Health Hacktivators With Dr Alka Patel – Coleen Nolan, Going Vegan, Food And Breast Cancer

You're listening to Health Hacktivators with me, Dr. Alka Patel, on the Woman's Radio Station. Before we get into today's conversation, please do support today's show sponsor, Youth and Earth. Youth and Earth have a range of products that I love to use myself to supercharge my metabolism, to support my health, and to slow down cellular aging. So just be sure you click the link in the show notes for exclusive offers which Youth and Earth are so generously giving only for for listeners of this show. Welcome to Health Hacktivators with lifestyle medicine doctor, GP, and longevity expert Dr. Alok Patel. This show will help you to discover a hidden health hacking code that unlocks your phenomenal potential for an outstanding healthspan, lifespan, and wealthspan. The show features candid conversations with celebrities, influencers, and industry icons, real-life stories, and cutting-edge health hacktivating advice that other doctors might not tell you. Discover why now is the time to join the strategic self-care revolution and experience the profound effects this will have on your personal and professional success. Now here is your host, Dr. Alka Patel. Hi, hey, and hello, Health Activators. Now I am so, so excited about the guest that I have on the show this week, and she really doesn't need any introduction at all. But hey, I'm going to introduce her anyway. She is an Emmy award-winning broadcaster. She's Sunday Times bestselling author, actress, TV presenter, and the UK's best-loved agony aunt. It is Colleen Nolan. Yes, I'm in the mood for dancing. Colleen, of course, she started her career in the entertainment industry with her five sisters, the Nolan Sisters, who then went on to become a global, global smash hit. And since then, the sisters have had some incredibly tough health issues and tough decisions to make, which we talk about on the show. Coleen made her transition from pop star to TV presenter in 1999, when she then debuted on Loose Women on ITV back in the year 2000. 20 years, can you believe that? Two decades of Loose Women on our screens. Two fabulous decades, I must add. And very interestingly, Interestingly, over the past few years, Colleen and her daughter have both become vegan. And we talk about why this has been so important for them, both in the experience they've had for the changes in their physical and emotional health as well. Welcome to the show, Colleen. You know that I have been so, so looking forward to this conversation, but before we get going, I must tell you this. I must tell you that my husband, my husband is probably even more thrilled than me because he's a complete Lucy Liman fans. Totally. So I have to tell you, he's, he's a dentist, right? So you know when you go to your dentist and you're lying back on that chair? So he's got TVs up on his screen, so that's there, you know, to entertain the patients. But he's also got this TV just at his eyeline. Finally, a man that admits to loving Lucy Liman. I love that. Very brave. Oh, oh, totally. And he tells me it's for his patients, of course, but we've got it on series record at home as well, so I don't know how he gets away with Yeah, but look, um, wonderful, wonderful. So look, I've been reading, of course, all about all of your accolades and all your achievements and all your appearances, and the list is endless, isn't it? You've been winning Big Brother and you've been semi-finalist on Dancing on Ice, and then there's your 6 bestseller books. And I even read that your cleavage has even won an Emmy Award. Oh, I know. Well, it's about time they won an award, I have to say. Oh, I love that, I love that. But I think, you know, behind that, of course, there's, uh, there's an important message as well, isn't there? And some, some real tough times that you've had as well. So I really wondered if I could start there, because I know that health is very, very important to you. Your fans and followers will know that as well because of the health of your family as well. And certainly your sisters have been so open about their breast cancer journey as well. But I really wanted to know what it was like for you. What's it been like for you just being part of their journey through such hard times and times of uncertainty, really? You know, when Anne and Linda went into remission and we thought, okay, we're, we're good, they're doing well, and then Bernie got it. And sadly she had it for like 3 years and, and sadly passed away. And you know, as a family you all try and stay strong. And the thing is, all 3 of them were so strong, you know, they battled it head-on and they never gave up. And so you feel that you always have to be brave for them. But sometimes I have to say I did cry myself to sleep. And then selfishly you go, well, which one of us is it going to hit next? Because, you know, it was quite rare for it to hit 3 sisters in one family. So obviously you do worry about it. But then, I don't know, I think it's just one of those things, isn't it? I've met so many people since with cancer who you have to carry on living and, and just fight it as much as you can. You know, Linda now— Anne is in total— Anne's gone now. Um, Linda's came back, and now it's not curable, but it's treatable. But you know, she has— she battles it every day, and every day is still going out and still loving life. She's probably loving life more now because she's, she's realized, you know, how unsure it is. Um, but she's an amazing— she's amazing, as was Bernie right till the end, my sister Bernie, you know, very positive. I guess that's all you can be, but obviously it's a worry all the time. I'm very vigilant, um, at checking myself Yeah, and you're right, you know, when something hits so close to home, so close in terms of your, your family as well, as much as of course you're there as a support for them, there's no doubt that those seeds about your own health and your own morbidity, mortality, your own journey, your own decisions are gonna— you know, there's, there's moments where you do start to question and challenge your own decisions as well. So how has this then affected your decisions that you've made about, about your health and watching your sisters go through, through their tough Have you had tough decisions that you've had to make for yourself? Yes, it definitely does make you question your own mortality. And I started to get a little bit, well, quite a lot of anxiety about dying, actually. Oh, I'm gonna be next. But actually, it was during lockdown because I had lots of other, like, joint issues. You know, I had a bad back, I had bad hips. I had bursitis in both hips. I had plantar fasciitis in both feet. And I was literally even getting up off the couch to go and put the kettle on. I looked like an old, old woman. And my kids were like, Mom, you know, this is, you know, by the time you're 60, you're going to need a mobility scooter. Because honestly, I was just in constant pain and taking painkillers. And, and then me and my daughter watched a couple of documentaries on telly, um, one of which was called What the Health. And, um, it was about veganism and vegetarianism and, um, just kind of the health benefits. And, and we just— she had a lot of issues as well, my daughter. She's only 21, but she had a lot of, um, gynecological issues that she was dealing with. And we were both being given tablets and all that, which we took, and I'm sure they helped. But we thought, you know what, we've got nothing to lose. And I was just scared. I just thought, I'm not going to be able to you know, go for walks with my children, or— and I am getting older, and I do think you have to take responsibility for that. You know, when you're younger, you get an ache and then the next day it's gone. But I'm 57, they're hanging around now, making me realize I need to get a grip. So, um, it's just massively, you know, it's just massively helped me. Yeah, yeah. And you know, there's always those signals, aren't they? Even that little twinge at 27, it's a, it's a sign that something needs to change. But then what happens is you I'll just push through it. Am I— I'm okay. And you kind of push on and you push on and you push it. And especially for someone like you where you're busy and you're successful and you're ambitious and everything else is coming before you. So is that something you've noticed of you being— is you someone who puts everyone first? Oh, and then it's me. Um, yeah, definitely. I mean, definitely with my kids. I mean, I say kids, they're all adults now, but even now, you know, if one of my kids is is, um, in pain or has got something wrong, I'm like, okay, we need to go to the doctors and we need to do this and we need to do that. But whenever it was me, it was always, oh, I'll do it next week, I haven't got time. Yeah, you know, because I'd be going to London to do Loose Women or I'd be off filming something else and you just, you generally think, I haven't got time, I can't fit a doctor's appointment in. Um, but then if one of my kids was ill, I'd take a day off work. I'd be like, no, I can't come to work because my child's ill. Yeah, but yeah, I, and I think women do that a lot as well. Actually, they do tend to put— when they have children, or even if they don't have children, they've got husbands, whatever— I think women are very much putting other people in front of them before themselves. And I, I definitely do that. And why, why do you think that is? Why do, why do women do it? And I think it's men and women alike. I certainly know lots of, you know, successful businessmen, for example, who are, you know, pushing themselves and then don't think about their health. But you're right, especially for women when we've got sort of all these multiple roles to juggle. But what do you think it is innately about, about us that does that? I don't know. I don't know whether it's a subconscious fear of I don't want to know actually what's wrong with me, or if they say, well, you need to have, you know, 2 months off work, and you think, I can't. You know, if you're self-employed and the only breadwinner in the house, which is what I am, it's kind of like, I ain't got I haven't got time. But it, it's a ridiculous thought process because if you don't listen to your body and you don't listen to the health experts, all of a sudden that month off work will be 6 months off work because something will give, you know. So that's what I've tried to avoid, really. Yeah, yeah. And it's a great big mantra of mine, which is, if you don't have time for your health today, you won't have health for your time tomorrow. Oh, I love that. And if you just let that So, Kim, yeah, you realize the gravitas of that foundation for everything that you're doing comes from your health. And you noticed that, didn't you, with your, with your aches and pains when you, when you couldn't move as well as without that level of health? You can't even get on and do the stuff that you know is going to make a difference to others. No, that's so true. And, and also you're not enjoying it as much, you know, because I was going to work but I was on painkillers because I was in pain. So it was kind I need to work, you know, sort this pain out and then I'll be able to enjoy what I'm doing. So they kind of work hand in hand. Absolutely. It is that, isn't it? It is, it's that sense of like, you've got to take care of yourself. The number of ways that you can say, we call these things sort of teachable moments in medicine as well. That moment something goes wrong is the moment you decide you're going to do something about your health, about your self-care. But why do we wait for that? Because there's so many signs before that. You don't just one day wake up and get this diagnosis. Diagnosis of the bursitis or the cancer or the diabetes. And this is not about you not, you know, it's your fault or blame or anything like that. But if only we just slowed down to just tune into those signals that, you know, body and mind are amazing and constantly giving us signs, but we don't pay attention. And then they've got to like shout out really loud to us, right? Let me get back to your food choices and veganism. So Why that then? Of all the health decisions that you could possibly have made, why this one? I think because I got to a point where I thought, I've got nothing to lose. I was having physio all the time, I was on painkillers, and a lot of what I had was to do with inflammation. And a lot of it was, you know, I've got a bad back, I've got a bad disc in my back, so everything else was compensating for this disc. And that's why I ended up with bursitis and then the plantar fasciitis, my knees was just everything. And, um, and I just looked, I just researched about, you know, food and how that affects you, because I don't think people know how much food really, you know, affects your health. Um, and me and my daughter just sat there and said, we've got nothing to lose, so why don't we try it? And it made a massive difference. You know, I haven't had the— I haven't had bursitis or had fasciitis since. Um, I'll always have— my back's been fine, but it'll always be, you know, now and again my back's like, oh, you know, it aches because the disc is bad. But, um, but it's just made a massive difference for us. Um, and I'm certainly— I would never cancel out, ever cancel out, you know, um, you know, medicine, the medical profession. I'd always do both now, you know. If ever I get something, I'll always combine it with the two. Conventional medicine. But it just worked for me, and I can only go on it works for me. And I'm not one of these now that goes around with, you know, placards, you know, saying you should all be vegans, because I think people do have a choice. But I think it was— I had to tell people that, listen, it really helped me. Hmm. And I love that you're doing it that way, because I have to say, you know, food and diet is— it's one of those polarizing conversations, isn't it? People do get I'm totally sort of in their camp, in their corner of the boxing ring when they're talking about their food choices. And there is so much mixed publicity about veganism. And you know, you've probably got a real mixed response when you tell people you're vegan or tell them about your journey. What kind of responses have you had? Horrendous, actually. The majority is awful. People go, "Oh no, you're not one of them, are you?" And, "Oh God, you just eat lettuce now then?" 'So you just eat vegetables?' And I'm like, 'No, I don't just eat vegetables, and if I do eat vegetables, they're really good.' Um, I think they just see that as what veganism is, that you just eat, you know, salad. Um, and I used to think that. I genuinely used to think, 'Oh, I couldn't be vegan because I don't like anything,' you know, that, that they eat. But I'm eating better and nicer stuff. I have to say, I'm like 100% vegetarian and I'm probably 80% vegan. Vegan I have found quite hard just because of my— I love dairy. Um, not cheese, actually. I don't love cheese, but I do love dairy. Um, so I have found that hard. And sometimes it's hard because I do so much traveling and a lot of places you go, or if I go around to a friend's house and they go, oh, I've only got semi-skimmed milk, I don't want to be this person that goes, well, I'm not coming around unless you've got all vegan stuff in. So I'll be like, do you know what, it's one cup of tea, it's fine. Um, but definitely wouldn't eat meat again. And that— and the reason, you know, the meat thing now initially started all to do with health, and then obviously since then I've researched it more and more, it's obviously now to do with animals. Animals. And, um, I just find it hard to eat animals. Yeah, no, and I understand. And I think, you know, that approach that you have, which is people are kind of all on a transition, and it's not about sort of fighting one corner or another, but recognizing kind of people's journeys through that and really thinking about what the benefits you're personally getting. I mean, we know with like, um, things like, you know, breast cancer, for example, or, or cancers and meat— again, there's so much research about what happens when you cook meats, and they release these chemicals which are called heterocyclic amines, and they're found to then increase your risks of cancers. And I think, you know, part of it is people almost don't want to know this because then it means that they, they might need to change the lifestyle that they've been so accustomed to. But I think when it comes to lifestyle changes, what you've just described is that sort of transition and that little bit of that ebb and flow instead of what we often find is that, you know, you're, you're very strict and it can have another ripple effect. And you describe, you know, you don't want to lose friendships and relationships over that. So I think that's important. But once you know something, you know something. You can't unknow what you know. Exactly. I, I find what's amazing is, is that because I have researched it to a degree, that when people ask me and then I tell them what I researched and what I know now, it's what you said— they don't want to know because they don't, they And I was like that, you know. I was like, well, don't— yeah, you know, I don't want to give up dairy, and I don't— I like meat. And but it took a health scare for me to go, I need to do something. And also I lost about 2 and a half stone because I started eating better, and I cut out all the rubbish I was eating. The weight came off, so of course all the inflammation as well died down a bit, you know. So it all works hand in hand, really. Oh, and absolutely, there's such a synergy and interconnect between everything that we do and every mouthful that we're putting in our mouth, a choice. And, you know, you've got to make fun of food, food fun. Yeah. Use it. Memories associated with food. Yeah. Our moms used to feed us and it's connecting and it's warming. But we've also got to make sure that it doesn't take a health scare or something awful to happen for that realization to sink in that I have a choice. About what goes in my mouth. And you know, if everyone just did the simplest thing of deprocessing their food, just going more plant-focused, it doesn't mean that, you know, meat's off the agenda and you can't have a good time, but where's your focus? You know, if for you 80% of the time your focus is on eating vegetables, getting all those phytonutrients in. I love that you've mentioned inflammation because that sits right at the root of of everything. And you noticed that difference, didn't you? Yeah, almost within 2 weeks I noticed the difference. And actually, I say I noticed, it was actually one of my daughter's friends that noticed because she came round and I was sitting on the, on the sofa and I said, oh, do you want a cup of tea? And she said, yeah. And I got up and went, and she went, oh my God, you just got off the couch! And I was like, what do you mean? And she went, last time I was here I had to help you because of my back and my, my feet and And I went, oh God, yeah, I have. I literally just got up and it was kind of, oh wow, that was amazing. Yeah. Oh, I love that because it is, it is that immediate as well, you know. And also, did you notice any added benefits? So what was the sort of ripple effect from, from making that change? Um, everything health-wise I noticed. And then things like, um, my hair and my nails grew, like my hair grows and grows. And because I'm, you know, I'm menopausal, so a lot of my work colleagues and my sisters, you know, in the menopause they lost a lot of hair. You know, hair was one of their biggest losses really. Um, and they kept saying, why is your hair growing and mine's falling out? And all I could put it down to was this whole change of lifestyle, that I was obviously putting the right nutrients back in my body that I'd been neglecting, you know, because I was never really a healthy eater. But I'm— I still— I probably eat more now, I just eat better stuff. And my daughter, who had the worst, worst diet I've ever known in my life of anyone, um, now is cooking, you know, lunch and dinners every day from scratch, knows everything about food, is loving and that for me even is such a bonus because I used to really worry about her diet. Yeah, yeah, no, brilliant. And I love again that this is kind of, you know, the family tendencies are changing, that kind of modeling you're doing has kind of filtered through. There's some fun with food as well and real connection through that as well. And, and, you know, definitely sort of vegetables, fruits, seeds, beans, nuts, grains, they're all the things that we know reduce inflammation, which is at the core of pretty much everything, even aging. I have to say, I you mentioned you're 57, did you say? Yeah, yeah, 57, 58 in a couple of months, but we'll— I'm still 57. Of course, of course. So here's a question for you then: how, how long would you like to live for? Oh, do you know what? I'd like to live— if I could stay how I am now health-wise, even though I've still got, you know, aches and pains now and again, um, if I could stay like this mentally as well, I'd like to live forever. But I only want to live as long as possible while I've got a quality of life. If I've no quality of life, then, you know, my mom, my mom passed away, um, from Alzheimer's, and I watched her for 5 years just disappear in front of me, um, and I didn't want her to live any longer. I wanted her to go. And I remember then thinking, if I, if I end up like that, I'd want to go. But if I can stay healthy-ish and mentally healthy, then forever. Who wouldn't? I love life. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, and I love hearing you say that because there's just so much in this world for us. Yeah. And that's just waiting for us as well, isn't there? And that sense of having your sort of what I call your healthspan and your lifespan being the same. You want to be healthy throughout your life. And then when it ends, you haven't had those last 5, 10, 15 years in struggle. So that's really kind of refreshing to hear, I have to say, because that's, you know, certainly one of the missions on, on this show is to get people to have that, that lust for life and want to live a long life, but at their most optimal, where their health really kind of is, is at the forefront. But what we often do as well, Colleen, is we look at age, that number, like you have, I'm 57. And use that as your guide for your zest for life in a way, and, and how old you are. But there's now tests that you can have that tell you internally how old you are. I mean, would you like to know? Would you, would you want to know whether you were— yeah, no, I just don't. It's like this test now to see if you are prone or could be prone to Alzheimer's. Um, I don't want to know. Because I think then my, my mind would focus solely on that, and I, and I don't want to. I just don't want to. I mean, it's things like with Alzheimer's, I guess knowing how old you are internally, you could maybe reverse that, I suppose. But knowing something like if you carry gene for Alzheimer's, and there's no cure really for Alzheimer's, I'd, you know, having seen my mother go through it, I wouldn't I couldn't cope with that. If it happens, it happens. Um, but yeah, I don't know, sometimes I just think we all know a bit too much. I don't— I, you know, life's exciting because you don't know what's around the corner. And that's why I love every day that I'm here, and I appreciate it because I don't know what's gonna happen. I might not be here next year, God forbid. But, um, and I think losing my sister made me really appreciate life more. And every time— don't get me wrong, there are hard days, as we know, for everyone. You know, it's not easy. Um, uh, but having lost my sister, whenever I have a really down day or a hard day, or I just think I'm fed up, I always think my sister would love to be here feeling fed up even, or going through this hard time, but she's not. You know, she died at 53, and, um, that always kind of snaps me out of it. But, uh, yeah, I just, I don't know, I kind of, I, I'd rather live in ignorant bliss, I think. Yeah, and I totally understand why, because there is that balance of certainty and uncertainty about, as you say, needing spontaneity and needing stability. And, you know, we're often sort of dancing that dance, aren't we, with what do I want, what do I want to know, do I not want to know, be the kind of ostrich with my head in the sand, what will be will be. Um, but you know, it's a fascinating time that we're living in as well, where there's so many genes that we can carry, for example, that we don't have to fire the trigger on. So just like you've changed things by changing your food choices, uh, even with things like, you know, Alzheimer's, there may be a gene, but it doesn't mean that that gene is active for you. And how can you deactivate it with the things that you do? By sleeping differently or moving differently or eating differently. And there's so much more sort of now in our, in our hands that sometimes the hard bit about knowing gives you the nudge to do something different. Just like with you, you got your nudge because something was painful in your life, right? Yeah. No, I agree. I do agree. But then sometimes I think, I think because of this year in particular, I don't know why it's been this year or maybe the last couple of years. And I think I've got to an age where you do start questioning your mortality. I mean, my, you know, all my kids now are adults, and I've gone through that stage of, I mean, you know, just thinking, oh, I'm surplus to requirements, like no one needs me now. And I've kind of battled through that. And my kids are always like, Mom, we'll always need you, even for a fiver. You know, that they need to borrow. But I don't know, I, I think one of my biggest fears is dying. I don't want to. So the thoughts of somebody telling me, well, the way you are now, you're probably going to live to your 70— I, from this minute, will start counting the hours down. And I don't want to. I'd rather assume I'm going to live forever. Yeah, and, and no one has that certainty, do we? We, we have— no one can ever give, give you that. All you can think about is, what do I want to do to maximize my chances of living forever? Yeah, you know, living in the best of health. And that's what you want to grab and, and run with and rock and roll with, even as you say, on those down days, it feels difficult, or those difficult memories come back is it's, it's that, isn't it? It's you've got this sense that, yeah, you know, I'm important in this one. I've got a lot more that I want to be, do, and see and contribute as well. I mean, your contributions have been incredible, the stuff that you've, you've done. I mean, you definitely have had a zest for life, for sure. Well, yeah, I have. I mean, I don't even know if it was a zest for life, you know. I was kind of brought into it, you know. I was working working from the age of 2 with my family, so it's kind of all I've ever done, you know. Sometimes I've got a zest for life, but I'm actually, I'm actually quite lazy when it comes to work because my favorite place to be is at home. So, you know, my manager phones me up, goes, oh, this is coming. I go, oh, how long am I going to be away for? That's my first thing, um, because it's all I've ever done, so it just feels like my life kind of now. Um, I never had that growing up as a child going, when I'm, when I'm older, I want to be a pop star, or I want to be a TV presenter. It just all, it was just kind of happened. Um, but I'm very, very grateful, and I do love what I do. Um, so yeah, it's good. So what do you want to be when you grow up then, Colleen? I don't want to grow up. Um, I don't know really. I mean, one thing that's on my bucket list is Strictly, Strictly Come Dancing. I would love to have a go at that just because I love dancing. I'd love to learn how to dance properly. And it's probably the one reality show that I've never been asked to do or even, even had an interview for. And it's probably the only one I'd actually say yes to at the drop of a hat. But, um, but I've done the others which were a good challenge, you know, Dancing on Ice, Big Brother. Um, we'll get this show out to the people who need to listen. And Helene wants to be a dancer. To be honest, I think they're sick of hearing about it because every time I'm on Loose Women I keep going, can you get me on Strictly please? And I think now they're just like, will you just lock her away somewhere? Brilliant. Look, make sure you just keep your hips moving, okay? Because it's gonna happen and it's gonna come. So just make sure those hips are Absolutely amazing, amazing. So, um, let's wrap up. Look, we could, we could carry on chatting, but what is your final message then for listeners about prioritizing their health? What would you say? I would say that, you know, we prioritize so many other things, and when other things break down, we instantly get them fixed. You know, we have our cars MOT'd every year, If a wheel goes flat, we get it sorted. And yet we don't do it with ourselves. We should be MOTing ourselves every 6 months at least and just checking. And like you said, you know, you start to feel something's not right, go and sort it out. Don't leave it till like I did where I could hardly move. And just, you know, if you want to live a great life, the best way to do it is by looking after yourself. Yeah, no, brilliant, brilliant message. And I love that analogy with the car as well. So if you imagine you just— you were given one car for the whole of your life and you were not allowed to get another car for your whole life, wouldn't you take care of that car? That makes sense. Yeah, absolutely. Totally true. This is it. One life, right? We've got it. We've got to do the maintenance. Don't want to be an old banger at the end of it, do we? You are no old hag, Colleen. You have completely uplifted me and invigorated me as well. Lovely. Thank you so much, Colleen. It's been fabulous. It's a pleasure. Thank you. Well, I must say, I found that conversation quite tough. Just hearing Colleen talk so openly about how hard it's been for her family and all that fear and anxiety that she now has just regarding her own health and her own mortality. It is hard. Illness is a hard pill to swallow. And I get it. Sometimes you just don't want to know. You just don't want to know what could be around the corner, or you want to ignore what's already there. And that ostrich approach, taking that ostrich approach, burying your head in the sand, it can feel like the easier thing to do, can't it? It. But here is the thing, sometimes the easier thing isn't the effective thing. Yeah, sometimes the easier thing isn't the effective thing. It might be easier to carry on eating what you eat, sleeping how you sleep, working how you work, then nothing changes. But look at Colleen, she made a decision to change because, well, hey, you heard her, she wants to live forever. Now, hmm, look, mortality and immortality. Well, immortality is not something I can deliver to you on this show, but living a million-hour life, that is what this show is about. That is an achievable option, and I want to give you as many ways as I can to live a long, energized, active life as possible. So that's why in my health hacks this week, I'm going to dive deep into cancer, because cancer takes away years from your life and life from your years. Fear, anxiety, it can all have a significant impact on the quality of your life, even as you heard from Colleen, even if you're not the one with the cancer, but if it's affected a loved one. So what I'm more specifically going to do is look at breast cancer in the next episode. There's 150 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed every single day in over over 30 deaths a day from breast cancer in the UK. And I know there are other stats as well. So whilst 9 out of 10 women do survive with breast cancer for over 5 years, the impact of this on the quality of your life is significant, which means prevention is a priority. We're going to take a short break now for some music, and we'll be back shortly with even more health hacktivations. Now I see, sits in the back of the gray caravan, tomorrow he'll probably be jumping Parisian metro barriers with a bottle in his hands. Sparkling, sparkling water mixed with peaches and rum. Honestly, I don't drink, but if I did, this would be my favorite punch. He served. Woke out the door without you could see it. Dressed in black, a class that seemed too far to fetch. She said, "Look at you, look at you, the game is over. Your cup is full, your cup is full. Stop praying for more exposure. It is obvious that you're trying, dubious, drop or you die here. You're pretending but no one is buying." London, London, London is calling you. What are you waiting for? What are you searching for? London, London, London is calling you. Why are you denying the truth? I'm mighty, I'm mighty, I'm mighty far in you, he said. Though it's not clear as the morning dew, though my preferred ways are not happening, I won't underestimate who I am capable of becoming. History will be made today, is written boldly on his face, so clear you could hardly miss it. You could hardly miss it. For transcending the barriers of yesterday was and is the dream. On a road where Cleopatra comes and goes like fishes caught in ponds, then thrown back for fun. Mm. Mm. Mm. She said, look at you, look at you, just pick a fleet. Your cup is full, your cup is full. What have you not yet achieved? It is obvious that you're trying. Do be a stop or you die here. You're pretending but no one is buying. London, London, London is Is all in you. What are you waiting for? What are you searching for? London, London, London is all in you. For you and I, here's the truth. The might, the might, the might is all in you, he said. Although it's not clear as the morning dew, Though my preferred ways are not happening, I won't underestimate who I am capable of becoming. Take me outside, sit in the green garden. Nobody out there, but it's okay now. Bait in the sunlight. Don't mind if rain falls. Take me outside. Sit in the green garden. Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow, oh wow. And I'll fly on the wings of a butterfly. High as a treetop. Down again. Putting my bag down, taking my shoes off, walking the carpet, a green velvet. Dance in my garden like we used to. Oh wow, oh wow. Dance in my garden like we used to. Oh wow, oh wow. Take me outside, sit in the green garden. Nobody out there, but it's okay now. Bait in the sunlight, don't mind if rain falls. Take me outside, sit in the green garden. Wherever you go, wherever you take me. Like we used to. Take me outside, take me outside, take me outside. Sit in the green garden. I know where Wherever you go— wherever you take me I'll go! Wherever you go— wherever you take me I will... ...go! Wherever you want to go— whenever you wanna do whatever it takes for us all together we can make this happen again. I go wherever you— whatever you take me I go! I go wherever you go, wherever you take me I go! I go wherever you go, wherever you take me I go! Take me out to Uganda, take me out there you take me, I will Stayin' in love is too tricky. Fallin' in love can be easy. Stayin' in love is too tricky. You know I love you. I tell a lot of girls, but for the moment, I don't even think twice. So make places, baby, 'cause I'm so bad. We try, we try, baby. Yeah! Falling in love can be easy, but staying in love is too tricky. Falling in love can be easy, but staying in love is too tricky. Yeah, yeah, yeah. —then you brought me everything. You may not have the home, but if it's not the real deal, I don't know it, 'cause it sure does feel, and I think it sure does show. I remember all them days I waited so patiently, and God brought someone who's gonna be good to me, and it blessed my soul. Fall in your ways so you can't crumble. Fall in your ways so you can sleep at night. Fall in your ways so you can wake up and— Fall in your ways so you can crumble. Fall in your ways so you can sleep at night. Fall in your ways so you can wake up at— Fall in your ways so you can crumble. Fall in your ways so you can sleep at night. Fall in your ways so you can wake up and rise. Welcome back. You are listening to Health Hacktivators with me, Dr. Alka Patel. And now for this week's 3 health activating hacks. Are you ready to unlock your health activation code in 3 steps? Decisions, data, devices. Now my aim with these health hack episodes is to stay laser-focused because, look, health is such a huge, expansive topic, which is why in each health hack episode, I'm now going to be taking a deep dive into one question. One question highlighting two reference sources and giving you three health hacks so that taking your health to the next level is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Got it. Okay, good. So today's one question is, how does what I eat affect my chances of getting breast cancer? And if you haven't already listened to my conversation with Colleen Nolan this week, then please, please do make sure that you click right back and take a listen. Colleen shares how the diagnosis of breast cancer in her three sisters had a significant impact on her decisions about her own health. So it really is well worth worth a listen. But those words, "I'm sorry to tell you you have breast cancer," or "I'm sorry to hear about your breast cancer"— I must have said those words several dozen times through my career. And you know what? It never gets easier. And it wasn't easy listening to Colleen describing the tough times. I could hear just in the tone of her voice how difficult this has been for her and for her family, despite that outward bravado that she has and that so many women have. Breast cancer— they are the words that most women fear the most. But there's something really important to know here. Before you hear those words, the cancer, well, it's already been there for some time, sometimes growing several years earlier before it makes its presence known. So we might think we're detecting cancer early now through screening procedures and more awareness, more breast self-examination, but this is still late detection because the cancer's already been there a while before it's spotted. So what do you do? Well, think of cancer as 3 stages, what I like to call the 3 Ps: predisposing, promoting, and progressing. So what does this mean? Well, predisposing means being susceptible Promoting means growing, and progressing means spreading. And ideally, you want to focus on the predisposing factors before cancer arrives. You want to minimize the things that make you susceptible to it and maximize the things that reduce your susceptibility. And what are these factors? Well, food. Food is an important one. How does what you eat affect your chances of getting breast cancer? Well, in a review of over 30,000 women, researchers showed a 60% reduction in risk of getting breast cancer by following 5 of the American Institute of Cancer Research guidelines. And guess what one of those is? It is to eat more plants. Fiber is what is key. Breast cancer risks falls after you eat at least 25 grams of fiber a day. And what about this? An apple a day Well, it does keep the cancer away. A study has also shown that an apple a day— yes, an one apple a day— reduces your chances of breast cancer by 24%. So how is that? Well, have you noticed what happens when you peel an apple? Yeah, it browns, and this is oxidation at work, and it's the apple skin, the apple peel, which has antioxidant properties. And that's what stops the apple browning. Oxidation is what causes damage to your DNA, which is what then predisposes you to cancer. So anti-oxidation is important. And what do apples do? They're antioxidants and they stop the DNA damage. So more vegetables, more plants, more fiber, more apples. And you might be wondering about meat. What about meat? Well, As I mentioned in my conversation with Colleen, when meat is cooked at high temperatures, so I'm talking about meat that's grilled or char-grilled, barbecued, fried, smoked, those high temperatures, what happens is then you release heterocyclic amines. Let me say that again properly. Heterocyclic amines from the meat. And what these are, are carcinogens, which increase your susceptibility to breast cancer by causing damage to your DNA. Which means today, to reduce your breast cancer risk, make a decision. Make a decision to eat more plants and eat less meat. I don't mind what you call it— plant-based, flexitarian, vegetarian, omnivore, herbivore— it doesn't matter. We don't need to get into diet wars. Just eat more plants than you are now. And how can you use data to help with your decisions to eat more plants? Well, here's how, and this is looking specifically at fiber because what I found is that one area where so many of my clients find it difficult to know how much fiber they're eating and whether they're hitting over 25 grams a day for breast cancer risk reduction or higher for 40 or 50 grams for its other health benefits is in that area of how much fiber. And this is where I have found fiber tracking to be particularly useful, especially in those initial stages, you know, when you're transitioning to your food choices with your aim and your decision to eat more plants. So here's a quick guide, and you know that I like to keep things simple. So to keep it very easy and very simple, here's an easy rule of thumb. Yeah, it's more numbers. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. So think of one serving, and by serving, I mean a handful or a bowlful. Now, one serving of tofu, is equal to 1 gram of fibre. 1 serving of whole grains contains 2 grams of fibre. 1 serving of fruit contains 3 grams of fibre. 1 serving of vegetables is 4 grams of fibre, and 1 serving of beans or pulses is 5 grams of fibre. So that's an easy 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 rule of thumb way to see how you can layer up your fiber. And I know there will be purists amongst you who'll be shouting at this episode saying, yes, but, yes, but different fruits have different fiber content and different vegetables have different fiber content. And you are absolutely right, but this is a very useful rule of thumb, which I find very, very helpful with my clients to just get going. So start with this 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. And I do have as well a PDF on this. So if you'd like something visual, if you'd like a PDF, ebook on how to fuel up on fiber using this very simple rule of thumb, then you're very welcome. Just drop me an email. The link is in the show notes, lifestylefirst@dralcapatel.com, and I'll make sure that ebook is on its way to you. But yeah, if you want to be more precise, then yes, absolutely. Use your device, use your phone to log what you eat because there's some great apps out there which will log very specific fiber quantities in your food. So that's apps like MyFitnessPal, which I've found to be very, very helpful. And for me as well, for my clients who work one-to-one with me, I also provide them with a digital food journal. So as they log their food, I too can see their fiber intake directly into a steward portal, which is in real time, which means that I can then advise much more specifically on very easy ways to increase your fiber intake with simple things like food swaps as well. So here you go then, your 3 hacks to reduce your chances of getting breast cancer. Hack number 1. 1. Decisions. Decide. Decide today to eat less meat, eat less meat, which is barbecued, grilled, fried, or char-grilled, and eat more plants. Even an apple a day keeps the doctor away. So start there. Hack number 2 is data. Measure your fiber intake. Just measure it until you get used to what eating 25 grams looks like. And hack number 3 is devices. Track your fiber intake much more precisely which you can do using apps and food journals. So there you go. And I hope you have enjoyed today's unlocking of your health activation code, which now simply leaves me to wish you a health activating day. Thank you for listening to Health Activators. If you have enjoyed this episode, then please support the show by leaving us a 5-star review wherever you get your podcasts and by sharing this episode with a friend. Don't forget to click the link in the show notes right now to find out more details about what was covered in this episode and to connect with Dr. Alka Patel in order to take your strategic self-care to the next level. Please do support today's show partner, Youth and Earth. Youth and Earth have a range of products that I love to use myself to supercharge my metabolism, to support my health, and to slow Slow Down Cellular Aging. Just be sure you click the link in the show notes for exclusive offers which Youth and Earth are so generously giving for listeners of this show. Thank you for listening to Health Activators with me, Dr. Alka Patel, on the Women's Radio Station. I'd love you to stay connected through the socials. You can find me at Dr. Alka Patel UK, and to learn more about the Women's Radio Station, do give them a follow too on their socials at Women's Radio STN.