Interview with Jeannine Walston: Healthy Lifestyle Approaches for Cancer Survivors

Linda Ercoli (00:05.455)
Welcome everyone. I’m Dr. Linda Erkeley and welcome to the memory moment. We have a special guest today here, Janine Walston. And Janine is a cancer survivor and she lives a brain healthy lifestyle. Now we’ve had two prior podcasts, one on cot cancer related cognitive impairment, and the other on how to live a brain healthy lifestyle.

But Janine is here to talk about how she has really transformed her life as a cancer survivor and how she has applied a brain healthy lifestyle to better her health. And so without further delay, Janine, it it’s great to have you here. I’m really excited that you’re here to talk to people about your story.

and how you help others and how you live a brain healthy lifestyle.

Jeannine Walston (01:11.362)
Thank you very much. again, my name is Janine Walston. I you know I’m 52 ne years old. I was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1998. so I knew nothing about cancer and I knew nothing about what I call it whole person.

I was diagnosed in the US Congress. I wanted to become an attorney. I had so many options and things totally changed. So I’ve had just to share it quickly, I’ve had three-a-week brain surgeries in 1998, 2011, and 2013.

and then I had radiation and oral chemotherapy in 2014 and immunotherapy. And in my journey, I had to find answers for my optimal health and healing, not just to think, you know, I’m in a lot of fear and I want to live until you know I’m 90. I was thinking I’m

broken in some ways, not just in my mind, but in my body. And with that, I found answers in my journey that I can certainly speak to you about.

Linda Ercoli (02:51.411)
Yeah, that would be that would be quite an ordeal to to endure what you’ve endured. did you have cognitive sequelae or, you know, side effects from either the cancer or the treatment? Did you experience that?

Jeannine Walston (03:12.686)
Yes. and I will answer your question. I try to focus on challenges can become opportunities and adversity into action. So to really find positive ways, I know there are different categories with with just focusing on positive, but you know, there were so many ways

to help me deal with the struggle. So the struggles, you know, I again I was diagnosed, if I didn’t say it, with a brain tumor in my left temporal lobe that’s speech, memory, and sound. over time, well actually I’ll start with the beginning of my journey. I I didn’t have any strategies.

to help me have my brain feel stronger if you will to to have different strategies that would help me again feel feel better without going into every aspect of of specifics so at the beginning with my

cognitive skills. you know, when I had those strategies of, you know, thinking really quickly. And I was also very young. So I I had to learn more just as I transformed over time. But with feeling a little blocked in my brain, that can be the mindset, that can be foods, that can be so many

strat factors that I had to observe and you know at at the very beginning I was I was creating like symbols like I just did it it was like a it’s like an eight but it’s it’s not just a symbol but it helped my brain kind of strategized.

Jeannine Walston (05:40.658)
it’s some thinking, if you will. so so I was dealing with again left temporal lobe of speech, memory, and sound. So I was a little, I wasn’t as fast as I could be. I I was smart and I went back to my job at the US Congress. interestingly.

that was after my first surgery, we had interns over the summer. So I was able, my writing wasn’t again perfect, but they could write and then I could review it. Then a few months later, I was able to incorporate my writing from the past. And I still can’t define exactly what blocked that, but of course with a brain surgery, it

created those those funks if you will so my memory was good and noise was a little challenging if it was really loud i didn’t care for for that at times so you know it it’s it’s been an incredible way of understanding

what I called so initially it was complementary, holistic, and then alternative. this is over many years that I started using different tactics and I eventually shifted it or transformed it into integrative cancer care for the whole person.

And that’s the physical body, mind-body connection, spiritual vitality, social support, and a cleaner environment. And that improves quality of life, cancer survival, and cancer prevention. that has been an ongoing journey and it will continue into my last breath. and there’s the mindset.

Jeannine Walston (08:06.848)
And how thinking in certain ways and I learned eventually about the ego and some patterns that was challenged you know to to not push forward. You know, people talk about letting go, what but it allowed me some strategies with my mindset. Then I had a recurrence.

And

With that, I finally learned that food is medicine. and I was able and I continue to define and redefine what I what I eat and not eat. it’s allowed me to improve brain health. I call it

brain, body, and well-being. and it it’s it’s so key to to incorporate that with again brain health and life in general. it’s so transformative and unfortunately not included enough not just for people with cancer cancer prevention

But people in general.

Linda Ercoli (09:43.628)
Yeah. In fact, Janine, you’re you’re actually I mean, considering that you’ve been going through this since late nineties and you were young, you’re quite ahead of your time. Because all the things that you’re talking about, the you know, the cognitive aspects, the the the mind body connection, the wellness focus, the nutritional focus, these are the pillars of lifestyle medicine.

And you’re you’re absolutely right. We should be applying this to our day to day life. And and that’s we’re hearing in in the media now and through our doctors a lot more about this. We’re learning more. But you know, peop there’s some people that have been on this, you know, blue zones and have known about this people were people live to be a hundred, right, for a long time, even though they may not know know it.

you know, specifically as these are the elements, they live it. And and what you’re doing is living it. But how did you how did you gather the knowledge to even do that? Because like now, you know, we have classes in that. We have them at you know at the Longevity Center at UC LA. We have classes in this, but your journey started before these kinds of things were even popular or people knew about them. So

How did you educate yourself about this total which you’re calling holistic approach to wellness?

Jeannine Walston (11:17.202)
and I call it integrative. I have certainly been on a journey where and I appreciated you know reflecting about our conversation. I was working for the National Coalition for Cancer Survivor after working for for the US Congress.

Linda Ercoli (11:19.97)
Yeah. Integrator. Absolutely.

Jeannine Walston (11:47.246)
And I ultimately was an absolute chaos with focusing on cancer, focusing on those aspects. And personally and professionally, I became truly unclear and trying to find what I needed to incorporate.

I I felt it profoundly. And I suddenly got a job at they changed their name. It was the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicines. I’m sorry, the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine. I was which and they changed their name to at the end integrative health.

Linda Ercoli (12:37.358)
Yeah.

Jeannine Walston (12:45.294)
they I got a job immediately after working focusing on cancer and and cancer survivorship and it allowed me to see some some strategies with that. and then I was able to see over time

that with going to different doctors, practitioners, researching, and just finding specific strategies that worked for me to to really incorporate it into integrative cancer care for the whole person. So I put it together through

through research, specific scientific findings. I’ve done it with top notch as I was saying, doctors, practitioners, PhDs, whom whomever that had a tremendous amount of knowledge about cancer or healthcare in general. and I witnessed so many

cancer patients that were focusing on what worked for them and then applying it to to myself and everyone is unique people are individuals so it can’t just be a list of you know what people should do so so that was another way to to

Find answers.

Linda Ercoli (14:44.456)
That that is so important. Like, it’s not what you should do, it’s what works for you. How did you know it worked for you? Like what did you go by to say, this one I want to follow, right? Like, did you notice like it made you feel better? Did you say, okay, my attitude about this is good, you know, I can incorporate it? How did you know? What did you mean by it works for you?

Jeannine Walston (15:11.756)
I I’m intuitive. Moreover, I can just feel it. now I’m not perfect with that. sometimes I think that there are certain strategies that turn out to be not the best for me. But I have to emphasize that it

it’s it’s been a journey it’s helped me see that we are human beings we’re in my in my my body my my being my brain of course you know i’ve i’ve discovered that you know we are all again unique so

You know, I I just I I felt it. And you know, for example, you know, I I love curry. I love turmeric curcumin. I feel it in my brain, I feel it in my body. So that’s you know, just feel it, you know. I so I you know, if it was sugar, even though it’s croissant and you know, I love it.

it it it’s not it’s not optimal for me. It’s not good for me. I’m aware of science that sugar is is not is not optimal. so you know, I I have what I’ve learned over time what works and doesn’t work when with science and with my body and sometimes just thinking.

This is the best for me.

Linda Ercoli (17:11.46)
Now do you allow yourself days where you, you know, f cheat or days where you relax your you know, your y your regimen?

Jeannine Walston (17:25.912)
Yes. Okay. Yes. However, in the past I

probably was more strict. I I know I was. you know, I’m thinking of my mom and she’s like, you eat that now? You know, and friends have said that to me, but I don’t eat it all the time and I rarely consume it. and I will tell you, I went to an event yesterday evening,

And they had pizza. I don’t okay. Pizza has gluten. It has cheese. it has sugar. You know, those are you know, and many other things that aren’t healthy. I love pizza though. and it was free at an event and it looked really good. You know, immediately, and I did have a piece of

Pizza, which I didn’t do for many, many years. immediately I felt a brain fog. I am not 100% in my cognitive skills. I can just feel it in my body. And I’m like, I I I said crap. I said it.

another term. I’m like, I’m gonna be on a podcast tomorrow. And so I’m like, I am in my mind I was immediately thinking, well, what can I do to fix it really quickly? You know, who what? And I when I drove home, you know, I had organic nuts. this morning I was eating organic nuts. You know, I had

Linda Ercoli (19:05.052)
okay.

Jeannine Walston (19:32.672)
A drink with with curry or or curcumin turmeric. So it’s it that’s a way to really to tell you yes, but I use strategies not only to overcome it, but I remind myself don’t do this. that can be challenging for people who want to find

you know what they should do like one to ten or one to five. you know and it it’s about nutrition. that’s a big deal. You know, people are eating all not all day, but a lot during the day. so as I’ve seen experts on nutrition against cancer

and anti-cancer diet, i it’s to me it’s obvious, you know, that I have to eat a lot of vegetables, you know, and I actually like it, you know, and so it definitely a journey.

Linda Ercoli (20:46.638)
Right, and all those things that you’re talking about are highly recommended by people that do research on nutrition, is getting your carbs through vegetables. You’re talking about turmeric and nuts, so antioxidants, omega-3, omega sixes. So you’re you’re eating all those foods that it sounds like they’re medicinal for you, especially if you have a food hangover from, as you say, crap, right?

And and people experience this, especially people like with autoimmune disorders too. I know people that with lupus and they’ll tell you, you know, I can cheat once in a while, but when I do, I really feel it. Because their system is so clean from following the healthy lifestyle that actually when they do a little pollution, they really feel it. Whereas people maybe who are, you know, i engaging in that type of diet, you know.

junk food or pro let’s call it processed food, highly processed food. You know, I think you get you hit this asymptote, you know, this this stability level where you really like you’re dragging, you’re tired, but you’re not connecting. That if you if if people were able to sort of eliminate or just really reduce that, they’d feel differently. But it’s hard to know that until you try it. Then you know that you can feel differently.

So it’s it’s tough for a lot of people to jump on that bandwagon. But I was wondering when people do jump, you know, sometimes they dive in and they’re like, I can’t do this. How did you get into that? Did you ease into it? Did you bite the bullet and jump in? Like, how did you start to do this?

Jeannine Walston (22:35.652)
in terms of helping other people?

Linda Ercoli (22:38.37)
Ter well in terms of first of all yourself, like when you were making those transitions, did you do it did you ease into it or did you say, Pfft, you know, I’m gonna I’m gonna jump in like into the ten foot end of the pool?

Jeannine Walston (22:55.01)
I I pretty much I I started with, you know, in hindsight, you know, I it was totally new and you know I’d I’d think that certain strategies with like complementary or alternative would would be beneficial and then I learned, you know, that’s not the best for me. But I I started

more or less from from the beginning and learned over time. Not just with myself, but you know, I I aspire to help other people. it’s you know and I would write down what I learned in my own journey. But I I was going to wanted to mention and and

Linda Ercoli (23:38.082)
Yes, right.

Jeannine Walston (23:52.806)
I explain it to cancer patients. hemoglobin A1C that measures inflammation. I know there are many other strategies for inflammation, you know, tests. but and also hemoglobin, so it’s I’m sorry, it’s high sensitivity C reactive protein for inflammation. Okay.

And hemoglobin A1C for sugar. My apologies. So I as I use that, I for myself, as practitioners were incorporating that with my own blood work. I wanted to to think, is my diet healthy?

just with those two tests. There were others, but you know, I wanted to to to mention that. And so I I could think in my mind like, my diet’s really good, but you know, if it’s if there are issues with inflammation, if there are challenges with with sugar, then I, you know, that gives me what my body is experiencing. So it can

Linda Ercoli (24:51.917)
Yeah.

Jeannine Walston (25:17.154)
Think in the mind, but then enduring it in the body and and to get blood work and to see the results, that that to me has helped me in in my journey.

Linda Ercoli (25:35.18)
Yeah. It’s encouraging to see the physiological effects that one can do through these lifestyle changes. You’re absolutely right. And it’s like proof, you know, even though how one feels is really important, but now you have some nuts and bulk data that you can actually, you know, go track it over time, which is a great thing to do too. Now is exercise part

of your program.

Jeannine Walston (26:08.098)
yes and no. and I sometimes when I’m a bit overwhelmed for various factors, I exercise less, to be honest. but you know, this afternoon toward the end of the day, I’m gonna swim. so you know, I and you know I

I’m move with some of my work quite a bit. So with movement that’s great, but exercising, you know, if there are facilities in one’s home or at a gym, that’s very important. And sometimes I’m I’m

very focused to strategize that and others, you know, yeah break, but you know, not doing it so intensely. And and I know through scientific research that exercise is key. Exercise for optimal health and healing.

Linda Ercoli (27:23.978)
Yeah, and but I think you what you’re really speaking to is the challenge of of incorporating everything like I wish I focused on my diet as diligently and I’m pretty good but still not as good as I you know, could be as I did on my exercise. And I think we have things in our mind that we say like this is the most important to me. But that’s okay. that’s okay because one of the things that you know that people will

tell you, especially people who engage in these lifestyles, and doctors that you know are more integrative in their approach will tell you it has to be something doable also. You can’t make you know you have to be able to integrate it and and enjoy it, right? Otherwise what happens is people stop doing it.

So I d I think it’s very difficult to be like to do everything at the level one can. It’s some people do and you know, but not everybody does. But I think just starting somewhere is so important, you know, like it’s really for people that eat you know, processed food, especially fast food, and they eat it four times a week, it’s hard for them to cut it totally out.

Okay, that’s okay, how about twice a week? Like, you know, these are like psych psychological approaches to to starting to dip your foot into pool and feel the rewards of that and then shave off another day. Shave off another day. So like what you’re talking about is is sometimes it’s just a gradual approach and yeah, it’s a lifelong approach. When they talk about dieting, you know, it’s so psychologically like not good to go, I’m on a diet.

Because then it’s like, well, I gotta eat like a you know, like a bird for the rest of my life. No, you’re making a lifestyle change. And and that is a a kind of a I don’t like to use the word better or worse, but it’s a more productive and more facilitative way to think about these changes. I’m making a lifestyle change. I’m I’m not into self-deprivation, but I’m making a lifestyle change. And this is for the better. And yeah, there you’re gonna have to give some things up, but

Linda Ercoli (29:43.692)
The idea is to replace. So right, not to right to r to have some replacement of those things that maybe were very habitual that weren’t good f for people.

Jeannine Walston (29:56.93)
So so what I think is with foods that is medicine, anti-cancer, you know, I did say diet, but you know, to say nutrition, it helps people feel better and live live longer. That’s an amazing gift to

to know what to eat and what not to eat. And certainly it’s it’s through science.

Linda Ercoli (30:32.478)
It is a gift. Yeah. And it is through science. And and and this is something within people’s control. You know, we sometimes we think we can’t do this or I’ve got this, you know, heart attack and stroke. My family it’s heart attack and stroke. I have this heart attack and stroke risk. There’s nothing I can do about it. Like lots of people have that, number one killer in the United States. And and it’s like, no, you can’t.

You can do something about it. You’re not doomed. But yeah, you gotta put a little work into it, but you’re not doomed. And what you’re talking about is that the benefits far outweigh some of the sacrifices that people make. But your whole approach on mindset is very, very important, is keeping it positive. Keeping it positive, not pejorative, but positive.

Jeannine Walston (31:25.998)
Yes. And as I’ve endured, you know, three week brain surgeries, it it’s not easy. and it’s also psychologically thinking

It and I did it at the beginning. When am I gonna die? and then to think, ultimately, well, I want to see my my nephew get married. Like I wanna see this like into the future. I’m gonna die when I’m in my nineties, you know, and it’s that is imagery, that is visualization to really and that helps the mind.

body connection so powerful but well i shouldn’t say that but you know going through so many strategies with intensity with with things that i never imagine to me when i can eat better foods you know that’s nothing

Linda Ercoli (32:13.676)
Absolutely.

Jeannine Walston (32:41.666)
You know, and and I have learned that over time. You know, I wasn’t doing that initially. You know, it was when I had a recurrence, then you know, that enabled me to push myself harder. So, you know, I I have full respect for people that are challenged, you know, not just for cancer but other diseases in life. and yet it it’s

It’s so important to really think about the bigger picture. What can I do to not only you know feel feel better, you know, and with with that fog or however people call it, and of course, cognitive challenges in life, and you know, as you know, as people age with your work,

you know, to to understand that earlier, and to and if not, to really understand it quickly when it’s incorporated information provided to them and for the motivation it’s it’s so yeah i it’s it’s a choice in life you know and I I know some people in in in my

good friends in the family who you know they are it’s challenging for them to change their diet. I I I’ve heard that actually many times in life with people. And it’s yeah it’s how I I view it and how I choose to live.

Linda Ercoli (34:31.317)
But the very fact that it’s a choice is huge.

Because that means that people have empower, self empowerment. They are empowered. They have the choice. And so if they take that route, you know, they are proactively doing something for themselves by making that choice. And and it’s wonderful to have that choice. And it’s not always easy. if some people live in, you know, food deserts where there’s not you know, a plethora of of

healthy foods available. or people are, you know, working a lot and they’re on the go all the time. But there still are choices that people can make. And they may not you may you know, it may not be ideal like I can’t put together the healthiest dinner in thirty minutes. But you still have ways that you can do that. So so that’s is to work within, you know, what you have is really important.

to be able to find like you’re talking about the choice, the alternatives in whatever your situation is. now I wanted to ask you, you talk about and I know you do this, you help people. And of course right now you’re helping people by sharing your story, but do you have more formal ways or ways that you help others?

Jeannine Walston (36:00.466)
Yes. I have a website, Janine Wellston.com, about cancer and integrative cancer care for the whole person. it’s you know, they’re about 60 to 75, actually maybe a hundred articles. and it helps people understand.

some topics including brain health. Okay. and also I’m a cancer coach. And I’ve been doing that for a long time, not just in the US but globally.

Linda Ercoli (36:42.51)
So what is a cancer coach? What does that mean?

Jeannine Walston (36:46.804)
a cancer coach is helping people where they are in their journey and and their needs and also knowledge that I have. So I provide them a questionnaire, they fill it out, I prepare for for the the first session, and we take it from there. so I provide information

depending upon the individual about multiple opinions. and it’s the decision is for totally on their side. I’m not telling them what to do and what not to do, but some people ask and I think it’s so important with multiple opinions. So I I help people, I should say this first, I help people before just diagnosed with cancer.

during their treatments and the aftermath, thinking about cancer prevention and also a recurrence. I’ve helped people at the end of life or in going in that direction, trying not to be there. So that’s what I was saying. Sometimes again, multiple opinions, also you know, depending upon the individual

talk about genetic testing. I I actually learned 20 years out that I have a mutation from family history. so and it it’s 10 to 15 percent of people have have have mutation from from family history.

Linda Ercoli (38:36.312)
Is this for for cancer? You’re talking about your specific type of cancer that you experienced or?

Jeannine Walston (38:42.384)
yes. So I found out in my journey twenty years out with a colonoscopy, my first colonoscopy. And I as a cancer coach sometimes I ask and we talk about genetic testing. also clinical trials, and then topics about integrative cancer care to the

Linda Ercoli (38:58.198)
Absolutely.

Jeannine Walston (39:10.134)
Integrative cancer care for the whole person, some practitioners, strategies for nutrition, cancer diet, you know, talking about mind-body dynamics. so it I in my mind as I put it together, I I try to incorporate body, mind, spirit, social, and environmental.

which is also on my website with different topics. so so as a cancer coach, you know, it’s it’s really about each person individual and where they are in their journey and how I can help.

Linda Ercoli (39:56.25)
Well, Janine, what what and to the folks out there who are tuning into this podcast, we’re gonna put up Janine Walston dot com in our resources that go with this podcast so that people can go to your website and see all the resources that you have there. And and if somebody is interested in cancer coaching, they would contact you through that as well. Is that your portal to cancer coaching or

Jeannine Walston (40:25.782)
On the website Jenny and Walson dot com. Yeah.

Linda Ercoli (40:28.514)
Yeah. Okay. All right. Well, we could talk all day because this is fascinating. You’re such a resource. I mean, fascinating because of your journey and how you put it all together and how you have you know, you’re you’re the embodiment of the application of healthy lifestyle. You came to it i in a in a way that really it was life or death. And a lot of people

don’t you know are trying to adapt it j because they’re aging or because they want to reduce their risk for other other disorders. But I think it’s really I mean it is very important to know like this was life or death for you and you did make a choice and you did a lot of work to educate yourself even you know through going to the literature, through talking to experts, and then you

you incorporate it into your life to the extent that you felt the difference. And so these these are the payoffs to that. And here, you know, and here you are today, ninety-eight, almost thirty years after right, your diagnosis, your first diagnosis. So you’re an inspiration to people, and not just people with cancer, but really to anybody that wants to apply

to make the choices. I just love how you say that. To make those choices. And and it is a form of self love too, by the way, right? It’s self compassionate self love to say, I’m doing this for me. I’m not doing it because my doctor tells me to do it. I mean, but I take my doctor’s advice. I mean I understand where he or she is coming from, but I’m doing this for me. I’m the one who is accepting this challenge. But

And that’s very important when you talk about the attitude. So I I commend you for really putting the whole thing together, like you say, integrative. Is is there anything you want to share as before we tune out or that you want to share with others that we haven’t covered or that I didn’t summarize?

Jeannine Walston (42:47.624)
As you were saying, and as I’ve been aspiring to incorporate life cannot be easy at times, and putting the body in motion, provide providing strategies and you know I I will say that going to appointments.

and and treatments and all of that, it takes not as much time as taking care of oneself. self-care 247. And that’s another way to really see that nobody is perfect yet right you can embrace so many different strategies

for their optimal health and healing. And I do tell people, you know, I I I wish them all the best and I I extend extend my love. It’s such a challenging time. So yeah, definitely, definitely keep on going with it.

Linda Ercoli (44:09.251)
Thank you for that. And again, I I’m just so flattered that you came and spoke to us. I feel inspired by you just sitting here with you for the last 35 minutes talking to you. So I think your message is really clear to people that keep on, keep at it. Nobody’s perfect.

And thank you Janine for being here. Remember it’s Janine Walston.com, but we’re gonna put that information in our resources. And Janine, I I really appreciate you coming on and and sharing your wisdom with us all. Thank you so much. It’s my pleasure. All right, thank you. Take care. Bye-bye.