker 1:I'm excited about your 50th year, seeing as I see I know I'll look forward to hearing. I know, I know, yeah, so amazing.
Speaker 1:But first it's 48, right yes, let's get over that birthday. I love it. Thank you so, so much for talking to me today. It's been really lovely hearing your journey and you're massively inspirational. I don't know if you believe that yourself, but from the outside, looking at you, I just think you're incredible and we will put all of your links in links in the notes so people can connect with you. And thank you so much for joining me. I'll speak to you all next week.
Speaker 2:Yes, thank you for having me Bye, bye.