The Healing Catalyst

In this powerful and practical episode of The Healing Catalyst, Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh sits down with nationally recognized dietitian Maya Feller to unpack how nutrition can be one of the most effective tools for navigating perimenopause and menopause. Together, they break down how food influences hormones, metabolism, mood, hot flashes, and bone density—and what women can do right now to support themselves through these changes.Maya helps cut through the noise and misinformation around midlife eating, offering a clear, compassionate approach rooted in evidence and culture. She also shares insights on the rising use of GLP-1 medications, how they affect appetite, muscle mass, and micronutrient needs, and why intentional nourishment becomes even more important when using these tools.You’ll learn what visceral fat really is, why it often increases during midlife, and how food—not restriction—can help reduce it. Dr. Kumar-Singh and Maya explore which foods soothe hot flashes and inflammation, which can worsen symptoms, and why extreme approaches like very high-protein or ultra low-carb diets may backfire in this stage of life.Throughout the conversation, they highlight the importance of culturally relevant, minimally processed foods as powerful medicine for hormone balance, heart health, and emotional wellbeing. With science, soul, and stories, this episode offers a grounded, trustworthy guide to eating—and living—well through midlife and beyond.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:(01:18) Why your usual eating habits stop working in midlife(04:23) How hormones shift your metabolism and insulin response(08:17) What visceral fat is—and why it matters more than appearance(17:21) Foods that ease hot flashes and inflammation (and those that don’t)(30:10) Why it’s time to stop chasing skinny and focus on nourishment(44:08) Why restrictive diets often fail during perimenopause(51:57) How cultural foods can support hormone balance(58:51) How GLP-1s affect hunger, nutrients, and muscleThis episode is your compassionate, clear, and science-informed guide to eating well in midlife. Whether you’re managing hormonal changes naturally or with support from medications, Maya Feller shows you how to reconnect with food as medicine, culture, and healing.About Maya Feller: Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN is a nationally recognized dietitian and the founder of Maya Feller Nutrition, where she and her team provide inclusive, culturally sensitive nutrition care for a range of conditions including hormone and metabolic health, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, disordered eating, and more. Her patient-centered approach emphasizes anti-bias, culturally humble education to help people make informed, sustainable food choices.Maya shares her approachable, food-based guidance with millions through her YouTube series, Where Wellbeing Meets Flavor—featuring cooking demos, expert interviews, and Q&As. She also teaches on-demand masterclasses, speaks regularly at events, and serves as a national nutrition expert on Good Morning America.She is a Healthline Medical Advisor, sits on the advisory boards of SHAPE and Parents, and has been featured in The New York Times, TODAY, Tamron Hall, Well+Good, mindbodygreen, Food Network, Cooking Light, EatingWell, SELF, and more.Maya is the author of the acclaimed cookbook Eating from Our Roots: 80+ Healthy Home-Cooked Favorites from Cultures Around the World (Goop...

Are you constantly striving… but still feeling unfulfilled?Does success come at the cost of your sleep, your health, or your peace?If you’ve ever found yourself burned out from the hustle—or stuck in a cycle of chasing more while feeling less—you’re not alone. So many of us were taught that our worth is measured by how productive we are. But there’s another way to live. A way to be ambitious without abandoning your health and well-being.In this episode of The Healing Catalyst, Dr. Avanti Kumar Singh is joined by author, executive coach, and leadership trainer, Amina AlTai to unpack the interplay between ambition, health, and personal fulfillment. Amina shares how to find purposeful ambition—the kind that fuels your soul and protects your health. She also breaks down the core beliefs that drive burnout, how to recognize when your nervous system is stuck in overdrive and how to easily regulate it, and what it takes to redefine success on your own terms.You’ll walk away with practical tools to regulate your inner fire, reconnect with your purpose, and stop sacrificing your body for your goals.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:(08:13) Why ambition alone isn’t the problem—and what is(11:45) The warning signs that your body is burning out before it shuts down(13:19) What “purposeful ambition” looks and feels like (and how to find yours)(17:41) How to shift from proving yourself to honoring yourself(38:47) Ayurvedic insights for balancing Pitta energy and ambition(40:13) How to regulate your nervous system when your inner fire is running too hot(43:11) The daily practices that help turn ambition into healing(48:52) How to redefine success in a way that sustains your health—not sabotages itThis episode is your guide to transforming ambition from something that depletes you… into a practice that heals and sustains you.About Amina AITai:Amina AlTai is an executive coach, leadership trainer, proud immigrant, and chronic illness advocate. She works at the intersection of ambition and well-being, guiding high-performing founders, creatives, and executives toward lives of meaningful impact and sustainable success. She is the bestselling author of The Ambition Trap: How to Stop Chasing and Start Living, and a coach to leaders at companies like Google, Meta, Roku, Snap, Outdoor Voices, NYU, and HUGE.Named one of Success Magazine’s Women of Influence, Amina is also an Entrepreneur Magazine expert-in-residence and a Forbes contributor. Her work has been featured in goop, Well+Good, The New York Times, Yahoo, NBC, Adam Grant’s Next Big Idea Club, and more.Connect with Amina AITai:Instagram: @aminaaltaiWebsite: https://www.aminaaltai.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aminaaltai/ Book: The Ambition TrapConnect with Dr. Avanti:Subscribe, Rate & Review The Healing Catalyst podcastListen to more episodes on your favorite platform

Hormone therapy doesn’t have to be confusing, scary, or controversial.In this powerful episode of The Healing Catalyst, Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh sits down with OB-GYN and menopause expert Dr. Suzanne Gilberg to bring clarity, compassion, and science to one of the most misunderstood topics in women’s health. Together, they unpack the myths born from the Women’s Health Initiative study, reveal what the science really says, and explore how hormones impact everything from brain health to bone strength.Dr. Gilberg also shares her personal experience with breast cancer and why she ultimately chose to go on hormone therapy — a story that will surprise and empower you.This episode goes beyond hormones. You’ll hear how lifestyle, sleep, nutrition, and stress interact with HRT; how ancient wisdom like Ayurveda reframes menopause as a sacred transformation rather than a decline; and why curiosity, community, and connection are powerful medicine for this stage of life.If you’ve ever wondered whether hormone therapy is safe, if you’ve “missed the window,” or how to navigate menopause with clarity and confidence — this conversation is for you.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:(03:55) What hormone therapy really is — and why it matters(10:54) The truth behind the Women’s Health Initiative study(17:04) When to start HRT, who it’s for, and if it’s ever too late(21:05) How to weigh real risks and benefits with confidence(28:44) The role of lifestyle, gut health, sleep, and stress(31:06) How Ayurveda reframes menopause as a sacred transition(43:31) Why community and connection are powerful medicine(47:41) Dr. Gilberg’s self-care rituals and her message for every womanThis episode blends modern medical science with ancient wisdom to bring clarity, compassion, and confidence to menopause. Discover the truth about hormone therapy, the integrative self-care practices that support it, and the mindset shifts that can turn this transition into a powerful new beginning.About Dr. Suzanne Gilberg:A disruptor, healer, educator and fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Suzanne Gilberg earned her medical degree from USC in 1996 and completed her OB/GYN residency at Cedars-Sinai. Board certified in integrative and holistic medicine, she also holds a Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist degree. Dr. Gilberg is Chief Medical Correspondent for The Drew Barrymore Show and author of Menopause Bootcamp. She serves as Chief Clinical Officer at Monarch, transforming women’s healthcare, and co-founded Cedars-Sinai’s Green Committee. Based in Beverly Hills, she’s committed to healing individuals, families, communities, and the planet.Resources Discussed:Monarch MD (telehealth)Menopause Bootcamp (book)Menopause Bootcamp (course)Estrogen Matters (book)Connect with Dr. Suzanne Gilberg:Instagram: @askdrsuzanneWebsite: https://thedrsuzanne.com/ and https://gilberg.monarchmd.com/ YouTube:

In this episode of The Healing Catalyst, Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh welcomes back her good friend and recurring guest, Tara Stiles, founder of Strala Yoga, for a timely and powerful conversation about the health benefits of living softly.Tara shares wisdom from her upcoming book Living Softly, and explores how the cultural obsession with hustle and constant productivity is not only misguided—but harmful to our health and well-being. Instead, she offers another way: a practice of softness that creates real strength, resilience, and presence.Together, Tara and Avanti dive into what it means to soften—physically, emotionally, and mentally—and how simple “softness breaks” throughout the day can help us access flow state, regulate the nervous system, and create more meaningful connections in every area of life.They also explore how, in a world that feels increasingly difficult and disconnected, Living Softly helps us reconnect—not just to ourselves, but to each other. This way of being allows us to show up with compassion, empathy, and presence—qualities that are urgently needed as we navigate the uncertainty and division in our world. It’s a reminder that healing is never just individual—it’s collective. And the more we soften, the more we can support ourselves and each other.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:(07:32) How “Living Softly” can have an expansive impact, mentally, emotionally, and physically(12:55) Why hustle culture harms our health and what the science says about its long-term risks(23:28) How flow state improves productivity, focus, and emotional well-being—and how softness helps us get there(32:18) What “Living Softly” really means—and how it’s different from simply relaxing or doing less(33:22) Tips for handling negativity and toxic behaviors and how to employ the practice of softness in our relationships(37:51) The ripple effect of nervous system regulation and how softening helps us connect more deeply with others(41:55) Practical ways to integrate softness into your daily life—including Tara’s “softness breaks” that you can try todayThis episode is your guide to redefining strength through softness—and learning how small, conscious shifts in how you move, breathe, and show up can lead to better health, deeper connection, and more grounded power.In a world that feels increasingly hard and divided, Living Softly reminds us that healing isn’t just personal—it’s relational. The more we soften, the more we can connect—with ourselves, with others, and with the communities we’re part of. This practice helps us create calm within, so we can become a calming force in the world around us.(correction: the World Health Organization (WHO) study discussed in this episode was published in 2021; not 2019)About Tara Stiles:Tara Stiles is the co-founder of Strala Yoga, best-selling author, and well-being expert. Tara has revolutionized yoga for millions, transforming a practice so often seen as dogmatic, and guru-based, into an everyday movement that supports ease and well-being.Strala Yoga is practiced in more than 100 countries, thousands of Guides lead Strala classes around the globe every day, and Tara shares yoga with thousands of people on the Strala Yoga app. She has been profiled by The New York Times, Times of India, The Times (UK), and featured in most major national and international magazines.Connect with Tara Stiles:Instagram: @tarastilesWebsite:

Artificial Intelligence is changing everything—including how we care for our minds and bodies. But how do we make sense of its growing role in healthcare without losing the human connection that healing depends on?In this powerful episode of The Healing Catalyst, Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh sits down with Poonacha Machaiah, CEO of the Chopra Foundation and co-founder of Cyberhuman.ai, to unpack the evolving role of AI in mental health, loneliness, and preventive care. From AI-powered wellness coaches and personalized health dashboards to emotional support through chatbots and even therapeutic applications in the metaverse, this episode explores how technology can be a tool for healing—if used consciously.Dr. Avanti and Poonacha also discuss the risks, the ethical questions, and what it means to keep intuition and empathy at the center of care, even as tech continues to accelerate.AI isn’t here to replace healthcare—it’s here to reimagine it. And when used consciously, it has the power to move us from reactive treatment to personalized, proactive, and deeply connected care.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:(00:00) Welcome Poonacha Machaiah of the Chopra Foundation(06:50) Why AI is already part of your health journey—whether you realize it or not(08:52) How AI is being used to address mental health and loneliness at scale(10:52) What “conscious technology” means—and why it matters now more than ever(14:27) Why behavior change needs more than good advice—it needs smart, contextual nudges(18:45) How Personalized Medicine and Data-Driven Health has roots in Ayurveda(26:35) How platforms like Cyberhuman.ai are creating AI-powered tools for personalized wellbeing(27:55) How wearable tech and AI-powered dashboards can support preventive care(30:55) The surprising connection between gaming, mental health, and the next generation of healing(36:59) Why human intuition and empathy must remain central—even in an AI-driven futureIf you’ve ever felt overwhelmed or skeptical about AI in medicine, this conversation will shift your perspective—and show you how AI might just help us reconnect to what really matters in health: awareness, agency, and human connection.About Poonacha Machaiah:Poonacha Machaiah is the CEO of The Chopra Foundation, a mission-driven organization committed to enhancing personal, societal, and planetary well-being. A visionary leader at the intersection of technology and consciousness, Poonacha co-founded Cyberhuman.ai—a pioneering personal AI digital well-being companion—and Seva.Love, a transformative metaverse platform for healing and mindfulness. Both ventures were launched in collaboration with best-selling author and mind-body medicine pioneer, Dr. Deepak Chopra.Poonacha also leads initiatives like NeverAlone®, a global mental health movement focused on suicide prevention and emotional resilience, and Peak Living, which celebrates the synergy of intergenerational wisdom and vitality.With a background in engineering and business, Poonacha has held leadership roles at global tech companies including Nortel, Iridium, Motorola, and Sasken, where he helped shape emerging technology landscapes. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering, and an MBA from the College of William and Mary.Through his work, Poonacha continues to champion the conscious use of technology as a force for healing, inclusion, and global impact.Connect with Poonacha Machaiah:Instagram: