Today we’d like to introduce you to Keiko Tanaka.
Hi Keiko, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2017, I was diagnosed with breast cancer on my 33 birthday. I have no family history of cancer, and I thought I was living a “healthy” lifestyle then. During my treatment, I discovered holistic nutrition and used food as medicine to combat the side effects of chemotherapy. After finishing a full year of chemo, surgery, and radiation, my interest in learning about the holistic ways to approach health grew stronger. I learned how to cope with the post-cancer treatment side effects and clinical menopause through food, lifestyle, behavior adjustments, and emotional healing. What followed after winning the physical battle against cancer was a mental and emotional onslaught of worry and struggle. I had this unsettled feeling and felt like I couldn’t trust my body. I also struggled with hot flashes, anxiety, brain fog, joint aches, etc., from the hormonal blockers, and my medical Drs. couldn’t help me in these areas. When I found ways to alleviate all these symptoms through nutrition and lifestyle modification, I thought other survivors must know! Eventually, I went to school to get certified as an integrative nutrition health coach and left my previous job to pursue this path. My mission is to help fellow survivors become the best version of themselves and empower them to take control of their health after cancer.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I’ve never thought I would be an entrepreneur, and running my coaching business has ups and downs. I struggled with putting myself out there on SM confidently and juggling between the admin tasks and coaching my clients.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and my mission is to help fellow breast cancer survivors find confidence in their health, body & life so they can THRIVE. My holistic approach brings clarity, direction, and positive support to the clients post treatments. I help clients transform their lives through nutrition, lifestyle, and a healthy mindset. Life after breast cancer can feel overwhelming, and I felt like that when I finished the treatments. I knew I had to change my diet and lifestyle to reduce the risk of recurrence, but with so much information out there, I didn’t know where to start. Unfortunately, there is a gap between the patients and the medical providers when it comes to post-cancer treatment care, and I hope to fill that gap by helping the clients regain control of their health and empowering them.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I took a risk when I quit my previous job to focus on my coaching business. At that time, I was still at the beginning stage of my coaching business and didn’t have a stable income. But I knew what I was doing at my previous job was not aligned with my purpose and passion. I also invested in hiring a business coach, which felt like a lot of money at that time. When starting your own business, there is always a risk, but I learned to listen to my intuition and guts; there are always ways out if it doesn’t work out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wellnessafterbreastcancer.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellness_afterbreastcancer/
Image Credits
Missy Peters
