Everyday Ayurveda with Kate

Ever leave the doctor's office feeling like you didn't get to say what you actually needed to say? In this episode, Kate sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Bostock — a practicing OBGYN for 30 years, a yogi, an Ayurvedic counselor, and a contributor to Kate's book Everyday Ayurveda for Women's Health — to talk about self-advocacy in the doctor's office, especially around perimenopause and menopause.

Dr. Bostock shares what she's seen across three decades and hundreds of thousands of patients: the number one thing women tell her is that they haven't felt heard. She and Kate break down how symptoms shift by decade, why perimenopause often starts quietly in the late 30s, and why menopause care doesn't end at menopause — it extends through your entire life. Dr. Bostock offers a simple set of questions to bring into any appointment, explains when and how to ask for a referral, and makes the case for symptom tracking (with pen and paper, an app, or your wearable data) so you can walk in prepared instead of going blank.

The conversation also covers the current, more nuanced understanding of hormone therapy — where the evidence is strong, where it isn't yet, and why the framing of "who do you want to be at 80" matters more than chasing a number on a chart. They talk through the cost and insurance side of hormone therapy and physical therapy too, plus Dr. Bostock's take on movement: it should be fun, and it's never too late to start.

In this episode:

Why "I haven't been heard" is the most common thing patients tell Dr. Bostock

How symptoms and health priorities shift decade by decade, from the teens through the 80s

Why menopause care is really a lifelong conversation, not a single life stage

Three questions to bring to your next doctor's visit — and a fourth for sexual health

What to do (and say) if your provider isn't the right fit

Why tracking symptoms — on paper, in an app, or via wearables — changes the conversation with your doctor

The most common perimenopause and menopause symptoms, including lesser-known ones like formication and early joint pain

A clearer, more current look at menopause hormone therapy (MHT): where it helps most, and the guidance on timing

How family health history (and the Ayurvedic idea of prakriti) plays into these decisions

The "menopausal Barbie" trend and GLP-1s: Dr. Bostock's honest take

Why she thinks of physical activity as play, not a prescription

Navigating cost: hormone therapy affordability, generic options, and why physical therapy access is still a gap

Dr. Bostock's morning and evening routines, including her "Jamba Juice" anti-inflammatory tonic

About Dr. Elizabeth Bostock:

Elizabeth is a practicing OBGYN, yogi, Ayurvedic counselor, and women's health leader and advocate who believes that combining medical traditions in a "yes, and" way gives the best of all worlds. She weaves together real science and human living to explore how we all live healthier, happier, more contented lives — and is a fierce advocate for helping people figure out who they are, find their path forward, and speak up for themselves.

Connect with Dr. Bostock:

Instagram: instagram.com/empoweredwomanshealthmd

YouTube: youtube.com/empoweredwomanshealthmd

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/elizabethbostock

Substack: substack.com/@elizabethbostockmdphd

Mentioned in this episode:

Everyday Ayurveda for Women's Health by Kate O'Donnell — paperback edition releases September 16

The Menopause Society (provider directory and patient resources)

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)

Mayo Clinic (patient education resources)

GoodRx and Cost Plus Drugs (referred to in conversation as "Mark Cuban Pharmacy") for prescription discounts

Dr. Bostock's "Jamba Juice" tonic: whole lemon, ginger, turmeric, star anise, and cayenne, simmered and blended

Dr. Bostock's current read: The Empire of Gold

A preview of an upcoming episode on GLP-1s, out in two weeks

This episode is supported by:

Banyan Botanicals — Triphala tablets for digestion and daily detox. Get it here: https://alnk.to/bPhiKjx

Health Disclaimer:

The information shared on Everyday Ayurveda with Kate is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider — including regarding hormone therapy — before making changes to your diet, supplements, or wellness routine.

Connect with Kate: https://www.healwithkate.org

Ayurvedic Living Institute Membership: https://ayurvedicliving.institute/membership

Women's Health Collection: https://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/collections/womens-healthhttps://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/products/courses/copy-of-fall-community-cleanse-2024

Thanks to our Sponsors:
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Menopause Support
https://alnk.to/et0ZpFn

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Kate's Discount code 15% off Banyan SPRINGWITHKATE

and
Dr. Tungs
Dr. Tungs Link: https://drtungs.com/collections/oral-care-kits

The farmers market is overflowing right now — but how do you keep all that fresh, local food from going to waste before you can eat it? In this solo episode, Kate answers a listener question about preserving the late-summer and early-fall haul, and shares the exact kitchen tricks she uses to make her produce last.

 

Kate tackles the question she gets every time she mentions saving or freezing food: doesn't Ayurveda say no leftovers, no frozen food? Her answer is a grounded, seasonal one. When you live where the growing season is short, local food that's been thoughtfully preserved carries far more prana (life force) than "fresh" produce trucked in from thousands of miles away. Short-term freezing has its place — and so does eating with the wheel of the year.

 

From there, Kate walks through her whole late-summer kitchen: heirloom and cherry tomatoes (and the traditional parboil method that removes the acidity Ayurveda cautions against), the parboil-and-freeze trick for kale, kale pesto in jars, and her famous jar-and-towel storage method that keeps hardy greens and fresh herbs alive for up to three weeks. She covers herbs all winter, zucchini and summer squash, pickling root vegetables to build digestive fire in the cold months, freezing berries and making fruit compotes, and storing winter squash in a root cellar (or a pretty bowl on the counter).

 

In this episode:

 

Why Ayurveda's "no frozen food" rule needs a seasonal, local-first reframe

The prana argument for preserving local food over buying shipped "fresh" produce

Tomatoes two ways: heirloom on sourdough + roasted cherry tomato compote

The traditional parboil method to make tomatoes easier to digest

How to parboil and freeze kale (and why it stays in perfect leaves)

Kale pesto you can freeze in single-serve jars

The jar-and-towel trick: keep greens & herbs fresh for up to 3 weeks

Keeping fresh herbs going all winter, indoors and in the fridge

Zucchini & summer squash: kitchari, soups, and eating them fast

Pickling beets, carrots & beans — and why pickles warm you in winter

Freezing berries, stone-fruit compotes, and easy crisps

Storing winter squash + the case for decorative "eat me" bowls

The Ayurvedic principle: food grown closest to home is most nourishing

 

Mentioned in this episode:

 

Kate's fall cleanse (beet pickle recipe included)

Kate's four books (variations on beet pickle & seasonal recipes)

India Culinary & Nutrition Immersion, February 2027 — a 10-day immersion in Mysore. Learn more and enroll at ayurvedicliving.institute

 

This episode is supported by:

 

Dr. Tung's — natural oral care, including their popular Smart Floss. New customers get 15% off at drtungs.com.

Banyan Botanicals Menopause Balance — Ayurvedic herbal support for perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause. Find it at banyanbotanicals.com/kate.

 

Have a preservation trick Kate didn't mention? She'd love to hear it — leave a comment or send her a message.

Connect with Kate: https://www.healwithkate.org

Ayurvedic Living Institute Membership: https://ayurvedicliving.institute/membership

Women's Health Collection: https://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/collections/womens-healthhttps://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/products/courses/copy-of-fall-community-cleanse-2024

Thanks to our Sponsors:
Banyan Botanicals
https://alnk.to/eOQb34q

Menopause Support
https://alnk.to/et0ZpFn

Beauty Balm
https://alnk.to/7Bj7czQ

Kate's Discount code 15% off Banyan SPRINGWITHKATE

and
Dr. Tungs
Dr. Tungs Link: https://drtungs.com/collections/oral-care-kits

Model Nidhi Sunil — Vogue India Model of the Year and the first Indian global ambassador for L'Oréal Paris — joins Kate for a very candid conversation about how her work affected her mental and physical health. After more than a decade of image-building, red-eye flights to Paris and back, and relentless external pressure, Nidhi hit a full-body burnout in 2022. In this episode, she opens up about depletion, self-worth, complex trauma, colorism in the fashion industry, and the slow, honest work of healing — beginning with a simple bowl of kitchari.

Together, Kate and Nidhi explore how Ayurveda "decentralizes" the pressure to optimize, why ojas (our life-force reserve) matters more than output, and what it looks like to put the "juice" first. A grounding, deeply relatable listen for anyone in a season of transition, exhaustion, or reevaluation.

In this episode:

The real lifestyle behind international modeling — and its hidden cost on the body

How burnout actually arrives: insomnia, panic, depletion, a lost menstrual cycle

Food as the first tool: why kitchari was the portal back to sleep

Self-worth, shame, and outsourcing our value to productivity

Colorism in the fashion industry and the "colonial hangover"

"Perfectionism disguised as wellness" and why optimization can harm

Ojas, plumpness, and the Ayurvedic permission to simply be human

Learning to lead with your "yes" and your "no" from a place of abundance

The information shared on Everyday Ayurveda with Kate is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, supplements, or wellness routine.

Connect with Kate: https://www.healwithkate.org

Ayurvedic Living Institute Membership: https://ayurvedicliving.institute/membership

Women's Health Collection: https://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/collections/womens-healthhttps://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/products/courses/copy-of-fall-community-cleanse-2024

Thanks to our Sponsors:
Banyan Botanicals
https://alnk.to/eOQb34q

Menopause Support
https://alnk.to/et0ZpFn

Beauty Balm
https://alnk.to/7Bj7czQ

Kate's Discount code 15% off Banyan SPRINGWITHKATE

and
Dr. Tungs
Dr. Tungs Link: https://drtungs.com/collections/oral-care-kits

Is your phone making you a little crazy? Kate opens this episode with a confession: even as a longtime Ayurveda  teacher, she has to actively manage her relationship with her phone — because the device, and the apps on it, are engineered to keep you glued. If she's working at it, most of us are too. 

The heart of this episode is a reframe. We tend to swing to all-or-nothing: "I need to throw my phone in the desert,"  or nothing changes at all. Kate makes the case that what we actually need is steady, doable boundaries at specific times of day — not a fundamentalist detox overhaul. 

From an Ayurvedic perspective, the reason phones are so taxing is the nervous system. The sense organs — eyes,  ears, skin, tongue, nose — are windows into the mind. The phone is relentlessly stimulating through the eyes (and ears), which is essentially non-stop sensory consumption. As Kate points out, you wouldn't eat food all day long; why do we consume information and stimulation all day long? Rest, in Ayurveda, is when the senses finally power down — which is exactly why winding down on a stimulating screen backfires, especially for sleep. 

In this episode, Kate shares: 

Why it's boundaries, not a detox — and how to set them at the times of day that matter most • The sense-organ / nervous-system model that explains why scrolling feels restful but isn't • Her non-negotiable phone-free zones: the bedroom, the bathroom, mealtimes, and time in nature • Why a $5 old-school alarm clock may be the single highest-leverage change you can make • Turning off push notifications and the lock screen so you have to choose to check in • Using timers for intentional phone time (yes, even for Instagram) and putting it down when they ring • Booking one hour of silence a day — all at once or in 20-minute pieces

Bookending your day: dinacharya before the phone comes on in the morning, phone off ~7–7:30pm at night • Meeting boredom by attuning to nature — what you can smell, hear, and feel — instead of reaching for the  screen 

Analog allies: real books, a paper planner, keeping one social platform, and leaving the phone in another  room 

If your phone use is nudging you toward overwhelm or a mental-health imbalance — increasingly common — Kate  offers the Ayurvedic counterweight: nature. Attuning the senses to the natural world is the opposite energy of the  phone, and an easier on-ramp than forcing yourself into silence. 

Come study at the source. Join Kate in India next February for a 10-day culinary and nutrition immersion (2027) in  Mysore — cook, study, and come home confident to make food your medicine. Learn more and enroll at  ayurvedicliving.institute. 

Connect with Kate: https://www.healwithkate.org

Ayurvedic Living Institute Membership: https://ayurvedicliving.institute/membership

Women's Health Collection: https://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/collections/womens-healthhttps://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/products/courses/copy-of-fall-community-cleanse-2024

Thanks to our Sponsors:
Banyan Botanicals
https://alnk.to/eOQb34q

Menopause Support
https://alnk.to/et0ZpFn

Beauty Balm
https://alnk.to/7Bj7czQ

Kate's Discount code 15% off Banyan SPRINGWITHKATE

and
Dr. Tungs
Dr. Tungs Link: https://drtungs.com/collections/oral-care-kits

Dr. Karen Kirkness has spent decades in the yoga world and the last ten-plus years in anatomy labs earning a  master's in clinical anatomy and a PhD in medical sciences. In this episode she and Kate go straight into fascia —  not as packing material, but as a signaling system — and into hyaluronan, the molecule that makes your tissue  juicy. 

The surprise: more lubrication is not better. Fresh, long-chain hyaluronan tells your cells everything is regulated.  But movement shears those chains into fragments, and fragments are inflammatory. Clearing them matters as  much as making them. That's what a recovery day is actually for. 

Karen breaks down what changes at perimenopause and after, why losing lean muscle and mitochondria puts  the brakes on your body's own hydration, and what to do about it: vigorous training a few times a week, active  recovery in between, and 'movement snacks' scattered through the day — the twist, the reach, the sprint to the  stop sign. 

Find Karen at spiralsyllabus.com and on Instagram at SpiralSyllabus or Karen Kirkness. 

Questions for a follow-up episode? Email hello@ayurvedicliving.institute or leave a comment on your podcast  platform.

Referenced in this episode 

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/karenkirkness

https://www.instagram.com/spiralsyllabus

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1649-7221

Latest paper: The Myofascial Rheostat: H

yaluronan Molecular Weight Dynamics and Purinergic Signalling as a Physiological Feedback System

https://www.spiralsyllabus.com/

Work with Karen: Experience Spiral Motion Autumn Program

KEY REFERENCES 
Caon, I., Bartolini, B., Moretto, P., Parnigoni, A., Caravà, E., Vitale, D. L., et al. (2020).

Sirtuin 1 reduces hyaluronan synthase 2 expression by inhibiting nuclear translocation

of NF-kB and expression of the long-noncoding RNA HAS2–AS1. J. Biol. Chem. 295,

3485–3496. doi: 10.1074/jbc.RA119.011982

Caon, I., Parnigoni, A., Viola, M., Karousou, E., Passi, A., and Vigetti, D. (2021). Cell

energy metabolism and hyaluronan synthesis. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 69, 35–47.

doi: 10.1369/0022155420929772

Kirkness, K. B., and Scarlata, S. (2025). Understanding fascial tissue on the molecular

level—how its unique properties enable adaptation or dysfunction. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 27,

doi: 10.3390/ijms27010160

Kirkness, K.B., da Silva, Schleip,R, Cruvinel-Júnior R., and Scarlata, S. (2026). The Myofascial Rheostat: Hyaluronan Molecular Weight Dynamics and Purinergic Signalling as a Physiological Feedback System. Frontiers in Physiology 17 (June 2026). https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2026.1854585.

 

Raghavan, P. (2018). Emerging therapies for spastic movement disorder. Phys. Med.

Rehabil. Clin. N. Am. 29, 633–644. doi: 10.1016/j.pmr.2018.04.004

Raghavan, P. (2025). Muscle physiology in spasticity and muscle stiffness. Toxicon 259,

doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2025.108350

Raghavan, P., Lu, Y., Mirchandani, M., and Stecco, A. (2016). Human recombinant

hyaluronidase injections for upper limb muscle stiffness in individuals with cerebral

injury: A case series. eBioMedicine 9, 306–313. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2016.05.014

Rauhala, L., Jokela, T., Kärnä, R., Bart, G., Takabe, P., Oikari, S., et al. (2018).

Extracellular ATP activates hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2) in epidermal keratinocytes

via P2Y2, Ca2+ signaling, and MAPK pathways. Biochem. J. 475, 1755–1772.

doi: 10.1042/BCJ20180054

Slater, A. M., Barclay, S. J., Granfar, R. M. S., and Pratt, R. L. (2024). Fascia as a

regulatory system in health and disease. Front. Neurol. 15. doi: 10.3389/

fneur.2024.1458385

Stecco, C., Pratt, R., Nemetz, L. D., Schleip, R., Stecco, A., and Theise, N. D. (2025).

Towards a comprehensive definition of the human fascial system. J. Anat. 246, 1084–

doi: 10.1111/joa.14212

Stecco, A., Stecco, C., and Raghavan, P. (2014). Peripheral mechanisms contributing to

spasticity and implications for treatment. Curr. Phys. Med. Rehabil. Rep. 2, 121–127.

doi: 10.1007/s40141-014-0052-3

Stecco, A., Stern, R., Fantoni, I., De Caro, R., and Stecco, C. (2016). Fascial disorders:

Implications for treatment. PM&R 8, 161–168. doi: 10.1016/j.pmrj.2015.06.006

Theise, N. D., Kohnehshahri, M. N., Chiriboga, L. A., Fyfe, B., Cao, W., Zee, S., Imam, R., Pichler-Sekulic, S., and Wells, R. G. (2025). Evidence of interstitial continuity within and beyond the human pancreas. Human Pathology 161, 105855. doi: 10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105855

Vigetti, D., Clerici, M., Deleonibus, S., Karousou, E., Viola, M., Moretto, P., et al. (2011).

Hyaluronan synthesis is inhibited by adenosine monophosphate-activated protein

kinase through the regulation of HAS2 activity in human aortic smooth muscle cells.

Biol. Chem. 286, 7917–7924. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M110.193656

Vigetti, D., Deleonibus, S., Moretto, P., Bowen, T., Fischer, J. W., Grandoch, M., et al.

(2014). Natural antisense transcript for hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2-AS1) induces

transcription of HAS2 via protein 

Connect with Kate: https://www.healwithkate.org

Ayurvedic Living Institute Membership: https://ayurvedicliving.institute/membership

Women's Health Collection: https://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/collections/womens-healthhttps://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/products/courses/copy-of-fall-community-cleanse-2024

Thanks to our Sponsors:
Banyan Botanicals
https://alnk.to/eOQb34q

Menopause Support
https://alnk.to/et0ZpFn

Beauty Balm
https://alnk.to/7Bj7czQ

Kate's Discount code 15% off Banyan SPRINGWITHKATE

and
Dr. Tungs
Dr. Tungs Link: https://drtungs.com/collections/oral-care-kits