There is a difference between surviving and thriving. After years in integrative oncology and metabolic health, I have seen cancer thrivers share the same set of traits. These are not traits you are born with. They can be learned and strengthened over time, and they can completely change how you experience healing.
Success after a cancer diagnosis is not only a clear scan. A scan matters, but true success is living aligned with your values. It is waking up rested, calm, and grateful. It has strong relationships, less inflammation, better energy, and the peace that comes from living with purpose. It is the way you live, why you live, and how you live every day.
Here are the five traits I see in every cancer thriver.
Trait 1. Self-respect and boundaries
Thrivers stop people pleasing. They speak up for their needs, ask for help, rest when their body needs repair, and say no without guilt. Self-respect improves your immune function, your recovery, and your resilience. When you set boundaries, you protect your energy and give your body what it needs to heal.
Trait 2. Plan, prepare, and use your data
Thrivers plan their day with purpose. They review their labs, understand their inflammation and stress levels, and build a schedule that aligns with their goals. Planning helps remove decision fatigue. You set up simple habits, like stacking breathwork with your sauna or setting out your water bottles the night before, so your day supports healing rather than drains you.
Trait 3. Learn and stay resourceful
Resourcefulness changes everything. If you are told there is nothing else to do and you know there must be, you keep looking. You find a team that understands metabolic medicine, genetics, and terrain. You keep learning and asking questions until your plan feels aligned. Hope paired with action is one of the most powerful medicines you have.
Trait 4. Be decisive with facts, not fear
Collect your data, get your opinions, and then decide. Fear-based decisions delay healing. You do not need ten people’s approval to know what feels right. You use your values and your test results to choose the best next step. Being decisive saves time, lowers stress, and helps you move forward with confidence.
Trait 5. Prioritize health and fitness
Thrivers make movement, nutrition, and recovery part of daily life. They surround themselves with people who value health. They take the stairs, go for walks, and rest when needed. They choose actions that bring energy rather than exhaustion and allow grace for moments that are not perfect. Progress comes from consistency, not guilt.
Thriving after a cancer diagnosis is not about perfection. It is about intention. You plan your days, learn what your body needs, make confident choices, and keep choosing health and alignment. Share this episode with someone who needs a reminder that it is not only about living longer, but also about living better.
Download the Ultimate Cancer Screening Guide in the show notes to track key markers and understand your body’s signals for prevention and healing.
Join the Accelerated Healing Process APPLY HERE
Connect with Dr. Lori, ND.
Instagram: @drloribouchard_nd
TikTok: @livelongerwithdrlori
email: lori@drlori.ca
This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical care from your physician.
Cancer does not have one single cause. There is not just one reason for a cancer diagnosis. H pylori can aggravate the stomach lining. Epstein-Barr virus has been correlated with lymphoma.
Glyphosates, pesticides, herbicides, and heavy metals can create oxidative stress and DNA damage. Not everyone who is exposed gets cancer. What happens is the accumulation of multiple things that can turn oncogenes on and aggravate growth. I am excited to share daily tools you can use to lower risk.
We dive into micro habits that build consistency. Diaphragmatic breathing while brushing your teeth. Morning light supports circadian rhythm, melatonin, serotonin, and immune function.
The Power Six lymph drainage technique I learned after the Metabolic Health Conference with Dr. Perry Nicholsonl; contrast showers, dry skin brushing, mini rebounder, movement every hour, lymphatic massage. Remember, the lymphatic system has no pump: posture and gentle movement matter.
Kitchen strategies that surprised me. Rinse rice three to four times before cooking to lower arsenic. Soak produce in baking soda for 12 to 15 minutes to remove surface pesticides. Cook rice and let it sit overnight to increase resistant starch and support stable glucose. Add fiber with psyllium, chia, and hemp.
Feed the gut microbiome daily. Green bananas are a prebiotic. Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, and coconut kefir. Dehydrated vegetable powders for simple phytonutrients.
Walk for ten minutes after meals to activate GLUT4 and reduce post-meal glucose. Aim for a hemoglobin A1C around 5.0. Build lean muscle with resistance training two to three times per week to improve insulin sensitivity.
Prioritize sleep. Reduce blue light in the evening. Use low color temperature bulbs. Blackout the room. Support the hypothalamus and the master clock. Breathe in for four and out for six to calm cortisol and support tumor suppressor genes and lymph flow.
Choose two or three simple actions this week and make them daily.
Baby steps that help your body thrive.
Download the Ultimate Cancer Screening Guide in the show notes to track key markers and understand your body’s signals for prevention and healing.
Join the Accelerated Healing Process APPLY HERE
Connect with Dr. Lori, ND.
Instagram: @drloribouchard_nd
TikTok: @livelongerwithdrlori
email: lori@drlori.ca
This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical care from your physician.
One of the most frustrating things for me as a licensed naturopathic doctor is seeing people come in with advanced cancers after being told their symptoms were nothing to worry about and never being tested for the right things. That frustration is what pushed me to start my practice because I am tired of people believing they are healthy until they are told they have stage four cancer.
About half of the people I see find their cancer at stage four instead of stage one or two. Sometimes it starts with something small, like rectal bleeding that’s brushed off as hemorrhoids or stomach pain dismissed as IBS or stress. These things can slide by for years if you are not testing and assessing properly.
The first key strategy for cancer prevention is to focus on your gut health. Your gut makes up about seventy percent of your immune system and even produces neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. Cleaning out your gut and supporting a healthy microbiome helps your immune system focus on removing abnormal cells.
The second strategy is fasting. Fasting helps reduce inflammation, balance growth factors like insulin, and trigger autophagy, the body’s natural repair process. Done properly, it supports immune health, energy, and brain function.
The third strategy is to cut out sugar. Excess sugar is toxic to your body and drives inflammation. If you crave sugar, you may have candida overgrowth. Signs can include bloating, heartburn, brain fog, or a white coating on the tongue. Cleaning up your gut for even three to five days can reset your system and reduce cravings.
Track what you eat, when you crave sugar, your stress, and your hydration. These patterns tell you what your body needs. Your body is always communicating with you. When you listen and take action, you can strengthen your immune system and reduce your risk of cancer growth.
Download the Ultimate Cancer Screening Guide in the show notes to track key markers and understand your body’s signals for prevention and healing.
Join the Accelerated Healing Process APPLY HERE
Connect with Dr. Lori, ND.
Instagram: @drloribouchard_nd
TikTok: @livelongerwithdrlori
email: lori@drlori.ca
-This podcast is intended for informational purposes ONLY and does not replace medical care from your physician.
The human body is made up of over 3 billion pieces of genetic code, and each of us has millions of tiny DNA variants that make us unique. It is no wonder that two people with the same diagnosis may be on entirely different diet plans or react completely differently to medication.
When examining these DNA variants, it is essential to tailor your metabolic treatment plan to your individual needs. The way you detoxify, repair DNA, and your immune system's ability to recognize cancer are all influenced by these genetic differences.
You are handed a genetic blueprint from your parents, but it is up to you to decide how you live each day to ensure those genes stay healthy and protective. These variants do not change, but how they are expressed depends on lifestyle choices.
I’m sharing the three genetic variants that you should be aware of to support your health and stay in remission.
MTHFR affects methylation, which is crucial for cellular repair, detoxification, hormone balance, neurotransmitter production, and immune regulation.
COMT affects how your body breaks down stress hormones and estrogen, influencing anxiety, energy, and the risk of estrogen-related cancers.
GST affects how your body produces glutathione, the master antioxidant that protects against toxins and helps your body recover from stress and therapies.
Understanding MTHFR, COMT, and GST helps you see how your body detoxifies, manages stress, and repairs itself. You have more control than you think. These genes make up only a small part of the picture, and lifestyle choices make up the rest.
If you want to understand how your genetics are being expressed and what your blood work reveals about your health, go to http://drlori.ca and download the free Ultimate Cancer Screening Guide. It includes the labs to check each year and helps you track how your body is responding as you create your own metabolic plan for long-term remission.
Join the Accelerated Healing Process APPLY HERE
Connect with Dr. Lori, ND.
Instagram: @drloribouchard_nd
TikTok: @livelongerwithdrlori
email: lori@drlori.ca
-This podcast is intended for informational purposes ONLY and does not replace medical care from your physician.
You finished chemo, radiation, or surgery, and everyone around you is celebrating, but deep down, you’re left wondering when the cancer will come back. After sixteen years in practice, I’m still blown away by how often people are left hung out to dry with this watch-and-wait approach. Scans every few months, no plan, no roadmap.
Step one is to test where your body is at. Most people are left in the dark about what their true health markers look like after treatment. You cannot improve what you don’t measure. Knowing what’s going on in your system gives you clarity and helps you take control back.
Step two is to enhance your detox pathways. Your liver, kidneys, gut, lungs, and skin all work together to keep your system clear. When one gets congested, it puts stress on the rest. If you skip this step, it’s like trying to rebuild a house that’s still on fire. Clearing chemo drugs, heavy metals, and toxins gives your body the chance to rebuild healthy cells.
Step three is to replenish and nourish. After years of treatment, your cells, your mindset, and your energy are depleted. This is where you rebuild your physical, mental, and spiritual strength. Think of it like planting seeds in fresh soil. When your body is supported and nourished, you’re no longer just surviving, you’re thriving.
Surviving cancer is just the beginning. Thriving means testing, detoxing, and replenishing so you can live fully again. Grab the Ultimate Cancer Screening Guide at www.drlori.ca to start focusing on optimal health instead of waiting for the next scan.
Join the Accelerated Healing Process APPLY HERE
Connect with Dr. Lori, ND.
Instagram: @drloribouchard_nd
TikTok: @livelongerwithdrlori
email: lori@drlori.ca
-This podcast is intended for informational purposes ONLY and does not replace medical care from your physician.
I'm giving you a roadmap for thriving beyond cancer.
You finished treatment. You rang the bell. Everyone around you celebrated. But deep down, you were left with a question no one prepared you for. What comes next?
I am Dr. Lori Bouchard, ND, a licensed Naturopathic Doctor, author, and founder of Inside Health Clinic. For more than a decade, I have been helping cancer survivors move from fear and confusion to clarity and thriving. Through my Metabolic Cancer Reset program and my clinical practice, I have supported patients in understanding their root causes, rebuilding their energy, and creating a lifestyle that reduces their risk of recurrence.
Each week I will share natural cancer care strategies, integrative oncology insights, nutrition and lifestyle guidance, and practical tools you can start using right away. You will also hear real survivor and caregiver stories so you know you are not walking this path alone.
This show is for you if you have ever felt frustrated by the watch-and-wait approach, overwhelmed by conflicting health advice, or left wondering how to take control of your healing. It is also for the caregivers who want to better support their loved ones with clarity, compassion, and confidence.
My goal is simple. To give you hope, a plan, and the steps you need to live longer, stronger, and with more peace of mind.
So hit FOLLOW now to Thrive On with Dr. Lori, ND, so you never miss an episode.
Share this podcast with someone who needs guidance and encouragement after a cancer diagnosis.
And if you would like to connect with me directly, you can find me on:
Instagram @drloribouchard_nd
TikTok at @livelongerwithdrlori
I would love to hear your story.
You have already done the hard part. Now it is time to move beyond survival, reclaim your health, and thrive on.
This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied upon as such. The views expressed are those of the participants and not of their affiliated organizations.
