265 - How a Plant-Based Diet Helped Beat Stage 4 Cancer: Dr. Ruth Heidrich's Story

Episode • Jan 17, 2024 • 1h 6m

At the age of 47, our guest today, marathoner, author, and world record holder Dr. Ruth Heidrich, received the terrifying news that she had stage 4 breast cancer. After answering an ad to participate in a cancer and diet research study conducted by Dr. John McDougall, she immediately chose to adopt a whole food plant-based diet and forgo chemotherapy and radiation. Two years later, she was in remission and became the first vegan to complete the Ironman Triathlon.

Dr. Heidrich has since been named one of the ten fittest women in North America, and you might recognize her from her appearance in Forks Over Knives. So, if you want to learn what trailblazing at 88 years young looks and feels like, you definitely want to tune in to this juicy episode as we talk running, cancer, sex, aging, breasts, and, of course, food!

“He says, ‘Okay. I’m going to prove that it’s diet that can either prevent cancer, prevent recurrence, or treat it if you’ve got it.’ And so he explained all this to me, and I’m thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, you know. What am I going to do?’ And I thought, ‘Well, I can always get the chemo-radiation.’ He said, ‘No. No, because when it works they’re going to say it was the chemo and radiation that did it. You cannot have, so you have to make a choice. No chemo. No radiation.’ He pulled out a file drawer and he said, ‘You’re welcome to spend as much time as you want looking at the research that I based this on.’ And he spent a full two hours with me. You know, when was the doctor ever going to do that? Two hours later, I walked out of there a vegan.” - Dr. Ruth Heidrich

What we discuss in this episode:

- The importance of movement.

- How Dr. Heidrich discovered she had breast cancer.

- What inspired her to start running competitively?

- Why Dr. Heidrich chose a whole food plant-based diet over chemotherapy and radiation.

- The immediate positive health changes she experienced when making the sudden switch to a vegan diet.

- Dr. Heidrich’s alarming experience with breast implants.

- Diet and total sexual fitness for women and men.

- Dr. Heidrich’s daily diet and the importance of eating leafy greens.

Resources:

- Dr. Heidrich’s website: https://ruthheidrich.com/

- Her books: Ruth Heidrich: books, biography