Healing Properties of Food with Suzette Chaumette

New Love Letters to Our Bodies Podcast Episode Coming Thursday

What if the path to healing began not in a pharmacy, but in a garden? What if the most powerful medicine we could offer our bodies during illness and recovery was already waiting for us—in the foods we choose, grow, and prepare with intention?

In this episode of Love Letters to Our Bodies, we're honored to welcome Suzette Chaumette, MPH, a researcher, food coach, and social entrepreneur with over 25 years in healthcare. Suzette is the founder of Food Indy, a platform dedicated to helping people understand how, what, and where we eat for better health outcomes. As a permaculture designer and Cultural Humility Facilitator, she brings together the science of public health with the wisdom of growing and connecting with our food sources.

Food as Medicine: More Than a Metaphor

Throughout her career in healthcare, Suzette has witnessed too many people suffering from conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure—illnesses that are deeply connected to our food choices and often preventable. But her work goes beyond prevention. She understands that for those navigating cancer and other serious illnesses, food becomes something even more profound: a source of healing, comfort, and empowerment during one of life's most challenging journeys.

In our conversation, Suzette shares insights about anti-inflammatory foods that can help manage treatment side effects, immune-supporting nutrients that strengthen the body's natural defenses, and practical strategies for maintaining nourishment when eating feels overwhelming or impossible.

Getting Closer to Our Food

One of the most beautiful aspects of Suzette's work is her emphasis on helping people "get closer to their food." As a permaculture designer who teaches people how to grow food forests in small spaces, she understands that our relationship with food extends beyond what's on our plates. The act of growing even a small herb garden or a few vegetables in containers can reconnect us to the earth, give us a sense of agency during treatment, and remind us that healing happens in many dimensions—physical, emotional, and spiritual.

For those with limited mobility or energy during cancer treatment, Suzette offers accessible ways to engage with growing food, even on the smallest scale. These practices aren't just about nutrition—they're about reclaiming a sense of participation in our own wellness.

Cultural Wisdom and Food Traditions

As a Cultural Humility Facilitator and someone who has cared for her own parents as a death doula through the end of their lives, Suzette brings deep sensitivity to the cultural and emotional dimensions of food. She understands that food is never just fuel—it carries memory, tradition, identity, and love. In our conversation, she discusses how to honor cultural food practices and family recipes while also making choices that support healing, and how caregivers can offer nourishment without adding pressure during times when eating is already complicated.

Practical Wisdom for the Healing Journey

This episode is rich with practical guidance for anyone navigating illness, treatment, or recovery:

•    Which foods can help reduce inflammation and support immune function

•    Simple, accessible meals for those with limited energy

•    How to manage common treatment side effects like nausea, taste changes, and fatigue through nutrition

•    The role of supplements versus whole foods in healing

•    How nutritional needs shift from active treatment into survivorship

•    Resources for learning more about food as medicine

A Message of Hope and Empowerment

What makes this conversation so powerful is Suzette's deep belief that everyone, regardless of where they are in their food journey, can take steps toward better health and wellness. Her work through Food Indy—including her podcasts The Food Indy Podcast, The Positively Green Podcast, and Unpack the Real Stuff—reaches over 22,000 followers with simple techniques for eating well and living a healthy, fulfilled life.

For those of us supporting women through their cancer journeys, Suzette's message is clear: food is one of the most accessible, empowering tools we have for healing. It doesn't require expensive supplements or complicated protocols. It begins with understanding our bodies' needs, honoring our cultural connections to food, and when possible, reconnecting with the sources of our nourishment.

Join the Conversation

We invite you to listen to this episode and share it with anyone who might benefit from Suzette's wisdom. Whether you're currently in treatment, supporting a loved one, or simply seeking to deepen your understanding of food's healing properties, this conversation offers both practical guidance and profound hope. Send us a text with your feedback.

You can learn more about Suzette's work at befoodindy.com and follow her on social media for ongoing inspiration about eating well and growing food in small spaces.

As always, we're grateful to our Love Letters to Our Bodies community for joining us in these conversations about holistic healing, wellness, and the many ways we can support our bodies with love, intention, and care.

Love Letters to Our Bodies is a project of Moyo Institute, Inc., dedicated to providing holistic health support for women navigating cancer journeys with particular emphasis on health equity and serving underserved communities.