Cancer, take 2

Eat This, Cancer – Part 2

All too often we hear of stories of cancer springing up amongst our friends, families, and loved ones. Cancer does not care what you look like or how much money you have. It does not care about your religion or lack of one. What cancer needs is the perfect environment in which to form.

Cancer requires certain conditions to grow. Tumors cannot expand, let alone survive, if they lack nutrients. To overcome this, cancer stimulates the growth of new blood vessels that feed into tumors, a process called angiogenesis. The word literally translates to “blood vessel beginning.” If this process is halted, cancer cells may be prevented from dividing and tumors may be stopped from growing. Fortunately, there is an entire category of foods called angiogenesis inhibitors that may help to disrupt this process.  Just look it up!!!

Food as Medicine. My, man Hippocrates

In addition to these angiogenesis inhibitors, research continues to uncover nutrients that may support the body in resisting cancer. Food can indeed be used therapeutically, targeting and strengthening the body’s natural defenses. Some approaches, such as those developed by Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez, combined diet, supplements, and detoxification as part of cancer treatment.

While conventional medicine continues to lean heavily on chemotherapy and radiation, there have always been integrative and complementary approaches in the conversation. This is not to suggest self-treatment, but it is both responsible and necessary to educate ourselves on the how and why of disease, and what role nutrition and lifestyle can play in healing. Countless survival stories highlight not only medical interventions, but also the role of nutrition, reduced stress, spiritual practice, and changes in environment.

Nutrients with Cancer-Fighting Potential

Certain compounds in foods are gaining attention for their role in cancer prevention and healing:

• Carotenoids – These are pigments that give fruits and vegetables their vibrant colors. With over 700 naturally occurring carotenoids, many can be obtained through a diet rich in organic produce. Carotenoids are some of the most potent antioxidants, helping to protect cells from damage.

• Sulforaphane – Found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, sulforaphane has been shown to selectively target cancer stem cells. By doing so, it may help prevent cancer from spreading or reoccurring.

• Flavonoids – These natural compounds are found in fruits, vegetables, and many plant-based foods. With several thousand types identified, flavonoids are powerful antioxidants that may help the body repair, restore, and protect itself.

Each of these compounds supports the body’s defense system, helping to maintain wellness and reduce cancer risk.

Cancer and Lifestyle

Cancer is often described as a man-made disease, influenced by the environments we create for ourselves. As modern society leans toward convenience, overconsumption, and chemical exposure, our health suffers. We continually introduce substances and combinations of chemicals into our bodies that our ancestors would never have considered food.

In the wellness field, we encourage individuals to take responsibility for their health. Prevention is powerful. A lifestyle grounded in real food, daily movement, stress reduction, strong community, and abundant plant-based nutritioncan make a difference. Surround yourself with fresh vegetables and fruits, keep stress low, exercise regularly, and live with intention.

Eat This, Cancer

Eat This, Cancer

Bodhi Wellness Blog – Week 3

It seems that cancer is appearing everywhere these days. Almost weekly we hear of a new diagnosis. Cancer has no forgiveness for age, gender, race, lifestyle, or religion. We hear of new types of cancer, new treatments, and new studies. What we do not often hear about is how to try to avoid it. The good news is that there is much you can do to help prevent this disease and much you can do to help your body fight it if you have it.

Cancer is a term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and can invade nearby tissues. Cancer cells can also spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems. There are over one hundred types of cancer.

The major risk factors for cancer are tobacco, alcohol, diet, sexual and reproductive behavior, infectious agents, family history, occupation, environment, and pollution. According to the American Cancer Society, lifestyle related factors account for a significant portion of cancers today. Tobacco and alcohol are leading causes, followed by poor diet, physical inactivity, and obesity. Many skin cancers are due to overexposure to ultraviolet light from the sun. What this tells us is that much of cancer is largely preventable.

Tobacco and alcohol are choices within your control, as is limiting sun exposure. Your occupation can also affect your health, both through direct exposures such as chemicals and through the level of stress or dissatisfaction that you may carry daily.

Family history is important to know, but it is not a guarantee of your future. This is where epigenetics comes in. Epigenetics is the study of gene expression and how it can be turned up or down depending on environment, nutrition, lifestyle, and stress. While you cannot change your heredity, you can absolutely influence the way your genes express themselves. This means you can change how strongly or weakly those genetic tendencies predict your health.

So, about that food. The standard American diet, SAD, is exactly that. Much of what is sold as food in our stores is not nourishing food at all. Labels tell a story if you take the time to read them. Take for example Mountain Dew. Among its ingredients are:

EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid): In laboratory animals EDTA has been shown to be toxic to cells, slightly toxic to genes, and harmful to reproduction and development.
BVO (brominated vegetable oil): BVO has been linked to neurological and reproductive harm and disruption of thyroid function. It has been banned in Europe and Japan. The FDA announced in 2023 that BVO would no longer be allowed in U.S. food due to safety concerns.
Sodium benzoate: A preservative that, under certain conditions, can form benzene, a known carcinogen. It is also associated with hyperactivity and cell malfunction.
Yellow No. 5: A dye associated with allergic reactions, hyperactivity, migraines, thyroid tumors, and potential DNA damage.

This is only one example of how products consumed every day are filled with additives that can be harmful to the body. Reading labels carefully is essential. If you do not know what an ingredient is, or cannot pronounce it, it is worth asking whether it belongs in your body. Whole, natural foods remain the safest choice.

To be continued…

Next month we will look at foods you can and should eat to help prevent cancer, and foods that can encourage healing if you are living with it.

Aging Well: How Food Helps Us Stay Fresh

Aging is one of those things we can’t really opt out of, like taxes or family reunions. But the way we age: how strong, sharp, and vibrant we feel in our later years is absolutely influenced by what we feed ourselves along the way. Food is not just fuel; it’s also chemistry. And the chemistry happening inside your body determines whether your cells hum along like a fine-tuned engine or start sputtering out before their time.

Let’s start with the culprits: free radicals. These are unstable little molecules that zip around your body causing oxidative stress, a fancy way of saying they rust us from the inside out. Imagine cutting an apple and watching it turn brown in minutes. That’s oxidation at work. The same process happens in us, just more slowly (thank goodness). Free radicals are natural by-products of living, but when they get out of hand (thanks to processed foods, pollution, stress, and poor sleep among other things) they speed up the decay process.

Here’s where antioxidants ride in like the heroes they are. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals and prevent them from running amok in our tissues. Think of squeezing lemon juice on that browning apple slice: suddenly, the apple stays fresh and bright. That lemon is packed with vitamin C, an antioxidant that stops oxidation in its tracks. Our bodies work the same way. Antioxidant-rich foods colorful fruits, leafy greens, herbs, teas, even dark chocolate are nature’s way of handing us a preservative system to keep our cells lively.

As we age, oxidation happens faster, just like older fruits and veggies shrivel more quickly than fresh ones. Our cells aren’t immortal, but we can absolutely protect them. The trick isn’t to run out and buy every product labeled “superfood” or swallow supplements by the fistful. It’s much simpler: eat real food, mostly plants, and as much variety as possible. Eating the rainbow isn’t just pretty Instagram content it’s a nutrition strategy. Each color provides unique antioxidants that target different systems in the body, working together to keep you feeling well.

On the flip side, certain foods make the aging process worse. Processed meats, cheeses, and fried foods are high in compounds called Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) and yes, the acronym couldn’t be more ironic. AGEs form when proteins and sugars get cooked at high heat, and while they taste good (bacon, anyone?), they’re toxic troublemakers inside your body. They contribute to inflammation, oxidative stress, and even cancer risk. Think of them as gasoline on the free radical fire.

The good news? Aging well doesn’t require perfection. You don’t need to banish every indulgence, but you do need to stack the deck in your favor. Choose fresh over processed most of the time. Build meals around vegetables, beans, and whole grains. Toss in berries, herbs, and nuts. Limit meats and cheeses, especially the charred or fried kind. Hydrate, sleep, breathe deeply, move your body, and laugh often. While we can’t stop the clock, we can certainly age like fine wine with antioxidants working as our seal, keeping us preserved and delightful for years to come.

The Basics….101

Hello and Welcome to Bodhi Wellness!

First Blog: (YIKES!) What You Didn't Learn in Middle School Health Class
Subtitle: Some Basic Things EveryBody Should Know About Their Bodies

Well hello there, my lovies. First, a big heartfelt thank you for showing up here. Whether you stumbled across Bodhi Wellness by accident or you’ve been friend guilted into reading this, I’m glad you’re here. This blog is our little corner of the internet to talk about all things health and wellness, the real stuff, the useful stuff, the “how-did-I-not-know-this” stuff. We’ll laugh, we’ll learn, and yes, we’ll probably roll our eyes at a few outdated “health tips” we’ve all been fed along the way.

So, let’s start with the basics, the things we didn’t learn in middle school health class. And no, I’m not talking about the awkward puberty slideshow. I’m talking about the life-long, every-single-day choices we make that actually determine how we feel, how we move, how we age.

You Are Literally What You Eat

Hippocrates, the Greek physician who lived over 2,000 years ago, said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” And guess what? He wasn’t just trying to sell kale. What we eat, every single bite, becomes our cells. The salad, yes, your body can turn that into glowing skin and steady energy. That double cheeseburger with fries and a soda, also becomes your cells… just maybe not the ones you’ll want to brag about.

The truth is, if we eat food that’s loaded with artificial junk, our bodies have to work overtime to process it. And when you spend years feeding yourself low-quality fuel, it’s like putting cheap gas in a luxury car. The engine might still run, but it’s not running at its best. 
We will get much deeper into this subject in coming blogs.

Navigating the Food Maze

Here’s the tricky part, today’s grocery stores are a minefield of marketing buzzwords and confusing labels. Organicversus non-organic. Non-GMO. Natural (spoiler: that one’s mostly meaningless). Then there’s the fine print about additives, preservatives, and highly processed ingredients hiding in even “healthy” foods.

GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) aren’t inherently evil.  Science is nuanced, but a lot of the GMO crops in the U.S. are engineered to withstand heavy pesticide use. So, if you’re trying to avoid turning your salad into a chemical experiment, paying attention to your produce source is a good start. And if you can’t always buy organic? No guilt. Just know which foods matter most to get organic. There is always a current list showing which produce to avoid and which is safe; try looking up the ‘Dirty Dozen’ and ‘The Clean 15’.

Antioxidants vs. Free Radicals: The Food Fight in Your Body

Your body is basically running a constant action movie inside you. On one side, you’ve got free radicals, unstable molecules that damage cells and speed up aging. On the other side, you’ve got antioxidants, the superheroes that swoop in and neutralize the bad guys. Where do you get these superheroes? Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and even a little dark chocolate.  When I teach this, I like to draw it like this…

The more colorful your plate, the more antioxidant power you’re bringing to the fight. Think berries, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, bell peppers. If it looks like something you’d find in a box of Crayola’s, and your body probably loves it.

Bottom Line

Taking care of your body doesn’t have to be complicated. Eat real food most of the time. Limit the stuff that’s been processed to death. Pay attention to where your food comes from. And remember, you’re not just “eating for today” — you’re literally building your future body, cell by cell.

So here’s to learning the things we should have been taught way back when… and actually putting them into practice.

Welcome to Bodhi Wellness. Stick around. The best is yet to come.

Welcome to the Bodhi Wellness blog - I'm so glad you're here.

My name is Heather Lyn Schneller, and I’m the founder of Bodhi Wellness, a heart-centered space offering holistic healing, yoga, nutrition coaching, energy work, and therapeutic touch. With nearly 30 years in the health and wellness field, I’ve learned that true healing is never one-size-fits-all. Every body is different, and every path to balance looks a little bit different, too.

This blog is a space to share what I’ve learned—and continue to learn—about wellness that goes beyond the surface. You’ll find tips for mindful living, nourishing recipes, insights into healing practices like yoga, reiki, somatic therapy, craniosacral work, trauma-informed approaches, and more. Whether you're here for tools to support your autoimmune journey, curious about yoga teacher training, or looking for ways to reconnect with your body in a safe, supportive way—there’s something here for you.

My approach is grounded in movement, nourishment, and connection. I believe healing happens when we listen deeply, meet ourselves with compassion, and move at our own pace. Through one-on-one sessions, group offerings, retreats, and workshops, I help people feel more empowered in their own bodies and lives.

I’m so grateful to have you here. This blog is a place for community, curiosity, and continued growth. If you ever have questions or topics you’d like to see covered, please reach out. You’re not alone on your path—and your wellness journey is welcome here.

With care,
Heather