When you’ve been given a scary diagnosis or you’ve been living for years with chronic fatigue, pain, or depression, it can feel like hope is something other people get to have. You might hear a doctor’s prognosis and feel as though your life’s trajectory has already been set.
But what if I told you that hope isn’t just a “feel-good” sentiment. It’s a biological force that can change the way your body heals. What if the choices you make each day could work with your body, rather than against it, to create a future far brighter than the one you’ve been led to believe is possible?
That’s exactly what I want to share with you today, inspired by a powerful conversation between Dr. Joel Fuhrman and Dr. Scott Stoll during the Plant-Based Cancer Summit.
We’re talking about how lifestyle medicine, especially when combined with a hopeful mindset, can help you reclaim your health, reverse disease, and create a vibrant life that feels worth living.
Why Modern Medicine Often Misses the Hope Factor
Dr. Stoll described something I see all the time in my own work: so many patients leave their doctor’s office not with a plan to get better, but with a grim statement about how things will “only get worse.”
Maybe you’ve heard this before:
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“This is the worst case I’ve ever seen.”
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“There’s nothing you can do but manage it.”
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“It’s going to get worse over time.”
When you hear words like that, especially from someone in authority, your motivation to make changes plummets. Why bother working hard to change your diet or lifestyle if you’re being told it won’t matter?
The truth is, modern medicine is often overly reductionist. Doctors are trained to focus on symptoms and prescriptions but not on the whole human being: your soul, emotions, relationships, and purpose.
This compartmentalization leaves out the very thing that can fuel healing: hope.
The Science of Hope in Your Brain
Hope isn’t just a vague feeling it has a physical home in your brain. Researchers have identified the orbitofrontal cortex as the region where hope lives. This part of the brain is responsible for:
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Reward-related processing – Feeling good when you move toward a goal
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Motivation – The drive to take action
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Problem-solving – Finding creative ways around obstacles
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Goal-directed behavior – Staying focused on what matters
When you activate hope, you’re not just “thinking positive,” you’re actually turning on the part of your brain that makes it easier to take consistent, healthy action.
A Dumpster, a Diagnosis, and a Comeback Story
One of Dr. Stoll’s patients came to him with severe rheumatoid arthritis. She was in the middle of a bitter divorce, living in a borrowed camper, with very little money. Her 19-year-old son was also struggling with pain and on opioids.
Instead of giving her a pill and sending her home, Dr. Stoll gave her something more powerful: a story of someone else who had reversed their condition with a whole-food, plant-based diet.
That story gave her hope and hope gave her creativity.
Since money was tight, she and her son started gathering produce from a grocery store dumpster late at night (perfectly good fruits and vegetables that were being thrown out). Within months, her arthritis was in remission, her son was off opioids, and both had the energy to tackle the rest of their life challenges.
This is the power of hope in action. It changes your brain, your immune system, and your willingness to fight for your future.
How Hope Boosts Your Immune System
Studies have shown that people with high levels of hope have:
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Lower inflammation (measured by markers like IL-6)
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Lower cortisol levels (reducing stress damage to the body)
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Higher immune function
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Faster emotional recovery after setbacks
On the flip side, hopelessness predicts poorer health outcomes, including shorter survival after hospitalization for serious illnesses like cancer.
For women in helping professions, nurses, teachers, social workers, therapists, this is critical. If you’re burnt out, stressed, or feeling hopeless, it’s not just your mind that suffers. Your body’s ability to repair and protect itself declines.
Fear Shrinks Possibility. Hope Expands It.
Fear narrows your vision. It makes you focus only on what’s immediately threatening you, rather than seeing the bigger picture or long-term possibilities.
Hope does the opposite. It expands your field of vision. It helps you see creative solutions, multiple pathways, and small steps that add up to massive change.
The best way to undo fear? Research shows it takes three things:
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A personal action plan – A clear, step-by-step roadmap for your health
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A social action plan – A supportive community cheering you on
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Reframing your diagnosis in a positive light – Seeing it as an opportunity, not a death sentence
Reframing: Your Body Is Your Ally
Here’s something that may surprise you: almost every adult has cancer cells in their body at some point. But that doesn’t mean we all develop cancer.
Your immune system is constantly seeking out and destroying damaged cells. When you nourish your body with nutrient-dense foods, rest well, move regularly, and cultivate hope, you strengthen that system.
Your body is not your enemy. It’s your greatest ally. Even after a diagnosis, your body wants to protect and heal you. Your job is to give it what it needs to do that.
The Lifestyle Medicine Advantage
Lifestyle medicine looks at the whole person, not just the disease. It combines:
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Nutrition – A whole-food, plant-based diet rich in micronutrients
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Movement – Exercise that builds strength, flexibility, and joy
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Rest – Quality sleep to repair your body
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Emotional health – Mindset, purpose, and meaningful connections
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Community – Support networks that reinforce healthy choices
Each healthy habit is like a “dose” of medicine and the more doses you combine, the stronger the effect.
Purpose: The Secret Fuel for Change
In my experience, the women who stick with lifestyle changes long-term aren’t just trying to avoid disease. They have something deeply meaningful to live for.
It might be:
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Watching a child graduate
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Continuing a mission-driven career
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Being present for grandchildren
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Serving in the community
Purpose fuels resilience. It turns “I should eat better” into “I will eat better because my life matters and I’m not done yet.”
Why Stories Heal
Stories aren’t just entertainment, they’re medicine. When you hear about someone who has faced what you’re facing and come out stronger, it ignites the hope center in your brain.
This is why I share transformation stories. Whether it’s someone reversing arthritis, losing 100 pounds, or thriving after a cancer diagnosis, these stories rewire what you believe is possible.
Putting It All Together: Your Hope-Driven Action Plan
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or hopeless right now, here’s where to start:
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Get Inspired – Read or listen to one transformation story every day.
You can even use AI to help you. Here is a prompt you can use:
“I’m feeling hopeless about my health and my future. I need a compassionate and uplifting response that helps me see possibilities, reminds me of my strengths, and gives me practical steps I can take today to start feeling better physically and emotionally. Please share a story from the Bible of someone who overcame great challenges, explain how hope can affect my brain and body, and give me a small, doable action plan for the next 24 hours that can start me on a path toward healing.”
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Set One Action Goal – For example, “I will add one large salad to my day” or “I will walk for 20 minutes after dinner.”
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Join a Community – Surround yourself with people who believe in your potential.
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Reframe Your Story – Instead of “I have this diagnosis, so my life is over,” try “This diagnosis woke me up to how much more life I have to live.”
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Track Your Wins – Write down every small success to remind yourself you’re moving forward.
The Bottom Line
Hope is not “woo-woo.” It’s a biological, measurable part of healing and when you combine it with the proven strategies of lifestyle medicine, the results can be life-changing.
You don’t have to choose between medical treatment and personal empowerment. You can do both. You can nourish your body, strengthen your immune system, and expand your future by believing that a better state is possible and then taking steps to create it.
Your life still holds more joy, love, and purpose than you might see right now. And that’s worth fighting for.
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