Episode Details

If you've ever wondered whether soy is secretly feeding cancer cells, whether hormone replacement therapy is a hard no for life after breast cancer, or whether your genes have already decided your fate — this episode is going to change how you think about all three.

I sat down with Dr. Kristi Funk, one of the double board-certified breast cancer surgeon who sat across from me at two of the scariest moments of my life: my original 2014 diagnosis, and again when my cancer came back in 2024. And, yes, she is known as a “breast oncologist to the stars” (Angelina Jolie and Sheryl Crow, among others).

Dr. Funk breaks risk down into what she calls boulders, pebbles, and sand — a way of figuring out which choices actually move the needle before you waste energy worrying about your deodorant. We get into the real science behind soy, flax, fiber, IGF-1, and what the infamous Women's Health Initiative study actually did and didn't prove about hormone therapy. None of it requires perfection. Just a few strategic swaps.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why Dr. Funk says genetics is not the main reason most women get breast cancer — and what actually is
• Her "boulders, pebbles, and sand" framework for prioritizing risk without losing your mind
• The four lifestyle "boulders" backed by the strongest science: diet, body weight, alcohol, and inactivity
• What IGF-1 is, why your liver makes it, and why too much of it tells cancer cells to grow
• The wild Laron syndrome finding that no one in recorded history with the condition has ever had breast cancer
• Why soy's reputation as "risky" is backwards — and the specific 25–60% risk drop found across human studies
• The difference between whole soy foods and soy protein isolate, and why only one of them counts toward your daily servings
• Why six or more soy servings a day can backfire, and where the sweet spot actually is
• What a five-week flaxseed study found about tumor division rate, HER2 levels, and cancer cell death
• Why the Women's Health Initiative — the study that scared a generation off estrogen — may not say what you think it says

…and so much more to help you focus on meaningful, sustainable choices that support your health now and your functional longevity for decades to come.

About Our Guest Expert:

Kristi Funk, MD, FACS, DipABLM is a double board-certified breast cancer surgeon and lifestyle medicine doctor, bestselling author, international keynote speaker, and women’s health advocate.

After graduating with distinction from Stanford University in 1991, Dr. Funk received her medical degree from the UC Davis School of Medicine. She completed her surgical residency in Seattle, followed by a surgical breast fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where she served as a Director of their Breast Center until 2009.

Dr. Funk then co-founded the Pink Lotus Breast Center in Los Angeles, where she practices as a breast cancer surgeon and specializes in minimally invasive diagnostic and treatment methods for all types of breast disease.

She has helped thousands of women navigate breast health issues, including well-known patients such as Angelina Jolie and Sheryl Crow.

Dr. Funk is a go-to breast health expert for Good Morning America and Dr. Phil’s Merit Street Media. She was a co-host of The Doctors and has appeared on Today, Rachael Ray, The Dr. Oz Show, CNN, The View, and many other television, radio, and podcast programs.

She has received numerous honors and awards and uses her platform to educate women and give back to the community. Dr. Funk resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Andy Funk, and their triplet sons.

Connect with Dr. Kristi Funk:

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