Bustin' Out of Breast Cancer
The podcast where we straight talk about surviving and thriving breast cancer through support, healthy living, fitness and the power of community & connecting.
After my own breast cancer experience I found my purpose at the intersection of passion & pain. I realized my career in real estate & fitness was more than just selling homes, working out, and healthy lifestlyes. Here we educate, empower, and inspire others to take back control of their life after a diagnosis to become the best version of themselves. Taking you from not just Surviving, but Thriving in life. Sometimes our biggest set backs are our best comebacks.
Bustin' Out of Breast Cancer
Exploring the World of Hormones and Breast Cancer with Dr. Jeffrey Brown
Have you ever pondered over the mysterious world of hormones and their correlation with breast cancer? Prepare to be enlightened as we journey with Dr. Jeffrey Brown in this episode, exploring hormone balance, testing methods, and the often underappreciated Dutch Test that can help identify any imbalances. We underscore the cruciality of understanding your hormone levels, which is unfortunately often sidelined in conventional medicine.
Unravel the complex interplay between iodine, bromine, gut and breast health, and the implications of iodine deficiency. We delve into the importance of a holistic view of your health, going beyond just a TSH test. Additionally, Dr. Brown brings out the significance of exercise, sweating, and oxygen for women's health, while also shedding light on the controversy surrounding hot flash treatments. Discover the critical need to avoid chemicals in products and prioritize health with time blocking and scheduling. With Dr. Brown's insight, you might just rethink your health approach.
Hey there and welcome to Bustin Out of Breast Cancer, the podcast that educates, empowers and inspires those impacted by breast cancer. I'm your host, shannon Burroughs, a realtor who found her purpose at the intersection of passion and pain while navigating her own breast cancer journey and loves giving back to the community. Having worked with many breast cancer survivors and families, I understand the challenges they face and the importance of raising awareness about this disease and bridging the gap between the medical and fitness industries. Join us as we share stories of survivors, caregivers and healthcare professionals who are making a difference in the fight against breast cancer. Our goal is to raise awareness, provide resources and create a community of support for those affected by this disease. I have a mission of changing the world one smile at a time. So, whatever you're whether you're a breast cancer survivor, a loved one, a friend or just interested in learning more this podcast is for you. Let's bust out a breast cancer together and make a difference in the lives of those affected by this disease.
Speaker 1:I am super, super, super excited to have our guests on today. This is Dr Jeffrey Brown, and we go back to our kids actually being in gymnastics together. He is local here in the Palm Beach County area. So, those of you that are in the area, you will be able to see him for any visits, if need be. Otherwise, you'll be able to reach him on his YouTube channel and I'll put all of his contact information into the show notes. But meanwhile we're going to discuss something super, super important, which is our hormones and breast cancer and how we can test those right. So welcome, jeff. Thank you so much for being here.
Speaker 2:Oh, thank you for having me, shannon, it's good to see you.
Speaker 1:You too. So let's talk about I know I've talked about on my podcast before in several episodes I've talked about when I know I was getting diagnosed. Actually my body was totally off. I knew something was wrong. I knew I was going into paramedopause, so I knew my hormones were totally out of whack.
Speaker 1:And I said to my doctor, who was like an emergency doctor I was like I just want you to test my hormones. And he was like, well, we need to do a woman's wellness exam. And I'm like, yeah, but you're not going to do that. You're going to have some female in your office do it because you're weird and creepy, and so that's fine. My OB had just passed away from brain cancers, unfortunately the month before. So I was like let's get to testing the hormones. And we didn't even actually get to the part of testing the hormones because through the woman's wellness exam is where they found my breast cancer. So honestly, I still haven't even gotten that result. I need to get back to that. But let's talk about why it's so important to test the hormones, how one would go about that and how much you can really dive deep and educate our listeners here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's a lot there. There's a lot to unpack, so I will, there you go, all right. So if you need to interrupt me, please interrupt me, because this is something that is so key because it's just not done well or it's not done appropriately. You know, I've always said that women's health you guys kind of get the shorting to stick your options. Typically if you see your OBGYN or your primary care doc, if you're having issues, it's just go on birth control and a depressants or surgery and then you kind of left like that's it. There's no other options for you guys than doing that route.
Speaker 2:So I've heard patients before that say hey, I asked my doctor to run my hormone panel and I always say to them what are you looking for? Do you know what you're looking for? Because everybody's hormones are going to be in a so-called normal range for 99% of the cases. So really the question is are my hormones in balance? And in the conventional medicine spectrum they're not trained to balance hormones. That's why their only option really is to put you on birth control. So even though your hormones may be in balance, your labs are going to come back within the so-called normal range and that's really not going to help. So you really need to work with someone who knows what they're doing and looking for.
Speaker 2:When you're looking at your hormones and so that's why I say that and it's a very common thing, like especially when they hit 40, 45, they know they're not feeling as well. It says it's got to be my hormones, so let me get my hormones checked, but they don't really know what they're looking for. What does that mean when you're looking at your hormones? Because there's three different estrogens estrone, estradiol, estriol. You have progesterone, you have testosterone, and all those levels need to be in the appropriate balance and optimal levels. And if you don't know that, you're going to leave their feeling like, ok, they told me my hormones are fine, but I know I don't feel well, so now what are my options? So be careful when you're asking for that question and go to write people who know how to really balance your hormones. And that just being the so-called reference range because a reference range is so wide, it doesn't mean that that's you, that as far as where your ranges are going to be.
Speaker 2:So, that's so crucial.
Speaker 1:And getting to the root of why that hormone is out of balance, whether whatever that pathway is for that. So I did have you heard of the Dutch test? I'm sure you have.
Speaker 2:Yes, I was going to go into that.
Speaker 1:OK, so I did that and I'm a hot mess. I have like 0.7 estrogen, 0.4 progesterone and I have a plethora of cortisol sprinkled with a little bit of testosterone. That's special right.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes.
Speaker 1:So my friend, dr Tatiana Habanova, who has been on here before, she actually gave me the Dutch test, but she was explaining to me that you really need to get down into the pathways of why that particular hormone is out of whack. So let's go into that, can we? No, no, don't go.
Speaker 2:Oh yes, so the dust chest is really important for looking at how your hormones are being metabolized, you know. So when you're looking at that test, you're looking at it for a number of reasons. So one, you kind of get a sense of okay, my hormones are low, are they, you know, so-called medium, or are they really, you know, optimal? So that's one way of looking, you know, at your hormones. But the other way that I look at it is, most importantly really is, you know, looking at breast cancer prevention, and then you can do this test too as far as looking at how are your hormones being metabolized. And so if you understand that you know initially, that tells you, okay, it's my risk for estrogen-related cancers, you know, at a higher rate. So your estrogen is metabolized down three different pathways. You know your two hydroxy, your four hydroxy and 16 hydroxy. So, depending upon your age and your numbers, there's an expected value and then we have, you know, the patient's value, whatever your value is. And so this is a very important test that most people are not getting done because, again, it's not done in the conventional manner. It's usually people who are experienced with hormones, those of us in the functional medicine space. And so you metabolize. You can't run through blood, so you know it has to be done through the urine test, so you're not going to be able to get it done. You know, typically at a quest or lab core has to be done with companies who know how to chest your metabolites. So if you can look at your ratios and looking at which way your hormones are being metabolized, you can safely say that, okay, I'm going down the right pathway here, and then even a step further, looking at how your body is methylating, which is another way of saying, okay, what is the metabolism, what is the mechanisms for how my body can detoxify? You know my hormones and estrogen, you know. So it's a very important test when you're looking at those numbers. So not just about what your levels are, but how are you metabolizing your estrogen.
Speaker 2:So if it's not going on the right way, there's a number of things that can cause that you know. One is you know, of course, everybody deal with stress, you know. So how are you dealing with your stress? So I spent most of my time with patients talking about what are we doing with stress and how can we manage stress better. What are we doing on a regular basis to what I call go into a more of a parasympathetic state. You're right, that's praying and meditating and journaling and gratitudes and laughter and all those things, and make it a priority for people to do, because most people don't do that, they don't make a point of it. I make sure that it's on your calendars, it's part of your to-do list for the day, so whatever else is in there, those things have to be there as well, because managing your stress and managing cortisol is key to health.
Speaker 2:So you know people who drink too much caffeine you know that can influence. You know your pathways. You know too much processed food can influence. You know those pathways. Having too much, you know fat, obesity that can influence that, which is why it's important to really exercise. And you know, look at our diet and sugar intake, et cetera.
Speaker 2:Gut health that's one of the areas that I focus on a lot with women, because I see that a lot of times, if you're not metabolizing hormones correctly, oftentimes you don't have good gastrointestinal health, you know. So one of my first questions is you know how often are you going to the bathroom? And it's amazing how many people don't have regular bowel movements. Well, that influences how your body is getting rid of estrogen right, because you have to excrete your estrogen. So if you're not pooping on a regular basis, that means that's being recirculated and that can lead to estrogen dominance and you got more toxins and things in our system. And so I always make sure you have to poop.
Speaker 2:We have to detoxify. If we're not detoxifying, you're increasing your risk and what I like to do is all about prevention, you know. So we can do things to be proactive. You know, with our health, to me that's more important than all. Right now we have to treat something because we weren't proactive in the first place. But the Dutch test is really crucial and there's a couple of tests out there, but the Dutch test probably does the best job as far as marketing goes. So we know that test very well. I think most people are familiar with that and if you're not familiar with it, I really advise you to do that by a practitioner who does it, because it really could be a, you know, crucial point in understanding where you are in your health right now, so you can make the steps to improve your health.
Speaker 1:And, like you said, they can't go to just a traditional doctor to get this Dutch test because they're going to be like I don't know, just we'll just give you a pill, we'll fix it with the pill, we'll do this. So they just would reach out to somebody like you and I'm not sure I think I may have passed that at the beginning of this, when I was interviewing you, I think I totally forgot to say what you specialize in. I just was talking about that you live in locally. So Jeff specializes in osteopathic, manipulative therapy, homeopathic and regenerative medicine, as well as functional medicine. In case you didn't pick that up in these first few minutes, so, yes, super important.
Speaker 1:He covers everything, all the bases, but obviously you know, based on the topic of this podcast, we wanted to really dive deep into this. So I'm glad you are ready and willing and able to get into the Dutch test and talk about all the pathways that go along with that it's. You mentioned to me how you were talking about how doctors typically just want to put you on birth control, and it's so frustrating to me because I look at that as like well, I feel like you're just adding fuel to the fire at that point. Right, it's like so kind of productive. I'm like I can look back and be like I feel like my breast cancer was from going through IVF treatment and then, had I known I was going to have issues getting pregnant, why would I have been on birth control for so long? As a teenager, you know, I have a 15, almost 16 year old and she's like mom, do I need to be on birth control soon? I was like no, no, no, no you do not slow your roll.
Speaker 2:Yes, so it's so scary.
Speaker 1:I'm like you're just going to give a birth control to a child who doesn't know any different, for the purpose of, obviously, if you're sexually active, but without thinking about the ramifications of like you're putting these hormones into your body.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean it's sad. You know I always said and I believe this being in the medical profession as long as I have been you know the information that you're receiving is not necessarily for the health of our patient base is that money fuels a lot of this, and so when they have studies out there, you don't know who's funding these studies. If you speak with most practitioners, they'll tell you birth control is completely safe. There's no issues with that, even though there's quite a few studies. You really start diving into it that will say you know otherwise. You know, and often again, you know, like I said, you know women get the PMS. So you know severe cramps and pain and or migraines and headaches and you know it can just wipe you out Like you can't go to work, you can't go to school, you're in tears. You know, and their option is okay, we'll take this birth control. You know, without really looking at okay, well, why are we having this issue in the first place? You know what's going on with, why aren't we doing this, and so that's why I said you know gut health is very important.
Speaker 2:Iodine is very important. You know iodine getting from. You know seafood and sushi and seaweed. You know iodine plays a role in breast health, you know, and with your periods, you know. And unfortunately you know if you do the research, you know a lot of people are actually not optimal to the fish and iodine. You know a lot of people are scared of salting their food, so you don't, you know, salt your food, so that's where they get a good source of iodine. Some people hate fish. They're not eating enough green vegetables, so bromine is very common in our breads and pastas and you know a lot of people in America love their breads and pasta and bromine competes with iodine, so you got another, you know source of competition, so you're not getting your iodine, you know there. So those are things that can lead to iodine deficiency, which can lead to some of our health issues because we're not getting the appropriate.
Speaker 2:You know iodine levels, so iodine number one is thyroid health. We think about iodine and thyroid, but number two is breast health, where they have concentrations of high concentrations of iodine, you know, in the breast tissue, you know in our thyroid, and they will compete with each other as far as getting enough iodine so they can do what they need to do. So if there's not enough to go around, well, then you can suffer from both. You know low thyroid. And how many women you know they have great energy and most women that I meet they're tired. Well, that could be thyroid.
Speaker 2:And then again you want to have your thyroid level checked and you go to conventional world. Most of them are only running a TSH. They don't even do a full thyroid panel Right To see. Okay, truly, is my thyroid working? You know appropriately. You know.
Speaker 2:So again, you know, going to someone who really takes a holistic view of you as a individual is so important. So they were not missing anything. You don't want to mask you with. You know why are you tired? Well, you probably just stress, right, I've heard that before. I was like, yeah, I've got a different doctor. They say, okay, it's all in my head, maybe I'm depressed because of the symptom of depression. Well, you're probably depressed. And so here, try to stay on the present and, you know, go on your way. So it gets very frustrating with, I can imagine, as a consumer, because you get mixed messages. You know they're telling you it's safe and they're telling you that, no, it's not safe. And then so where do you go as a consumer? Who do you believe? You know at the end of the day, like who do you believe you left, like okay, what do I do?
Speaker 1:Right, and that's especially true when you know you're diagnosed with any cancer. I don't care if it's breast cancer or whatever cancer, like anything you're diagnosed with, you're like okay, well, I know, your body's not meant to just break down like that. Your body's breaking down for some reason. Well, what is that reason? And unfortunately, doctors go to school to say, okay, here's the problem, oh, let's go to this book, here's a solution. It's like. It's like gamified right.
Speaker 1:Like oh, we made a match. We made a match. You know like that works. You know, I look at all these people that are like on all these different medications. I'm like, for some reason I feel like that has to be like counterproductive, like are you really sure you should be taking all of those?
Speaker 2:Yes, I know, I see. Yes, you're just taking this pill because this pill gave you a side effect and you really didn't go through the root of the cause. For why am I taking this?
Speaker 1:you know, in the first place we really investigate, like you know, why that is I literally went to go visit my friend this weekend who just went through a bone marrow transplant, and the amount of medications on the table. She's like, yeah, I have to take like 33 pills in the morning, like 16 at lunch, and I was like what? I'm like how can that be good for you? She's like, well, this one protects the liver and this, I mean, it's a bone marrow transplant. I get that. That's a really, really big deal.
Speaker 2:But like.
Speaker 1:I mean, I'm like holy cow, like how did how does the body even like know to like metabolite, like what's going where? You know what I mean. Like if you take black charcoal. If you're taking black charcoal to like to clear out your system, we're not gonna take vitamins at the same time you're taking black charcoal, because then it's gonna.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:That's crazy that's insane.
Speaker 1:Well, the fact that you just told me that I should go eat more sushi, I'm good, we're done.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:So let's, let's say somebody's listening to this and they're like you know what I? I already had diagnosed with breast cancer, like I'm. I'm think it's great that we talked about being preventative, but like moving forward, how do I, you know, set myself up for success in not having a reoccurrence? Oh, oh very good.
Speaker 2:Well, first thing definitely is you know, do the dust test. You know, look in, see how those hormones and be metabolized. You know what? Was that an issue there? Second is, you know really what I call do some introspective Learning about yourself. You know what I find.
Speaker 2:You know, in these scenarios there's a lot of. You know we also have a lot of baggage. You know that we are, you know, brought up with the blood out, the paradox. You know, if you listen, people like Joe Dispenso or dr Bruce Lipton. You know I was talking about. What is that, that baggage that we are brought up with? You know things that we've we've heard and seen and you know things that Can impact us. You know you emotionally, you know people that may. Is there's somebody you have resentment towards, is their anger, is there frustration? But really, you know, look at that. You know, and and if there's something that you can identify, really conquer that, you know, get develop piece is what I'm trying to go to. It's like have some peace. You know there's there's a lot of people out there that just struggling with things, they just don't have peace, they don't love themselves. That there's, I see that a lot where people just don't have a conference with themselves and so and that really, you know, those are the things you're releasing a lot of negative chemicals If you, if you that space in a regular basis, so that those negative chemicals that you keep releasing every single day because you're angry or you're hurt or you just, you know, holding this grudge or whatever like that, those are things that's not gonna help you.
Speaker 2:Next you're from my favorite nutrients vitamin D. You know I always tell people like, look, get your vitamin D levels, check, because that nutrient has been shown in different studies. When it's done Right, you know, I think the numbers almost 77% of all cancers wouldn't exist if people had optimal vitamin D levels. And I've looked at that over the years with patients who had a history of cancer and I've looked at their vitamin D levels and they're always low, they're always suboptim, you know, but they don't push that, you know. So get out in the sun, you know, at least 15 minutes a day, 20 minutes without sunscreen.
Speaker 2:Like, do what you can and make sure your levels are between 60 and 80. That's a sweet spot when it comes to vitamin D, and most people are not there unless you're supplementing every now and then. There's an exception. I may find one person you know oh wow, you're not taking anything and your levels are in that range. It's 60 80 range, but most people aren't and that's the range you need to be in Now. If you go to your doctor and they run it now, so everything looks good, You're normal. Well, they're the range, or normal range. I'm saying normal range is from 30, okay, 30, you know, to 100, 60 to 80 is a sweet spot. So if you're at 31, 35, 40, they'll tell you it's good, that's not protective. That's maybe protective against rickets, but we're talking about really brain health. We're talking about immune health. We're talking about fighting cancer, anti-inflammatory, autoimmune disorders. Get that vitamin D level up between 60 and 80. That is a sweet spot. So that would be. The other thing I recommend is definitely, you know, get your vitamin Ds levels checked.
Speaker 1:And most people are deficient in vitamin D anyway right. So again most people are deficient in vitamin D.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, most are deficient and that's why it's not routinely. You know order. You know every now and then I'll see people who have it on there, but it's not routinely ordered, unfortunately. But again, that's why I said that is something that could prevent a lot of cancer and we know that cancer treatment is a big money maker for companies in this country. So I hate saying it.
Speaker 2:It is, it's, it's. You know, people say they're looking for a cure and I'm like telling people say there's cures out there, you're never gonna see it, that's my money I'm sorry, oh, don't even get me started.
Speaker 1:Yeah, don't even get me started, I don't even. Yes, we're gonna just we're gonna.
Speaker 1:This is my last one, I stop raising money for and I am a very huge fundraiser, I love supporting nonprofits, especially breast cancer. I have raised a shit ton of money for making strides over the last several years. Covid hit and I'm telling you, is if you came out with a COVID jab overnight and you can't come up with a cure for breast cancer. That's why I was like I'm done. I am done. I want nothing to do with raising money for research, because it's bullshit and I will only do for breast cancer at the HopeLodge or drive people like I want hands on. I want to know that I've made a difference. I don't want it to go somewhere because there's far too many companies out there doing research.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, and there should be something.
Speaker 1:Okay, I'm off my soapbox Carry on.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, no, that's why I said I'm done with that. So, anyway, being proactive with your health is really the key to it. So someone that has a breast cancer that's why I said the stress, reducing activities and really looking at yourself and vitamin D, iodine. Also high dose melatonin If you're working with someone who knows about that, melatonin is also very protective for the breast tissue. So high dose melatonin could be five, 10, 15, 20 milligrams of melatonin a night can also be protective and also help you fighting cancer. It's so key. So those are the ones.
Speaker 2:Magnesium, yeah, I mean there's a lot of important nutrients that are there but those are the ones that really target and protect the breast tissues the iodine, vitamin D, melatonin We've seen studies on that, that, how it can neutralize cancer. It can slow down or stop the progression of cancer for those who have it. Sweating, exercise that's why one of the reasons why exercise is so important getting those endorphins up, because, again, that's a natural painkiller, but it's also the endorphins. They also work on the immune system. So that's why you see, some of these alternative clinics will have these hypothermias where they're getting your temperature up, sweating, and getting that temperature up is very important Getting the oxygen?
Speaker 1:How flashes are included in that?
Speaker 2:No, okay, yeah no, not in this scenario, but unfortunately. Yeah there's a whole another realm that you guys have to deal with and unfortunately a lot of women suffer from that unnecessarily because they don't know where do you go with that right, this controversy and treating hot flashes. That's why I said there's so much that we could talk about on women's health, because unfortunately it's really not done very well that I would say that in the conventional realm.
Speaker 1:I concur we're gonna come back in one second. I have to have a little spot for our little sponsored ad and we will be right back and I have a couple more questions for you.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:This podcast is sponsored by the Shannon Burroughs real estate group, where we are committed to changing the world one smile at a time and giving back to breast cancer in our communities. Did you know that Shannon Burroughs, our founder and lead realtor, is a breast cancer survivor? Shannon found her purpose at the intersection of passion and pain while navigating her own journey and wants to give back and help others. At the Shannon Burroughs real estate group, we're dedicated to providing exceptional service to our clients while also making a positive impact in our community. For every home sold, a portion of our commission goes towards supporting breast cancer organizations to help women on a local level and be a resource through their journey.
Speaker 3:We believe that everyone deserves a safe, comfortable and happy home, and we're here to help make that a reality. Whether you're buying, selling or investing in a real estate, we'll be with you every step of the way, and when you're working with us, you will not only be supporting your own goals, but also helping others through their breast cancer. So, shannon Burroughs real estate group, where you can trust that your dreams and values are in good hands, no matter where you live, we can help you. Visit our website at shanambrowscom or give us a call today at 561-494-6389 to learn more.
Speaker 1:Welcome back. We're still here with Dr Jeff Brown. We're still talking about women's health, breast health and all of the things we can do to prevent and also to make sure that we don't have any reoccurrence, talking about some different options for vitamins and supplements and things like that, obviously as well as exercising and you know I'm super passionate about that and we just got done talking about the importance of vitamin D, and I have to laugh, because when you tested my husband and you told him his vitamin D level was low and testosterone level was low, and I was like, oh so then it just got in the sun, that's it, just go take the day and spend it in the sun. But then you talked about beating on the sun for 15 to 20 minutes without sunscreens and that's gonna be controversial to some people too, right?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, oh yeah, because, well, it's a balancing act, right, because vitamin D is very important as far as cancer prevention. But we also know, if you explode yourself to the rays too much, well then you don't wanna end up with skin cancer either.
Speaker 2:Right, right. So that's why I say it's a balancing act. So 15, 20 minutes a day without the sunscreen. Then, of course, when you put sunscreen on, make sure that it's mineral based and not chemical based, and that's a whole other conversation. When it comes to all these chemicals that disrupt our hormones that most women are putting on themselves or using on a daily basis, I mean there's hundreds and hundreds of chemicals in the products that you use. I mean thinking about your makeup, your moisturizer, your lotion your conditioner.
Speaker 2:everything, yeah everything all these chemicals that are there and if they're over the counter, they must be safe, right, Because why would they allow these things to happen? But unfortunately, they're not looking at these things, they're not testing these things. We allow a lot of chemicals here in this country that they don't allow in other countries.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And that's why I said money makes policy here, unfortunately. So as a consumer, you really have to put the effort in, and if you're not willing to put the effort in, then your health isn't going to suffer, it just is. To be healthy, you have to put time and money invested in your health. There's just no other way of getting around it Right.
Speaker 1:And the thing is is, if it was your child, you would put forth all of that effort for your child, but yet the whole theory is like the whole airplane you put your mask on first we don't always do that Because as parents, we're like, oh, we got to run, run, hustle, hustle, hustle.
Speaker 1:Like, oh, I'll get to it, I'll get to it, I'll get to it. And back to your point at the beginning of like, it has to be on your schedule. Mine is time block from 6 am to 8 am. That's my personal time. That's in purple on my calendar because I'm color coded. That's my personal time. I like to be up on myself, I don't want anybody around. I have my turmeric tea, feed the dog, I go train another cancer client. So, like, at the same time, I benefit from the exercise as well. It's fun. And then boom, I'm with my day, because if I don't do it in the morning it doesn't happen, right, if it's not on your calendar it doesn't happen.
Speaker 2:Yes, exactly, it has to be a priority. It has to be written down, it has to be documented. So you said it right. I mean that's you have to. It has to be a priority. You know, and one of the things I've told my female patients over the years, because men were very good at this, and then what I'm about to say is like women need to learn how to be more selfish.
Speaker 1:But I that, and that's that's gonna be controversial as well, because it's not selfish.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's not. I mean I say because they understand what I mean when I say the word Selfish. Right, because everybody wants to give you know in dude in this. But I said, no, it's not being selfish, but you know what I mean. Like men were like okay, I need to do this, I'm gonna do it.
Speaker 1:You know they don't think about it. They're like I'm going to the gym.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay, I'll go play golf for four to six hours. Yeah, I'm gonna do this. Is you know what I need to do? And I say women usually are more you know, more giving, and okay, I gotta take care of everybody else to make sure that these things are taken care of before I'll do anything, you know, for myself. So, yes, it's not being selfish, but just by using that term to understand what I mean.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure, you gotta focus on yourself. I'm just joking with you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I know, but it's not being selfish, so it makes no right. You have to take care of yourself, because if you don't, then you can't give your. You can't give anything to the people that you love anyway.
Speaker 1:Yep, 100%. So what is one thing that you, that someone, could take away right now, if they're listening, whether they're walking in their car, exercising, maybe, hopefully, what's? What is one thing that you would want someone to take away right now from this podcast?
Speaker 2:Get your vitamin D levels checked.
Speaker 2:Okay and make sure you keep your levels between six and eighty. I mean, to me, like I said, that's part the most important thing that you need to do. And number two is work on your stress, and you know stress reducing technique. Have your alone time, have your time alone where you you just can. You know, write your goals, you know, find your purpose, you know your gratitude, just, you know, time for yourself and get to that place of peace. You know, in a journey of you know what am I going to accomplish that that your inner pieces is so key to, to your health, you know. So those would be my, my top two.
Speaker 2:And of course, everybody knows about diet and exercise. That kind of goes without saying whether you Do it or not, but you know you need to do those things Right. Vitamin D is key. The, the alone and just reflecting time is key. And then also get your hormones, you know, tested the right way with the right person. That knows you know what they're doing. It comes to the hormones. We're talking about prevention, you know. So if you have breast pain, if you have PMS, if you have, you know, migraine headaches, if you have, you know Lie, these things that women go through every month.
Speaker 2:You know they say okay, it's normal well just because it's common doesn't make it normal, and I say that all the time because so many things are, are are common. They make it normal, you know. So, get your hormones checked and make sure that we know how to you know balance them. You know a lot of women are low at progesterone. You know we need to be. You know going to the bathroom regularly, you know so. I know we always like to kind of keep it short, but it's man that there's a lot of things we need to do. But really, yeah, regular bowel movements. You know moving. You know mind, body, spirit and sunlight.
Speaker 1:And and thank God, we live in Florida, so we get that all the time you're around. It's really depressing if you think about I got my god, I lived up north for so long like I think, oh my god, I would rather have like six months of miserably hot weather than six months of like Depressing cold, dreary gray.
Speaker 2:I'm like, oh, oh yeah, I know, I grew up that way too.
Speaker 1:No, thank you, I'll take the sunlight all day long.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:There's something I was just gonna ask you and I just drew blank Shit, anyway It'll come to me in a hot second it. I didn't realize how important it was to like just be with myself until I was probably like Until I was like diagnosed at 45. I just I was, I was been go, go, go, go, go my speed, so don't go faster, go and go faster to breath. And now I'm like I really love being by myself, like a lot. I like I love being by myself.
Speaker 2:That's great. That's great.
Speaker 1:Almost to a fault.
Speaker 2:Some people don't realize that they're afraid to be by themselves and I'm such an extrovert, so it's so crazy.
Speaker 1:Yeah okay, I'm good, I'm like and I'm I need. I need my time.
Speaker 2:Yes, no, it's so important to learn how to really truly love yourself and be at peace with yourself and, yeah, really so important for your health.
Speaker 1:I mean, I look at it this way I have a whole committee up here, so I'm not really ever alone. I just have to manage them, and that's a whole other conversation. Yes, it is okay, so for our listeners that are not here in Florida, in Palm Beach County, can they reach out to you and talk to you about the Dutch test? You do tell a telemedicine, all that stuff.
Speaker 2:Yes yes, yes, I do so. I haven't done a lot of it, but plan on doing a lot more of it, because there's so many people who do need to help out there right and they just don't know.
Speaker 1:You know you work with people you know like in trust and you know referred to you and whatever. So that's super important. So what is your best way people can reach you? I know your email, I'll put that in the show notes. But also you have a YouTube channel, right?
Speaker 2:Yes, I do, yes, I do so. Yes at dr Jeffrey Brown. That's what is that power to heal?
Speaker 1:power to heal. That's right, so I'll put that in the show notes as well, and I thank you so, so much for being here and informing our listeners about how important it is to Take time for yourself, get your hormones tested, because I preach this a lot and I'm glad that you're back on me up on this, so it's been really awesome. It's been great catching up with you, it's been great to share your knowledge with our listeners, and I hope that they will reach out to you for some more advice.
Speaker 2:Thank you, it's been fun, great to see you and I'll say the best of health to all of your listeners out there and Again. Powers in your hands, you have the power to heal.
Speaker 1:That's right. You do have the power to heal all within yourself.
Speaker 2:Yep right.
Speaker 1:Thank you for joining us on busting out of breast cancer. We hope you found our podcast informative, uplifting and inspiring. We want to remind you that you are not alone in this fight against breast cancer. If you are someone you know needs support, please reach out to a health care professional, breast cancer support organization or me. I'm always happy to listen, chat and help any way. I can remember, early detection is key, so please schedule your early, your regular cancer screenings early. Do them now. Also, if you're in the market for a new home, looking to sell or start investing, don't hesitate to contact me, your favorite friend, realtor and podcast host. Together, we can make your real estate dreams a reality and make a difference in the fight against breast cancer. If you are someone you know would like to be a guest, please reach out to us at smile, at shana bros calm and. Thank you again for listening and we'll see you next week. I'm busting out of breast cancer.