March 5, 2025 • 35 mins
Imagine having more energy, less pain, and no inflammation. Sounds too good to be true but Ayurveda is a holistic system of medicine that’s been helping people live optimally for thousands of years. The trouble is not everyone understands the principles and benefits. Until now. On this episode of HIListically speaking, Dr. Shivani Gupta, an expert in integrating Eastern and Western medicine not only shares her personal journey of overcoming chronic illness through Ayurvedic principles, but she highlights turmeric, the golden child of superfoods and how it could be the key to better health. Plus a 7 day challenge to kick inflammation to the curb and detox your mind and body towards vibrant health.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dr. Shivani Gupta (00:00):
I'm a firm believer that we can each change
every aspect of our life, a life design
that's completely different than what we
have now.
We can elevate, we can grow, we can evolve
and reach higher and higher into our
physical health, mental, emotional health
and our spiritual health.
Hilary Russo (00:17):
Have you ever wondered how much
inflammation is secretly running the show
in your body, causing pain, brain fog,
draining that energy?
It can really be the villain with anything
when you're struggling autoimmune disease,
gut issues and yes, ladies, those of you
(00:37):
listening even going through the changes,
and I can speak about that firsthand.
But the good news is you don't have to live
that way and you're about to find out why
that is.
Plus, you're gonna find out some spicy
answers that exist right in your
refrigerator and in your kitchen and in
your cabinet, if that gives you a little
(00:59):
hint.
So when I first walked into the world of
holistic health myself and integrative
nutrition before I even became a
trauma-informed practitioner of havening I
really spent a lot of time in my own
kitchen discovering the medicines that
already exist right there.
How can I integrate them into my own life?
Right, and how can I change my habits?
(01:19):
Maybe you've done that too, and if you're
interested in integrative nutrition or even
Havening, and if it sounds like something
you want to look into, check the notes of
this podcast, because I'm sharing more ways
and more offers that create possibilities
for you, you know, so that you can put that
into your own life day after day.
So you asked for this topic on HIListically
(01:40):
Speaking, and I'm listening.
It is something we have not really dived
into just itself, and that is Ayurveda.
So we're doing that today and I have the
perfect person to support this conversation,
dr Shivani Gupta, and she is an Ayurvedic
practitioner expert in blending the Eastern
(02:01):
wisdom and the Western science to help our
bodies find balance.
Shivani, it is about time right, absolutely.
When we talk about the Eastern and the
Western, it really says we're bringing that
here.
We're seeing more people really diving into
that, and I know from your own experience
of somebody who grew up both in the States
(02:21):
and has roots to India.
This was an easier path for you to get into,
but you do have your own story.
Dr. Shivani Gupta (02:29):
Yes for sure.
It's been a long journey to finding the
system that finally worked for me.
And I grew up in Houston, texas, a typical
immigrant child who was lucky enough to
start going to India to see all my
grandparents and cousins when I was about
five years old.
But the punishment to that was from five
till 20.
(02:49):
Every time I went to India I would get
disastrously sick.
One bite of chutney or one bite of potatoes
on the street, with all the fun street
foods we had, and I would have Montezuma's
revenge, india style, and it was horrible.
And so I just grew up thinking, wow,
everyone else has an immune system,
everyone else can eat foods, everyone else
can go to a party and not get sick.
(03:09):
But I somehow was born with this defective
template and I'm always sick.
And so, fast forward.
It took me till college to learn about and
realize there's this thing called gut
health, there's this thing called a gut
microbiome and we have to have probiotics.
And so one time I was in India in college,
(03:30):
disastrously sick.
They thought they'd have to hospitalize me
and we went to this doctor's office, dr
Gupta, and we were sitting in his office
and he goes okay, here's your solution,
here's your prescription.
And then here's the 11 medicines you can
take to get better.
And there's this voice that screamed out of
me and said no, we're not doing this again.
(03:50):
And so I looked at the doctor and I said
can we dumb that antibiotics down a couple
notches?
Can we not explode my gut like you do every
year here?
And then, what are those other 11 meds for?
Oh, they're for symptoms.
No, not doing that.
And where's the probiotic?
And I remember my parents getting so mad
like you don't talk to an Indian doctor
that way.
I said you know what?
This is not working anymore.
We have to go find a new way and I have to
figure this out.
(04:11):
We're in the land of yoga and Ayurveda.
There must be other options here.
And so I went on a quest through India and
I went to each center, sat at the guru's
feet and just hoped for help, and
eventually I got my answers.
I saw tons of people getting healed.
I learned all about gut health, the
Ayurveda way, and I rebuilt my gut health
(04:32):
and my immune system and I thought, wow,
why is the whole world not living like this?
This is incredible.
This is the path to health, and I realized
Ayurveda is just really bad at simplifying
things into a way that we in the West can
use.
So that was my mission 20 years ago and I'm
still doing that.
I'm still pulling Ayurvedic tools into the
modern day times in a simpler way that we
(04:54):
can use to get the results, so that I can
teach everyone the lifestyle that, if we
lead it and live it, we can have that
vibrant health that we all deserve.
Hilary Russo (05:02):
If we lead it and live it and see.
That's the kind of doctor I love working
with when I'm working in the holistic
health field and any integrative medicine,
finding doctors who are in the functional
medicine space or integrative space.
I align with that more, not just because
it's part of my business, but because I
have to be my own healthcare advocate.
You know, I have to be my own healthcare
advocate, just like you are your own
(05:24):
healthcare advocate.
And you mentioned something that was really
interesting to me, shivani, and it's the
point that when you were seeing the doctor
and you're getting all of these
prescriptions prescribed, you had a voice
which for a very long time I don't think,
especially in this country you didn't talk
back to your doctor, you didn't ask
questions and there was almost a
(05:44):
manipulation.
That happened.
Like I know more and I'm not saying doctors
don't know more, but who knows the body and
your body better than self?
Dr. Shivani Gupta (05:53):
Correct and that was a pattern through my
whole life was you go to the expert or the
doctor.
They always give you a prescription, you
take it and you assume it's good for you,
and even until I'd say a decade ago that
was still true I'd still go to the doctor.
I went to orthopedics and I was like I have
knee pain, I have plantar fasciitis, and
they said take NSAIDs 24, seven for 10 days.
(06:14):
So I listened because that's the expert.
And then all of a sudden, I'd have a
punishment called stomach aches and I'd say
wait a minute, you guys gave me a problem.
That is unacceptable to me.
I can't have anyone impact my gut.
I have to find a different way to do this,
and so being sovereign and being an
advocate for yourself in your own care is
something I'm very passionate about,
(06:34):
because if we don't learn to really
understand our health, be intuitive with it,
understand our own bio-individual body, our
own mind-body constitution, then we will be
at the whim of others.
And, from what I've learned, not every tool
in the toolkit of Western medicine works
for my body.
I really have to guard my health carefully,
(06:55):
and so what's interesting is I'm married
into an all Western medicine family and
everyone around me is like there's a pill
for that and I'm like, no, no, no, no,
there's a herb for that.
Actually, there's a spice for that and
there's a tea for that.
So if you want that toolkit, I am always
using that toolkit.
Hilary Russo (07:09):
So how do you, how do you support each
other on that journey?
If you're having the Western and the
Eastern, is it really just being open to
having the conversations?
Because obviously, maybe for somebody there
is a pill for that and maybe for another
person there is an herb for that.
So how do you come together and integrate,
using that word to really support
(07:29):
bio-individuality?
Dr. Shivani Gupta (07:32):
You know, it's been really interesting
because I'm married to a Western MD doctor
and my viewpoints are getting more Eastern
and holistic year by year.
It's almost like I as I vintage, as I
become more and more.
It's almost like the strength of it there's
a word for that where I'm becoming less
flexible about the strength of my
(07:52):
convictions.
Let's say it that way.
And so I think it's really about mutual
respect.
My husband looks at me and he's like, wow,
it's hinkabani as opposed to Pepto-Bismol.
And I'm like, absolutely, why don't we
watch the result?
Why don't we try my wife and just see?
And he's like, oh, okay, fine, that's fine,
we can do that from now on.
(08:12):
Or turmeric did that to that patient.
I'm like, yeah, and so it's just a slow
evolution, and I think Western medicine has
opened their minds a lot since COVID, which
is great.
Since the pandemic, things have changed.
A lot of mindsets are like look, both are
wonderful, we need both.
In catastrophic situations, when someone
needs surgery gosh do I love Western
medicine all day long.
When something's really serious, I love it,
(08:34):
and when something becomes a chronic issue
or a lifestyle issue or we have an herbal
solution, I love that too.
So I'm very much a meeting in the middle.
I think that's where functional medicine is
actually very powerful sometimes, because
functional medicine is really pulling
integrative and all the different
subspecialties out of the integrative
medicine specialties and meeting it with
functional medicine mindsets and finding
(08:56):
that root cause solution.
So to me every solution works.
Hilary Russo (09:00):
It's just about when and where Exactly and
coming from a doctor and hearing those
words from an MD are really powerful,
because I think it is that mutual respect,
knowing that we're so fortunate to have
modern medicine when we need it and we're
also fortunate to know that we can go back
to the roots of really what medicine was
(09:21):
based on right.
Dr. Shivani Gupta (09:22):
True, and in my in-law family I'm a PhD and
they're all MDs and surgeons, and so it's
really interesting because I'm coming at it
with this incredible knowledge from
Ayurveda and they're all Indian.
So they're like yeah, I know it works, but
I was trained in this other way and so we
get to always meet in the middle, which is
honestly a good metaphor example for what
(09:42):
we're doing in the rest of the country is
honestly a good metaphor example for what
we're doing in the rest of the country.
Yoga is a sister science to Ayurveda, so
all I'm really bringing to you is how to
take that wisdom of yoga and Ayurveda and
integrate it in as the lifestyle to prevent
you from developing those chronic metabolic
diseases in the first place.
And then I say look when something's
serious, we have those incredible
practitioners.
Hilary Russo (10:02):
Yeah, great, everybody works together to
help each other out out, but we have to
help ourselves first.
So I want to touch on turmeric, because you
did bring it up.
That's really what you're known for, and
the anti-inflammatory ways and turmeric is.
We hear all about it.
There's so many videos out there now people
doing things with turmeric, which is great,
(10:23):
but understanding what people are doing, I
think, is really important, why this
conversation is so vital, so that we can
truly understand the power of this plant,
this spice, and what it can really do for
us.
So let's go there.
Dr. Shivani Gupta (10:38):
Sure.
So my entire PhD dissertation was on
turmeric.
I was doing my master's degree in Ayurvedic
lifestyle and I learned about all the herbs
and spices and so, as I was sitting in
class, the teacher was teaching us okay,
turmeric, does this.
Ginger, does that.
Ashwagandha, does this.
In the Indian household, you use your
(10:58):
coriander, your red chili spice, your gada
masala that has black pepper in this spice
bowl, basically the spice kit that we use
every day.
Here are all the benefits, and as I was
sitting there, I thought, wow, every spice
you're talking about does what superfoods
do?
We eat a lot of superfoods in the West
because they're anti-inflammatory, they're
antioxidant and they're immune, supportive,
(11:19):
high vitamin C and these kinds of things.
But what you're saying is these spices have
the same power, the same abilities, and we
don't use them.
We just in America, use, like salt, black
pepper, basil, oregano.
People keep it really simple, and so my
dream is really to bring those spices back
into our life, whether we use them in our
food or we take them in supplement form, to
get those superfood benefits.
(11:42):
And so when he, with a teacher, mentioned
tumeric, I thought, wow, everything you're
saying tumeric does.
My family history deals with.
My family history is all diabetic, heart
disease, parkinson's, really bad and so
every time I went to India I thought how am
I going to prevent this from happening in
my generation, with my siblings, to my
parents?
(12:02):
And so turmeric, to me, is one of the most
powerful superfoods that we have on earth.
It is anti-inflammatory and there's over
17,000 studies in PubMed, because there's
so much science going behind, why turmeric
is so effective as an anti-inflammatory.
The medical community, the scientific
community, is fascinated because it
approaches inflammation from so many
(12:24):
different pathways.
So when people are inflamed, what I've seen
anecdotally for the last 10 years working
with people is it helps the big issues,
then the medium issues and then the small
issues.
So people will say my chronic joint pain,
you're holding me pain-free.
We're seeing orthopedics say, wow, you've
got our pain patients feeling much better.
They're more flexible, more mobile, more
able to move their body and ambulate.
(12:46):
We've got a lot of other of the
subspecialties saying, wow, you're winning
at inflammation.
This is wonderful.
So it's anti-inflammatory, it's antioxidant,
which we know oxidation is causing aging
and rusting in our system over time.
We know that it's antiviral, antibacterial
and antifungal and so, based on my immune
system growing up, I really like the immune
(13:08):
modulating aspects of turmeric because I
need it.
It's my defense system against all that
comes.
We also know that turmeric is anti-candida,
anti-h pylori, anti-obesity.
We know it's this incredible janitor.
It comes through and just cleans out all
the cells that don't belong in our bodies.
So there's a process called cell apoptosis,
(13:28):
where our cells will die off if they don't
belong in us anymore.
If they hang around, oftentimes they turn
into zombie cells, they start running into
everything and causing damage.
And so turmeric is this ultimate janitor.
It just goes in there and cleans house so
the body can be efficient and clean and
work.
And so I love that turmeric can have such a
metabolic support.
(13:49):
It's supportive of the gut membrane, the
gut microbiome, which is huge again for
immune system and inflammation overall.
And then it's this powerful
anti-inflammatory which we know is an
anti-aging support.
But also it's going to help us when it
comes to chronic metabolic disease.
Hilary Russo (14:03):
Coming in like a janitor.
I mean, giving the visual is so powerful.
Being able to see it like that, like not
just being told oh there's another spice,
oh there's another plant medicine, oh
there's another this, and this is why it
does that.
Giving the visual definitely takes it up a
level right that it's able to do all that.
But here's the why and here's the how.
(14:24):
In simple terms, because not everybody is
going to look into the medicine, the
science behind it.
They want solutions, right?
I don't think I've ever heard anybody
explain it like that.
I love that With turmeric, does it have to
be in its purest form?
You see them selling turmeric at the stores.
Now the root.
But there's also essential oils.
There's also the powders that you can buy
(14:46):
as a spice to put in your spice rack.
Is there one that's more powerful?
Dr. Shivani Gupta (14:51):
Sure, so we're also bio-individual.
The way I like to think of it is in ancient
India they didn't use the root much.
The root turmeric is beneficial but it's
not as bioavailable.
Now when you take that root and you dry it
into the spice turmeric, you've really
concentrated it down.
(15:12):
It's like the difference between taking
basil, for example, and then the spice.
It's going to be way stronger onions as a
spice.
So when you take turmeric as a spice and
use it in your cooking, it's important to
do so with black pepper or a healthy fat to
increase that absorption, because we know
black pepper alone increases that
absorption by 2000%.
We know with healthy fat increases the
absorption significantly as well.
The problem is in the Western diet most
(15:32):
people aren't eating that much turmeric,
even though they know the benefits, or
they're having it in interesting ways, like
orange juice now will have turmeric, but
you're giving yourself sugar to give
yourself turmeric, so you're inflaming to
de-inflame, or a skinny latte.
We don't want a skinny latte, we want a
full fat latte.
It was always turmeric with whole milk to
get those benefits.
Oh like a chai.
Exactly, want a full fat latte, it was
(15:53):
always turmeric with whole milk to get
those benefits.
Oh, like a chai, exactly Like a chai tea
latte.
Don't make it skinny then, because you need
that fat to increase that absorption.
And then, finally, when we take turmeric,
the plant, only 3% of it is the
curcuminoids, and of those curcuminoids,
curcumin is the most effective at reducing
inflammation, and so that's where so much
science has been invested in.
How do we create extracts out of turmeric
(16:15):
to give people just that piece that's the
most effective at inflammation?
And so there's a lot of games played in the
supplement world.
Right now.
A lot of supplements are made just so
they're highly profitable.
They're made because people just want to
create something that people will buy.
In my case, after my PhD was done, I wanted
to prove my point.
I wanted to prove to orthopedics that we
(16:35):
can get people out of pain without harming
their gut, because in my case, when I hurt
myself at the gym or anywhere, I cannot
take NSAIDs high dose over a long period of
time.
I'm one of those people, and there's a lot
of people who cannot take NSAIDs all the
time.
We know it can cause a GI bleed, we know it
can cause damage to the kidneys, and so I
created a turmeric purely to show
(16:57):
orthopedics.
We can keep people out of pain.
And then now I get to teach about the
preventive aspects of turmeric to everybody,
to show everyone.
Look, when you extract it at the right
dosage, at the right potency, standardized
to the highest levels, now we're talking
about a significant reduction in
inflammation.
Hilary Russo (17:14):
So can you just go to the store and buy
turmeric in the spice aisle?
Or, if you do use essential oils, can you
just use it because it's so constant, it's
so distilled, and pair it with, maybe,
distilled black pepper in an essential oil.
Are those still options?
Are you still going to get the potency?
Dr. Shivani Gupta (17:34):
Absolutely you will.
Anytime we're using the whole plant, it's
going to have benefits.
It's just about what potency level you need
for you to feel the difference.
A lot of times I meet people who are like,
yeah, I take my tumor supplement.
I've never felt anything.
Hey, change it up, try someone else.
There's a lot of great brands out there.
I'm not the only one who created one, I'm
just obsessive and I made one that I wanted
(17:57):
to prove my point.
Essential oils are incredible.
We love essential oils.
We love teas out of Ayurveda.
The more natural we can go, the better.
The problem is, nowadays we're so inflamed
as a society.
We have so much chronic, low-grade,
persistent inflammation running rampant.
We have these kind of forest fires going
due to different issues.
It could be toxins, it could be different
(18:18):
traumas.
We're in the sympathetic mode and we're in
fight or flight.
We're in high stress so much of the time.
Plus, we have a lot of oxidative stressors,
and so that's where I think supplementation
can really help people.
But then move back into your maintenance
dose and use the oils, use the spice, use
the foods to stay healthy overall.
Hilary Russo (18:37):
Yeah, love that.
And you mentioned you have your own line.
This is an Ayurvedic company that helps
people with inflammation and pain, and
we're going to put a link in the notes of
this podcast because we're going to share
more about what you do offer and take
advantage of it.
It's a wonderful opportunity.
You know, here, on HIListically Speaking,
(18:58):
we back those companies, those products,
those people like Dr Gupta that are making
a difference and sharing what they know,
especially when it comes to holistic
healing and functional medicine and
integrative health.
So, thank you for that.
Do you want to share a little bit about?
You know, this is a term we've been, you've
been mentioning a lot and maybe for those
newcomers out there, what exactly Ayurvedic
(19:21):
is.
Dr. Shivani Gupta (19:22):
Sure.
So Ayurveda is an entire system of health,
healing and medicine from India that's
5,000 years old and this system is actually
a way of life, so it's an entire way of
life we can all live each and every day.
It encompasses some of my favorite pillars
of health.
It actually encompasses so much more, but
the six pillars I teach are circadian
(19:43):
rhythm, which is a concept that came out of
Ayurveda.
That just means we should live according to
nature's clock, and when we're off nature's
clock we're causing dis-ease because we're
living against it.
Then we teach a lot about Sattvic diet, the
Sattvic lifestyle, living this yogic
lifestyle, and eating with a lot of
intention, eating foods that are nutrient
dense, nutrient variety, that are seasonal
(20:05):
from our circadian clock.
We also teach something called your dosha,
or your mind-body constitution, and how.
Each of us has our own constitution, and
once we understand if we're more air or
more fire or more earth, we then have a
blueprint for how to live every day.
That applies to everything else we do when
we eat, when we sleep, how we do self-care,
(20:27):
what foods we eat, what spices we use.
You can really customize down to your
constitution.
So I love doing a dosha quiz on people and
showing them what they are and they're
always like what?
How do you know that?
And I'm like, oh, I know a lot about you
that let me show you how to adjust and
calibrate to your life moment to moment so
you feel your best.
Then I teach a lot about sleep, because if
(20:48):
we don't sleep, we're going to stay
inflamed and then you're going to need
turmeric forever.
So if I can just fix your sleep, you can
de-inflame yourself, which would make me
happy.
Then I teach about all the self-care
rituals from Ayurveda that are the daily
rituals.
We call it the daily rhythm you build by
using these self-care rituals that are
detoxing and beneficial for your health.
(21:08):
And then, finally, my last pillar is super
spices, because I love the spices, I love
tea, I love adaptogens and I want to help
people feel better.
And then I can show you all the lifestyle
stuff you can do.
And a lot of times people work with me for
six weeks.
They feel better and then they'll fall off
the horse and they'll say I heard my little
(21:32):
Shivani on my shoulder.
Remind me, do self-care.
Pick up a you know, pick up your dry brush,
pick up your tongue scraper.
Start to do tea.
Time is me time.
Hilary Russo (21:35):
Do the little things that add up to getting
you back on your track and there's so many
different things that you can do, like you
mentioned, all these pillars.
But even if you make one change, you're
moving in the right direction, right, and
when you fall off the horse you can get
back on it.
You know we wobble, but we don't fall down
kind of like a weeble right, and it's just
bouncing back up and realizing that we have
the ability to make small changes and small
shifts.
(21:56):
So, and one thing that you did mention,
that I think a lot of people struggle with
and we're seeing this not just those who
tune into the show but sleep, like me, with
others who might be struggling with sleep.
What would be the first thing that you
would suggest?
Dr. Shivani Gupta (22:14):
One big idea I teach people is when we have
children, we usually read all these books
on how to make them sleep, because we need
them to sleep, for us to sleep.
And guess what is one big thing we do for
them?
We set up a nighttime ritual to lead them
to a great us to sleep.
And guess what is one big thing we do for
them?
We set up a nighttime ritual to lead them
to a great night's sleep.
We close the blinds, we start diffusing
lavender oil, we start playing sleep music,
(22:36):
we do a massage to them.
We make sure they have a nice hot bath.
Massage them after with lotions, put their
pajamas on, make sure everything's dark.
Lotions, put their pajamas on, make sure
everything's dark.
So everything you've done there is
programming mind and body.
We are going to bed.
Right, what do we do for ourselves?
We're like, okay, close the laptop, run up,
(22:58):
you know, maybe throw pajamas on.
I've learned a lot of people don't do that.
Plug in our device right next to our head
so it can damage and disease us all night
long, and then read on social.
Maybe we're on TikTok or Instagram.
We're just like consuming, consuming blue
light, programming, boom, and we should
automatically fall asleep.
And I'm not saying I'm perfect, I totally
(23:19):
do that sometimes.
But what if we did the Ayurvedic way?
The Ayurvedic way is I have alarms on my
phone to remind me 8.15,.
Invest in self-care time, 9 o'clock,
bedtime rituals, and lead ourselves towards
great sleep using the Ayurvedic rituals.
So the Ayurvedic rituals are actually 12 of
them and they start in the morning and I've
(23:40):
cut it in half and moved a lot of them into
the evening because most of us aren't that
free in the morning to do so much self-care
and in the evening they're the perfect lead
in for bed.
So I talk about dry brushing.
Dry brushing is going to move the lymphatic
system so that it works better overnight to
clean and clear and detox us.
The circadian clock in IRV that says we
(24:01):
should sleep from 10 to two on the clock.
That means all of us need to be asleep by
10.
I know that that's hard because the average
American is sleeping at 1122, according to
Fitbit.
But if we can move that time up 15 minutes
at a time, sleep alone will clear
inflammation overnight.
And 10 to two is what we call the fit, that
time of day where the sun is highest in the
(24:23):
sky, and so if you stay up till about
midnight you'll find all of a sudden you're
like I'm a night owl.
I have so much energy, I can do so much.
You are not a night owl.
You're not extra creative at midnight, any
one of us.
If we got too close to the highest sun
point, we'll all automatically take the
energy that we could have used for detoxing
and clearing inflammation and we'll just
(24:44):
leverage it for work and thus completely
bypass detoxification and cleaning, and so
our job is different sleep rituals.
I have a deep sleep tea that I developed
purely to help mind and body relax and ease
towards bedtime, because I myself need some
tools hot shower, maybe Epsom salt bath.
(25:05):
I do a heating pad in bed just to keep
myself extra warm and relaxed and comforted
and then go to bed.
And so the more you can do in that 30
minutes to an hour leading to bedtime, the
better quality sleep you'll get.
And that deep sleep is going to be so
restorative and healing that when you wake
up in the morning you'll be energized.
So when I wake up in the morning, I'm
(25:26):
joyful.
I'm like, wow, I'm excited about today, and
before I used to wake up tired and
exhausted and hitting the snooze button and
never wanting to wake up.
And so that's my dream, is for all of us to
do even a few self-care rituals before bed.
So we wake up so excited.
Hilary Russo (25:44):
I'm sitting here, I'm like, oh gosh, if she
just knew, if she knew what I do.
And look, I mean, like you said, I mean we,
even when we're in this space, we have
things we break our own.
But it's a, it's an awakening, it's an
awareness just to say, okay, what can I do
(26:09):
differently?
Why am I going down this road?
How can I make one small change just to
elevate my life, right?
So I'm glad you actually mentioned that
there's some things that you do?
Dr. Shivani Gupta (26:16):
What is Shivani's biggest challenge?
Oh gosh, I would say my biggest challenge
is food.
Because I'm vegetarian, I want to eat
Ayurvedic, I want to eat seasonal, I want
to eat organic, I want to eat according to
my dosha.
My dosha says don't eat anything hot and
spicy, because I'm already a fire, and all
I want is I pour hot, spicy, hot sauces on
(26:37):
everything I eat.
So I break that rule all day.
I want to eat high protein because I'm in
perimenopause.
I want to eat such nutrient density with
sprouts and so no matter.
And I'm so obsessed with health all I do is
read about health.
So I'm in one of those awkward positions
where I can never win, no matter what I do.
So I've had to make a lot of peace with
(26:58):
food and just acknowledge that there's
seven days in a week.
We can't have perfection on any given day,
but if one or two meals out of the day are
so awesome, it's okay.
Even one meal at this point, right.
Hilary Russo (27:14):
And go easy on yourself, right?
If you do that, if we start bashing
ourselves for the little things that we do,
that we'd like to do better, we're our own
worst bully.
And it's nice to hear the human side of the
doctor.
Yeah, yeah, you know, we all have those
moments, so thank you for sharing that.
I would have to say, for me it's probably
sleep and once in a while it'll be sugars,
(27:38):
you know, but I know how I feel when I have
too much, you know.
And uh, just just making those small notes
to yourself of how does this make me feel?
Dr. Shivani Gupta (27:47):
Absolutely.
Hilary Russo (27:48):
Yeah, so again, fusionary Formulas.
We're going to share more about that in
notes of this podcast.
And then also, you have two giveaways and
I'm so grateful that you're sharing this
Free 7-Day Inflammation Detox Challenge
you're sharing, as well as an
anti-inflammatory e-cookbook.
Okay, I'm all about that.
Do you want to share anything?
Dr. Shivani Gupta (28:08):
about those Absolutely.
So many people come to me and their main
struggle is inflammation.
They know they're inflamed, they're like
something's wrong.
I've got joint pain, I've got stiffness,
something's wrong with my gut, I have brain
fog, random things hurt.
I don't understand why I've tried
everything, inflamm inflammation.
If we just learn how to naturally clear it
(28:29):
and build an anti-inflammatory lifestyle,
then we can maintain that vibrant health
that we deserve, and so the seven day
challenge is actually a really easy way to
learn a little bit about everything that I
teach.
So I don't take everything away from you
which typically, if you want to reduce
inflammation, you're going to take away
that sugar, we're going to take away
alcohol, we're going to take away gluten.
(28:49):
So instead I try to add a lot back in.
Let's give you glorious sleep, let's get
you feeling great, and then, yes, I will
take one or two food categories away from
you.
Hilary Russo (28:57):
Are you going to tell us what those are?
Dr. Shivani Gupta (29:00):
I mean the top five inflammatory foods that
I teach are dairy, sugar, alcohol, gluten
and then red meat.
Which red meat is?
You know it's dependent on the person.
Some of us are so built to digest it, not
all of us.
Sometimes I talk to my clients.
I'm like, look, just give it, take it out
for two weeks, let the gut heal and then
bring it back in it.
I know it has a lot of benefits.
(29:21):
It just depends on your different template
of body.
So cutting inflammation is very key and
that's why I also made the
anti-inflammatory cookbook, just to show
different ways to reduce inflammation.
The thing is, if we're not going to
consistently reduce inflammation in this
day and time, we're going to have that
chronic buildup of toxic burden and
(29:41):
different issues.
So that's why I'm so passionate about all
the ways we can reduce inflammation.
Hilary Russo (29:46):
And what I love that you're sharing about
both of these.
They're so synergetic together.
So you can do the seven-day inflammation
detox challenge that Shivani's offering and
use her anti-inflammatory e-cookbook
recipes.
My friends, it's like right there in front
of you and I'm going to use some of her
recipes.
I'm going to try this out and I'm going to
(30:07):
incorporate what I already do and see how
it levels up, and then I'll get back to you
and let you know.
Hey, maybe we'll do it together.
Maybe we'll do it with some HIListically
speaking audience members together.
See if they want to do it as a little
challenge.
Dr. Shivani Gupta (30:21):
I love that.
Hilary Russo (30:22):
Yeah, let me know if you like that.
My friends tuning in.
If that's something you want to do, let me
know.
Drop a comment.
Wherever you're tuning in and listening or
watching on YouTube, Let me know, and maybe
we'll do it together as a big old community
collective effort.
I love that, all right.
(30:44):
So one thing I want to do with you before I
let you go is I love to play a little game.
I throw out a word that you've said and I
want you to come back with the first word
that comes to mind Awesome.
Here we go, we're going to do a little
brain candy is what I call it.
It's a brain candy game, all right.
Turmeric Inflammation Formula.
Dr. Shivani Gupta (31:02):
Holistic healing.
Holistic Holistic means natural of the
earth.
Hilary Russo (31:09):
circadian nature's clock pain suffering
ayurveda the best system.
I don't think I've ever actually used that
as a word in the brain.
Candy game, immigrant, assimilating oh, I
like that.
One.
Chronic Suffering, functional, integrative.
(31:36):
I don't think I said this word, but I do
want to throw it out there because it does
have a lot to do with how tumor can impact
you.
Longevity, health span can impact you.
Longevity, healthspan, quality of life oh,
that's a good place to end right there.
Quality of life that's really what we're
doing here on this show is we're offering
(31:57):
possibilities to elevate your quality of
life.
That's what, HIListically speaking, is
Having guests like you, shivani, help us do
that.
So what I would love to do is just give you
a moment to see if there's something you
would like to leave with our audience and
how you would like to leave them today.
What words would you like to share?
Dr. Shivani Gupta (32:12):
Everyone has the sovereignty and the
ability to build and tune their intuition
to guide them on their own health journey.
You have that power to build your health
journey and completely change the
trajectory of your life and quality of your
life.
I'm a firm believer that we can each change
(32:34):
every aspect of our life, a life design
that's completely different than what we
have now.
We can elevate, we can grow, we can evolve
and reach higher and higher into our
physical health, mental, emotional health
and our spiritual health, and that's the
gift that Ayurveda gives to me and to so
many of the people who I get to speak to
and teach.
So that's the message I'd love to leave
(32:55):
today.
Hilary Russo (32:56):
I love that.
Thank you so much.
I felt that I heard that it's people like
you, it's humans like you, that are really
truly making a difference and raising
awareness in areas for us to really be our
own health care advocates.
Yes, yeah, absolutely.
Thank you for being here.
Dr. Shivani Gupta (33:14):
Thank you.
Thanks for having me, and I made a special
code for your audience.
Hillary, with one L, will give everyone 15%
off at FusionaryFormulascom.
And then my dosha quiz and a lot of things
we mentioned are at my website,
shabanigoptacom.
It's S-H-I-V-A-N-I-G-O-P-T-A.
Hilary Russo (33:32):
Thank you so much for that.
Appreciate it.
Thank you All.
Right, my friends, how about we put some of
these anti-inflammatory powerhouses to work
right now together?
I'm going to share a number of links with
you in the notes of this podcast episode so
that you can put idea into action and start
making change right now.
It starts with Dr Shivani Gupta's seven day
(33:54):
detox challenge.
Then you've got her e-cookbook download
that you can use with the seven day
challenge and let's level it up a little
bit the Fusionary Formula products.
Use my code, HIlary H-I-L-A-R-Y, and
receive even more benefits.
Talk about elevating your optimal health.
All three of those things are going to put
you on the path.
(34:14):
So let me know how it works.
Do the week, the seven days, and then share
it.
Comment.
You know, wherever you're tuning into this
podcast, whether it is on Apple or Spotify
or even watching us on YouTube make sure
you are following us each place.
Download, leave a comment.
Let us know how it's working for you,
because that's what this is all about here
(34:36):
on HIListically Speaking is that it's
finding those inspiring ways to be kind to
your mind, body and your spirit.
And if you're interested in learning more
about how holistic health and integrative
nutrition can really make a change in your
life, maybe even seeing how you can change
a thought, a mood, a behavior, a habit, and
(34:56):
learn more about havening and neuroscience.
I've got you covered.
I shared even more on the offerings that
are happening right now that you can
complement with your own health journey.
HIListically Speaking is edited by
Two-Market Media, with music by Lipbone
Redding and, of course, supported by you.
So thank you for being here time and time
again.
It just takes one small change to pave the
(35:19):
way for possibilities.
Remember that, and when it comes to your
health, you are always your own health care
advocate first.
So I believe in you, I love you and I will
be sending hugs your way.
Be well.
I'm a firm believer that we can each change
every aspect of our life, a life design
that's completely different than what we
have now.
We can elevate, we can grow, we can evolve
and reach higher and higher into our
physical health, mental, emotional health
and our spiritual health.
Hilary Russo (00:17):
Have you ever wondered how much
inflammation is secretly running the show
in your body, causing pain, brain fog,
draining that energy?
It can really be the villain with anything
when you're struggling autoimmune disease,
gut issues and yes, ladies, those of you
(00:37):
listening even going through the changes,
and I can speak about that firsthand.
But the good news is you don't have to live
that way and you're about to find out why
that is.
Plus, you're gonna find out some spicy
answers that exist right in your
refrigerator and in your kitchen and in
your cabinet, if that gives you a little
(00:59):
hint.
So when I first walked into the world of
holistic health myself and integrative
nutrition before I even became a
trauma-informed practitioner of havening I
really spent a lot of time in my own
kitchen discovering the medicines that
already exist right there.
How can I integrate them into my own life?
Right, and how can I change my habits?
(01:19):
Maybe you've done that too, and if you're
interested in integrative nutrition or even
Havening, and if it sounds like something
you want to look into, check the notes of
this podcast, because I'm sharing more ways
and more offers that create possibilities
for you, you know, so that you can put that
into your own life day after day.
So you asked for this topic on HIListically
(01:40):
Speaking, and I'm listening.
It is something we have not really dived
into just itself, and that is Ayurveda.
So we're doing that today and I have the
perfect person to support this conversation,
dr Shivani Gupta, and she is an Ayurvedic
practitioner expert in blending the Eastern
(02:01):
wisdom and the Western science to help our
bodies find balance.
Shivani, it is about time right, absolutely.
When we talk about the Eastern and the
Western, it really says we're bringing that
here.
We're seeing more people really diving into
that, and I know from your own experience
of somebody who grew up both in the States
(02:21):
and has roots to India.
This was an easier path for you to get into,
but you do have your own story.
Dr. Shivani Gupta (02:29):
Yes for sure.
It's been a long journey to finding the
system that finally worked for me.
And I grew up in Houston, texas, a typical
immigrant child who was lucky enough to
start going to India to see all my
grandparents and cousins when I was about
five years old.
But the punishment to that was from five
till 20.
(02:49):
Every time I went to India I would get
disastrously sick.
One bite of chutney or one bite of potatoes
on the street, with all the fun street
foods we had, and I would have Montezuma's
revenge, india style, and it was horrible.
And so I just grew up thinking, wow,
everyone else has an immune system,
everyone else can eat foods, everyone else
can go to a party and not get sick.
(03:09):
But I somehow was born with this defective
template and I'm always sick.
And so, fast forward.
It took me till college to learn about and
realize there's this thing called gut
health, there's this thing called a gut
microbiome and we have to have probiotics.
And so one time I was in India in college,
(03:30):
disastrously sick.
They thought they'd have to hospitalize me
and we went to this doctor's office, dr
Gupta, and we were sitting in his office
and he goes okay, here's your solution,
here's your prescription.
And then here's the 11 medicines you can
take to get better.
And there's this voice that screamed out of
me and said no, we're not doing this again.
(03:50):
And so I looked at the doctor and I said
can we dumb that antibiotics down a couple
notches?
Can we not explode my gut like you do every
year here?
And then, what are those other 11 meds for?
Oh, they're for symptoms.
No, not doing that.
And where's the probiotic?
And I remember my parents getting so mad
like you don't talk to an Indian doctor
that way.
I said you know what?
This is not working anymore.
We have to go find a new way and I have to
figure this out.
(04:11):
We're in the land of yoga and Ayurveda.
There must be other options here.
And so I went on a quest through India and
I went to each center, sat at the guru's
feet and just hoped for help, and
eventually I got my answers.
I saw tons of people getting healed.
I learned all about gut health, the
Ayurveda way, and I rebuilt my gut health
(04:32):
and my immune system and I thought, wow,
why is the whole world not living like this?
This is incredible.
This is the path to health, and I realized
Ayurveda is just really bad at simplifying
things into a way that we in the West can
use.
So that was my mission 20 years ago and I'm
still doing that.
I'm still pulling Ayurvedic tools into the
modern day times in a simpler way that we
(04:54):
can use to get the results, so that I can
teach everyone the lifestyle that, if we
lead it and live it, we can have that
vibrant health that we all deserve.
Hilary Russo (05:02):
If we lead it and live it and see.
That's the kind of doctor I love working
with when I'm working in the holistic
health field and any integrative medicine,
finding doctors who are in the functional
medicine space or integrative space.
I align with that more, not just because
it's part of my business, but because I
have to be my own healthcare advocate.
You know, I have to be my own healthcare
advocate, just like you are your own
(05:24):
healthcare advocate.
And you mentioned something that was really
interesting to me, shivani, and it's the
point that when you were seeing the doctor
and you're getting all of these
prescriptions prescribed, you had a voice
which for a very long time I don't think,
especially in this country you didn't talk
back to your doctor, you didn't ask
questions and there was almost a
(05:44):
manipulation.
That happened.
Like I know more and I'm not saying doctors
don't know more, but who knows the body and
your body better than self?
Dr. Shivani Gupta (05:53):
Correct and that was a pattern through my
whole life was you go to the expert or the
doctor.
They always give you a prescription, you
take it and you assume it's good for you,
and even until I'd say a decade ago that
was still true I'd still go to the doctor.
I went to orthopedics and I was like I have
knee pain, I have plantar fasciitis, and
they said take NSAIDs 24, seven for 10 days.
(06:14):
So I listened because that's the expert.
And then all of a sudden, I'd have a
punishment called stomach aches and I'd say
wait a minute, you guys gave me a problem.
That is unacceptable to me.
I can't have anyone impact my gut.
I have to find a different way to do this,
and so being sovereign and being an
advocate for yourself in your own care is
something I'm very passionate about,
(06:34):
because if we don't learn to really
understand our health, be intuitive with it,
understand our own bio-individual body, our
own mind-body constitution, then we will be
at the whim of others.
And, from what I've learned, not every tool
in the toolkit of Western medicine works
for my body.
I really have to guard my health carefully,
(06:55):
and so what's interesting is I'm married
into an all Western medicine family and
everyone around me is like there's a pill
for that and I'm like, no, no, no, no,
there's a herb for that.
Actually, there's a spice for that and
there's a tea for that.
So if you want that toolkit, I am always
using that toolkit.
Hilary Russo (07:09):
So how do you, how do you support each
other on that journey?
If you're having the Western and the
Eastern, is it really just being open to
having the conversations?
Because obviously, maybe for somebody there
is a pill for that and maybe for another
person there is an herb for that.
So how do you come together and integrate,
using that word to really support
(07:29):
bio-individuality?
Dr. Shivani Gupta (07:32):
You know, it's been really interesting
because I'm married to a Western MD doctor
and my viewpoints are getting more Eastern
and holistic year by year.
It's almost like I as I vintage, as I
become more and more.
It's almost like the strength of it there's
a word for that where I'm becoming less
flexible about the strength of my
(07:52):
convictions.
Let's say it that way.
And so I think it's really about mutual
respect.
My husband looks at me and he's like, wow,
it's hinkabani as opposed to Pepto-Bismol.
And I'm like, absolutely, why don't we
watch the result?
Why don't we try my wife and just see?
And he's like, oh, okay, fine, that's fine,
we can do that from now on.
(08:12):
Or turmeric did that to that patient.
I'm like, yeah, and so it's just a slow
evolution, and I think Western medicine has
opened their minds a lot since COVID, which
is great.
Since the pandemic, things have changed.
A lot of mindsets are like look, both are
wonderful, we need both.
In catastrophic situations, when someone
needs surgery gosh do I love Western
medicine all day long.
When something's really serious, I love it,
(08:34):
and when something becomes a chronic issue
or a lifestyle issue or we have an herbal
solution, I love that too.
So I'm very much a meeting in the middle.
I think that's where functional medicine is
actually very powerful sometimes, because
functional medicine is really pulling
integrative and all the different
subspecialties out of the integrative
medicine specialties and meeting it with
functional medicine mindsets and finding
(08:56):
that root cause solution.
So to me every solution works.
Hilary Russo (09:00):
It's just about when and where Exactly and
coming from a doctor and hearing those
words from an MD are really powerful,
because I think it is that mutual respect,
knowing that we're so fortunate to have
modern medicine when we need it and we're
also fortunate to know that we can go back
to the roots of really what medicine was
(09:21):
based on right.
Dr. Shivani Gupta (09:22):
True, and in my in-law family I'm a PhD and
they're all MDs and surgeons, and so it's
really interesting because I'm coming at it
with this incredible knowledge from
Ayurveda and they're all Indian.
So they're like yeah, I know it works, but
I was trained in this other way and so we
get to always meet in the middle, which is
honestly a good metaphor example for what
(09:42):
we're doing in the rest of the country is
honestly a good metaphor example for what
we're doing in the rest of the country.
Yoga is a sister science to Ayurveda, so
all I'm really bringing to you is how to
take that wisdom of yoga and Ayurveda and
integrate it in as the lifestyle to prevent
you from developing those chronic metabolic
diseases in the first place.
And then I say look when something's
serious, we have those incredible
practitioners.
Hilary Russo (10:02):
Yeah, great, everybody works together to
help each other out out, but we have to
help ourselves first.
So I want to touch on turmeric, because you
did bring it up.
That's really what you're known for, and
the anti-inflammatory ways and turmeric is.
We hear all about it.
There's so many videos out there now people
doing things with turmeric, which is great,
(10:23):
but understanding what people are doing, I
think, is really important, why this
conversation is so vital, so that we can
truly understand the power of this plant,
this spice, and what it can really do for
us.
So let's go there.
Dr. Shivani Gupta (10:38):
Sure.
So my entire PhD dissertation was on
turmeric.
I was doing my master's degree in Ayurvedic
lifestyle and I learned about all the herbs
and spices and so, as I was sitting in
class, the teacher was teaching us okay,
turmeric, does this.
Ginger, does that.
Ashwagandha, does this.
In the Indian household, you use your
(10:58):
coriander, your red chili spice, your gada
masala that has black pepper in this spice
bowl, basically the spice kit that we use
every day.
Here are all the benefits, and as I was
sitting there, I thought, wow, every spice
you're talking about does what superfoods
do?
We eat a lot of superfoods in the West
because they're anti-inflammatory, they're
antioxidant and they're immune, supportive,
(11:19):
high vitamin C and these kinds of things.
But what you're saying is these spices have
the same power, the same abilities, and we
don't use them.
We just in America, use, like salt, black
pepper, basil, oregano.
People keep it really simple, and so my
dream is really to bring those spices back
into our life, whether we use them in our
food or we take them in supplement form, to
get those superfood benefits.
(11:42):
And so when he, with a teacher, mentioned
tumeric, I thought, wow, everything you're
saying tumeric does.
My family history deals with.
My family history is all diabetic, heart
disease, parkinson's, really bad and so
every time I went to India I thought how am
I going to prevent this from happening in
my generation, with my siblings, to my
parents?
(12:02):
And so turmeric, to me, is one of the most
powerful superfoods that we have on earth.
It is anti-inflammatory and there's over
17,000 studies in PubMed, because there's
so much science going behind, why turmeric
is so effective as an anti-inflammatory.
The medical community, the scientific
community, is fascinated because it
approaches inflammation from so many
(12:24):
different pathways.
So when people are inflamed, what I've seen
anecdotally for the last 10 years working
with people is it helps the big issues,
then the medium issues and then the small
issues.
So people will say my chronic joint pain,
you're holding me pain-free.
We're seeing orthopedics say, wow, you've
got our pain patients feeling much better.
They're more flexible, more mobile, more
able to move their body and ambulate.
(12:46):
We've got a lot of other of the
subspecialties saying, wow, you're winning
at inflammation.
This is wonderful.
So it's anti-inflammatory, it's antioxidant,
which we know oxidation is causing aging
and rusting in our system over time.
We know that it's antiviral, antibacterial
and antifungal and so, based on my immune
system growing up, I really like the immune
(13:08):
modulating aspects of turmeric because I
need it.
It's my defense system against all that
comes.
We also know that turmeric is anti-candida,
anti-h pylori, anti-obesity.
We know it's this incredible janitor.
It comes through and just cleans out all
the cells that don't belong in our bodies.
So there's a process called cell apoptosis,
(13:28):
where our cells will die off if they don't
belong in us anymore.
If they hang around, oftentimes they turn
into zombie cells, they start running into
everything and causing damage.
And so turmeric is this ultimate janitor.
It just goes in there and cleans house so
the body can be efficient and clean and
work.
And so I love that turmeric can have such a
metabolic support.
(13:49):
It's supportive of the gut membrane, the
gut microbiome, which is huge again for
immune system and inflammation overall.
And then it's this powerful
anti-inflammatory which we know is an
anti-aging support.
But also it's going to help us when it
comes to chronic metabolic disease.
Hilary Russo (14:03):
Coming in like a janitor.
I mean, giving the visual is so powerful.
Being able to see it like that, like not
just being told oh there's another spice,
oh there's another plant medicine, oh
there's another this, and this is why it
does that.
Giving the visual definitely takes it up a
level right that it's able to do all that.
But here's the why and here's the how.
(14:24):
In simple terms, because not everybody is
going to look into the medicine, the
science behind it.
They want solutions, right?
I don't think I've ever heard anybody
explain it like that.
I love that With turmeric, does it have to
be in its purest form?
You see them selling turmeric at the stores.
Now the root.
But there's also essential oils.
There's also the powders that you can buy
(14:46):
as a spice to put in your spice rack.
Is there one that's more powerful?
Dr. Shivani Gupta (14:51):
Sure, so we're also bio-individual.
The way I like to think of it is in ancient
India they didn't use the root much.
The root turmeric is beneficial but it's
not as bioavailable.
Now when you take that root and you dry it
into the spice turmeric, you've really
concentrated it down.
(15:12):
It's like the difference between taking
basil, for example, and then the spice.
It's going to be way stronger onions as a
spice.
So when you take turmeric as a spice and
use it in your cooking, it's important to
do so with black pepper or a healthy fat to
increase that absorption, because we know
black pepper alone increases that
absorption by 2000%.
We know with healthy fat increases the
absorption significantly as well.
The problem is in the Western diet most
(15:32):
people aren't eating that much turmeric,
even though they know the benefits, or
they're having it in interesting ways, like
orange juice now will have turmeric, but
you're giving yourself sugar to give
yourself turmeric, so you're inflaming to
de-inflame, or a skinny latte.
We don't want a skinny latte, we want a
full fat latte.
It was always turmeric with whole milk to
get those benefits.
Oh like a chai.
Exactly, want a full fat latte, it was
(15:53):
always turmeric with whole milk to get
those benefits.
Oh, like a chai, exactly Like a chai tea
latte.
Don't make it skinny then, because you need
that fat to increase that absorption.
And then, finally, when we take turmeric,
the plant, only 3% of it is the
curcuminoids, and of those curcuminoids,
curcumin is the most effective at reducing
inflammation, and so that's where so much
science has been invested in.
How do we create extracts out of turmeric
(16:15):
to give people just that piece that's the
most effective at inflammation?
And so there's a lot of games played in the
supplement world.
Right now.
A lot of supplements are made just so
they're highly profitable.
They're made because people just want to
create something that people will buy.
In my case, after my PhD was done, I wanted
to prove my point.
I wanted to prove to orthopedics that we
(16:35):
can get people out of pain without harming
their gut, because in my case, when I hurt
myself at the gym or anywhere, I cannot
take NSAIDs high dose over a long period of
time.
I'm one of those people, and there's a lot
of people who cannot take NSAIDs all the
time.
We know it can cause a GI bleed, we know it
can cause damage to the kidneys, and so I
created a turmeric purely to show
(16:57):
orthopedics.
We can keep people out of pain.
And then now I get to teach about the
preventive aspects of turmeric to everybody,
to show everyone.
Look, when you extract it at the right
dosage, at the right potency, standardized
to the highest levels, now we're talking
about a significant reduction in
inflammation.
Hilary Russo (17:14):
So can you just go to the store and buy
turmeric in the spice aisle?
Or, if you do use essential oils, can you
just use it because it's so constant, it's
so distilled, and pair it with, maybe,
distilled black pepper in an essential oil.
Are those still options?
Are you still going to get the potency?
Dr. Shivani Gupta (17:34):
Absolutely you will.
Anytime we're using the whole plant, it's
going to have benefits.
It's just about what potency level you need
for you to feel the difference.
A lot of times I meet people who are like,
yeah, I take my tumor supplement.
I've never felt anything.
Hey, change it up, try someone else.
There's a lot of great brands out there.
I'm not the only one who created one, I'm
just obsessive and I made one that I wanted
(17:57):
to prove my point.
Essential oils are incredible.
We love essential oils.
We love teas out of Ayurveda.
The more natural we can go, the better.
The problem is, nowadays we're so inflamed
as a society.
We have so much chronic, low-grade,
persistent inflammation running rampant.
We have these kind of forest fires going
due to different issues.
It could be toxins, it could be different
(18:18):
traumas.
We're in the sympathetic mode and we're in
fight or flight.
We're in high stress so much of the time.
Plus, we have a lot of oxidative stressors,
and so that's where I think supplementation
can really help people.
But then move back into your maintenance
dose and use the oils, use the spice, use
the foods to stay healthy overall.
Hilary Russo (18:37):
Yeah, love that.
And you mentioned you have your own line.
This is an Ayurvedic company that helps
people with inflammation and pain, and
we're going to put a link in the notes of
this podcast because we're going to share
more about what you do offer and take
advantage of it.
It's a wonderful opportunity.
You know, here, on HIListically Speaking,
(18:58):
we back those companies, those products,
those people like Dr Gupta that are making
a difference and sharing what they know,
especially when it comes to holistic
healing and functional medicine and
integrative health.
So, thank you for that.
Do you want to share a little bit about?
You know, this is a term we've been, you've
been mentioning a lot and maybe for those
newcomers out there, what exactly Ayurvedic
(19:21):
is.
Dr. Shivani Gupta (19:22):
Sure.
So Ayurveda is an entire system of health,
healing and medicine from India that's
5,000 years old and this system is actually
a way of life, so it's an entire way of
life we can all live each and every day.
It encompasses some of my favorite pillars
of health.
It actually encompasses so much more, but
the six pillars I teach are circadian
(19:43):
rhythm, which is a concept that came out of
Ayurveda.
That just means we should live according to
nature's clock, and when we're off nature's
clock we're causing dis-ease because we're
living against it.
Then we teach a lot about Sattvic diet, the
Sattvic lifestyle, living this yogic
lifestyle, and eating with a lot of
intention, eating foods that are nutrient
dense, nutrient variety, that are seasonal
(20:05):
from our circadian clock.
We also teach something called your dosha,
or your mind-body constitution, and how.
Each of us has our own constitution, and
once we understand if we're more air or
more fire or more earth, we then have a
blueprint for how to live every day.
That applies to everything else we do when
we eat, when we sleep, how we do self-care,
(20:27):
what foods we eat, what spices we use.
You can really customize down to your
constitution.
So I love doing a dosha quiz on people and
showing them what they are and they're
always like what?
How do you know that?
And I'm like, oh, I know a lot about you
that let me show you how to adjust and
calibrate to your life moment to moment so
you feel your best.
Then I teach a lot about sleep, because if
(20:48):
we don't sleep, we're going to stay
inflamed and then you're going to need
turmeric forever.
So if I can just fix your sleep, you can
de-inflame yourself, which would make me
happy.
Then I teach about all the self-care
rituals from Ayurveda that are the daily
rituals.
We call it the daily rhythm you build by
using these self-care rituals that are
detoxing and beneficial for your health.
(21:08):
And then, finally, my last pillar is super
spices, because I love the spices, I love
tea, I love adaptogens and I want to help
people feel better.
And then I can show you all the lifestyle
stuff you can do.
And a lot of times people work with me for
six weeks.
They feel better and then they'll fall off
the horse and they'll say I heard my little
(21:32):
Shivani on my shoulder.
Remind me, do self-care.
Pick up a you know, pick up your dry brush,
pick up your tongue scraper.
Start to do tea.
Time is me time.
Hilary Russo (21:35):
Do the little things that add up to getting
you back on your track and there's so many
different things that you can do, like you
mentioned, all these pillars.
But even if you make one change, you're
moving in the right direction, right, and
when you fall off the horse you can get
back on it.
You know we wobble, but we don't fall down
kind of like a weeble right, and it's just
bouncing back up and realizing that we have
the ability to make small changes and small
shifts.
(21:56):
So, and one thing that you did mention,
that I think a lot of people struggle with
and we're seeing this not just those who
tune into the show but sleep, like me, with
others who might be struggling with sleep.
What would be the first thing that you
would suggest?
Dr. Shivani Gupta (22:14):
One big idea I teach people is when we have
children, we usually read all these books
on how to make them sleep, because we need
them to sleep, for us to sleep.
And guess what is one big thing we do for
them?
We set up a nighttime ritual to lead them
to a great us to sleep.
And guess what is one big thing we do for
them?
We set up a nighttime ritual to lead them
to a great night's sleep.
We close the blinds, we start diffusing
lavender oil, we start playing sleep music,
(22:36):
we do a massage to them.
We make sure they have a nice hot bath.
Massage them after with lotions, put their
pajamas on, make sure everything's dark.
Lotions, put their pajamas on, make sure
everything's dark.
So everything you've done there is
programming mind and body.
We are going to bed.
Right, what do we do for ourselves?
We're like, okay, close the laptop, run up,
(22:58):
you know, maybe throw pajamas on.
I've learned a lot of people don't do that.
Plug in our device right next to our head
so it can damage and disease us all night
long, and then read on social.
Maybe we're on TikTok or Instagram.
We're just like consuming, consuming blue
light, programming, boom, and we should
automatically fall asleep.
And I'm not saying I'm perfect, I totally
(23:19):
do that sometimes.
But what if we did the Ayurvedic way?
The Ayurvedic way is I have alarms on my
phone to remind me 8.15,.
Invest in self-care time, 9 o'clock,
bedtime rituals, and lead ourselves towards
great sleep using the Ayurvedic rituals.
So the Ayurvedic rituals are actually 12 of
them and they start in the morning and I've
(23:40):
cut it in half and moved a lot of them into
the evening because most of us aren't that
free in the morning to do so much self-care
and in the evening they're the perfect lead
in for bed.
So I talk about dry brushing.
Dry brushing is going to move the lymphatic
system so that it works better overnight to
clean and clear and detox us.
The circadian clock in IRV that says we
(24:01):
should sleep from 10 to two on the clock.
That means all of us need to be asleep by
10.
I know that that's hard because the average
American is sleeping at 1122, according to
Fitbit.
But if we can move that time up 15 minutes
at a time, sleep alone will clear
inflammation overnight.
And 10 to two is what we call the fit, that
time of day where the sun is highest in the
(24:23):
sky, and so if you stay up till about
midnight you'll find all of a sudden you're
like I'm a night owl.
I have so much energy, I can do so much.
You are not a night owl.
You're not extra creative at midnight, any
one of us.
If we got too close to the highest sun
point, we'll all automatically take the
energy that we could have used for detoxing
and clearing inflammation and we'll just
(24:44):
leverage it for work and thus completely
bypass detoxification and cleaning, and so
our job is different sleep rituals.
I have a deep sleep tea that I developed
purely to help mind and body relax and ease
towards bedtime, because I myself need some
tools hot shower, maybe Epsom salt bath.
(25:05):
I do a heating pad in bed just to keep
myself extra warm and relaxed and comforted
and then go to bed.
And so the more you can do in that 30
minutes to an hour leading to bedtime, the
better quality sleep you'll get.
And that deep sleep is going to be so
restorative and healing that when you wake
up in the morning you'll be energized.
So when I wake up in the morning, I'm
(25:26):
joyful.
I'm like, wow, I'm excited about today, and
before I used to wake up tired and
exhausted and hitting the snooze button and
never wanting to wake up.
And so that's my dream, is for all of us to
do even a few self-care rituals before bed.
So we wake up so excited.
Hilary Russo (25:44):
I'm sitting here, I'm like, oh gosh, if she
just knew, if she knew what I do.
And look, I mean, like you said, I mean we,
even when we're in this space, we have
things we break our own.
But it's a, it's an awakening, it's an
awareness just to say, okay, what can I do
(26:09):
differently?
Why am I going down this road?
How can I make one small change just to
elevate my life, right?
So I'm glad you actually mentioned that
there's some things that you do?
Dr. Shivani Gupta (26:16):
What is Shivani's biggest challenge?
Oh gosh, I would say my biggest challenge
is food.
Because I'm vegetarian, I want to eat
Ayurvedic, I want to eat seasonal, I want
to eat organic, I want to eat according to
my dosha.
My dosha says don't eat anything hot and
spicy, because I'm already a fire, and all
I want is I pour hot, spicy, hot sauces on
(26:37):
everything I eat.
So I break that rule all day.
I want to eat high protein because I'm in
perimenopause.
I want to eat such nutrient density with
sprouts and so no matter.
And I'm so obsessed with health all I do is
read about health.
So I'm in one of those awkward positions
where I can never win, no matter what I do.
So I've had to make a lot of peace with
(26:58):
food and just acknowledge that there's
seven days in a week.
We can't have perfection on any given day,
but if one or two meals out of the day are
so awesome, it's okay.
Even one meal at this point, right.
Hilary Russo (27:14):
And go easy on yourself, right?
If you do that, if we start bashing
ourselves for the little things that we do,
that we'd like to do better, we're our own
worst bully.
And it's nice to hear the human side of the
doctor.
Yeah, yeah, you know, we all have those
moments, so thank you for sharing that.
I would have to say, for me it's probably
sleep and once in a while it'll be sugars,
(27:38):
you know, but I know how I feel when I have
too much, you know.
And uh, just just making those small notes
to yourself of how does this make me feel?
Dr. Shivani Gupta (27:47):
Absolutely.
Hilary Russo (27:48):
Yeah, so again, fusionary Formulas.
We're going to share more about that in
notes of this podcast.
And then also, you have two giveaways and
I'm so grateful that you're sharing this
Free 7-Day Inflammation Detox Challenge
you're sharing, as well as an
anti-inflammatory e-cookbook.
Okay, I'm all about that.
Do you want to share anything?
Dr. Shivani Gupta (28:08):
about those Absolutely.
So many people come to me and their main
struggle is inflammation.
They know they're inflamed, they're like
something's wrong.
I've got joint pain, I've got stiffness,
something's wrong with my gut, I have brain
fog, random things hurt.
I don't understand why I've tried
everything, inflamm inflammation.
If we just learn how to naturally clear it
(28:29):
and build an anti-inflammatory lifestyle,
then we can maintain that vibrant health
that we deserve, and so the seven day
challenge is actually a really easy way to
learn a little bit about everything that I
teach.
So I don't take everything away from you
which typically, if you want to reduce
inflammation, you're going to take away
that sugar, we're going to take away
alcohol, we're going to take away gluten.
(28:49):
So instead I try to add a lot back in.
Let's give you glorious sleep, let's get
you feeling great, and then, yes, I will
take one or two food categories away from
you.
Hilary Russo (28:57):
Are you going to tell us what those are?
Dr. Shivani Gupta (29:00):
I mean the top five inflammatory foods that
I teach are dairy, sugar, alcohol, gluten
and then red meat.
Which red meat is?
You know it's dependent on the person.
Some of us are so built to digest it, not
all of us.
Sometimes I talk to my clients.
I'm like, look, just give it, take it out
for two weeks, let the gut heal and then
bring it back in it.
I know it has a lot of benefits.
(29:21):
It just depends on your different template
of body.
So cutting inflammation is very key and
that's why I also made the
anti-inflammatory cookbook, just to show
different ways to reduce inflammation.
The thing is, if we're not going to
consistently reduce inflammation in this
day and time, we're going to have that
chronic buildup of toxic burden and
(29:41):
different issues.
So that's why I'm so passionate about all
the ways we can reduce inflammation.
Hilary Russo (29:46):
And what I love that you're sharing about
both of these.
They're so synergetic together.
So you can do the seven-day inflammation
detox challenge that Shivani's offering and
use her anti-inflammatory e-cookbook
recipes.
My friends, it's like right there in front
of you and I'm going to use some of her
recipes.
I'm going to try this out and I'm going to
(30:07):
incorporate what I already do and see how
it levels up, and then I'll get back to you
and let you know.
Hey, maybe we'll do it together.
Maybe we'll do it with some HIListically
speaking audience members together.
See if they want to do it as a little
challenge.
Dr. Shivani Gupta (30:21):
I love that.
Hilary Russo (30:22):
Yeah, let me know if you like that.
My friends tuning in.
If that's something you want to do, let me
know.
Drop a comment.
Wherever you're tuning in and listening or
watching on YouTube, Let me know, and maybe
we'll do it together as a big old community
collective effort.
I love that, all right.
(30:44):
So one thing I want to do with you before I
let you go is I love to play a little game.
I throw out a word that you've said and I
want you to come back with the first word
that comes to mind Awesome.
Here we go, we're going to do a little
brain candy is what I call it.
It's a brain candy game, all right.
Turmeric Inflammation Formula.
Dr. Shivani Gupta (31:02):
Holistic healing.
Holistic Holistic means natural of the
earth.
Hilary Russo (31:09):
circadian nature's clock pain suffering
ayurveda the best system.
I don't think I've ever actually used that
as a word in the brain.
Candy game, immigrant, assimilating oh, I
like that.
One.
Chronic Suffering, functional, integrative.
(31:36):
I don't think I said this word, but I do
want to throw it out there because it does
have a lot to do with how tumor can impact
you.
Longevity, health span can impact you.
Longevity, healthspan, quality of life oh,
that's a good place to end right there.
Quality of life that's really what we're
doing here on this show is we're offering
(31:57):
possibilities to elevate your quality of
life.
That's what, HIListically speaking, is
Having guests like you, shivani, help us do
that.
So what I would love to do is just give you
a moment to see if there's something you
would like to leave with our audience and
how you would like to leave them today.
What words would you like to share?
Dr. Shivani Gupta (32:12):
Everyone has the sovereignty and the
ability to build and tune their intuition
to guide them on their own health journey.
You have that power to build your health
journey and completely change the
trajectory of your life and quality of your
life.
I'm a firm believer that we can each change
(32:34):
every aspect of our life, a life design
that's completely different than what we
have now.
We can elevate, we can grow, we can evolve
and reach higher and higher into our
physical health, mental, emotional health
and our spiritual health, and that's the
gift that Ayurveda gives to me and to so
many of the people who I get to speak to
and teach.
So that's the message I'd love to leave
(32:55):
today.
Hilary Russo (32:56):
I love that.
Thank you so much.
I felt that I heard that it's people like
you, it's humans like you, that are really
truly making a difference and raising
awareness in areas for us to really be our
own health care advocates.
Yes, yeah, absolutely.
Thank you for being here.
Dr. Shivani Gupta (33:14):
Thank you.
Thanks for having me, and I made a special
code for your audience.
Hillary, with one L, will give everyone 15%
off at FusionaryFormulascom.
And then my dosha quiz and a lot of things
we mentioned are at my website,
shabanigoptacom.
It's S-H-I-V-A-N-I-G-O-P-T-A.
Hilary Russo (33:32):
Thank you so much for that.
Appreciate it.
Thank you All.
Right, my friends, how about we put some of
these anti-inflammatory powerhouses to work
right now together?
I'm going to share a number of links with
you in the notes of this podcast episode so
that you can put idea into action and start
making change right now.
It starts with Dr Shivani Gupta's seven day
(33:54):
detox challenge.
Then you've got her e-cookbook download
that you can use with the seven day
challenge and let's level it up a little
bit the Fusionary Formula products.
Use my code, HIlary H-I-L-A-R-Y, and
receive even more benefits.
Talk about elevating your optimal health.
All three of those things are going to put
you on the path.
(34:14):
So let me know how it works.
Do the week, the seven days, and then share
it.
Comment.
You know, wherever you're tuning into this
podcast, whether it is on Apple or Spotify
or even watching us on YouTube make sure
you are following us each place.
Download, leave a comment.
Let us know how it's working for you,
because that's what this is all about here
(34:36):
on HIListically Speaking is that it's
finding those inspiring ways to be kind to
your mind, body and your spirit.
And if you're interested in learning more
about how holistic health and integrative
nutrition can really make a change in your
life, maybe even seeing how you can change
a thought, a mood, a behavior, a habit, and
(34:56):
learn more about havening and neuroscience.
I've got you covered.
I shared even more on the offerings that
are happening right now that you can
complement with your own health journey.
HIListically Speaking is edited by
Two-Market Media, with music by Lipbone
Redding and, of course, supported by you.
So thank you for being here time and time
again.
It just takes one small change to pave the
(35:19):
way for possibilities.
Remember that, and when it comes to your
health, you are always your own health care
advocate first.
So I believe in you, I love you and I will
be sending hugs your way.
Be well.
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Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.