By Marji Keith
Strategies for Empowerment and Hope with the Metabolic and Radical Remission Approaches
Hearing “You have cancer” hits like a lightning bolt. One moment you’re living your life, and the next, you’re facing a diagnosis that feels meant for someone else. In fact, most patients diagnosed with cancer believe they lived a very healthy lifestyle prior to diagnosis. So it makes sense that you feel profound disbelief – AND it is completely normal. Your identity colliding with a new, unwanted reality.
As cancer coaches, metabolic terrain advocates, and cancer thrivers ourselves, we understand the fear and urgency that this diagnosis brings. And here’s something crucial to remember: cancer isn’t an enemy to fight—it’s a messenger. Your body is signaling that something’s out of balance, and this is your opportunity to restore harmony.
Our approach looks to Dr. Nasha Winters’ Metabolic Approach to Cancer and Kelly A. Turner’s empowering principles of Radical Remission and Radical Hope, among others. This isn’t a promise of miracle cures—it’s a roadmap and support to reclaim your agency and create an environment where cancer struggles to thrive.
Despite what we’ve been conditioned to believe, upwards of 90 percent of cancers aren’t caused by inherited genes but are rooted in lifestyle and environmental factors. That means you absolutely can influence what happens next.
As integrative medicine expert Dr. Paul Anderson notes, “The better your internal journey, the healthier you’ll be, the better your quality of life will be living with cancer, and the outcomes from any medical intervention will generally improve as well.” Nasha Winters states it this way, “the drug, the treatment, whether natural or something like chemotherapy, is only as effective as the environment in which it lands.” We have the power to improve that environment. This scientific reality—that empowered patients have better outcomes—forms the foundation of everything we do.
Step 1: Stop. Be Still. Breathe.
When fear hits, our instinct is to rush into action. Instead, take a moment to ground yourself. Take a breath. Then another.
This isn’t denial—it’s accessing your parasympathetic nervous system, the part that supports healing. As Kelly Turner says, “Breathe in hope, breathe out despair.”
This moment of stillness lets you respond rather than react, creating space for clarity and wise action.
Step 2: Become the CEO of Your Healing
Every person with cancer deserves to feel empowered—not like a passive participant in their own health journey. One of the first steps we take with clients is helping them build a collaborative care team.
This isn’t just emotionally satisfying—it creates tangible biological changes. When you shift from helpless to empowered, stress hormones decrease and immune function improves.
Consider asking potential doctors:
- How will you address the root causes of my cancer?
- What support can you offer beyond conventional treatment?
- Are you willing to collaborate with my holistic care team?
Radical Remission research confirms that those who experience remarkable healing often take control of their health decisions and seek practitioners who see the whole person—not just the diagnosis.
Step 3: Build a Terrain-Informed, Heart-Centered Team
You shouldn’t face this alone. Surrounding yourself with the right support team might be one of the most healing choices you make.
Your team might include:
- A conventional oncologist
- A metabolic advocate or cancer coach
- A nutritionist familiar with therapeutic diets
- A therapist or emotional healing practitioner
- Family and friends who truly uplift you
- A spiritual counselor or mindfulness teacher
Consistent research shows that strong social support is one of the most reliable factors in people who defy the odds.
Step 4: Comprehensive Testing Before Treatment
Before jumping into treatment, understand your individual terrain. Every person’s body and cancer expression is different. The Metabolic Approach focuses on the “Terrain Ten”—ten aspects of your internal environment that influence cancer’s development:
- Blood sugar and insulin regulation
- Inflammation levels
- Immune function
- Toxic burden
- Hormone balance
- Microbiome health
- Stress levels
- Genetic and epigenetic markers
- Mitochondrial function
- Mental/emotional health
Specific testing can identify which areas need the most attention, allowing for a bio-individualized healing plan—more targeted than one-size-fits-all approaches.
Step 5: Implement the CDC—Circadian Rhythm, Diet, and Community
This simple but powerful framework, developed by Dr. Nasha’s team, addresses core foundations of health:
Circadian Rhythm Sleep and light exposure profoundly affect immune function and cellular repair:
- Sleep in full darkness by 10 PM
- Avoid screens and blue light before bed
- Get natural morning sunlight daily
- Use breathwork or meditation for better sleep
Diet But don’t think about “going on a diet”—think about nourishing your terrain:
- Prioritize low-glycemic, anti-inflammatory foods
- Include plenty of organic vegetables (aim for 9 cups daily)
- Emphasize healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, coconut, certain nuts)
- Avoid ultra-processed foods, sugar, and seed oils
- Consider metabolic approaches like intermittent fasting
Community Isolation fuels fear. Connection fuels healing:
- Join a support group—shared healing spaces create powerful momentum
- Allow others to help (it’s not weakness—it’s wisdom)
- Cultivate emotional resilience through meaningful relationships
The Power of Belief and Emotional Healing
Radical Remission research highlights the importance of believing in your healing capacity. This doesn’t mean never feeling scared—it means making room for hope alongside the fear.
The mind-body connection creates measurable changes in immune function, inflammation levels, and cellular repair. Meditation, visualization, and energy healing aren’t “extras”—they’re tools that shift your internal chemistry and support your body’s natural healing process.
Healing is a Whole-Person Process
Your body isn’t broken. You aren’t broken. Cancer isn’t your fault. It can be an invitation—a powerful call to reassess what’s not working and make space for something new.
We approach healing from every angle: biology, mindset, spirit, and lifestyle. We don’t believe in false hope—we believe in informed hope. By addressing the terrain where cancer grew and tapping into human resilience, profound healing becomes possible.
You Are Not Alone
If you’re just beginning this journey, please know there’s a path forward that empowers rather than overwhelms, that centers you as the CEO of your healing, and that acknowledges the emotional rollercoaster while offering steady support.
Every day, we witness people finding clarity, peace, and strength despite cancer. Fear is normal—but it doesn’t have to drive your decisions.
Empowerment as Medicine
Each step you take—from building your team to adjusting your diet to practicing emotional healing—is an act of empowerment. This isn’t just about feeling better emotionally; it creates tangible biological changes that support your body’s innate healing abilities.
Your cancer journey belongs to you. We’re here to help you navigate it with knowledge, compassion, and the deep conviction that you have more power than you might realize.