Born to Heal: Holistic Healing for Optimal Health

What Actually Happens When Someone You Love Does a Prolonged Water Fast— and How to Best Support Them | EP 150

 Learn about the Healing Power of Prolonged Fasting: HEREWhat if the thing you assumed was deprivation is actually one of the oldest healing practices in medicine?Someone you love is exploring a prolonged water fast, and you want to understand what that really means. Host Dr. Katie Deming  walks you through what a supported fast actually is, the way she would explain it to her own family. She describes what happens inside the body when someone stops eating, and why it looks nothing like what most of us learned in school.You'll hear why she compares a supported fast to a retreat rather than a period of going without, and what the structure looks like day to day. She also explains the part of the process almost nobody talks about, the piece she takes more seriously than the fast itself. If you've been worried, confused, or unsure how to bring this up with the person you love, this conversation gives you language and a clearer picture.Dr. Katie also traces fasting back through Hippocrates, Galen, and the physicians who shaped Western medicine, then explains what changed and why we set it aside. And she names what people are truly reaching for when they choose this path, which is rarely what you'd expect.Stay through the end for the most important thing she has learned in two decades of caring for people with cancer, including a deeply personal story about her own mother.Press play and learn how to walk alongside someone you love as they heal.Which Fast Is Right for You? - Take the FREE QUIZ:https://www.whichfastisrightforyou.com/Join Dr. Katie's 3-Day Guided Fast, for expert support, daily live calls, and a community to fast alongside: Sign-Up Follow Dr. Katie Deming on InstagramWatch on YoutubeDISCLAIMER: The Born to Heal Podcast  is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for seeking professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Individual medical histories are unique; therefore, this episode should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease without consulting your healthcare provider.A thought-provoking podcast explores cancer through the lens of holistic medicine and functional medicine, discussing causes of cancer, metabolic health, and unconventional approaches like water fasting, fasting and autophagy, and detox, while weighing fasting benefits against chemo side effects and radiation side effects, sharing stories of a cancer survivor navigating chemotherapy, natural medicine, holistic healing, and even spiritual healing on the path toward cancer remission and holistic health. 

14-Day Water Fast: Fat DOWN, Muscle UP ft. Dr. Christy Kesslering | EP 149

 Learn about the Healing Power of Prolonged Fasting: HEREWhat if everything you’ve been told about muscle loss and prolonged water fasting isn’t the full story?Dr. Katie Deming welcomes back Dr. Christy Kesslering, a fellow radiation oncologist who left conventional medicine to focus on metabolic health. Christy didn’t just complete a supervised 14-day water fast. She tracked what happened before, during, and after it.She collected DEXA scans, body-composition measurements, toxin testing, insulin levels, cholesterol markers, and inflammation data. She wanted to understand what her own clients experience during an extended fast and see what the numbers could reveal about what was happening beneath the surface.The results challenged one of the biggest fears surrounding prolonged fasting.As a 58-year-old postmenopausal woman, Christy lost body fat while her follow-up DEXA scan showed an increase in lean mass. But the numbers are only part of the story. She also walks you through the difficult middle of the fast, including back pain, aching tissue, skin changes, shifting inflammation markers, and the gradual return to normal during refeeding.Dr. Katie and Christy also explore why rest is an essential part of a supervised fast, what happened to Christy’s triglycerides and cholesterol-related markers, and why changes during fasting need to be interpreted differently from routine lab results.Chapters:00:05:00 - Escaping the Workaholic Hamster Wheel00:05:42 - The Health Data She Tracked00:09:21 - What Happened to Her Muscle Mass00:11:07 - Losing Fat While Gaining Lean Mass00:16:11 - Why Fasting Differs From Calorie Restriction00:23:53 - Disconnecting From Fight or Flight00:28:13 - What Hunger Felt Like After 14 Days00:28:56 - The Detox Symptoms Began00:30:25 - Her Inflammation Markers Rose00:31:24 - Why Triglycerides Changed00:33:30 - What Fasting Can Do to Cholesterol00:36:54 - Temporary Inflammation During Healing00:39:11 - Healing Can Look Messy First00:41:14 - What Her Toxin Testing Revealed00:45:01 - How Insulin Shifted During the Fast00:46:36 - The Possible Autophagy Turning Point00:48:59 - What Happened to Her Liver MarkersThis conversation offers a rare look at prolonged fasting through the experience of two physicians examining both the physical process and the laboratory data.You’ll learn why rest may matter as much as not eating, why temporary lab changes can be misleading without context, and what Christy’s results suggest about the fear of losing muscle during a properly supervised fast.Press play to hear the data that challenged the muscle-loss narrative.Connect with Dr. Christy Kesslering: https://www.kessrx.com/Which Fast Is Right for You? - Take the FREE QUIZ:https://www.whichfastisrightforyou.com/Join Dr. Katie's 3-Day Guided Fast, for expert support, daily live calls, and a community to fast alongside: Sign-Up Follow Dr. Katie Deming on InstagramWatch on YoutubeDISCLAIMER: The Born to Heal Podcast  is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for seeking professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Individual medical histories are unique; therefore, this episode should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease without consulting your healthcare provider.A thought-provoking podcast explores cancer through the lens of holistic medicine and functional medicine, discussing causes of cancer, metabolic health, and unconventional approaches like water fasting, fasting and autophagy, and detox, while weighing fasting benefits against chemo side effects and radiation side effects, sharing stories of a cancer survivor navigating chemotherapy, natural medicine, holistic healing, and even spiritual healing on the path toward cancer remission and holistic health. 

Water Fasting After Cancer Reset Her Body (Early Menopause Reversed) EP 148

Learn about the Healing Power of Prolonged Fasting: HEREWhat happens on the day your cancer treatment ends and instead of feeling free, you feel like you're standing at the edge of a cliff instead?Host Dr. Katie Deming sits down with Tara Elmore, the founder of Complex Creatures, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 37.Tara understands the strange silence that follows the very last treatment, because she lived it. The roadmap disappears, the check-ins slow down, and people see your hair growing back and assume that you're fine. But inside, you're left wondering what you're supposed to do with the 364 days that stretch between one screening and the next.Dr. Katie brings her own perspective as a former radiation oncologist who used to prepare her patients for this exact moment. She saw the anxiety, the loneliness, and the fear that tend to show up right when the world expects you to celebrate. They explore what it means to reclaim your agency, how to gently detox your body after treatment, and why the intuitive knowing inside you is far more powerful than you've been led to believe.Chapters:00:05:42 - The Emotional Cliff After Treatment00:08:49 - Why Ringing the Bell Feels Complicated00:09:52 - Reclaiming Your Role in Healing00:11:13 - Building a Post-Treatment Care Team00:12:31 - Taking the First Step Toward Recovery00:15:09 - The Fast That Changed Her Body00:18:22 - Finding Safer Ways to Fast Postpartum00:20:16 - Turning a Healing Gap Into a Mission00:22:34 - Supporting Skin Through Radiation00:26:20 - Why Breast Care Matters Between Screenings00:30:46 - Reconnecting With Your Body00:32:46 - Reclaiming the 364 Days Between Screenings00:33:14 - Choosing Your Health Non-Negotiables00:34:58 - Understanding the Body’s Terrain00:39:14 - Making Health a Lifelong PracticeYou'll hear how Tara rebuilt her health one small step at a time, why fasting became a surprising turning point in her story, and what breast care has to do with reconnecting to your own body. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by protocols or afraid to stop doing all the things, this episode was made for you.Press play and to learn the simple starting place from Tara that changes everything, and it's easier than you might think. Which Fast Is Right for You? - Take the FREE QUIZ:https://www.whichfastisrightforyou.com/Join Dr. Katie's 3-Day Guided Fast, for expert support, daily live calls, and a community to fast alongside: Sign-Up Follow Dr. Katie Deming on InstagramWatch on YoutubeDISCLAIMER: The Born to Heal Podcast  is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for seeking professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Individual medical histories are unique; therefore, this episode should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease without consulting your healthcare provider.A thought-provoking podcast explores cancer through the lens of holistic medicine and functional medicine, discussing causes of cancer, metabolic health, and unconventional approaches like water fasting, fasting and autophagy, and detox, while weighing fasting benefits against chemo side effects and radiation side effects, sharing stories of a cancer survivor navigating chemotherapy, natural medicine, holistic healing, and even spiritual healing on the path toward cancer remission and holistic health. 

What Water Fasting Does for Cancer That GLP-1s Don’t | Semaglutide, Tirzepatide & Retatrutide | EP 147

Before EP Description: Learn about the Healing Power of Prolonged Fasting: HEREWhat if losing weight on a GLP-1 drug and losing weight through fasting produce the same number on the scale, but nearly opposite effects inside your cells?Host Dr. Katie Deming believes some of the most popular weight loss drugs on the market may be quietly blocking one of your body's most essential repair processes. Not because they're failing to work, but because they work in a way that keeps your body in a state it was never meant to stay in.She takes an honest, no-shame look at GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy and compares what's actually happening inside your body when you lose weight on them versus when you fast. The scale might show the same number. The story underneath is very different. Dr. Katie explains a repair switch your body can only flip when your stomach is genuinely empty, and why keeping it perpetually fed may keep that switch turned off for good. She connects the dots between mitochondrial health, cellular cleanup, visceral fat, muscle preservation, and metabolic flexibility in a way that's clear, honest, and direct.She's not here to shame anyone taking these medications. She gets why people reach for something that works. But she shares what happened when several of her patients who were certain they'd go right back on the drug after fasting decided they didn't want to, and why.Chapters:00:04:23 - The Food System Is Broken00:06:13 - Your Body Needs Empty Space00:08:24 - GLP-1s May Block Repair Mode00:10:41 - Weight Loss Is Not Healing00:12:26 - What Cancer Cells Feed On00:13:30 - Fasting Changes the Terrain00:17:00 - Cleaning Out Damaged Mitochondria00:18:00 - The Most Dangerous Fat00:20:35 - The Hidden Muscle Loss Problem00:22:20 - Clients Who Were on GLP-1s Before Fasting00:26:06 - Who Should Never Water Fast If you've ever wondered whether weight loss and true healing are actually the same thing, or why one of her patients gained lean mass six weeks after a 14-day water fast, this episode will change how you think about what your body actually needs.Press play and learn why the repair process your body is waiting to run may only start when you finally stop feeding it.Which Fast Is Right for You? - Take the FREE QUIZ:https://www.whichfastisrightforyou.com/Join Dr. Katie's 3-Day Guided Fast, for expert support, daily live calls, and a community to fast alongside: Sign-Up Follow Dr. Katie Deming on InstagramWatch on YoutubeDISCLAIMER: The Born to Heal Podcast  is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for seeking professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Individual medical histories are unique; therefore, this episode should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease without consulting your healthcare provider.A thought-provoking podcast explores cancer through the lens of holistic medicine and functional medicine, discussing causes of cancer, metabolic health, and unconventional approaches like water fasting, fasting and autophagy, and detox, while weighing fasting benefits against chemo side effects and radiation side effects, sharing stories of a cancer survivor navigating chemotherapy, natural medicine, holistic healing, and even spiritual healing on the path toward cancer remission and holistic health. 

20 Years in Oncology Never Taught Me THIS | Fasting, Fear, & the Path to True Healing | EP 146

Learn about the Healing Power of Prolonged Fasting: HEREWhat if the moment that shattered the life you carefully built became the moment that showed you what healing really is?This episode is a little different. Instead of sitting in the host seat, I'm the one answering the questions. My dear friend and colleague, Dr. Nasha Winters invited me onto her podcast, Tend the Terrain, for a conversation that went somewhere I didn't expect.It got honest. It got deeply personal. And it went straight to the heart of why I left a 20-year career as a radiation oncologist at the top of my field and what I found on the other side.I'm sharing it here because I think you need to hear it.We get into something I've rarely talked about in this much depth: a shared death experience I had in 2020 that fundamentally changed me. Not just personally, but in how I understand illness, healing, and what the body may be trying to communicate when it gets sick.If you've ever felt like your diagnosis is something happening to you, this conversation may help you see your body differently.Chapters:04:15 - The Crack in the Foundation06:38 - Sitting With Death08:29 - When the Soul Let Go10:08 - Proof She Could Not Ignore13:16 - Leaving Conventional Oncology14:30 - Why Illness Carries a Message16:30 - Healing the Human First18:41 - Why Fasting Became the Path19:02 - The Four Things Healers Do21:19 - Stop Your World to Heal23:14 - What Happens Inside the Fast24:55 - The Deep Healing After Day Seven27:00 - Refeeding Matters Most32:00 - Why Doctors Feel the System Breaking34:01 - Food as the First Foundation36:13 - The Ripple That Could Change Cancer Care36:50 - Holding Peace While Healing OthersWe also go deep into prolonged water fasting, not as a trend, but as a biological and spiritual tool for healing. I walk through what's happening in the body from the first 36 hours through the deeper work that only begins after day seven. I also explain why fasting at this depth is not something to improvise alone, and why proper guidance and refeeding matter so much.There's a reason I've built my current practice around this work, and it's not the reason most people assume.By the end, you'll understand why the four things I've seen again and again in people who heal are not what conventional medicine ever taught me to look for.Press play and learn why your body was never broken to begin with, and what it may have been waiting for you to understand.Tend The Terrain™ Podcast with Dr. Nasha: https://www.youtube.com/@drnashawintersWhich Fast Is Right for You? - Take the FREE QUIZ:https://www.whichfastisrightforyou.com/Join Dr. Katie's 3-Day Guided Fast, for expert support, daily live calls, and a community to fast alongside: Sign-Up Follow Dr. Katie Deming on InstagramWatch on YoutubeDISCLAIMER: The Born to Heal Podcast  is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for seeking professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Individual medical histories are unique; therefore, this episode should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease without consulting your healthcare provider.A thought-provoking podcast explores cancer through the lens of holistic medicine and functional medicine, discussing causes of cancer, metabolic health, and unconventional approaches like water fasting, fasting and autophagy, and detox, while weighing fasting benefits against chemo side effects and radiation side effects, sharing stories of a cancer survivor navigating chemotherapy, natural medicine, holistic healing, and even spiritual healing on the path toward cancer remission and holistic health.