066: Cancer Free with Food with Liana Werner-Gray

Hi, I'm Natalie Jill, fat loss expert turned high performance coach. When odds are stacked against us, how do we shift and create everything from nothing? How do we level up when we aren't feeling it yet or we've had a big setback. On this podcast, I'll be talking to some of the most inspiring and courageous men and women on this planet who at their worst learned how to achieve success greater than they ever dreamed possible. Leveling up and creating everything from nothing. Liana Warner Gray was a self proclaimed junk food junkie, even having gummy bears for breakfast until a pre cancerous tumor woke her up. Her pain has now become her passion and teaching how to eat to avoid cancer has become her calling. Join in today and learn exactly how Liana Warner Gray levels up and created everything from nothing. I'm here today with my friend, Liana Warner Gray. I am so excited to talk with you. Thanks for joining me.

Liana, hi.

Thank you so much for having me, Natalie.

So not only is Liana my friend, so I'm putting her on because she's my friend and I just love her story. But most importantly is I met her because we were sort of in the same space with food at one time. Like when my first book Unprocess yous Diet came out, that's when we actually met. Because she is a published author of three books and all of her recipes, what she teaches falls so in line with mine. So we instantly had that in common. I wanted to meet her, we became great friends quickly and I quickly learned this story about her which I'm dying to share with you all today. And it actually ties into her new book which is called Cancer Free with Food. And I want to share a little bit about her journey. I'm going to dive deep because she. Well actually I'm not going to ruin it for you. I'm just going to dive in. Liana, you're this amazing, successful author. You've got a great following. You endorse, you're partnered with so many of the greatest companies, you've got this powerful presence online, but that's not always who you were. Can you take us back to who you were before all of this and why this focus became so important to you? Health and nutrition.

Yeah, so before all this I basically was at a rock bottom point. So this was 10 years ago now and I ended up in hospital with a goalpole sized lump in my neck which was a 3.7 centimeter tumor. Early stages of cancer. And I had a biopsy done and it was so Painful. And I just remember sitting there in the hospital thinking, like, what have I done to myself? And I knew that I had done it to myself because five years prior to that, all I did was trash my body and eat the worst food. I ate junk food every single meal, like, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I would have gummy bears for breakfast and pizza and burgers. And I was just really, really addicted addiction.

Like, really junk food. Like, you were just. You weren't even trying to eat healthy. You were eating junk.

Right? It was like, junk, junk. And I was so, so addicted. Like, I would have a craving, and it would be so impulsive that I didn't even know how to not fulfill that craving. It was like, oh, okay, I'm craving sugar. I'm craving gummy bears. I have to go reroute my entire day. And I would cancel meetings and I would cancel auditions, and, yeah, just to. To. To go get the sugar fix.

Why?

So.

But at the time, I was saying, you weren't really. You weren't overweight, you were young. How old were you when this was happening?

So I was 21 when I ended up in hospital, but I started binge eating on junk food when I was 16.

Okay, and why did you think you were. Were you overweight? Did you think you were healthy, but you just weren't eating healthy? Like, what was going on through your mind? Because I know a lot of. A lot of young kids or teenagers or early 20s, they don't pay so much attention to nutrition. Was that just, like, did you not know it was so bad or what were you thinking?

I actually did know it was bad because of my upbringing, because I grew up in Outback Australia with the indigenous people.

Okay.

At my school, we had half white people, half aboriginal people. So I. We were taught from age 5, when I can remember, like, the healthiest way for us to eat is to go out to our own backyard and pick out whole foods straight from the earth. So I knew it was wrong. I just couldn't control it. I felt like it was in control of me. And I was so stressed with, like, finishing my last year of school. And I was also obsessed with, you know, being skinny. So I would starve myself, and then I would get this really intense craving for sugar to help balance it out. So I just ended up in a vicious cycle. And I knew it was bad, and that's why. That was what made it worse, because every time I ate it, I felt guilty because I knew, like, this is not good for me. And I did gain weight. I was I'm naturally thin. Like, that runs in my family. But I was two sizes heavier than I am now. But see, cancer runs in my family, so that's what I ended up with. I was predisposed to it.

So. Okay, so talk to me about the tumor. So you're eating unhealthy. You know it's wrong. It's almost like the secret. Like, you're not like, you know it's bad, but you're. You can't. You can't fight it. And I know there's some people listening that can relate to that. Like, you just like an addiction that you just can't stop. So what. So how do you discover this tumor? And what. What brought you to the doctor? And then what's going through your mind when you're hearing this from them?

So I was just out one one day, and something just popped in my neck. And I thought it was a swollen gland because, like, you know, nobody tells you, like, you can just. A tumor can pop in your body at any time. And now after I googled it and it's actually quite clear common, some tumors grow and develop over years, but some of them, if the body is so stressed out, will just pop and explode. Okay, so it literally just popped in my neck and I felt it. I was like, oh, that, that hurt. That was really weird. I was like, now I have a big swollen gland, so I need. I'm really run down. I need to go and rest. So I left it for two weeks, and I didn't really, you know, think anything serious of it, but it kept getting bigger and bigger and harder and harder. And so I went to see a naturopath and she told me, this is really serious. You need to go to hospital. So I went to hospital, and that's when I did the biopsy.

What was going through your mind when you hear this? When you hear this is really serious? I mean, you're 21. Like, what, what was. Did you think automatically, I'm going to die? Like, what was. What was going on in your head?

Well, first I thought, okay, this is serious. I was. And I was like, I wonder how serious. And I was like, I wonder if this is the wake up call that I needed to break me out of this vicious, you know, very bad eating cycle. And I know that's bad to think that, like, you know, what is this enough of a wake up call to, like, force me to change my habits?

You had, like, the insight to know it's a wake up call, but then you're like, but is it enough. That's great. That's how strong your addiction was. That's crazy.

The addiction was so strong. Addiction also runs in my family with alcohol and drugs. But see, I turned to food instead. But food is just as a, a strong, crazy addiction as drugs and alcohol. You know, a whole world can revolve around food, and food could damage us just as much as drugs and alcohol can damage the body, the brain, you know, everything. So what's funny, because I'm hearing you.

And it's like, you, you're the addiction so strong that even logic is not stopping you. You're like, okay, is this enough of a, of a wake up call? Like, it's cancer, for God's sake. Like, yes, it's a wake up call, but you're, you're. That addiction was so strong, you wanted to defend it and protect it.

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. The addiction was so, so strong. I never thought I would break out of it. I thought that I was going to be stuck in that addiction forever. And that was the most, like, depressing thought to have. Like, you know, from 16 to 21, I was like, well, I've tried. I tried to give up sugar. You know, every weekend I would be like, okay, Monday, I'm going to start fresh. I'll never eat junk food again. And then I would fail. And so I just thought, you know, this is going to be my life. I'm just going to have to accept it. This sucks. But, okay, this is my life. So that was very depressing just to think that. And you know, obviously now since being free of it and have healed and transformed, now I live in this blissful state of health every day. So I'm telling people, I don't care how addicted you are, you could definitely break free from it. And, you know, that's what's possible.

Okay, so talk. Take us through the process. So how did you break three? And what, how did you. What was what? Talk to us about the medical stuff that you were hearing and then what, how. Where the transition happened and how you started to break three.

Yeah. So after I got the biopsy back, I had, I got three different diagnosis from doctors because I wanted to get different opinions. And basically my options were surgery or I could just wait and see what happens. And then if it got worse, then do you know, chemo, radiation, surgery as well. So. But because of my upbringing, I didn't want to do surgery. I didn't want to just cut out the tumor and because I knew that there was a deeper root cause going on and I Knew that I needed to use this opportunity to actually heal. So I opted out of conventional methods. I left the hospital. I went to my naturopath, who at the time was working with a medical doctor, but he was actually helping people heal cancer with vitamin C, IVs and in more natural ways. So I went to them and basically created a treatment plan that it consisted of me doing a colonic and a coffee enema every single day. So I did. Did that for two months because my gut was not working. You know, I did five years of binge eating on junk food, and then I would take a lot of laxatives to help push that food out. So my, my digestive system was terrible, and it was just ruining.

You were really a big recipe for not. Not what you would do now. Eat junk food, take laxative.

No, definitely. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, that's. That's crazy.

Okay, so I did coffee, anime. I. Yeah, I'm still not. I'm not. I'm not sure I'm clear on. Or enrolled in a coffee. I don't know if that's. I don't want to put anything up that direction, but I've heard. I've heard people.

Yeah. I mean, and that's. That's fair enough. Like, yeah, yeah. Like, my, My sister went to do it and she was traumatized. She's like, this was the worst experience. Yeah, I think that was like. She's like, this is not for me.

I already know it's not.

Yeah, yeah.

I don't even need to try it.

I mean, right? So. And that's like, what I encourage people in my book is like, with your treatment plan, learn about all your options. And whichever ones, like, inspire you, excite you. You know, while working with your medical doctor, do those ones. Because for me, when I looked at all my options, colonics and coffee enemas, like, they, they appealed to me. And so did, like, bentonite clay, so did juicing, and so did making, like, a lot of homemade dessert recipes.

I just have a. I have a question, because I'm sure there were some doctors telling you, do con. Do conventional. Do conventional. And scaring you about why, if you don't do conventional, it's a mistake. So take us through that conversation because were you scared? I mean, were you. Were you second guessing what was. What was happening there?

You know, I was lucky at the time because I wasn't second guessing. I was confident because it was a very early stages of cancer. It wasn't like, oh, you know, you could die in a couple of weeks. So I didn't have that pressure. I also was, you know, from age five, I was, it was instilled in me from the aboriginal people what's possible with healing. And their belief is you can heal anything and you can heal everything. And you can heal it by using spirit and by using food as medicine and, you know, different rituals within their community, like helping each other. So. So I knew, like, okay, well that's what's possible. So that was just like my education. So I was like, well, this is possible for me to heal this. And I said, I think if I get myself better and get myself healthy and actually put nutrition into my, I think the tumor will dissolve and heal itself. So I was really confident. Confident with that. Yeah.

Do you feel? I do. Tell me about the mind body connection. Because I feel and I don't know, I'm just curious if you do that, like whatever you sort of believe is going to be possible would be possible. Talk to me about like, do you think, like. I think some people, like, if, for instance, if they go with the nutrition route, like I'm going to eat to reduce this tumor, but I don't believe it's going to work then it's almost like it doesn't. But if you believe it's going to. Do you feel that way about the mind body connection?

I do, yeah. I think the mind is so powerful and I think that's why chemo and surgery and radiation do work for people. Because if they go into it thinking this chemo is going to help me, it's going to help me be cancer free, then it most likely is. So I think that connection is very powerful. Like when I'm consulting with cancer patients now, I say, well, what do you believe? Do you believe that you chemo will be good for you or do you believe it will do more damage? And so that's usually a good gauge to see what people should do.

Got it. Okay. So you go on this journey, you're doing the coffee enema, you're changing your mindset. How long did it take for you to one, get off the addiction and two, like to stop and like, do you still crave things? And then also how long did it take for the tumor to reduce?

Yeah.

So, well, the tumor went away in three months.

Okay.

Completely gone in three months. So basically after I left the hospital, I was, I felt so bad. It's like so down. Like, damn now, now I'm even, you know, worse health. So all I wanted to do was go eat junk food because that was my advice. Every time I felt bad.

Yeah, yeah.

Sad or. Yeah, it was like, go get a sugar high. So I was, like, in hospital, about to leave hospital. Like, all I want to do is go and get McDonald's and KFC and some cookies. And I was like, this is terr. This is going to just make it worse. So that's when I surrendered, like, for the very first time, like, in a big way. And I just fully, like, surrendered everything. My heart, my mind, my soul. And I was like, okay, universe, like, God, you're gonna have to show me something bigger than myself to help pull me out of this addiction, because I don't know how to. And nothing I've tried worked, so what can I do? And I literally, a few days later, got the answer that I was. That I was, like, asking for. And I love that concept. You know, ask, seek, and we will find and ask and we receive. And I really believe that's true now because a few days after that, I got this idea of, like, okay, go back to nature. Go back to your roots, and here's the concept. Eat only foods that come straight from the Earth for 365 days. And then I was like, okay, I'm gonna call it. I'm gonna call it the Earth Diet. I'm gonna start a blog, because I'll start writing about it every day of what I'm gonna eat. And then I knew that readers would help hold me accountable, because that's a big part of addiction, right? Is having a secret. Like, nobody knew that I was binge eating on junk food for five years. Not my mom, not my sisters, none of my friends. Like, I hid it from everyone. And that's what makes it worse. And that's what keeps the addiction alive. So I was like, I just came out of the closet, like, online. I was like, I've been binge eating for five years, and now I'm, you know, at a point where I kind of can't get away with that anymore. So what I'm going to do is every time I have a craving, I'm going to think, how can I fulfill that craving for chocolate or cookies or chicken nuggets in the most natural way possible? So I got into the kitchen and I started making recipes. Because this was in Australia 10 years ago. We didn't have a Whole Foods. My closest health food store was, like, 40 minutes away. And it was. We only had one health food store, so I couldn't just go and buy Justin's peanut butter cups and, you know, all those, like, really yummy Organic alternatives. So I just made a bunch of recipes, and the addiction went away that day that I started making the recipe, and it was the best day of my life.

So your recipes, by the way, anyone that is listening, if anyone listens, that follows my nutrition and fat loss plans. All of her recipes work in mine. And what I want you to do, Liana, because I'm not a great creator of desserts, that's not my thing. But your recipes I've introduced to my audience so many times. Like those almond butter cups I'm, like, so still obsessed with. In fact, we did my VIP this weekend. This weekend, and we made them as a snack. So they're. They're so on point. I mean, I just. Creative knack and talent for. For doing that. And I think it's so funny because you look at why do things happen to us? And maybe your junk food addiction was literally so you could recreate healthy foods that way, because your healthy foods taste like junk food. Like, that's how you're so good at that.

Right? Right. I definitely specialize in desserts. Yeah.

Yeah. That's like her thing. Yes. Yeah.

Yeah. I love that we can turn something that, you know was a bad or a negative into something positive. And now it's been my career for the last 10 years, so, you know, talk about turning nothing into something. And I just flowed with it, and I felt very passionate about it, and I'm still passionate about helping people with that to this day. And my father's a chef as well, so it makes sense that I just get the kitchen and just, you know, had a knack for making recipes.

So.

Are you scared? Tell me your thoughts, though. Okay, so somebody's listening. Let's say somebody's listening in there. They have stage three, stage four cancer. What would you tell them? Would you, like, how much do you believe in this? How much? Like what? Because that's just. That's a scary topic for people. That's a really scary decision for people. Like, what would you tell somebody that is sitting here listening, diagnosed with stage four, they have someone loved that they love. That is. What would you tell them to do that are faced with those same choices right now?

Yeah. So, you know, that that is scary. And I don't want to tell anyone to not. I don't want to be responsible for anyone making a choice to go all natural and then that not working for them. So, you know, definitely work with a medical professional and. But I would. I always tell people, learn about all your options first. And that's why in my book, I wanted to share all the options first, because there are hundreds of different ways to heal cancer and treat cancer. And, you know, in America, we only really know about chemo, radiation, surgery. But in Europe, the common practice, more so than chemo, is therapy.

So they're injecting people with mistletoe. Like the mistletoe that we kiss under at Christmas.

Mistletoe. I've never heard of that.

Having, like, really high success rates in healing people's cancer.

So. And that's considered malpractice in Europe. If you have cancer and you don't give your patient.

I've never even heard of that.

There are so many options.

And also, if you are going through chemo and radiation and stuff that, you.

Know, you still have to address the nutritional part. And if you go to some hospitals.

And doctors and they say, yeah, it's fine, you pizza while you're going through.

Chemo and you can eat whatever, like, don't have to change your diet, like, that is so, so wrong.

And it doesn't take rocket science to know that that is wrong. Like, you definitely to address the nutrient part. So, you know, incorporating things like broccoli sprouts, turmeric, blueberries, tiger nuts while going through treatment can also be helpful. So you can do conventional practices like chemo, radiation, along with doing the nutritional part as well.

And that's why in the book, I.

Have listed the top 15 foods on Earth that have been proven to help kill cancer cells and reduce tumors.

So from what I'm hearing from you, too, I guess it would be safe to say that eating earth foods, eating unprocessed, natural foods, eating that way, it's not going to make it worse. So it's like, why not try to add that in? Is that accurate? Right.

Exactly. Yeah.

Yeah. So whether you're choosing conventional treatment or.

Not, foods are only going to help boost your immune system.

Mm, that's. It's awesome. Tell me about the mindset that it takes or took. Because you said your family has cancer.

It's.

It's pretty genetically heavy. How do you look at that now? Like, do you. What's your belief around that with yourself? Like, do you believe you caused that tumor and that it's not gonna happen again? What's. What do you. Do you live in fear about getting it again? Like, what. What goes on with there? With that?

Yeah, I mean, I believe that I was predisposed to it because it does.

Run in my family.

Same as if obesity runs in the family or diabetes. So we're predisposed to it. Like we have the DNA.

And I, you know, I basically though I create, I know I created it.

Because I did certain action that created that. Whereas now I don't live fear that.

I'll ever have cancer ever again.

Unless I go back to my old ways.

Okay.

Or unless I, you know, unless I start eating that way again or creating.

A very stressful toxic environment in my body with just being very stressed out.

All the time, then I know that that's something that, that I like. That's basically a symptom to what I.

Would, you know, I would create that.

Yeah, yeah. What would you tell somebody that's newly diagnosed with something like this? What, what would you want them to know?

I would say definitely read about the top 15 foods in my book that have been proven to kill cancer cells and start incorporating those right away because those foods have been proven to like literally go into the cells and where there's cancerous and kill them, cancel them out, help dissolve them, help dissolve tumors. And they've been proven like, very effective with studies with humans and also mice and rats. And the broccoli sprouts is number one because of their very high sulforaphane. So they've injected mice and human tumors with sulforaphane in every single tumor was reduced. Every single one. It was just fascinating. So there's a lot of foods out there that can really help and just help you to feel better too and boost your immune system. So definitely check out like all the recipes and the food if you've just gotten diagnosed with cancer, and then learn about all your treatment options before you choose which treatment you can go with. Because you can eat a healthy diet with whatever treatment plan you're going with.

Got it. Awesome. Okay, Liana, tell us about your book. Where can people get it? Is it only for people that have cancer? Who's it for?

Well, the book is for people that do have cancer or if they're caretaking for a family member or friend who has cancer. But also it's a great read for people who want to prevent cancer because it also does go into the foods that are causing cancer that have been proved to be carcinogenic. So that's just good to have that awareness, especially if you have cancer in your family. So if you read this book and kind of get that mindset into your brain, then, you know, and incorporate those foods and then cut out the cancer causing foods, you'll obviously have a less risk of ever getting cancer. So you can get it from Barnes and Noble. You can get it from Amazon. You can get it from online or any bookstore also will have it as well.

So awesome. Okay, Liana, final question that I ask every guest on this show. If you're. If somebody's listening right now and they're in their own personal rock bottom, maybe it's a cancer diagnosis, maybe it's not. Maybe it's just whatever their own personal rock bottom is. If you were to give them three pieces of advice to start leveling up their life and creating everything from nothing, what would you tell them so they can shift out of their rock bottom spot?

Yeah, well, one, I would say it's definitely possible it happened to me and to, you know, also to you, Natalie, and so many other people. So just know that, yes, it is possible. I don't have to suffer like this for. For my whole life. And then to start taking steps that you know that you have to do, even if it seems really hard and really painful, like you need to do a green juice every single day, just force it. Just, like, do it. You know, if you know you need to exercise every day because that's obviously going to benefit, then just do it. Even if you don't feel like exercising, just, like force the action. Just get it done. And then the third one would be just know that we all, like, I believe that God gives all of us different gifts and that we have to share those gifts with the world to fulfill our soul and our mission and our passion and our purpose. So whatever your gift is, like, you know that whether it's cooking, whether it's food, maybe it's fitness, maybe it's coaching, maybe it's writing, you know, maybe it's film stuff. Like, whatever it is, that's your gift. And not everyone has the same gift. So you definitely want to start, like, you know, utilizing that gift and thinking, okay, how can I put this out into the world?

How can I share it and then.

Turn it into your purpose and your career?

So awesome. I highly recommend all of her books, especially this one, and know that all of her recipes I do approve with my programs and plans if you're doing those. And thank you, Liana. So awesome. Where can people find you on social media, on website, where are you most active? Talk about your show, all of that.

Yes, I'm most active on Instagram. Probably just Google. Liana Werner Gray. And then all my Instagram handles will come up and Facebook and my website. Yeah. So you can just find me online like that.

Thank you so much, Liana.

Thank you so much for having me, Natalie.

Thanks for leveling up with us today. Please share this episode if you found it helpful so others can join in. And don't forget to hit that subscribe so you don't miss out on future shows. And if you would leave me a five star review. I appreciate those so much. I read all of them and it's how I know that I'm giving you information that you find valuable. And come interact with me over on Instagram @nataliejofit. I read all all the direct messages and comments over there. Make it a great day. Creating everything from nothing.