Dr. Dawn Mussallem, a Mayo Clinic integrative breast oncologist, explains how poor sleep raises insulin levels and activates growth factors that promote tumor growth, even in people who exercise and eat well. She survived stage 4 cancer diagnosed in medical school and a heart transplant, and argues that varied, enjoyable food influences gene expression to activate cancer-braking pathways.
Insulin is a bad thing, and it's a very bad thing when it comes to cancer because insulin is linked to growth factors. And when insulin's linked to these growth factors, it can propagate growth, including tumor growth. I see people come in all the time. They're exercising perfect, they're eating perfect, their blood sugars are not as good as we would think. And a lot of times it's coming to their sleep. They're doing everything else perfect, but they're not sleeping. So sleep is very important for that metabolic optimization.
My guest today on the Being Brigid Show, Dr. Dawn Musalem, spent 25 years at Mayo Clinic and founded their integrative breast oncology program. She's Brigid Titgemeier is a double board certified in hematology and oncology and lifestyle medicine, and she has spent her career caring for women as they navigate breast cancer. She has also walked the cancer journey herself.
In medical school, I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. I was given 3 months to live without treatment, 20 months to live with treatment. In 2016, my heart stopped and it wasn't able to be resuscitated even with a defibrillator. I was successfully transplanted in 2001. When it comes to food and when it comes to our gene expression, our ability to turn on genes that help to put the brakes on cancer, That is cool. Food truly is medicine, and it's not about eating 5 certain superfoods. Just get a wide variety. And if you hate one of those things and you just don't like it, don't put yourself through that. Just do the things that you enjoy. Make it simple.
She Used to Crash Every Afternoon — Here's What Fixed It | The Wardrobe Consultant
