Episode 1: Power Through Breast Cancer with Dawn Waldron
Healthily | 07/17/20
In this deeply inspiring episode of Healthily, Nicola speaks with fellow nutritional therapist Dawn Waldron about her journey from a stage three breast cancer diagnosis at 33 to becoming a specialist in supporting women through breast cancer treatment and recovery.
This conversation moves beyond fear and into empowerment — exploring how personalised nutrition, metabolic health, and mindset can play a vital role alongside conventional care.
TAKEAWAYs
✔️ Cancer Is Not Just “Bad Luck”
Dawn challenges the idea that cancer is purely random. While chance can play a role, many cases reveal underlying metabolic, hormonal, genetic, or environmental patterns that can be addressed.
Rather than asking “Why me?” in despair, Dawn encourages asking:
“Why me?” with curiosity —
What in my biology or lifestyle might need support?
This shift alone can be profoundly empowering.
✔️ Integration, Not Opposition
Dawn is clear:
It’s not nutrition vs chemotherapy
It’s about optimising treatment outcomes
She advocates collaborative dialogue between patients, oncologists, and pharmacists. Supplements are reviewed carefully, and decisions are made case-by-case — particularly around antioxidant use during chemotherapy, where nuance matters.
Her approach reflects true personalised medicine.
✔️ Oestrogen Metabolism Matters (Not Just Oestrogen Levels)
One of the most powerful parts of the conversation explores:
Oestrogen is not one simple molecule
How it is metabolised may be more important than how much you have
Using tools like the DUTCH test (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones), Dawn assesses:
Total hormone levels
Detoxification pathways (Phase 1 & Phase 2)
Whether oestrogen is being processed down protective or potentially harmful pathways
This is particularly important for:
Preventing recurrence
Women on Tamoxifen
Triple-negative breast cancer cases
Younger women with compromised detoxification pathways
Nutrition can directly influence these pathways — for example:
Cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli and broccoli sprouts)
Nutrients that support methylation
Targeted support based on nutrigenetic testing
✔️ Metabolism Is Central
Dawn views cancer through a metabolic lens.
Healthy metabolism:
Produces clean end-products (carbon dioxide and water)
Clears reactive intermediates efficiently
Requires adequate nutrient cofactors
When metabolism becomes dysregulated, reactive molecules may accumulate and contribute to DNA damage.
This is where orthomolecular nutrition comes in — placing the right molecule in the right place at the right time.
✔️ Stress Is Biologically Relevant — Not Just Emotional
Stress isn’t “just psychological.”
It:
Increases proliferation and metastasis risk
Raises aromatase activity (increasing oestrogen production)
Impacts immune function
One fascinating point discussed:
Magnesium helps regulate stress signalling at the synapse, dampening adrenaline transmission between nerve cells.
This reinforces a core message:
Nutrients are not optional extras — they are foundational to cell biology.
✔️ The Power of Fasting Metabolism
Dawn discusses metabolic switching — the body’s ability to move between:
Fed state metabolism
Fasting state metabolism
Modern culture has normalised constant eating, but fasting physiology activates repair pathways that may:
Support cellular clean-up
Improve metabolic resilience
Potentially enhance chemotherapy sensitivity
Research from Valter Longo highlights how fasting may create a differential stress response — where cancer cells struggle more than healthy cells.
This is always applied carefully and individually — not as extreme deprivation, but as controlled metabolic strategy.
✔️ The Often Overlooked Phase: After Treatment
Around 50% of Dawn’s clients come to her after treatment ends.
Why?
Because:
The structure and security of active treatment disappears
Anxiety about recurrence increases
Fatigue and hormonal shifts remain
Women may feel “medically discharged” but not fully restored
This is where personalised nutritional support can be transformative.
Dawn’s Philosophy: Power Through Breast Cancer
Through her experience and clinical work, Dawn developed her programme:
Power Through Breast Cancer
Her belief:
Healthy bodies cope better with treatment
Informed patients feel less powerless
Personal purpose and empowerment matter for survival
She openly says that while no one wants breast cancer, it profoundly reshaped her life for the better.
Core Takeaway
This episode is not about replacing conventional cancer treatment.
It’s about:
Working with the body’s biology
Understanding hormone metabolism
Supporting detoxification pathways
Managing stress physiology
Using nutrition as precision medicine
Empowering patients to participate in their care
Above all, it reminds us that education reduces fear — and informed empowerment changes outcomes.
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