Podcast
The Healing Catalyst
Hosted by Dr. Avanti Kumar Singh · EN
If you’ve ever felt dismissed, confused, or overwhelmed when it comes to your health — you’re not alone. And you don’t have to keep guessing.
Welcome to The Healing Catalyst Podcast, where science meets soul — and healing meets real life.
Hosted by Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh, a Western-trained physician and lifelong practitioner of Ayurveda, this podcast is your invitation to take your health into your own hands. With over two decades of experience integrating modern medicine and ancient healing traditions, Dr. Avanti is on a mission to change the way we think about health — making it more holistic, more inclusive, and more human.
Each week, you’ll hear conversations with leading experts in integrative medicine and mind-body healing — along with authors, teachers, and thought leaders — to explore what it really takes to cultivate health and longevity.
Dr. Avanti simplifies the science of the core pillars of well-being — gut microbiome, nervous system balance, hormonal regulation, and circadian rhythm — all through the lens of time-tested practices that support the whole person: body, mind, and spirit.
And because women’s health is too often overlooked or misunderstood, she focuses on it here — with real, actionable guidance for navigating burnout, fertility, sexual well-being, perimenopause, and menopause with clarity and confidence.
The Healing Catalyst Podcast is your home for knowledge, tools, and inspiration to stop chasing symptoms, and start living in true health and wellbeing.
New episodes drop on Tuesdays. Follow now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — and start your journey to empowered, sustainable health.
23episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
You're Carrying Grief You Can't Name. Here's How to Start Healing It with David Kessler
1w ago00:53:16Tap to summarizeMost of us think grief only happens when someone dies. But what about the loss of a body that doesn’t feel like yours anymore? A relationship that quietly became something different? A future you had counted on that is not coming? The uncertainty of the world right now, the instability, the feeling that something has shifted and nobody asked if you were okay with that? That’s grief too and most of us have never let ourselves call it that.Most of us are walking around carrying grief we have never named. And we can’t move through something we can’t see.In this episode, Dr. Avanti sits down with David Kessler, one of the world's foremost experts on grief and loss. He spent years working alongside Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and has since helped millions of people understand what grief really is. His definition is simple: grief is a change we did not want. And when you look at it that way, so many things you have been quietly carrying finally have a name.Together they explore why grief lives in the body, not just the mind. Why what so many of us are feeling about the world right now is real grief and deserves to be treated as such. What it actually means when people say grief is love with nowhere to go. And how meaning begins to emerge inside grief, not after it.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:(07:56)What is grief and why is it far more common than you think(13:18) What "grief is love with nowhere to go" means in real life(15:39) How grief shows up in the body and where you might be holding it(21:11) Why the heaviness you feel about the world right now is grief(41:03) What being stuck is actually telling you(44:45) How to find meaning inside grief, not just after it(47:40) One practice to start moving through what you are carrying todayIf you have been carrying something heavy and never had the words for it, this episode will change that.About David Kessler:David Kessler is one of the world's foremost experts on grief and loss. He spent years working alongside Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and is the author of seven books, including his latest bestseller Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief and its companion workbook. His first book, The Needs of the Dying, received praise from Mother Teresa. He runs Tender Hearts, an online grief support community with more than twenty-five grief groups, leads one of the most respected Grief Educator Certification programs in the world, and is the founder of grief.com.Connect with David Kessler:Website: grief.comInstagram: @IAmDavidKesslerFacebook: @IAmDavidKesslerTender Hearts: davidkesslertraining.com/tenderheartsTraumatic Loss and Grief course: davidkesslertraining.com/traumatic-loss-griefConnect with Dr. Avanti:Subscribe, Rate & Review The Healing Catalyst podcastListen to more episodes on your favorite platformWatch clips and past episodes on YouTubeFollow Dr. Avanti on Instagram at @avantikumarsinghGet Dr. Avanti’s Weekly Letter: avantikumarsingh.com/join-my-newsletterLeave a voice message for Dr. AvantiResources:Take the free Dosha Data Assessment to get your personalized Weekly Health Rx by Arvasi. Rooted in tradition. Backed by science. Personalized for you. myarvasi.comOrder Dr. Avanti’s books: The Longevity Formula, The Health CatalystExplore more at avantikumarsingh.comThe content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.Podcast episode production by Dante32.
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Why Your Metabolic Health Is Driving Everything From Fertility to Menopause with Rachel Swanson, MS, RD
Apr 1400:42:43Tap to summarizeYou're tired. Not sleepy tired, bone tired. The kind where you woke up feeling like you didn't sleep at all. You're foggy by lunch. You're craving sugar by 3pm. Your body is changing in ways that don't make sense. And maybe your doctor ran your labs and said everything looks "normal", but nothing about how you feel is normal.And here's the part that really doesn't get talked about: some of you are trying to get pregnant in your late 30s or early 40s while also starting to feel perimenopausal symptoms. Hot flashes, irregular periods, anxiety, weight gain around the middle. Two things happening at the same time and everyone treats them as separate problems.They're not. And the root cause connecting both might surprise you because it's not your estrogen. It's not your progesterone. It's your metabolic health.In this episode I sit down with Rachel Swanson, a Registered Dietitian, Nutrition Director at LifeSpan Medicine, and author of the new book Trying, to talk about why metabolic health is the upstream driver of everything from egg quality to hot flashes to cardiovascular risk. And we get really practical about what to do about it.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:(05:56) Why metabolic health is a root cause that affects fertility, perimenopause/menopause(07:59) How poor metabolic health shows up in your daily life(11:25) Three labs every woman should know(17:20) What your plate should look like at every meal(21:13) The gut-hormone connection most people miss(25:45) Environmental toxins: where to start, what to skip(26:00) Why high toxin exposure = menopause four years earlierBy the end of this episode, you'll understand the threads that connect metabolism with fertility, perimenopause, and menopause, and learn simple lifestyle shifts that can improve your metabolic health.About Rachel Swanson:Rachel Swanson, MS, RD, LDN, is a Registered Dietitian and one of America's most sought-after nutritionists. She holds a Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition from NYU, completed clinical rotations at Mount Sinai Hospital, and is the Nutrition Director at LifeSpan Medicine and founder of Diet Doctors, LLC. She works with professional athletes, celebrities, C-suite executives, and physicians, specializing in metabolic health, fertility optimization, and personalized preventative care. Her new book, Trying: A Nutritionist's Guide to Fertility, Metabolic Health, and Whole-Body Healing, brings clinical-grade strategies previously available only through elite concierge practices to every woman navigating her reproductive health.Connect with Rachel Swanson:Website: rachelswanson.comBook: Trying!: A Science-Backed Plan to Optimize Your FertilityInstagram: @rachelsrxConnect with Dr. Avanti:Subscribe, Rate & Review The Healing Catalyst podcastListen to more episodes on your favorite platformWatch clips and past episodes on YouTubeFollow Dr. Avanti on Instagram at @avantikumarsinghGet Dr. Avanti’s Weekly Letter: avantikumarsingh.com/join-my-newsletterLeave a voice message for Dr. AvantiResources:Take the free Dosha Data Assessment to get your personalized Weekly Health Rx by Arvasi. Rooted in tradition. Backed by science. Personalized for you. myarvasi.comOrder Dr. Avanti’s books: The Longevity Formula, The Health CatalystExplore more at avantikumarsingh.comThe content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.Podcast episode production by Dante32.
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There’s So Much Coming At You Right Now—And It’s Affecting Your Nervous System (Here’s How to Take Care of Yourself)
Mar 3100:32:44Tap to summarizeYou open your phone to check one thing. Thirty minutes later, you've read about six different crises, your chest is tight, your jaw is clenched, and you can't remember what you originally opened the phone to do. You know the scrolling is making you feel worse. And you do it anyway.Here's what no one is talking about: that's not a willpower problem. It's a nervous system problem. The same pattern that kept you safe as a child—the scanning, the absorbing, the holding—is now being hijacked by your phone. And it's compounding the inflammation that's already living in your tissues.In this solo episode, Dr. Avanti goes deeper than ever before, connecting the dots between emotional outsourcing, childhood patterns, media consumption, and the inflammation showing up in your body right now. Building on her recent conversation with Béa Albina, she shares her own story as a first-generation daughter and breast cancer survivor, and reveals why your inflammation has two sources, not one.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:(00:00) Why your inflammation has two sources—and you've probably only been addressing one(07:16) The science of neuroception: how your body detects threat before your mind knows(10:07) Why scrolling is a nervous system problem, not a willpower problem(11:49) How doomscrolling symptoms mirror perimenopause symptoms(16:26) Why women are 2-3x more likely to develop autoimmune conditions(21:15) The difference between being informed and being consumed(21:45) Why healing yourself is one of the most generous things you can do(23:18) Five specific protocols to start todayThis episode will change how you think about your health, your scrolling habits, and your role in the collective healing we all need.Connect with Dr. Avanti:Subscribe, Rate & Review The Healing Catalyst podcastListen to more episodes on your favorite platformWatch clips and past episodes on YouTubeFollow Dr. Avanti on Instagram at @avantikumarsinghGet Dr. Avanti’s Weekly Letter: avantikumarsingh.com/join-my-newsletterLeave a voice message for Dr. AvantiResources:Listen to Ep. 170: Emotional Outsourcing with Béa AlbinaTake the free Dosha Data Assessment to get your personalized Weekly Health Rx by Arvasi. Rooted in tradition. Backed by science. Personalized for you. myarvasi.comOrder Dr. Avanti’s books: The Longevity Formula, The Health CatalystExplore more at avantikumarsingh.comThe content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.Podcast episode production by Dante32.
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Why Avoiding Conflict Is Destroying Your Relationships (and Your Health) with Baya Voce
Mar 1701:00:45Tap to summarizeYou're not fighting. There's no big blowout. You just… stopped reaching for each other. The conversations are about logistics. The evenings are parallel screens. And lately you're more irritable, more reactive and snapping over nothing and then lying awake wondering what's wrong with you.Here's what nobody tells you: when you avoid conflict instead of repairing, it doesn't just hurt your relationship. It hurts your health because your nervous system stays stuck in threat because it never got the signal that it's safe again.In this episode, Dr. Avanti sits down with Baya Voce, one of the leading experts on relationship repair. Baya holds an MSW from Columbia University, is mentored by Esther Perel, and is a Co-Investigator on groundbreaking research with MAPS and Columbia University studying MDMA-assisted couples therapy. Her TEDx talk on loneliness has over 5 million views, and her core belief is that repair, done well, is the antidote to loneliness and disconnection.Together they explore why repair is a nervous system response, not the communication skill we've been told it is. They also discuss why the power struggle phase of relationships isn't a sign that something is wrong, how loneliness shows up inside partnerships even when you're not alone, and one simple practice you can start tonight that can shift any relationship in your life.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:(06:33) Why avoiding conflict destroys relationships(17:25) Why repair is a nervous system response, not a communication skill(23:10) Why a real boundary requires nothing of the other person(35:46) How relational loneliness shows up even when you're not alone(42:06) How MDMA-assisted couples therapy works(53:44) One simple relationship practice you can use today: “complaint to request”If you've been wondering whether your relationship is broken, it's probably not. You just never learned how to come back to each other.About Baya Voce:Baya Voce is a relationship repair expert helping couples come back together after conflict. She holds an MSW from Columbia University, with advanced training in Relational Life Therapy under Terry Real, and is in ongoing supervision with Esther Perel. She collaborates with Rick Doblin, MAPS, and Columbia University on pioneering research into MDMA-assisted couples therapy. Her TEDx talk "The Simple Cure for Loneliness" has over 5 million views. Her core belief is that repair, done well, is the antidote to loneliness and disconnection.Connect with Baya Voce:Website: bayavoce.comInstagram: @bayavoceLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bayavoceThe Repair Lab: repair.bayavoce.com/repair-lab-ai-aConnect with Dr. Avanti:Subscribe, Rate & Review The Healing Catalyst podcastListen to more episodes on your favorite platformWatch clips and past episodes on YouTubeFollow Dr. Avanti on Instagram at @avantikumarsinghGet Dr. Avanti’s Weekly Letter: avantikumarsingh.com/join-my-newsletterLeave a voice message for Dr. AvantiResources:Take the free Dosha Data Assessment to get your personalized Weekly Health Rx by Arvasi. Rooted in tradition. Backed by science. Personalized for you. myarvasi.comOrder Dr. Avanti’s books: The Longevity Formula, The Health CatalystExplore more at avantikumarsingh.comThe content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.Podcast episode production by Dante32.
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"Am I Doing It Wrong?" — Mood Series Q&A on Anxiety, Answered.
Mar 1200:20:03Tap to summarize"It works in the moment but twenty minutes later the anxiety is right back." "Breathing exercises aren't going to fix what's wrong with the world." "I actually felt something — genuine sadness — and then the heaviness came back."These are the real questions you sent us this month. And they deserve real answers — not generic FAQ responses, but answers from two physicians who understand your constitution, your biology, and what perimenopause is actually doing to your anxiety.This week, Dr. Kumar-Singh and Dr. Sethi answer the three biggest questions from the mood series on anxiety — starting with the dosha who asked each one, then breaking down how the same struggle shows up completely differently across all five constitutions.In this episode:Why "the anxiety comes right back" doesn't mean you're doing it wrong — and the specific change that stretches your window of calm from minutes to hoursThe honest answer to "this feels like a band-aid on a bullet wound" — why the doctors agree that breathing won't fix the world, and what it actually fixes that matters more than you thinkWhat it means when you feel something for the first time in months and then the heaviness returns — and why that moment is actually the most important sign the work is landingWhy every dosha's anxiety hits the same wall for completely different reasons — and what to do about it for YOUR constitutionWhat to keep from this series, what to let go of, and why listening to your episodes again will hit differently the second timePlus two announcements:Live sessions with Dr. Kumar-Singh and Dr. Sethi over the next two weeks — real-time support for your anxiety and nervous system, real-time answers, togetherThe FOCUS series is coming — concentration, memory, cognitive clarity — and why you can't fix attention without first addressing the anxiety underneath itThis is the final week of our four-week MOOD series on anxiety. Starting this week, all doshas are in one conversation — same science, same personalized prescriptions, together.Take the free Dosha Data Assessment at myarvasi.com and subscribe at @weeklyhealthrx.Finally — medicine that fits you.Follow Arvasi:Substack: @weeklyhealthrxInstagram: @myarvasiWebsite: myarvasi.comConnect with your hosts:Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh | InstagramDr. Tanmeet Sethi | Instagram
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You Know the Scrolling Is Making It Worse. Here's Why You Can't Stop.
Mar 300:11:03Tap to summarizeThe Weekly Health Rx - You open your phone to check one thing. Thirty minutes later, you've read about six different crises, your chest is tight, and you can't remember what you originally opened the phone to do.You're not weak. Your nervous system is doing exactly what it's designed to do—scanning for threats that never stop coming. And in perimenopause, the scrolling isn't soothing your anxiety. It's compounding it.In this week's Weekly Health Rx by Arvasi, Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh and Dr. Tanmeet Sethi reveal why doomscrolling is a nervous system problem, not a willpower problem, and why the symptoms of perimenopause may be amplified by what you're feeding your body through a screen.Listen now to learn:Why every scroll re-triggers your stress cascade before the last one has clearedThe Ayurvedic concept that reframes everything you take in through your senses as "food" and what happens when that food is toxicThe difference between being informed and being consumed and why staying “resourced” with a regulated nervous system is so importantWhy your dosha determines your specific media vulnerabilityThis is Week 3 of our four-week MOOD series.Your dosha-specific episode, with YOUR media prescription and the specific protocol for how your constitution should consume information, is for paid subscribers. Take the free Dosha Data Assessment at myarvasi.com and subscribe at @weeklyhealthrx.Finally—medicine that fits you.Take the Dosha Data Assessment: myarvasi.comFollow Arvasi:Substack: @weeklyhealthrxInstagram: @myarvasiWebsite: myarvasi.comConnect with your hosts:Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh | InstagramDr. Tanmeet Sethi | Instagram
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The 8-Week Crash (And Why You Were Never the Problem)
Feb 2400:29:08Tap to summarizeThe gym membership you signed up for on January 2nd? You haven't been in weeks. The meal prep containers are still sitting in the cabinet, clean and unused. The habit tracker, the gratitude journal, the app that was going to change everything—blank. For weeks.And now you're not just disappointed. You're starting to wonder if something is wrong with you. Because everyone else seems to be able to do this. And you can't figure out why you can't.Nothing is wrong with you. You were set up to fail—and the science proves it.In this solo "Spark This" episode, Dr. Avanti gets personal about her own 8-week crash—one year after finishing breast cancer treatment—when she demanded her body bounce back and it said no. She breaks down the science of why resolutions collapse by late February (hint: only 8% of people ever achieve them), why your willpower isn't broken—it's depleted, and why trying to overhaul your life in the dead of winter is like trying to grow a garden in February and blaming yourself when nothing blooms.Drawing on Ayurveda, modern psychology, and circadian biology, she explains why the way you crashed is actually predictable based on your dosha—your unique mind-body constitution—and shares one specific thing each dosha type can do right now to stop the cycle and start working with their nature instead of against it.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:(05:56) Why 92% of people are exactly where you are right now(08:21) Dr. Avanti's personal story of crashing after breast cancer treatment(13:20) The science of ego depletion and why willpower runs out after eight weeks(14:06) How your rest deficit is sabotaging your ability to change(15:23) Why winter is the worst time to push for transformation(17:21) The Ayurvedic perspective on late winter and working with the season(19:19) How each dosha crashes differently—and one thing your type needs right nowIf this episode made you exhale for the first time in weeks—you're not behind. You're not broken. You were just following the wrong prescription for your body. And now you have a better way forward.Connect with Dr. Avanti:Subscribe, Rate & Review The Healing Catalyst podcastListen to more episodes on your favorite platformWatch clips and past episodes on YouTubeFollow Dr. Avanti on Instagram at @avantikumarsinghGet Dr. Avanti’s Weekly Letter: avantikumarsingh.com/join-my-newsletterLeave a voice message for Dr. AvantiResources:Take the free Dosha Data Assessment to get your personalized Weekly Health Rx by Arvasi. Rooted in tradition. Backed by science. Personalized for you. myarvasi.comOrder Dr. Avanti’s books: The Longevity Formula, The Health CatalystExplore more at avantikumarsingh.comThe content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.Podcast episode production by Dante32.
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Why Mindset Work Doesn't Work Until You Do This First with Béa Albina
Feb 1000:59:29Tap to summarizeYou've tried the affirmations. The gratitude journal. The boundary-setting advice you read about online. Maybe you even set the boundary—and then felt so guilty you took it back five minutes later.You know what you "should" do. You've read the books. You've done the therapy. So why does nothing stick? Why do you still say yes when you mean no? Why do you still feel responsible for everyone else's emotions? Why are you exhausted, resentful, and wondering if this is just how life is now?Here's the truth no one talks about: You can't think your way out of a body that doesn't feel safe. Mindset work, boundaries, self-care—none of it works until your nervous system is on board. And for women who grew up learning to read the room, anticipate everyone's needs, and keep the peace at any cost, the nervous system has been running a survival program for decades.In this episode, Dr. Avanti sits down with Béa Albina, NP, MPH, SEP—a UCSF-trained Family Nurse Practitioner, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, Master Certified Somatic Life Coach, and author of the bestselling End Emotional Outsourcing: A Guide to Overcoming Codependent, Perfectionist and People Pleasing Habits. Béa's work is grounded in somatics and polyvagal theory—and she breaks down exactly why so many high-functioning women feel stuck, what's actually happening in the body, and the surprisingly simple first step to changing it.Together, they explore what emotional outsourcing really is—the pattern underneath codependency, perfectionism, and people-pleasing—and why these aren't character flaws but brilliant childhood survival strategies that no longer serve you. They dig into how these patterns get wired into the nervous system, the real health consequences of living in chronic hypervigilance, and how to start unwinding it all—one small, body-based practice at a time.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:(08:38) What emotional outsourcing is and how it drives codependency, perfectionism, and people-pleasing(18:01) Why you can't decide what to have for dinner after a day of managing everyone else(26:28) How these patterns get wired into the nervous system in childhood(31:17) The real health consequences of chronic hypervigilance(34:15) Why affirmations and boundaries don't work until your nervous system feels safe(41:58) A simple daily practice that starts to rewire the pattern(52:32) How to find your "why" so the changes actually stickIf this episode felt like someone was reading your diary—you're not broken. You developed a brilliant survival strategy that got you this far. And now you finally have a roadmap to choose something different.About Béa Albina:Beatriz (Béa) Victoria Albina, NP, MPH, SEP is a UCSF-trained Family Nurse Practitioner, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, Master Certified Somatic Life Coach, author of the bestselling End Emotional Outsourcing: A Guide to Overcoming Codependent, Perfectionist and People Pleasing Habits (Hachette Balance, 2025), and Breathwork Meditation Guide with a passion for helping humans socialized as women to reconnect with their bodies, regulate their nervous systems, and rewire their minds—so they can break free from codependency, perfectionism, and people pleasing and reclaim their joy.She is the host of the Feminist Wellness podcast and holds a Masters degree in Public Health from Boston University School of Public Health and a BA in Latin American Studies from Oberlin College. Born in Mar del Plata, Argentina, Béa grew up in Rhode Island and has been working in health and wellness for over 20 years.Connect with Béa Albina:Website: https://beatrizalbina.com/Podcast: Feminist WellnessInstagram: @victoriaalbinawellnessBook: End Emotional Outsourcing: A Guide to Overcoming Codependent, Perfectionist and People Pleasing HabitsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/beatrizvictoriaalbinanpLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beatrizvictoriaalbina/Connect with Dr. Avanti:Subscribe, Rate & Review The Healing Catalyst podcastListen to more episodes on your favorite platformWatch clips and past episodes on YouTubeFollow Dr. Avanti on Instagram at @avantikumarsinghGet Dr. Avanti’s Weekly Letter: avantikumarsingh.com/join-my-newsletterLeave a voice message for Dr. AvantiResources:Take the free Dosha Data Assessment to get your personalized Weekly Health Rx by Arvasi. Rooted in tradition. Backed by science. Personalized for you. myarvasi.comNew Year’s Reframe Podcast EpisodeOrder Dr. Avanti’s books: The Longevity Formula, The Health CatalystExplore more at avantikumarsingh.comThe content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.Podcast episode production by Dante32.
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What Ozempic Can't Fix: Why Your Relationship with Food Changes Your Physiology with Dr. Erika Siegel
Jan 2700:53:11Tap to summarizeYou know what to eat. You've read the books, bought the vegetables with good intentions. And yet—you inhale lunch at your desk and an hour later you're hungry again, like you never even ate. You cook the "healthy" meal and still feel bloated. The vegetables go bad in the drawer. Meal prep Sunday lasted two weeks before you were back to takeout and feeling like a failure.So maybe Ozempic is the answer? Everyone's talking about it. The idea of a shot that just turns off the food noise sounds like a miracle when you've tried everything else and nothing sticks.But here's what most people don't realize: Your body already makes GLP-1—the same hormone those medications mimic. So why isn't it working on its own? Because your satiety signals need the right conditions to function. And if you're rushing through meals, eating while stressed, or reaching for food to soothe difficult emotions, those signals get overridden. You can take the medication, but if your relationship with food stays the same, the results often don't last.In this episode, Dr. Avanti sits down with Dr. Erika Siegel, a naturopathic physician and acupuncturist with nearly two decades of experience in integrative and functional medicine. She's the author of The Nourish Me Kitchen—a two-volume set combining a functional medicine reference with 300+ whole-foods recipes, inspired by 15 years of listening to what her patients actually struggled with. After all that time in practice, Erika has seen it all: the overwhelm, the confusion, the women who know exactly what they "should" eat but still can't figure out why nothing works.Together, they explore why your nervous system state changes how your body digests food, what's actually happening with ghrelin, leptin, and GLP-1 (and why rushing through meals short-circuits the whole system), what an integrative physician really thinks about Ozempic—and when it might actually make sense, the simple shift of eating fiber first and why it matters for blood sugar, and why cooking at home isn't just about better ingredients—it's about changing your relationship with food itself.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:(06:45) Why eating "healthy" foods in a stressed state leaves you bloated and unsatisfied(15:50) How your brain needs 15-20 minutes to register fullness (and what happens when you eat faster)(18:54) The truth about GLP-1: your body already makes it, so why isn't it working?(26:25) The order you eat your meal matters—and it's simpler than you think(33:24) Why deepening your relationship with your food actually helps(48:34) One small shift that can change your entire relationship with foodBy the end of this episode, you'll understand that why and how you eat matters just as much as what you eat—and you'll have simple, practical shifts you can start today to help your body's natural satiety signals actually work.About Dr. Erika Siegel:Dr. Erika Siegel is a naturopathic physician and acupuncturist with nearly two decades of experience in integrative and functional medicine. Known for her whole-person, East-meets-West approach, she blends ancient healing traditions with evidence-based practices. She is the author of The Nourish Me Kitchen, a two-volume set combining a functional medicine reference with a whole-foods cookbook, inspired by over 15 years of patient care. Her work is rooted in the belief that the body holds an innate ability to heal when given the right support.Connect with Dr. Erika Siegel:Instagram: @dr.erikasiegelWebsite: www.nourishme.comYouTube: @nourishmekitchenLinkedIn: Dr. Erika SiegelBook: Nourish Me Kitchen Book Set, AboutConnect with Dr. Avanti:Subscribe, Rate & Review The Healing Catalyst podcastListen to more episodes on your favorite platformWatch clips and past episodes on YouTubeFollow Dr. Avanti on Instagram at @avantikumarsinghGet Dr. Avanti’s Weekly Letter: avantikumarsingh.com/join-my-newsletterLeave a voice message for Dr. AvantiResources:Take the free Dosha Data Assessment to get your personalized Weekly Health Rx by Arvasi. Rooted in tradition. Backed by science. Personalized for you. myarvasi.comOrder Dr. Avanti’s books: The Longevity Formula, The Health CatalystExplore more at avantikumarsingh.comThe content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.Podcast episode production by Dante32.
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Become the CEO of Your Health: A New Playbook for Women Who Want to Thrive with Meghan Rabbitt
Jan 1301:00:35Tap to summarizeFor decades, medical research treated men's bodies as the standard—and women paid the price. Before 1993, women were barely included in clinical trials. Even today, we make up less than forty percent of most studies. So what happened? Women's symptoms—fatigue, pain, mood swings, even signs of a heart attack—got brushed off. Dismissed. Blamed on hormones.That's finally starting to change. In this episode, Dr. Avanti talks with Meghan Rabbitt, an award-winning health journalist and author of The New Rules of Women's Health: Your Guide to Thriving at Every Age. Meghan spent three years interviewing over one hundred female experts to create this book—a comprehensive guide that feels like the next generation of Our Bodies, Ourselves. It's the kind of book you keep on your shelf and reach for when something feels off.Together, they talk about why women's health got left behind, how heart disease shows up differently in women, and why women's pain has been taken less seriously for so long. They also get practical—how to prepare for doctor's appointments, how to track your symptoms, and what it really means to become the CEO of your own health. Because your body is always talking to you. And when you learn to listen—and arm yourself with the right information—you become your own best advocate.What You'll Learn in This Episode:(04:17) Why women were left out of medical research for so long—and what that means for your care today(20:07) How heart attack symptoms look different in women, and why so many get missed(24:51) Why women's pain is often dismissed, and what you can do about it(30:24) How to trust your intuition and take your symptoms seriously(40:20) Simple ways to prepare for doctor's appointments so you get the care you deserve(43:58) A free online tool to assess your breast cancer riskBy the end of this episode, you'll know how to listen to your body, track your symptoms, and walk into any doctor's office prepared to advocate for yourself—because you deserve care that actually sees you.About Meghan Rabbitt:Meghan Rabbitt is an award-winning journalist and author of The New Rules of Women's Health: Your Guide to Thriving at Every Age. She specializes in writing about women's health and wellness, and her work has appeared in many national publications, including Women's Health, Oprah Daily, Prevention, Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper, and more. She's known for translating complex medical and scientific topics into clear, actionable information—and for telling stories that help readers better understand their bodies, their health, and themselves.Connect with Meghan Rabbitt:Website: newrulesofwomenshealth.comInstagram: @meghanrabbittLinkedIn: Meghan RabbittSubstack: @meghanrabbittBook: The New Rules of Women's HealthConnect with Dr. Avanti:Subscribe, Rate & Review The Healing Catalyst podcastListen to more episodes on your favorite platformWatch clips and past episodes on YouTubeFollow Dr. Avanti on Instagram at @avantikumarsinghGet Dr. Avanti’s Weekly Letter: avantikumarsingh.com/join-my-newsletterLeave a voice message for Dr. AvantiResources:Tyrer-Cuzick Risk Assessment CalculatorTake the free Dosha Data Assessment to get your personalized Weekly Health Rx by Arvasi. Rooted in tradition. Backed by science. Personalized for you. myarvasi.comOrder Dr. Avanti’s books: The Longevity Formula, The Health CatalystExplore more at avantikumarsingh.comThe content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.Podcast episode production by Dante32.
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