Lessons from cancer survivor and Registered Holistic Nutritionist Hanna Rakowska

When Hanna Rakowska was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2006, her oncologist delivered a message that left her stunned: “There’s nothing you can do at home. What you eat doesn’t matter.”

Deep down, Hanna knew this couldn’t be right. While she underwent conventional treatment—chemotherapy and radiation—she began her own research into how nutrition could support her healing journey. What she discovered changed not only her recovery but her entire life’s work.

Today, as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Certified Holistic Cancer Practitioner, Hanna helps cancer patients worldwide understand something her doctor didn’t tell her: there’s actually a lot you can do at home to support your treatment and recovery.

The Power of Feeling Heard

One of the biggest challenges cancer patients face isn’t just the physical battle—it’s feeling powerless and unheard. Hanna experienced this firsthand when her questions about nutrition and self-care were dismissed.

“The primary goal when I work with clients is to make sure they are heard,” Hanna explains. “They need to know there is so much they can do on their own at home to work alongside their medical treatment and help them reclaim their strength, vitality, and clarity.”

This patient-centered approach is what drives Hanna’s work today. Having walked this path herself, she understands the fear, confusion, and desperate desire to take some control back during such a vulnerable time.

The SOAR™ Framework: A Roadmap for Recovery

Through years of research and clinical practice, Hanna developed the SOAR™ framework—a comprehensive approach that gives cancer patients clear, actionable steps to support their healing:

Suppress Cancer Cell Growth

The first pillar focuses on using specific phytochemicals found in plant foods that have been scientifically proven to fight cancer. These natural compounds work like “nontoxic chemotherapy,” influencing the same pathways targeted by conventional treatments—including mTOR, AMPK, and p53 signaling.

Foods rich in these powerful compounds include turmeric, cruciferous vegetables, berries, and green tea. They work by suppressing tumor growth, blocking blood vessel formation to tumors, and supporting the immune system’s ability to target cancer cells.

Optimize Nutritional Status

Cancer treatment is incredibly demanding on the body, which is why patients actually need more protein than the average person—about 1.2 to 1.4 grams per kilogram of body weight. Malnutrition is linked to poorer treatment outcomes, so optimizing nutrition becomes crucial.

The best plant-based protein sources for cancer patients include:

• Edamame (often underrated with an excellent amino acid profile)
• Tofu and tempeh
• Clean, single-ingredient protein powders (pumpkin seed or pea protein)
• Nuts, seeds, beans, and lentils
• Even leafy greens—six cups of kale or spinach provides significant protein

Activate Healing Mechanisms

Our bodies have incredible built-in healing systems that conventional cancer care often overlooks. Through targeted nutrition, we can activate mechanisms like:

• DNA repair (kiwifruit is particularly powerful here)
• Immune function (mushrooms, garlic, and onions excel at this)
• Anti-angiogenesis (blueberries and green tea prevent tumor blood vessel formation)

Hanna also incorporates medically supervised fasting protocols, referring clients to experts like Dr. Valter Longo for fasting-mimicking diets that can enhance treatment effectiveness.

Reduce Treatment Side Effects

Perhaps the most immediately relevant pillar for patients is reducing the brutal side effects of cancer treatment. This includes both short-term effects (nausea, fatigue, brain fog) and long-term toxicities that patients often aren’t warned about.

Simple, natural remedies can make a huge difference:

• Ginger and peppermint tea for nausea
• Glutamine-rich foods for digestive tract support
• B-complex nutrients for neuropathy prevention
• Anti-inflammatory foods to combat treatment-related inflammation

Beyond Food: A Holistic Approach

While nutrition forms the foundation of Hanna’s approach, she recognizes that true healing requires addressing the whole person:

Movement matters: Exercise has been shown to increase natural killer cell activity—your body’s cancer-fighting soldiers. Even gentle movement during treatment can enhance outcomes.

Nature heals: “Forest bathing” isn’t just trendy wellness speak—the phytoncides released by trees actually stimulate our immune systems’ natural killer cells.

Mind-body connection: Meditation, prayer, yoga, and breathing exercises aren’t just feel-good activities. They activate healing mechanisms through the mind-spirit connection, something Hanna credits as essential to her own recovery.

Cancer-Specific Strategies

One of the most fascinating aspects of Hanna’s work is how she tailors nutrition recommendations to specific cancer types. While a whole food, plant-based diet benefits everyone, certain foods have particular power against specific cancers:

Breast cancer (hormone-driven): Anti-estrogenic foods like soy, cruciferous vegetables, and flaxseed are particularly beneficial.

Colorectal cancer: Walnuts and purple potato extract have shown specific efficacy against these cancer cell lines.

Cancer stem cells: Green tea can target breast cancer stem cells, while sulforaphane from cruciferous vegetables targets the “beating heart” of tumors across cancer types.

The Daily Essentials

For those looking to implement cancer-fighting nutrition immediately, Hanna recommends focusing on these daily staples:

• At least one cup of cruciferous vegetables (kale, broccoli, cauliflower)
• One raw garlic clove (the World Health Organization’s recommendation for cancer prevention)
• Omega-3 rich foods like hemp hearts, chia seeds, and walnuts
• A variety of colorful berries
• Green tea or matcha
• Whole soy foods like tempeh or tofu

The goal is diversity—aim for 30-40 different fiber sources per week to support your gut microbiome, which plays a crucial role in immune function.

A Message of Hope

Perhaps the most powerful takeaway from Hanna’s story is this: a cancer diagnosis doesn’t define your future. While the medical system focuses on what’s wrong, there’s an entire world of what you can do right.

As one of Hanna’s clients, Leah Avery, shared: “I was in pretty rough shape after starting breast cancer treatments—fatigued, inflamed, with digestive and sleep issues. Hanna got me back on track to a balanced state of health.”

Taking Action

If you’re facing a cancer diagnosis or supporting someone who is, remember that nutrition is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal. It’s not about replacing medical treatment—it’s about enhancing it, reducing side effects, and giving your body the best possible foundation for healing.

Food truly can function as medicine. The question isn’t whether you can afford to focus on nutrition during cancer treatment—it’s whether you can afford not to.

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Ready to learn more about cancer-fighting nutrition? Visit Hanna at backtobalancenutrition.com or follow @backtobalancenutrition on Instagram. She offers a free Daily Guide of Cancer-Fighting Foods and comprehensive programs for those ready to take control of their healing journey.