When most people think of Maria Menounos, they think of red carpets, TV hosting, bestselling books, and decades spent in the spotlight.
What they probably don’t think about is the cost of it all.
In this episode of Toxic Free with KB, Maria opens up about the health scares that completely changed her life—from diagnosing her own brain tumor symptoms to later facing pancreatic cancer, plus the hard lessons she learned about hustle culture, burnout, and putting everyone else’s needs before her own.
It. hits. home. hard.
Because while most of us may never host E! News or wrestle at WrestleMania, so many of us know what it’s like to push through exhaustion, ignore our bodies, and convince ourselves we don’t know how to slow down.
As Maria puts it, she used to think being a workaholic was cool. It was a badge of honor.
Until her body forced her to rethink everything.
The Brain Tumor Symptoms She Almost Ignored
I think Maria and I both agree that this is the most important thing to start off with, especially if it helps just one person to recognize brain tumor symptoms and make an appointment.
At the time, she was caring for her mother, who had been diagnosed with glioblastoma (an aggressive form of brain cancer) while simultaneously hosting E! News and maintaining a demanding schedule.
So she explained away symptoms like:
- headaches
- exhaustion
- ear pain
- slurred speech
Maybe it was stress or dehydration, or she was simply just tired from her busy life.
A doctor actually ordered an MRI, but she kept postponing it. Again. And again. And again. Until one Friday night, after repeatedly rescheduling the appointment, she finally decided to go. That MRI revealed a brain tumor.
She Says It Was the Wake-Up Call That Changed Everything
I’ve heard so many inspiring healthy journeys on the podcast, and it’s so interesting because none of the guests talked about their stories with bitterness. Maria included.
In fact, she says she’s grateful for it.
Even after she was once again diagnosed in 2023, this time with Stage 2 pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (a rare form of pancreatic cancer.
She didn’t want a brain tumor or cancer, of course. But those experiences forced her to reevaluate the life she had built.
For years, she was operating from a dangerous mindset that high-achieving people get trapped inside – work harder, push through, don’t let anyone down. Exhausted? You just need to push a little harder.
And after her first diagnosis in 2017, she realized she couldn’t do it anymore. Especially because, somehow along the way, she was chasing someone else’s version of success. This triggered her healing journey, not only recovering from a golf-ball-sized tumor being removed from her brain, but from the toxic burnout and hustle culture that made her almost miss the signs her body was failing.
The Long Road of Burnout Recovery & Redefining Success for Herself
It’s easy to think, “oh I’m burnt out! Surely, a vacation will fix it!” But Maria wants to remind you that no amount of mojitos by the pool or massages at the spa will heal true burnout.
Because the plane will still land back at home, and your life will look no different than before. So Step One to burnout recovery, according to her:
Get honest about what actually matters to you.
For Maria, that meant asking herself some difficult questions:
- What do I really want out of life?
- What’s working?
- What’s not working?
- What do I absolutely hate?
The answer surprised her, especially after years of pouring everything she had into building a super successful career.
She didn’t want more fame or achievements. She craved something entirely different:
- Family
- Connection
- Home
- Nature
- Presence
And somewhere along the way, she’d lost sight of that.
I think a lot of us can relate.
It’s easy to get caught up trying to keep up with everyone around us without ever stopping to ask whether we’re even running toward the things we actually want. Especially because we used to want it soooo badly. But what happens when we wake up years later and realize it’s not what brings us joy anymore?
First, we can’t ignore it. Second, we have to learn to slow down and reevaluate.
How to Slow Down According to Maria Menounos
If you’re wondering how to slow down when you’re ambitious, driven, and used to doing it all, Maria shared a simple mindset shift that I immediately loved.
Pay attention to the friction.
The moment she starts feeling:
- Snappy
- Irritated
- Overwhelmed
- Angry
- Stressed
She no longer pushes harder. Instead, she reevaluates. She looks at her life and her schedule and asks: “What needs to get cut?”
I know that sounds easier than it is. But we have to start thinking of our burnout as a real condition. Not just something we need to suck up and move past. But something with real symptoms is signaling something much deeper.
Those feelings are proof that something is no longer aligned. But you have to slow down long enough to realize it and be gentle enough on yourself to accept it.
Especially as women.
REMINDER: Self-Care for Women Isn’t Selfish
It’s not something to feel guilty for, either.
At one point in our conversation, Maria said something that perfectly sums up her entire philosophy: “We are not taught to take care of ourselves. We are not trained to matter.”
Oof. Read that again!!!
So many women spend their lives taking care of everyone else first. Your partner, kids, parents, coworkers, clients, friends. Everyone.
So much so that you start to disappear from your own priority list.
Maria’s message is simple: You have to choose yourself because nobody else can do it for you.
One of her favorite daily practices is asking:
- What does my body need today?
- What does my heart need today?
- What does my soul need today?
Take care of yourself, babe.
The Small Health Habits She Wishes She Started Sooner
Your health is built from thousands of small decisions. When Maria talks about her burnout recovery, escape from hustle culture, and healing from illness, the first thing she’ll admit is that she spent years neglecting herself.
Today, she approaches health differently. She focuses on the basics:
- Prioritizing sleep
- Making better food choices
- Supporting her nervous system
- Reducing toxic exposures
- Creating time for recovery
Which is something I think everyone, especially women, needs to hear. Because we are busy and we don’t always have time to live the the most perfect, healthiest routine, BUT when we make sure we are doing one little thing right here and there – those add up!
Listen to the Full Convo with Maria Menounos on Toxic Free with KB
While we did spend plenty of time talking about burnout and brain tumors, this episode twists and turns around so many more topics, I think you’ll love:
- Surrogacy and becoming a mother
- Trusting your intuition when it comes to your health
- Pancreatic cancer and recovery
- Lymphatic health and drainage techniques
- The resources she uses to find truly non-toxic products
- Why she believes healing is better when we do it together
It was truly an HONOR sitting across the chair from such a fierce woman and hearing her story firsthand. You might think you know Maria, but I guarantee you’re going to learn a thing or two from our chat.
Tune in, leave a comment, show her some love.
🎧 Listen on Apple or Spotify
📺 Subscribe on YouTube
And as viewer Tom said:
Isn’t that the truth — feeling healthy is SUCH a gift!
