Dr Lise Alschuler: Living Well With and Beyond Cancer

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This week on the podcast, Mikki speaks to Dr Lise Alschuler — a naturopathic oncologist, professor of clinical medicine, and one of the most respected voices in integrative cancer care worldwide. Dr Alschuler is known for bridging rigorous evidence with deeply human practice, helping people navigate not just cancer treatment, but the long arc of survivorship that follows. Her work spans circadian biology, metabolic health, botanical therapeutics, lifestyle medicine, and the psychology of living well after cancer.

Their conversation travels through the evolving landscape of survivorship, delves into what high-quality follow-up care actually looks like, how to integrate whole-person philosophy within a conventional and often fragmented medical system, and what an ideal post-treatment care pathway would include. From insomnia to fatigue, melatonin to magnesium, morning light to meal timing, they unpack the practical tools that genuinely help restore circadian regulation — and why circadian disruption is far more consequential than most oncology guidelines acknowledge.

They also explore exercise as a survival enhancer, how to guide intensity safely for those wary of over-exertion, and why maintaining muscle may be one of the most under-recognised cancer-prevention strategies. Adaptogens, botanicals, and supplement selection all feature, with clear insight into what works, for whom, and where caution is needed.
They close with a deep dive into insulin resistance, nutrition strategies, carbohydrate restriction, soy, alcohol, processed food, vitamin D, and the broader metabolic terrain influencing recurrence risk.

Dr. Alschuler is past-President and past-Board member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians and a founding board member and Past-President of the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians. She has been an invited speaker to more than 350 scientific/medical conferences, published over 27 peer-reviewed articles, been an investigator on 8 research studies, written 9 chapters for medical textbooks, and has co-authored two books, Definitive Guide to Cancer, now in its 3rd edition, and Definitive Guide to Thriving After Cancer. The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) recognized Dr. Alschuler in 2014 as Physician of the Year. She also received an honorary degree from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and the Joseph Pizzorno Founders award from Bastyr University in the same year. She was honored with the AANP President’s award in 2016 and received the Impact award from the National Association of Nutrition Professionals in 2017. In 2020, she received the Sheikh Zayed International Award in Naturopathy. She holds the rank of Professor at Sonoran University and also retains her rank as a Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of Arizona where she previously served as the Associate Director of the Fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine.
For over 10 years, Dr. Alschuler has co-hosted a podcast, Five To Thrive Live! about living more healthfully in the face of cancer and chronic disease. She was the founding Executive Director of TAP Integrative, a nonprofit web-based educational resource for integrative practitioners. Previously, she was the VP of Quality and Education for Emerson Ecologics, a distributor of dietary supplements to healthcare professionals. Prior to that, she was department head of naturopathic medicine at Midwestern Regional Medical Center – Cancer Treatment Centers of America, a JCAHO-certified 95-bed regional medical center. She was also the clinic medical director and botanical medicine chair at Bastyr University. She was on the faculty of Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in its early years, helping to establish its botanical medicine curriculum.

Outside of her professional commitments, she enjoys early morning walks with her two dogs, relaxing outdoor evenings with her spouse, honing her golf game, and cultivating a deeper sense of purpose and authenticity.

https://www.sonoran.edu/faculty/dr-lise-alschuler/

https://www.drlise.net/work.html