We all face difficult things in life, but what gets us through the toughest times? That’s what I’ll be asking in my podcast, “What’s Next”.
I’m Nina Lopes and ...
On this week's episode of What's Next, Nina sits down with Jane Clarke.
Jane Clarke is both a dietician and Cordon Bleu chef with more than 30 years of experience treating patients and working alongside doctors to give expert support to those facing illnesses such as cancer, dementia, degenerative illnesses and mental health conditions.
The author of nine best-selling books, Jane also worked with Jamie Oliver on his school meals revolution and has been a personal dietitian and nutritionist for athletes including David Beckham.
Nina and Jane cover a range of topics related to nutrition and health, particularly for those affected by cancer. They explore how to approach food when you have no appetite, including nourishing meal ideas and strategies for eating well on a budget, as so many people are when living with cancer.
They discuss gut health, the impact of cancer on metabolic rate, and debunk common food misinformation, such as whether sugar feeds cancer. The episode also tackles issues like acid reflux, processed foods, fasting science, and managing weight changes during cancer treatment.
Additionally, they touch on body confidence, food shame and the importance of eating for joy and quality of life, as well as simple exercises for when you're feeling unwell.
In this podcast, Nina and Jane discuss:
-How to start the day with food when you have no appetite
-Nourishing foods to try when you have no appetite
-Nutrition and cancer
-What is gut health?
-Understanding how metabolic rate is impacted by cancer
-How to eat well on a budget
-Food misinformation
-Does sugar feed cancer?
-Dealing with acid reflux
-Processed foods - are they really driving ill health?
-The science behind fasting and cancer
-Dealing with weight loss and weight gain due to cancer treatment
-Body confidence and cancer
-Food shame and cancer
-Simple exercises for when you’re feeling unwell
-How to deal with an increase in appetite during treatment
-Eating for joy and quality of life
Follow Nina Lopes at:
instagram.com/frodayss
tiktok.com/@frodayss
patreon.com/NinaLopes
Find out more about Jane Clarke at
https://www.janeclarke.com/
Follow Cancer Platform at
instagram.com/cancerplatform
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1:01:18
Professor Tobias Arkenau: Navigating chemo and building trust with your oncologist
This week, What's Next host Nina Lopes welcomes Professor Tobias Arkenau, a highly-respected Consultant Medical Oncologist.
Tobi specialises in the treatment of a number of cancers including gastrointestinal cancer and skin cancer as well as cancers of the liver, pancreas and bowel. Working at centres of excellence across London, he is known for his contributions to drug development and immunotherapy. Having led a number of clinical trials involving new anti-cancer treatments like immunotherapy and cellular therapy, Tobi has helped people like Nina find treatments which can extend their lives.
As many cancer patients can attest, it is often challenging to feel fully in control of conversations with oncologists. This makes it an especially valuable opportunity for Nina to sit down with Tobi, where she can ask the questions she has not yet found answers to, as well as those sourced from her online cancer community. Such as...
Why am I being offered this treatment over another?
Do I have a say?
How can I be a more empowered patient?
And possibly the most pressing question of all, with one in two of us being diagnosed with cancer, how close are we to finding a cure?
Nina asks it all in this unmissable conversation.
In this podcast, Nina and Tobi discuss:
-The difference between different types of chemotherapy, including preventative chemo, chemo with curative intent and palliative chemo
-The reasons why you may need one chemo over another
-The positives of chemo
-The damage of chemo
-Understanding palliative chemo
-Changing the palliative chemo narrative
-Quality of life on chemo
-How to be an empowered patient
-Building trust between oncologists and patients
-Why patients should ask to be considered for clinical trials
-Understanding your biology through genetic testing and molecular profiling
-What triple negative cancer is
-Hope as a mental strength in treating cancer
-Nutrition and cancer
-Exercise and cancer
-The things that keep Nina going
-Mental health and cancer
-Coping mechanisms as an oncologist
Follow Nina Lopes at
instagram.com/frodayss
tiktok.com/@frodayss
patreon.com/NinaLopes
Follow Cancer Platform at
instagram.com/cancerplatform
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1:06:41
Kathy Burke: life, death and laughter
Disclaimer: This episode of What's Next with Nina Lopes addresses mental health, specifically in relation to menopause and suicidal thoughts.
Nina welcomes director, writer, performer — and one of the UK's funniest women — Kathy Burke to join her on What's Next this week.
It's Kathy's hilarious, sweary podcast, Where There's a Will There’s a Wake, which sees her famous, funny pals planning their own fantasy funeral, that caught Nina's attention. The pair discuss Kathy’s own experiences with death - losing her mother before she was two years old and her own health scares which left her hospitalised, not knowing if she was going to make it.
With her trademark wit, Kathy Burke shows how humour can help us get through the hardest times and, together, they discuss how their difficult upbringings helped turn them into masterful problem-solvers. Kathy also shares how she navigated a tumultuous menopause which saw her take two years off work and plunged her into a terrifying depression. Like Nina, Kathy describes having to cope without hormone treatment due to the medication she was taking and reveals the one thing which saved her.
Finally, the two bond over a celebration of the simple things in life, something they agree is a practise that continues to serve them well and might just be the answer to a truly content life.
In this podcast, Nina and Kathy discuss:
-Humour and light in the face of death
-Appreciation for the simple things in life
-Losing a parent at a young age
-Child Bereavement Charity
-Humour as a coping mechanism
-Unpredictability of ill health
-Problem-solving in stressful situations
-Natural and cancer treatment-induced menopause
-Menopausal depression and suicidal thoughts
-Finding comfort in being alone
-Financial stability when you’re unwell
-Coping tools for times of stress
Follow Nina Lopes at
instagram.com/frodayss
tiktok.com/@frodayss
patreon.com/NinaLopes
Follow Kathy Burke's 'Where There's a Will, There's a Wake' podcast
instagram.com/deathpod_
Listen to Follow Kathy Burke's podcast, 'Where There's a Will, There's a Wake'
open.spotify.com/show/0qi0uAsLpJOzn5KtftMcaf
Follow Cancer Platform at
instagram.com/cancerplatform
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1:02:41
Ricki Fairley: navigating the cancer healthcare system as a Black woman and a toolkit for optimism
In this episode of What's Next, Nina speaks to her most eagerly-anticipated guest yet - Ricki Fairley. Like Nina, Ricki was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer, but that was 12 years ago and she is now living cancer-free.
Based in the US, Ricki has dedicated her time to campaigning on behalf of other Black women facing breast cancer through the charity she co-founded, Touch: Black Breast Cancer Alliance.
In this conversation, the women discuss their shared experience of Triple Negative Breast Cancer, how that differs based on their UK and US locations, plus how crucial clinical trials have been to both of their journeys.
Nina and Ricki's experiences have given them a unique viewpoint on how to live life in the face of adversity. Here they share their coping strategies and toolkits for optimism.
In this podcast, Nina and Ricki discuss:
-Navigating the healthcare system as a Black woman
-Triple Negative Breast Cancer journeys
-Double Mastectomy
-Clinical trials and uptake in the Black community
-Being diagnosed with cancer at a young age
-Bias within the healthcare system
-Cancer treatments including Enhertu and Trodelvy
-Starting a new life after cancer
-Touch BBCA cancer resources that are available to all
-The power of community when you’re living with cancer
-Faith in the face of cancer
Follow Nina Lopes at
instagram.com/frodayss
tiktok.com/@frodayss
patreon.com/NinaLopes
Find out more about Touch: BBCA
touchbbca.org/
instagram.com/touchbbca
Find free resources from Touch at
touchbbca.org/breast-cancer-resources/
youtube.com/channel/UCQwzFWCpWY-CsagdrOAQzcQ
Follow Cancer Platform at
instagram.com/cancerplatform
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1:02:25
Julia Samuel: grief, acceptance and having the hard conversations
In this episode of What's Next, Nina speaks with Julia Samuel MBE, psychotherapist, author of Grief Works: Life, Death and Surviving and the host of the brilliant podcast, Therapy Works.
For the last 30 years, Julia has been helping the bereaved and making sense of their loss as they grieve the person they love.
As someone living with Stage 4 Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Nina opens up about mourning her own life while she is still living, her desire to leave a positive legacy for her daughter and how to talk to friends and family so there are no regrets, unresolved issues or unanswered questions.
Together, they discuss how to have small tender conversations that don't feel overwhelming and how to deal with the sense of urgency that comes with knowing you don't have much time left. In essence, this episode explores Nina's deepest fears about dying and how therapy has helped her find peace with what she is facing.
In this podcast, Nina and Julia discuss:
-How cancer can shift your perspective positively
-How to talk to family members when you are dying
-How to talk about death with someone who is dying
-Mourning your own life
-Co-denial among family and friends about death
-Passing on a positive legacy about death to your children
-Why people cope differently in the face of death
-The power of therapy when living with cancer
-Coping with scanxiety
-How to develop tools to support yourself through difficult times
-How to prioritise your time when your time is limited
-How to juggle living in the paradox of hope and reality
-How to find a therapist that’s right for you
-How friends and family can support a person with cancer
Follow Nina Lopes at
instagram.com/frodayss
tiktok.com/@frodayss
patreon.com/NinaLopes
Follow Julia Samuel MBE at
instagram.com/juliasamuelmbe
Listen to Julia's podcast, Therapy Works, at
open.spotify.com/show/2xX6vhzpn7LtZ8vTeiWDf4
Follow Cancer Platform at
instagram.com/cancerplatform
We all face difficult things in life, but what gets us through the toughest times? That’s what I’ll be asking in my podcast, “What’s Next”.
I’m Nina Lopes and I’ve been living with stage IV cancer for over two years. Since my diagnosis, I made the decision to live in hope and, in many ways, life has gotten bigger, not smaller.
I share the tools I use and talk to experts and others who have found strength through adversity. I hope listeners discover little things that can help whatever they are facing.
Join us on this big journey we call life. Subscribe and spread the love. Nina x
UK