Routes of Healing

In this week's episode of Routes of Healing, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa sits down with Dr. Anik Cockroft, a board-certified pediatrician, sports medicine physician, and the creator of Mama Mindset, a space devoted to empowering expectant and postpartum mothers. A Maui mama of three including a toddler, Anik brings to her work a deeply holistic lens shaped by her medical training and a master's in mental health counseling with a focus on play therapy and family dynamics.For years she cared for the keiki of the islands at Kapi'olani and was present at the births of hundreds of babies, witnessing mothers harness their divine power in the delivery room. That sacred work planted a seed. Over time, Anik came to recognize that she had been a mama doula for the women in her life and the women she served clinically, holding space for them with raw, transparent aloha.Together, Dr. Siri Chand and Dr. Anik explore the path of the wounded healer, the childhood anxiety that first taught her to listen to her body, the courage it took to take twelve weeks postpartum during residency, and the slow, sacred pivot out of clinical medicine when her own mama tuition asked her to color outside the lines.This conversation also opens into deeper terrain. Anik speaks about delivery room energy, the inborn knowing every nurturing woman carries whether or not she becomes a mother in the traditional sense, the practice of surrender as a creative force, and what it means to release the metrics of success in favor of becoming.Whether you are an expectant or postpartum mother, a physician navigating the question of how to practice in alignment with your values, a sensitive soul who has been told you were too much, or simply someone in a season of incubation waiting for what wants to be born through you, this episode offers grounded insight, validation, and a tender invitation to trust your knowing.If you're inspired by our exploration on Roots of Healing, a physician-led podcast uplifting the wisdom and lived experience of integrative and lifestyle medicine doctors, subscribe to receive new episodes weekly.🔑 Key Topics & TakeawaysThe wounded healer: How childhood panic attacks became Anik's first invitation into healing, and why she believes emotions are teachers rather than problems to be solved.Sensitivity as superpower: Reclaiming the empath's gift after a lifetime of being told she was "too much."The art of active listening: Why presence, not the next agenda, is one of the most healing tools we have.Higher calling, not next accolade: How surrender carried her into medicine after rounds of rejection and reframed her path as a vehicle to serve.Hawaii as classroom: The way aloha culture and the islands shaped her as a physician and human.Twelve weeks postpartum: The quiet act of courage to honor her newborn daughter and her own healing, even at the cost of graduating on time.Trailblazing softly: Making space for the residents who came after her by simply taping a sign on a call room door.The growing knowing: How a cell-deep awareness asked her to pivot out of a clinical role she had earned and prepared for.Mama tuition: The inborn knowing every nurturing woman carries, whether or not she becomes a mother in the traditional sense.Delivery room energy: The divine creative force witnessed at birth and woven into every woman's DNA.Mama Mindset as incubation: Why surrender, not strategy, has been the architect of her work.Storytelling as medicine: Bringing color, family names, and humanness back into the clinical encounter.Adversity and reinvention: The lifelong reframe that adversity causes some to break and others to break records.Ancestral presence: The energetic lineage of women who came before and stand with us in the work of creative becoming.⏱ Chapters00:00 — Opening Reflection 00:22 — Welcome and Introduction 02:00 — Meeting Dr. Anik Cockroft 03:15 — A Florida Childhood Among the Lakes 05:30 — Middle School Panic Attacks and the Counselor Who Changed Everything 07:30 — Mental Health Counseling and Clinical Social Work 09:45 — Vulnerability and the Wounded Healer 13:00 — Sensitivity as a Superpower 15:30 — Mental Health as a Vital Sign 18:00 — Active Listening as Healing 20:30 — Marriage, Medical School, and Becoming a Physician 23:00 — Moving 5,000 Miles to Hawaii 25:30 — Pregnancy During Fellowship and a Growing Grief 27:00 — Daring to Take Twelve Weeks Postpartum 30:00 — The Pumping Sign That Made Room for Others 32:00 — Missed Milestones and a Reframe That Held Her 33:30 — Crying With Patients and Leading With Vulnerability 35:30 — The Growing Knowing to Pivot 37:00 — A Sunset Walk and the Conversation That Changed Everything 38:30 — Declining the Position and Stepping Into the Unknown 40:30 — The Breath: Birth, Death, and Reverence 44:00 — Delivery Room Energy and Mama Tuition 46:30 — Empowering Mothers as the Experts on Their Children 48:30 — The Off-Script Question That Shaped a Life 51:00 — Inflammation of the Soul and the Hustle Culture 52:30 — Creating Mama Mindset and Releasing the Metrics 56:30 — Writing Mama Tuition by Speaking It Into Being 59:00 — Holding a Timeless, Non-Linear Model of Becoming 1:02:00 — Service Self and the Receiving Self 1:06:00 — The Sole Currency of Soul Connection 1:08:30 — Storytelling as the Art of Medicine 1:10:00 — Creative Pockets in the Day 1:12:00 — Where to Find Dr. Anik Cockroft 1:14:30 — Closing ReflectionsAbout Today's GuestAnik Cockroft, DO Pediatrics • Sports Medicine • Creator of Mama Mindset®Anik is a Maui Mama of three, including a toddler, and a Board-Certified Pediatrician and Sports Medicine Physician who now serves fully outside the bounds of clinical medicine. She brings to her work as a physician and healer a holistic mindset and a Master's in mental health counseling with a focus on play therapy and family dynamics.Inspired to continue empowering expectant and postpartum mamas, she created Mama Mindset® at mamamindset.com.Anik worked at Kapi'olani caring for the keiki of the islands and has been present for the births of hundreds of the newest miracles of aloha, witnessing mamas harness their divine power in the delivery room. She is honored to come alongside mamas and women in their divinely chosen roles, and will celebrate your crown anytime.She has come to recognize that she has been a Moula all these years, a mama doula for the mamas in her own life as well as those she has been privileged to serve clinically. Anik knows her purpose here in life is loving others well and deeply, with raw and authentic, transparent aloha. She arrived at this space and place of delicious vulnerability by placing the stethoscope upon her own heart and openly listening, so she could then speak life and love over the hearts of the mamas she crosses paths with.Her role is showing up in that sacred space between you and who you are destined to become as a woman and mama, reborn. She is honored to hold space for your story and to celebrate your inborn superpower of Mamatuition.Being pregnant with purpose and creativity is something we carry with us our entire lives, whether we blossom into mothers or act in other divinely guided human capacities in a nurturing role.Currently on a self-chosen social media sabbatical, Anik prefers human-to-human connection through email.🌐 Find Dr. Anik CockroftMama Mindset®: mamamindset.comPersonal: anikcockroft.comPassport Ohana: passportohana.comOceans of Aloha: oceans-of-aloha.comThe Aina That Is Lahaina: theainalahaina.comEmail: [email protected] / [email protected] the press:Coco Moon Hawaii — Mama of the Month: Read hereCanvas Rebel: Read hereCurrently creating:Mamatuition (forthcoming book)Passport OhanaOceans of Aloha / The Aina That Is Lahaina🎁 Anik's InvitationShow up for yourselves. Share your story. Step into your genius zone. Create and cultivate impactful commUNITY around you through your own actions and Mamamentum. Explore Mama Mindset® if it serves you.mamamindset.com🌐 Connect with Your HostDr. Siri Chand Khalsa, MD MSLifestyle & Integrative Medicine Physician • Culinary Medicine •...

In this week's episode of Roots of Healing, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa sits down with Dr. Janeeka Benoit, a board-certified internal medicine and sports medicine physician and the founder of InVessel Health and Wellness. Dr. J's work focuses on helping high-achieving women navigate the metabolic, hormonal, and identity shifts of perimenopause and menopause through a comprehensive, personalized approach that honors both science and lived experience.Together, they explore why our metabolism responds to truth rather than force, how to recognize when the body is asking for something different, and why so many driven women find that the strategies that once worked no longer serve them. Dr. J shares her own turning point, an 18-pound weight gain and rising cholesterol in her mid-thirties, and how that experience deepened her commitment to a more whole-person model of care.This conversation also opens into broader questions around the limits of traditional medicine, the courage it takes to build something different, and the inner work of grieving an old identity to make space for who we are becoming. Dr. J speaks with warmth and clarity about meeting women where they are, identifying the thoughts and feelings beneath the symptoms, and creating sustainable habits that support energy, vitality, and purpose.Whether you are moving through midlife shifts, feeling at odds with your body, carrying aging parents while raising children, or simply longing for a more thoughtful and individualized approach to your own health, this episode offers grounded insight, validation, and an invitation to come home to yourself.If you're inspired by our exploration on Roots of Healing, a physician-led podcast uplifting the wisdom and lived experience of integrative and lifestyle medicine doctors, subscribe to receive new episodes weekly.Key Topics & TakeawaysMetabolism and truth: Why pushing harder often backfires, and how listening to the body creates more sustainable change than discipline alone.The DO foundation: How osteopathic training centers on finding health, not just diagnosing disease, and how OMT brings structure, mind, and body into one conversation.A rare clinical pairing: How combining internal medicine with sports medicine creates space for understanding both the inner physiology and how the body moves through the world.Personal experience as medicine: Dr. J's own 18-pound weight gain and rising LDL in her mid-thirties became the catalyst for building a different kind of practice.Beyond GLP-1s: Why medications can be useful tools, but lifestyle, behavior, and the psychological relationship with food remain the foundation.The feelings wheel and thought work: How identifying emotions, and the thoughts beneath them, helps high-achieving women locate themselves and find clarity.Eating for nourishment, not survival: How busy women often default to hyper-palatable foods at the end of long days, and what shifts when meals become intentional.Recovery as medicine: Why high-performing women often need permission to rest, and how worthiness of rest becomes part of the healing itself.Identity in midlife: The gradual grief, and gift, of releasing an older version of self to make room for who we are becoming.The practice of silence: How starting the day in stillness anchors women in their own truth and protects them from absorbing the noise of others' expectations.The deeper why: What women actually want when they say they want to lose weight, and how vitality, energy, and sustainability become the real goal.Mentorship and courage: How relationships with mentors gave Dr. J the audacity to step outside the traditional model and build a practice in alignment with her values.⏱ Chapters00:00 — Opening Reflection00:30 — Welcome and Introduction01:41 — Meet Dr. Janeeka Benoit02:19 — Why Metabolism Responds to Truth, Not Force03:40 — Origin Story: Growing Up in Her Father's Practice04:53 — The DO Path and Finding Health, Not Just Disease07:25 — Internal Medicine, Sports Medicine, and the Whole Person08:21 — OMT and the Wisdom of Osteopathic Training10:52 — A Personal Turning Point at Mid-Thirties13:00 — Beyond GLP-1s: Why Comprehensive Care Matters14:13 — Founding InVessel Health and Wellness16:09 — Doing It Scared: Stepping Out of the Traditional Model17:50 — The Power of Mentorship in Medicine21:45 — Inside the Practice: Membership and Personalized Intake25:14 — Where to Begin Working With Dr. J27:00 — The Midlife Stretch: Body, Career, and Caregiving29:13 — The Feelings Wheel and the Thoughts Beneath the Tension32:43 — Catching What Others Miss in Intake37:13 — Eating for Nourishment, Not Survival40:23 — When the Real Goal Is Recovery, Not More Muscle43:00 — What Women Actually Want: Energy, Vitality, Sustainability44:50 — Rest and Recovery for the High Achiever47:19 — Grieving an Old Identity to Become Who You Are50:51 — A New Relationship With Self, Food, and Body52:36 — The Practice of Silence and Intentional Mornings55:47 — Where to Begin: Who Do You Want to Become?59:34 — How to Connect With Dr. Janeeka Benoit1:00:56 — Closing ReflectionsAbout Today's GuestJaneeka "Dr. J" Benoit, DO Internal Medicine • Sports Medicine • Metabolic Health for High-Achieving WomenDr. Janeeka "Dr. J" Benoit helps high-achieving women who feel frustrated by their body finally understand what it needs.She is a Board-Certified Internal Medicine and Sports Medicine physician and founder of InVessel Health & Wellness. Her mission became personal when she gained 18 pounds despite staying active and seeing her cholesterol rise for the first time. She wasn't lacking discipline. Her metabolism needed a different strategy.Now, Dr. J helps driven women stop fighting their bodies and start working with their metabolism. Through mindset, science, and lifestyle medicine, she helps women build sustainable energy, metabolic health, and strength that support their purpose and legacy.🌐 Find Dr. Janeeka BenoitWebsite: www.invesselhealth.comAll Links (social + more): https://linktr.ee/heydrj_Book a Consultation: https://link.invesselhealth.com/widget/booking/oQlHjWMcxrI8y7xucJNbFree ResourceBeyond BMI — a free resource from Dr. J for women ready to understand what their body is actually asking for.https://invesselhealth.com/beyond-bmi🌐 Connect with Your HostDr. Siri Chand Khalsa, MD MSLifestyle & Integrative Medicine Physician • Culinary Medicine • AyurvedaWebsite: drsirichand.comInstagram: @doctorsirichandCulinary Medicine Blog: drsirichand.com/blogCommunity: https://vishuddha.comVishuddha: A Media Agency for Conscious Clinicians & Wellness SeekersVishuddha is a media and creative agency dedicated to amplifying the voices of integrative and lifestyle medicine clinicians who are transforming how we understand health and healing.We provide media representation, book development, public speaking coaching, podcast strategy, content creation, and course development alongside classes and workshops for wellness seekers committed to intentional, conscious living.Rooted in whole-person healing, Vishuddha helps clinicians translate their wisdom into impact, design offerings that matter, and bring conscious, transformative work into the world.Ready to share your wisdom? Explore how we can support your vision at Vishuddha.com.Keywordsmetabolic health, women's health, perimenopause, menopause, midlife wellness, weight loss for women, sustainable habits, lifestyle medicine, sports medicine, internal medicine, osteopathic medicine, OMT, GLP-1, integrative medicine, behavioral health, nutrition coaching, body composition, insulin resistance, high-achieving women, women in medicine, physician mentorship, rest and recovery, identity shift, mindful eating, Roots of Healing, Dr. Janeeka Benoit, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa, InVessel Health and Wellness

Pause, Presence, and What Wants to Emerge with Dr. Jessie MahoneyIn this week's episode of Roots of Healing, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa sits down with Dr. Jessie Mahoney, a board-certified pediatrician, certified physician coach, mindfulness and yoga teacher, and the founder of Pause & Presence. After nearly two decades as a pediatrician and physician leader at The Permanente Medical Group, Jessie stepped outside the traditional medical model to reimagine what sustainable well-being in healthcare could look like.Together, they trace Jessie's path from delivering a sibling at the age of twelve and choosing pediatrics as a child, to motherhood in medical training, to two decades of leadership at Kaiser, and finally to the moment she realized she could no longer alter the same coat to make it fit. Jessie shares the inner work that quietly made leaving possible: coach training, yoga teacher training, mindfulness practice, and the willingness to develop muscles she did not yet know she would need.This conversation also opens into deeper questions about belief, embodiment, and the pace of becoming. Jessie describes the future-self exercise that gave her clarity, the terror that followed giving notice, the pandemic pivot that turned her plan upside down, and the unexpected way Nicasio Creek Farm came to be the home of her retreats. She speaks honestly about the "twangy moments" that still arrive when something is shifting, and why intuition, paired with a regulated nervous system, is one of the most reliable instruments a physician carries.Whether you are a physician feeling a quiet inner stirring, a healthcare leader curious about coaching and mindfulness, or anyone drawn to a slower, more intentional way of practicing medicine, this episode offers honest reflection, practical wisdom, and the reminder that you do not have to know the how before you take the first step.If you're inspired by our exploration on Roots of Healing, a physician-led podcast uplifting the wisdom and lived experience of integrative and lifestyle medicine doctors, subscribe to receive new episodes weekly.Key Topics & TakeawaysPediatric origin story: How Jessie knew at age twelve, after watching her brother be born, that she wanted to be a pediatrician, and how the positive feedback loop of medicine kept her on a linear path.Motherhood in medical training: Being one of nine women in her UCSF class to have a child during medical school, and what that revealed about a system not built for the people inside it.Two decades at Kaiser Permanente: Building a career, raising three children, and serving as Chief of Physician Health and Wellness while quietly outgrowing the role.The integration years: Coach training, yoga teacher training, and mindfulness practice approached as self-permission rather than career planning.Whose belief, whose results: Why borrowed beliefs from family or culture often determine the life we end up living, and how to gently set them down.Future-self wisdom: Asking your sixty-year-old self what she would wish you had done, and trusting her answer.Giving notice: The terror that did not give way to relief, and the pandemic that arrived six weeks later.What coaching actually is: A forward-looking, strength-based practice that is not therapy, not mentorship, and not advice.Pause & Presence: Building a coaching and retreat practice rooted in mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and lifestyle medicine.Nicasio Creek Farm: The four-acre property north of San Francisco that became the embodied home of the work, and the unexpected way it came to be.The retreat experience: Seven women physicians, four days, plant-forward farm-to-table meals, yoga, sound healing, forest bathing, and small-group coaching as CME.The twangy moments: Why intuition still requires courage, even after years of practice.You do not know the how: The reminder that clarity arrives after the first step, not before.Chapters00:00 — Introduction and Welcome01:55 — Meet Dr. Jessie Mahoney02:50 — A Pediatrician's Origin Story at Age Twelve05:00 — Once a Pediatrician, Always a Pediatrician06:35 — UCSF and the First Class of Women08:00 — Motherhood During Medical Training09:00 — Choosing Kaiser Oakland for Residency10:30 — Berkeley Roots and Growing Misalignment12:30 — Chief of Wellness and Asking Better Questions14:00 — Coach Training, Yoga, and the Permission to Explore17:00 — The Sabbatical and Borrowing Belief19:30 — Whose Belief, Whose Results22:30 — The Lifelong Learner Without an Agenda24:30 — Caring for Clinicians and the Suppression of Needs27:00 — Wisdom From Your Sixty-Year-Old Self30:00 — Giving Notice and the Pandemic Pivot33:00 — Coaching Stanford Anesthesia Fellows35:30 — What Coaching Actually Is39:00 — Stumbling Onto a Retreat Space41:00 — When Your Spouse Becomes Your Business Partner43:30 — Finding Nicasio Creek Farm46:00 — Embodied Living on the Farm48:30 — Skeptical Physicians and the First-Night Sound Healing51:00 — Who Retreats Are For, and Who They Are Not54:00 — Inside the Women's Physician Retreat58:00 — Speaking the Language of Physiology1:00:30 — What People Leave With1:03:30 Visionary by Upbringing, Not by Plan1:05:00 The Twangy Moments and Trusting Yourself1:06:30 For the Physician Feeling Her Own Stirring1:09:00 Where to Find Dr. Jessie Mahoney1:11:30 Closing ReflectionsAbout Today's GuestJessie Mahoney, MDPhysician Coach • Mindfulness & Yoga Teacher • Keynote & TEDx Speaker • Retreat FacilitatorJessie Mahoney is a board-certified pediatrician, certified coach, physician wellness leader, mindfulness/yoga teacher, keynote and TEDx speaker, and founder of Pause &amp; Presence.After nearly two decades as a physician leader at the Permanente Medical Group/Kaiser, Dr. Mahoney stepped outside the traditional medical model 6 years ago to reimagine sustainable well-being in health care.She now helps physicians and leaders cultivate clarity, intention, and balance—leveraging mindfulness, coaching, yoga, and lifestyle medicine to create deep and lasting change.She hosts a popular podcast called Healing Medicine and recently built a retreat center, Nicasio Creek Farm, just north of San Francisco, where she host her popular wellness retreats for women physicians.Find Dr. Jessie MahoneyWebsite: https://www.jessiemahoneymd.com/TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRQwr8-ITBQ&t=345sAbout Jessie: https://www.jessiemahoneymd.com/about-jessieCoaching: https://www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coachingRetreats: https://www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreatsNicasio Creek Farm: https://www.jessiemahoneymd.com/nicasio-creek-farmPodcast (Healing Medicine): https://www.jessiemahoneymd.com/healing--podcastApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/healing-medicine-mindfulness-mindset-physician-well/id1542538851Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0q9yep2gnjZEOpw5ItVevTLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-mahoney-md/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessie.mahoney.56/Free ResourcesHealing Medicine Podcast: Weekly episodes with Dr. Jessie Mahoney and Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang exploring mindfulness, mindset, and physician well-being.Free yoga classes on Dr. Mahoney's YouTube channel.Jessie's Blog: Reflections on physician wellness, coaching, mindfulness, and sustainable leadership at jessiemahoneymd.com.🌐 Connect with Your HostDr. Siri Chand Khalsa, MD MSLifestyle & Integrative Medicine Physician • Culinary Medicine • AyurvedaWebsite: drsirichand.comInstagram: @doctorsirichandCulinary Medicine Blog: drsirichand.com/blogCommunity: https://vishuddha.comVishuddha: A Media Agency for Conscious Clinicians & Wellness SeekersVishuddha is a media and creative agency dedicated to amplifying the voices of integrative and lifestyle medicine clinicians who are transforming how we understand health and healing.We provide media representation, book development, public speaking coaching, podcast strategy, content creation, and course development alongside classes and workshops for wellness seekers committed to intentional, conscious living.Rooted in whole-person healing, Vishuddha helps clinicians translate their wisdom into impact, design offerings that matter, and bring conscious, transformative work into the world.Ready to share your wisdom? Explore how we can support your vision at <a href="https://vishuddha.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

In this week’s episode of Roots of Healing, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa sits down with Dr. Tracy Paeschke, a board-certified cardiologist and health coach whose work is devoted to helping people understand their cardiovascular risk before a crisis occurs. Through her integrative cardiology practice, Dr. Paeschke blends advanced lab testing, wearable technology, cardiac imaging, and the pillars of lifestyle medicine to create a more personalized and preventive model of heart care. Together, they explore the limitations of conventional cardiology, the importance of looking beyond standard lipid panels, and the ways that inflammation, sleep, stress, toxins, blood sugar, movement, and family history all shape heart health. Dr. Paeschke shares why she stepped away from a more traditional model of medicine and how she now helps patients build sustainable, individualized strategies for prevention and health span. This conversation also opens into deeper questions around women in medicine, burnout, identity, and what it means to practice in alignment with one’s values. The episode highlights the empowering truth that while genetics matter, they do not tell the whole story. Through daily choices, better data, and a more integrative understanding of the body, people can often reduce risk, improve vitality, and create a longer, healthier future. Whether you are concerned about your heart health, living with a family history of cardiovascular disease, interested in lifestyle medicine, or simply curious about a more thoughtful and personalized approach to prevention, this episode offers grounded insight, hope, and practical wisdom. If you’re inspired by our exploration on Roots of Healing, a physician-led podcast uplifting the wisdom and lived experience of integrative and lifestyle medicine doctors, subscribe to receive new episodes weekly. 🔑 Key Topics & TakeawaysPreventive cardiology: Why Dr. Paeschke shifted from treating heart attacks and heart failure to focusing on prevention before catastrophic events occur. Integrative heart care: How she combines conventional cardiology with functional medicine, lifestyle medicine, and health coaching. Advanced cardiovascular testing: Looking beyond the standard lipid panel with ApoB, Lp(a), LDL particle size, CRP, myeloperoxidase, and oxidized LDL. Cardiac imaging: The value of calcium scoring, CCTA, and newer technologies that can assess plaque and coronary artery disease more clearly. Wearables and health tracking: How continuous glucose monitors, sleep tracking, heart rate variability, and blood pressure monitoring can reveal meaningful patterns. Lifestyle medicine: The essential role of plant-forward nutrition, movement, sleep, stress reduction, avoidance of harmful substances, and social connection. Genetics vs. epigenetics: Why family history matters, but does not necessarily determine destiny. Lp(a) awareness: Understanding lipoprotein(a) as an underrecognized and often genetically driven cardiovascular risk factor. Women in medicine: How corporate medicine and legacy systems often fail to support women physicians and values-based practice. Health span: Why the goal is not simply to live longer, but to live well, with vitality and function. ⏱ Chapters00:00 — Introduction and Welcome00:37 — What Integrative Cardiology Looks Like02:00 — Why Prevention Matters More Than Crisis Care03:40 — Personalized Risk Assessment and Advanced Lipid Testing05:35 — Imaging, Calcium Scores, CCTA, and AI in Cardiology07:00 — Wearables, Glucose Monitoring, Sleep Apnea, and Blood Pressure Tracking08:11 — Personalized Medicine and the Shift Away from One-Size-Fits-All Care09:18 — Leaving Corporate Medicine and Finding Alignment12:25 — EMRs, Venture Capital, and the Changing Landscape of Medicine13:05 — Women in Medicine and Systems Not Built for Women15:40 — Insurance, Burnout, and the Value of Integrative Care18:01 — Genetics, Epigenetics, and Reframing Family History21:41 — Agency, Hope, and the Power of Lifestyle Change23:14 — Dean Ornish, Plant-Based Nutrition, and Reversing Disease25:00 — Coaching Through Real-Life Food and Family Challenges27:27 — The Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine27:57 — Toxins, Environmental Exposures, and the Yuka App30:15 — Journaling, Daily Habits, and Tracking Lifestyle Patterns32:48 — Small Changes That Create Long-Term Transformation36:06 — Heart Rate Variability and What Wearables Can Teach Us38:33 — The Body as a Temple and the Systems View of Health41:44 — Inflammation, Cholesterol, and the Bigger Picture of Cardiovascular Disease42:44 — Lp(a): What It Is and Why It Matters48:38 — Health Span, Hospice Wisdom, and Why Prevention Is Worth It51:00 — Meeting People Where They Are53:55 — A Day in the Life: Teen Twins, Pets, and Real Life55:00 — Where to Find Dr. Tracy Paeschke57:33 — Closing Reflections About Today’s GuestTracy Paeschke, MDCardiology • Health Coaching • Integrative & Preventive Heart CareDr. Tracy Paeschke is a board-certified cardiologist and health coach with over 25 years of experience dedicated to helping people with heart disease. After years of diagnosing and treating heart conditions, she now concentrates on proactive, preventive care. In her integrative cardiology practice in Monument, Colorado, and through telehealth across multiple states, she combines advanced lab testing, wearable technology, and cutting-edge cardiac imaging to deliver a personalized assessment of each client’s cardiovascular risk. She works closely with each individual to develop a customized treatment plan, tailored to their unique needs and goals. She is passionate about empowering people to prevent and even reverse heart disease through personalized medicine, enabling them to lead long, healthy, and fulfilling lives. Dr. Paeschke approaches heart health through the pillars of Lifestyle Medicine and enjoys discussing both the latest tools for assessing risk and the ways that plant-forward nutrition and sustainable lifestyle change can meaningfully lower that risk. She is also a mother of teenaged twins, shares a home full of beloved pets, and is an avid non-fiction reader. 🌐 Find Dr. Tracy PaeschkeWebsite: https://hearthealth.care/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hearthealthprevandwellInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/_heart.health_/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drtracypaeschke/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hearthealth_/Podcast: https://podfollow.com/heart-health-prevention-and-wellness🎁 Free ResourceFree health consultation available through her website.Free ebook: https://hearthealth.ck.page/hypertensionebook🌐 Connect with Your HostDr. Siri Chand Khalsa, MD MSLifestyle & Integrative Medicine Physician • Culinary Medicine • AyurvedaWebsite: drsirichand.comInstagram: @doctorsirichandCulinary Medicine Blog: drsirichand.com/blogCommunity: https://vishuddha.comVishuddha: A Media Agency for Conscious Clinicians & Wellness SeekersVishuddha is a media and creative agency dedicated to amplifying the voices of integrative and lifestyle medicine clinicians who are transforming how we understand health and healing.We provide media representation, book development, public speaking coaching, podcast strategy, content creation, and course development alongside classes and workshops for wellness seekers committed to intentional, conscious living.Rooted in whole-person healing, Vishuddha helps clinicians translate their wisdom into impact, design offerings that matter, and bring conscious, transformative work into the world.Ready to share your wisdom? Explore how we can support your vision at Vishuddha.com.Keywordspreventive cardiology, integrative cardiology, heart disease prevention, lifestyle medicine, lipoprotein(a), Lp(a), ApoB, cardiovascular risk, wearable technology, continuous glucose monitor, heart rate variability, plant-forward nutrition, personalized medicine, women in medicine, physician burnout,...

Show NotesIn this week’s episode of Routes of Healing, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa sits down with Dr. Rashmi Kudesia, a triple board-certified physician in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, obstetrics and gynecology, and lifestyle medicine, whose work bridges advanced fertility care with prevention, education, and whole-person health.Together, they explore the deeper dimensions of reproductive medicine not only the science of conception, but the emotional, relational, and cultural layers that shape how people experience fertility, infertility, and family-building. Dr. Kudesia shares her path into medicine, her early fascination with embryology and women’s health, and the ways her work has evolved to include lifestyle medicine, preconception care, and a more humane, empowering model of patient support.This conversation moves through the gaps in fertility awareness, the importance of preparing the body before pregnancy, the role of nutrition, stress, sleep, and metabolic health in reproductive outcomes, and the need for culturally relevant care that honors the realities many women and families carry. They also discuss how infertility can impact identity, why education is one of the most powerful tools in women’s health, and what it means to care for patients with both scientific precision and deep compassion.Whether you are trying to conceive, curious about preconception health, supporting someone navigating infertility, or simply interested in a more integrative and empowering future for women’s health, this episode offers wisdom, clarity, and hope.If you’re inspired by our exploration on Routes of Healing, a physician-led podcast uplifting the wisdom and lived experience of integrative and lifestyle medicine doctors, subscribe to receive new episodes weekly.Key Topics & TakeawaysWhat drew Dr. Kudesia into reproductive endocrinology and infertilityHow embryology, women’s health, and lived experience intersect in fertility careWhy fertility is never only about hormones, diagnosis, or proceduresThe importance of preconception health and proactive preparation for pregnancyHow lifestyle medicine supports fertility through nutrition, sleep, stress care, movement, and metabolic healthThe emotional and relational impact of infertilityCultural expectations and family pressures surrounding fertility and childbearingThe need for better fertility education and reproductive literacyThe role of compassion, empowerment, and patient education in women’s healthChapters00:00 — Introduction and Welcome01:15 — Why Fertility Conversations Matter03:02 — Dr. Kudesia’s Path Into Medicine05:28 — Early Fascination with Embryology and Women’s Health08:11 — Why She Chose Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility11:04 — Fertility as More Than a Medical Diagnosis14:26 — The Emotional Weight of Infertility17:40 — Identity, Family-Building, and Social Expectations21:08 — What Preconception Health Really Means24:33 — Lifestyle Medicine in Fertility Care27:14 — Nutrition, Inflammation, and Metabolic Health30:21 — Stress, Sleep, and Reproductive Outcomes33:06 — Why Women Need Better Fertility Education36:42 — Cultural Context in Reproductive Medicine40:10 — Supporting Patients with Compassion and Clarity44:37 — Empowerment Through Knowledge48:20 — The Future of Whole-Person Fertility Care51:05 — Where to Find Dr. Kudesia52:00 — Closing ReflectionsAbout Today’s GuestRashmi Kudesia, MDReproductive Endocrinology & Infertility • OB/GYN • Lifestyle MedicineDr. Rashmi Kudesia is triple board-certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, OB/GYN, and Lifestyle Medicine. She has been caring for patients at CCRM Fertility Houston since 2018, where she has received multiple annual clinical recognition awards and serves as Director of Patient Education and Sugar Land Site Director, as well as Assistant Clinical Professor at Houston Methodist Hospital.After graduating magna cum laude from Brown University, she received her M.D. with honors from the Duke University School of Medicine. Her OB/GYN residency at New York Hospital–Weill Cornell Medical Center was followed by a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility fellowship at Albert Einstein College of Medicine–Montefiore Medical Center, alongside a Master of Science degree in Clinical Research Methods.She subsequently served as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, as well as Medical Director of the Brooklyn office of Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York.Dr. Kudesia is a Fellow and active member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, has served in multiple local and national leadership roles in organized medicine, including currently as District XI Section 4 Chair, and is a public advocate for reproductive health. She has presented scientific research at national and international conferences, published in leading peer-reviewed journals, and received multiple awards and grants for her work.She is also the author of Understanding Fertility Awareness Methods: Gaining Control of Your Fertility.Find Dr. KudesiaInstagram: www.instagram.com/rkudesiaBook: https://a.co/d/eQqKmYM🌐 Connect with Your HostDr. Siri Chand Khalsa, MD MSLifestyle & Integrative Medicine Physician • Culinary Medicine • AyurvedaWebsite: drsirichand.comInstagram: @doctorsirichandCulinary Medicine Blog: drsirichand.com/blogCommunity: https://vishuddha.comVishuddha: A Media Agency for Conscious Clinicians & Wellness SeekersVishuddha is a media and creative agency dedicated to amplifying the voices of integrative and lifestyle medicine clinicians who are transforming how we understand health and healing.We provide media representation, book development, public speaking coaching, podcast strategy, content creation, and course development—alongside classes and workshops for wellness seekers committed to intentional, conscious living.Rooted in whole-person healing, Vishuddha helps clinicians translate their wisdom into impact, design offerings that matter, and bring conscious, transformative work into the world.Ready to share your wisdom? Explore how we can support your vision at Vishuddha.com.⚠️ DisclaimerThis podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider for personalized guidance.Keywordsfertility, reproductive endocrinology, infertility, preconception health, lifestyle medicine, women’s health, fertility awareness, IVF, OB-GYN, metabolic health, nutrition and fertility, stress and fertility, sleep and fertility, reproductive health education, culturally responsive care, South Asian women’s health, integrative fertility care, whole-person medicine, Routes of Healing, Dr. Rashmi Kudesia, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa

Show NotesIn this week’s episode of Routes of Healing, Dr. SiriChand sits down with Dr. Minako Abe, Lifestyle Medicine Director and Vice-President of Tokyo Cancer Clinic, for a compelling conversation on prevention, immune resilience, and what it means to help patients thrive, not just survive.Together, they explore Dr. Abe’s journey from more than 15 years in emergency medicine in New York and New Jersey to her current work in Tokyo, where she brings together lifestyle medicine, mindset coaching, and personalized cancer immunotherapy. What began as a growing awareness in the ER that many patients were suffering from preventable, lifestyle-related conditions eventually became a call to work further upstream, where healing can begin earlier and more holistically.This conversation moves through burnout, self-care for clinicians, the foundations of lifestyle medicine, and the profound role of sleep, nutrition, movement, and stress reduction in immune health. Dr. Abe also offers a fascinating look into the work being done at Tokyo Cancer Clinic, where patients receive personalized Dendritic Cell cancer vaccines and Natural Killer cell therapy created from their own cells.Whether you are a clinician rethinking the future of medicine, a patient seeking a more empowered path through cancer care, or simply someone curious about the intersection of science, prevention, and healing, this episode offers hope, insight, and a broader vision of what medicine can become.If you’re inspired by our exploration on Routes of Healing, a physician-led podcast uplifting the wisdom and lived experience of integrative and lifestyle medicine doctors, subscribe to receive new episodes weekly.🔑 Key Topics & TakeawaysFrom emergency medicine to prevention: How years in the ER revealed the limits of reactive care.Working upstream: Why so many chronic conditions can be prevented through lifestyle change.Burnout and self-care: The realization that clinicians cannot care well for others without first caring for themselves.Lifestyle medicine in every field: Why Dr. Abe believes it is foundational to good medicine, not separate from it.Cancer and immune resilience: How nutrition, sleep, movement, and stress reduction support the body’s ability to heal.Sleep as a pillar of health: Why sleep is essential for immune activation, cancer surveillance, and brain health.Japan and lifestyle medicine: How Japanese culture both supports and challenges healthy living, especially around work and sleep.Cutting-edge cancer immunotherapy: How personalized immune cell therapies are created using a patient’s own blood cells.Natural Killer cells and Dendritic Cells: A look at how these therapies are used to support cancer treatment in a targeted way.Personalized cancer coaching: Why behavior change requires individualized support, not generic advice.Food first: How coaching often begins with meeting patients where they are, especially during cancer treatment.Movement as medicine: Why exercise supports circulation, immune function, treatment tolerance, and reduced recurrence risk.Relaxation and the parasympathetic response: The role of stress reduction, human connection, nature, and mindfulness in healing.Personalized medicine: Why one-size-fits-all algorithms are not enough for every patient.Hope for the future: Dr. Abe’s vision for lifestyle medicine and immune cell therapy to become more integrated globally.⏱ Chapters00:00 — Introduction and Welcome01:27 — Meet Dr. Minako Abe01:46 — From Emergency Medicine to Lifestyle Medicine03:06 — Self-Care, Balance, and Burnout05:08 — The ER as Primary Care07:18 — Leaving the ER and Moving to Tokyo10:40 — Cancer Prevention and Whole-Person Care12:16 — How Lifestyle Medicine Is Received in Japan16:14 — Sleep, Work Culture, and Health20:24 — Why Sleep Matters for Immunity and Cancer27:22 — What Is Cancer Immunotherapy?31:10 — Natural Killer Cells and Dendritic Cell Vaccines34:41 — Cellular Intelligence and Cancer Evasion36:58 — Innovation, Regulation, and the Future of Therapy42:15 — Lifestyle Coaching for Cancer Patients44:40 — A Case Study in Stage IV Cancer Support47:01 — Leading with Example in Clinical Culture51:15 — Personalized Medicine and Behavior Change55:08 — Advice for Young Clinicians56:41 — Lifestyle Medicine as Good Medicine57:16 — Where to Find Dr. Abe59:18 — Closing ReflectionsAbout Today’s GuestMinako Abe, MDLifestyle Medicine • Cancer Immunotherapy • Cancer CoachingDr. Minako Abe is the Lifestyle Medicine Director and Vice-President of Tokyo Cancer Clinic. She attended UC Berkeley and earned her M.D. from SUNY Stony Brook, and holds dual U.S. board certifications in Emergency Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine.After more than 15 years practicing emergency medicine in New York and New Jersey, Dr. Abe saw firsthand how many patients were suffering from conditions rooted in preventable lifestyle factors. Realizing that a more upstream approach was needed to truly serve patients, she began incorporating lifestyle medicine into her practice.She later moved to Tokyo, Japan, where she now works at the intersection of personalized cancer immunotherapy, lifestyle interventions, and mindset coaching. At Tokyo Cancer Clinic, she helps patients strengthen immune resilience and improve quality of life through innovative treatments including personalized Dendritic Cell cancer vaccines and Natural Killer cell therapy, alongside support in nutrition, sleep, movement, stress reduction, and behavior change.Her unique approach centers on the pillars of Eat, Sleep, Move, Relax for Cancer, helping patients support the body’s natural healing capacity while navigating every stage of the cancer journey.🌐 Find Dr. AbeWebsite: Tokyo Cancer Clinic: https://tokyocancerclinic.jpPersonal Website: https://www.drminako.com Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook / YouTube: Dr. Minako AbeFor personalized immune cell therapy for cancer, including Dendritic Cell cancer vaccines and Natural Killer cell therapy, or to learn more about Cancer Coaching, please visit Tokyo Cancer Clinic website. Dr. Abe also offers a free Monday Motivation newsletter with sign up through the website. Paper referenced:“Lifestyle Medicine Coaching in Patients with Cancer: A Case Study”https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/pmu/13/0/13_2024002/_article🌐 Connect with Your HostDr. Siri Chand Khalsa, MD MSLifestyle & Integrative Medicine Physician • Culinary Medicine • AyurvedaWebsite: drsirichand.comInstagram: @doctorsirichandCulinary Medicine Blog: drsirichand.com/blogCommunity: https://vishuddha.comVishuddha: A Media Agency for CliniciansVishuddha is a media and creative agency dedicated to amplifying the voices of integrative and lifestyle medicine clinicians who are transforming how we understand health and healing.We provide media representation, book development, public speaking coaching, podcast strategy, content creation, and course development, alongside classes and workshops for wellness seekers committed to intentional, conscious living.Rooted in whole-person healing, Vishuddha helps clinicians translate their wisdom into impact, design offerings that matter, and bring conscious, transformative work into the world.Ready to share your wisdom? Explore how we can support your vision at Vishuddha.com.⚠️ Disclaimer This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider for personalized guidance.Keywordslifestyle medicine, cancer immunotherapy, Tokyo Cancer Clinic, Minako Abe, Dr. Minako Abe, emergency medicine, cancer coaching, immune resilience, dendritic cell vaccine, natural killer cell therapy, personalized cancer treatment, sleep and immunity, cancer prevention, burnout in medicine, physician wellness, whole-person care, plant-forward nutrition, exercise and cancer, stress reduction, parasympathetic healing, microbiome and immunity, regenerative...

Menopause Weight Loss Without Shame: Insulin Resistance, Visceral Fat, and the End of “Good/Bad” EatingShow NotesMenopause is not a small hormonal footnote; it’s a whole-body metabolic transition that changes how women store fat, process glucose, and experience appetite, mood, and energy. In this episode, host Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa sits down with Heather Awad, MD, family physician, certified coach, and menopause weight-loss expert, to unpack what’s actually happening during perimenopause and beyond.Dr. Awad explains why many high-performing women experience midlife weight gain despite “healthy-ish” eating, and why the old rules stop working. Together, they connect insulin resistance, visceral fat, added sugar, and grazing/snacking patterns to real-world outcomes—and then move into the coaching frameworks that help women stop turning food into a daily moral trial.This conversation is for professional women who are tired of self-criticism masquerading as discipline and ready for a model that is physiologically accurate, socially realistic, and built for busy lives.If you’re inspired by our exploration on Routes of Healing… subscribe to receive new episodes weekly.🔑 Key Topics & TakeawaysMenopause impacts the entire body: hormone receptors “from head to toe.”Why estrogen decline increases insulin resistance—and why that matters for weightVisceral belly fat: why it’s inflammatory and higher-risk than “pear shape” weightThe Snackwell legacy: low-fat conditioning and midlife macro confusionEnding food moralization: replacing “right vs wrong” with experimentationEmotional eating as regulation: naming feelings instead of eating themWhy grazing and “healthy snacking” can block fat mobilization in insulin resistancePractical structure: three meals, minimal snacking, strategic sugar frequencySocial pressure, food pushers, and boundaries without debate (“fight club” rules)People-pleasing as an unspoken driver of overeating—and how to practice changeCulinary medicine in real life: pantry/freezer backups for busy professionalsThe hidden dividend: when food noise drops, time and agency return⏱ Chapters00:00 — Experimentation over self-judgment: removing the “mean voice.”00:40 — Introducing Heather Awad, MD, and her menopause weight-loss focus01:11 — Does menopause impact the whole body? (Yes—head to toe)02:34 — Midlife reinvention and the career pivot into coaching05:35 — Insulin resistance explained: why this becomes pivotal in menopause07:45 — Visceral fat and inflammation: why belly fat is different08:44 — The “Snackwell generation” and re-learning healthy fats13:23 — Food morality: “right vs wrong” eating and why women quit16:50 — Social pressure, judgment at meals, and “fight club” privacy21:20 — People-pleasing and practicing boundaries in real situations25:06 — What worked for Heather: sugar frequency, meal structure, no grazing30:04 — Emotional regulation tools that don’t involve food33:22 — When you stop eating between meals, time returns36:34 — Culinary medicine: teaching kitchens, plant-forward meals, recipes41:30 — Group vs 1:1 coaching models and why community works43:10 — Eating alone vs eating together: connection and mindful limits46:29 — Backup plans: pantry staples and fast dinners for busy weeks48:44 — De-stressing practices: walking, breathwork, midline-crossing51:22 — How to work with Dr. Awad + Real Results Strategy SessionAbout Today’s GuestHeather Awad, MDFamily physician • Menopause weight-loss expert • Certified coach • Podcast hostHeather Awad, MD, is a Minnesota-based family doctor and certified coach who helps professional women in midlife and beyond lose weight for the last time. After navigating her own menopause-era weight gain and discovering the combined impact of insulin resistance and emotional eating patterns, she developed a coaching-centered approach that emphasizes physiology, nervous-system-aware regulation tools, and sustainable meal structure.She leads a primarily group-based coaching program to support busy professional women with metabolic strategy, mindset shifts, and practical culinary planning—helping clients end grazing, reduce added sugar, and rebuild a relationship with food grounded in experimentation rather than self-criticismAbout Today’s GuestHeather Awad, MDFamily Medicine • Menopause Weight Loss • Physician CoachingDr. Heather Awad is a family doctor in Minnesota and a certified coach who helps professional women in midlife and beyond “lose weight for the last time.” Her work was shaped by her own experience of perimenopause weight gain, “mostly belly fat,” and the moment she realized “the old ways… just didn’t work at all.” After trying diets that made her feel sick and an app-based approach that led to rebound weight gain, she went looking for what was different in midlife physiology and found the answer in insulin resistance.As she studied the science of menopause metabolism, she also recognized a second driver: “I was eating my feelings.” For Dr. Awad, weight loss became “really simple and easy” when she combined metabolic strategy with the capacity to feel and name emotions without using food to manage them. Now she teaches women to stop treating food as “right or wrong,” to experiment without shame—“if it doesn’t work, just shrug your shoulders” and to build practical structures that support insulin sensitivity, including reducing added sugar and eliminating grazing and snacking.She describes midlife as “a great time for reinvention,” and she embodies that by stepping outside traditional clinical constraints to do the work women rarely get time for in standard visits. She primarily leads a group program (with 1:1 options) because women “have a lot of things in common” in midlife, busy careers, decision fatigue, social pressure, and the boundary work required to nourish themselves without people-pleasing. She also hosts the Vibrant-MD podcast, where she discusses weight loss, women’s health, and food.🌐 Find Dr. AwadWebsite: https://heatherawadmd.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherawadmd/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherawadmd/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathervibrantmdYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ (search: Heather Awad, MD)Podcast (RSS): https://app.kajabi.com/podcasts/2147488988/feedVibrant-MD podcast: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / wherever you listen🌐 Connect with Your HostDr. Siri Chand Khalsa, MD MSLifestyle & Integrative Medicine Physician • Culinary Medicine • AyurvedaWebsite: drsirichand.comInstagram: @doctorsirichandCulinary Medicine Blog: drsirichand.com/blogCommunity: https://vishuddha.comVishuddha: A Media Agency for Conscious Clinicians & Wellness SeekersVishuddha is a media and creative agency dedicated to amplifying the voices of integrative and lifestyle medicine clinicians who are transforming how we understand health and healing.We provide media representation, book development, public speaking coaching, podcast strategy, content creation, and course development—alongside classes and workshops for wellness seekers committed to intentional, conscious living.Rooted in whole-person healing, Vishuddha helps clinicians translate their wisdom into impact, design offerings that matter, and bring conscious, transformative work into the world.Ready to share your wisdom? Explore how we can support your vision at...

Nourish as a Clinical Intervention: Plant-Forward Feeding, Family Systems, and the Pediatric Long GameShow NotesIn this episode of Routes of Healing, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa sits down with pediatrician, parent coach, and award-winning author Dr. Reshma Shah to explore what it actually takes to translate nutrition science into family life without ideology, shame, or unrealistic expectations.Dr. Shah shares her full-circle path into plant-forward pediatrics, why most physicians receive minimal nutrition training, and what she learned working with families in under-resourced settings: patients want these conversations when they’re approached with practicality and respect.Together, they discuss how coaching can restore what modern clinical care often cannot fund time, context, and implementation support, especially when families are navigating new diagnoses, feeding challenges, and the emotional tone of the dinner table.If you’re a clinician, parent, or health leader looking for evidence-based, psychologically realistic strategies that work in real households, this conversation is for you.If you’re inspired by our exploration on Routes of Healing, subscribe to receive new episodes weekly.🔑 Key Topics & TakeawaysWhy most physicians finish training with little nutrition educationThe “big tent” approach to plant-based eating for childrenNutrient deficiencies happen in omnivorous kids too—why all diets require attention“Add-in before take-away”: the behavior change strategy that lastsWriting a book as a discipline in nuance, evidence, and trust-buildingCoaching vs. clinical care: restoring time, narrative, and implementation supportThe dinner table intervention that comes before changing the food“Caring without catering”: a boundary-based feeding philosophyFarmers markets as a practical system (not an aesthetic)⏱ Chapters00:00 — Welcome + introduction to Dr. Reshma Shah02:01 — How Dr. Shah came to plant-forward pediatrics04:20 — Bringing nutrition into patient care in under-resourced communities07:10 — Why residents and students are deeply hungry for nutrition training10:12 — How Dr. Shah built nutrition expertise without a formal pathway13:22 — Why the book is titled Nourish14:34 — The collaborative process of writing the book20:30 — Trust, nuance, and resisting clickbait certainty21:39 — Can kids thrive on plant-based diets? The “big tent” answer25:32 — Why Dr. Shah shifted into coaching30:54 — The “last patient before lunch” and what time makes possible36:38 — Empathy, access, and the limits of the clinical model40:41 — Where to access Dr. Shah’s resources and education46:31 — Making dinner a place kids want to come to51:58 — Farmers markets and how they shape real cooking habits53:52 — Conferences, community, and why ACLM matters56:10 — Live virtual soup workshop overview57:21 — Closing + how to stay connectedAbout Today’s GuestDr. Reshma ShahPediatrician • Parent Coach • Award-Winning Author • Plant-Forward Nutrition EducatorDr. Reshma Shah is a pediatrician, parent coach, and award-winning author of Nourish: The Definitive Plant-Based Nutrition Guide for Families. She is a contributing author to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Pediatric Nutrition textbook and serves as Co-Director of the Learning Center at Plant Based Juniors, where she provides evidence-based nutrition education for both healthcare professionals and parents.After previously serving as an affiliate clinical instructor at Stanford University School of Medicine, Dr. Shah now teaches through Stanford’s Be Well program. Through her parent coaching practice, she supports families navigating general parenting challenges, new medical diagnoses, feeding concerns, and plant-based nutrition with a grounded, practical approach.A parent of two young adults, Dr. Shah lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she finds weekly inspiration at her local farmers market, keeping her work rooted in both real family life and real food.🌐 Find Dr. ReshmaParent Coaching Website: https://www.reshmashahmdparentcoaching.com/Book Page: https://reshmashahmd.com/books/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reshmashahLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahreshma/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGF_TFqqXiXdbEPf-Epx7aw🌐 Connect with Your HostDr. Siri Chand Khalsa, MD MSLifestyle & Integrative Medicine Physician • Culinary Medicine • AyurvedaWebsite: drsirichand.comInstagram: @doctorsirichandCulinary Medicine Blog: drsirichand.com/blogCommunity: https://vishuddha.comVishuddha: A Media Agency for Conscious Clinicians & Wellness SeekersVishuddha is a media and creative agency dedicated to amplifying the voices of integrative and lifestyle medicine clinicians who are transforming how we understand health and healing.We provide media representation, book development, public speaking coaching, podcast strategy, content creation, and course development—alongside classes and workshops for wellness seekers committed to intentional, conscious living.Rooted in whole-person healing, Vishuddha helps clinicians translate their wisdom into impact, design offerings that matter, and bring conscious, transformative work into the world.Ready to share your wisdom? Explore how we can support your vision at Vishuddha.com.⚠️ DisclaimerThis podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider for personalized guidance.Keywords: plant-based nutrition for kids, pediatric plant-based diet, vegan kids nutrients, responsive feeding, caring without catering, family mealtime stress, plant-forward parenting, pediatric nutrition counseling, lifestyle medicine pediatrics, physician coaching, Plant Based Juniors, Nourish book

In this week’s episode of Routes of Healing, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa sits down with Dr. Michelle Quirk, a board certified pediatrician and certified run coach through the Roadrunners Club of America. Dr. Quirk is the founder of Mindful Marathon, where she helps busy professionals make running feel approachable, enjoyable, and sustainable through practical coaching and a mindset rooted in recovery, flexibility, and self trust.Together, they explore how burnout can quietly shape a clinician’s life long before we name it, and how a simple decision to run five minutes around the block can become a turning point. Dr. Quirk shares how grief after the loss of her father deepened her relationship with movement, and how marathon training opened a new kind of inner quiet that felt both restorative and creative. They also discuss recovery as a daily practice, the myth that running is bad for knees, the power of easy pace and zone two training, and why you do not need a race on the calendar to train for life.If you are a clinician rebuilding your relationship with movement, a former athlete trying to start again without shame, or a human who wants a healthier nervous system and a steadier mind, this episode offers a grounded path forward.If you’re inspired by our exploration on Routes of Healing, a physician-led podcast uplifting the wisdom and lived experience of integrative and lifestyle medicine doctors, subscribe to receive new episodes weekly. Subscribe and follow along!🔑 Key Topics & TakeawaysBurnout before burnout had a name, noticing the moment when your advice does not match your life.Starting low and going slow, why five minutes around the block is enough to begin.Grief and movement, how running can hold sorrow without forcing it to resolve.Recovery as a daily practice, shifting from reward coping to true restoration.Flexibility over perfection, why missing a run does not mean you cannot reach your goal.The knee myth, why sedentary living can be harder on joints than an appropriately paced run routine.Easy pace and zone two, building aerobic fitness without living in huff and puff.Letting go of numbers, how effort based training can reduce intimidation and increase consistency.Mindfulness in motion, the reset that happens when the mind goes quiet on the trail.Training for life, why a race is optional and the routine can evolve over years.⏱ Chapters00:30 — Welcome and Introduction to Dr. Michelle Quirk01:54 — Burnout in 2012, A Wake Up Call in the Emergency Department04:40 — Loss, Grief, and the Role of Movement in Healing06:51 — Being a Pediatrician With a Hybrid Coaching Business10:32 — What Recovery Really Means for Clinicians13:00 — Marathon Training, Perfectionism, and Learning Flexibility16:08 — Not an Athlete, Starting Again With Grace19:27 — The Coaching Spark That Became Mindful Marathon22:01 — Training Plans vs Building a Business as a Physician24:37 — The Knee Myth and the Benefits of Small Doses of Running28:11 — Heart Rate Zones, Brisk Walking, and Aerobic Threshold31:15 — What Kids and Non Athletes Need to Learn About Running35:03 — The First Marathon Story, Disney, Doubt, and Mile 2540:24 — Running as Spiritual Time and Deep Relationship Building42:18 — Mindfulness, Zoning Out, and the Creative Mind in Motion47:24 — Returning After Illness or Life Disruption Without Shame52:29 — Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, How Training Frameworks Differ54:03 — Season of Life Changes, Adapting Goals and Capacity55:14 — Simple Fueling, A Plant Forward Smoothie, and Practical Recovery58:17 — Favorite Places to Run, Monterey and Maui59:07 — Favorite Races and Why Disney Still Matters1:00:09 — Music, Bruce Springsteen, and Running Without Headphones1:00:55 — Where to Find Couch to Confidence and How to Connect1:01:46 — Closing Reflections on Fathers, Grief, and Meaning🌐 Connect with Michelle Quirk, MDDr. Michelle Quirk is a board-certified pediatrician and a certified run coach with the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA). She founded Mindful Marathon to help make running easy and fun for busy professionals. Using an informed, enjoyable, and effective approach, she coaches her athletes to a life-long love of running.Free 4-week Couch to Confidence Training Planhttps://mailchi.mp/73b2ee296291/walkplanWebsitewww.mindful-marathon.comSocial LinksPodcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindful-marathon-podcast/id1765429588YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/mindfulmarathonInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindful.marathon🌐 Connect with Your HostDr. Siri Chand Khalsa, MD MSLifestyle & Integrative Medicine Physician • Culinary Medicine • AyurvedaWebsite: drsirichand.comInstagram: @doctorsirichandCulinary Medicine Blog: drsirichand.com/blogCommunity: https://vishuddha.comVishuddha: A Media Agency for Conscious Clinicians & Wellness SeekersVishuddha is a media and creative agency dedicated to amplifying the voices of integrative and lifestyle medicine clinicians who are transforming how we understand health and healing.We provide media representation, book development, public speaking coaching, podcast strategy, content creation, and course development alongside classes and workshops for wellness seekers committed to intentional, conscious living.Rooted in whole-person healing, Vishuddha helps clinicians translate their wisdom into impact, design offerings that matter, and bring conscious, transformative work into the world.Ready to share your wisdom? Explore how we can support your vision at Vishuddha.com.⚠️ DisclaimerThis podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider for personalized guidance.Keywordsrunning for beginners, mindful running, physician burnout, grief and movement, pediatrician lifestyle medicine, recovery practices, nervous system regulation, aerobic zone two, heart rate training, running coaching, injury prevention, running myths, sedentary risk, training plan flexibility, Disney marathon, Monterey half marathon, Bruce Springsteen running playlist, Mindful Marathon, Dr. Michelle Quirk, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa, Routes of Healing

In this week’s episode of Routes of Healing, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa sits down with Dr. Wendy Schofer, a pediatrician, lifestyle medicine physician, and founder of Family in Focus. Dr. Schofer helps parents recapture joy, strengthen relationships, and build healthier family systems at any size by centering emotional health as the foundation of lifelong wellbeing.Together, they explore how many clinicians and parents were trained to minimize feelings, even though emotions shape behavior, habits, and connection. Dr. Schofer shares how repeated burnout, identity strain, and “not fitting the mold” became a turning point that led her toward coaching, community-based work, and a broader definition of what family care can be. They also talk about social emotional learning in schools, supporting educators and parents, addressing weight stigma, and why humor and play are not extras, they are tools that create safety and trust.If you are a clinician navigating burnout, a parent trying to support a child without power struggles, or a human who wants better relationships with food, movement, and feelings, this episode offers practical insight and permission to be more fully yourself.If you’re inspired by our exploration on Routes of Healing, a physician-led podcast uplifting the wisdom and lived experience of integrative and lifestyle medicine doctors, subscribe to receive new episodes weekly.🔑 Key Topics & TakeawaysEmotions as the full spectrum, why you cannot “remove one color” from the rainbow.Burnout and shame, how “I’m the problem” thinking keeps people stuck.Creating a non-linear career, experimenting, learning what settings fit your strengths.Family as a system, expanding the definition beyond titles and traditional roles.Emotional health as the missing link in lifestyle change, why scripts do not translate at home.Social emotional learning in schools, supporting teachers and parents so kids are not carrying it alone.Connection before correction, reducing friction with food, movement, and health habits.Changing relationships without requiring the other person to change, the power of shifting your part.Family in Focus, building a space for parents to speak honestly without “little ears listening.”Weight concerns vs weight stigma, creating safer conversations for teens and families.Humor as regulation, how play reduces threat and opens communication in clinical care.Urgent care realities, using warmth, curiosity, and pattern recognition to build trust quickly.Naming what feels “thick” in the room, giving emotions language so they can soften.⏱ Chapters00:00 — Emotions as a Rainbow, Why You Cannot Remove One Color00:35 — Welcome and Introduction to Dr. Wendy Schofer01:17 — The Tapestry, Joy, and “Teach Feelings”04:15 — Training Path, Pediatrics, Lifestyle Medicine, and Navy Medicine06:12 — Defining Family as Connection, Not Titles08:08 — “How Is This Possible for Me”, Burnout, Shame, and Finding Fit13:57 — Expansive Questions That Create New Paths15:02 — Medical Training Era, Role Models, and What Was Missing16:25 — Gen X Mentorship, Vulnerability, and “Be More You”20:08 — Emotional Intelligence in Pediatrics and Clinician Burnout21:29 — Social Emotional Learning in Schools, Teachers and Parents Need Support Too26:04 — Why Plans Fail, What Was Missing in Lifestyle Counseling32:16 — How Family in Focus Was Born37:30 — The Mother-in-Law Story, Proof That Relationships Can Change40:52 — Building Offers Beyond the Office Visit46:57 — Schools, Improv for Healthcare, and Weight Stigma Work52:34 — Humor, Contradictions, and Recapturing Joy56:54 — Pediatric Urgent Care, Connection in High-Stress Visits1:00:32 — Naming the Elephant, Making Space for What Is Present1:02:12 — Closing Reflections1:02:58 — Where to Find Dr. Schofer and What’s Next🌐 Connect with Wendy Schofer MDWendy Schofer, MD is the joyful mom, physician and Founder of Family in Focus, where she helps parents recapture the joy of raising a healthy, whole family (at every size) by focusing on emotional health and relationships as the foundation to lifelong health.It all comes back to connection for me. Connection -- we can discuss how that is the common thread for building relationships with patients, improving health outcomes, habit change, goals, family dynamics and why I focus on creating connection and relationships over everything else in my work with families.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendy.schofer https://www.facebook.com/wendyschofermdInstagram https://www.instagram.com/wendyschofermdLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-schofer-md-735b948/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@familyinfocus1Website: www.wendyschofermd.comSurgeon General's Report on Parental Stress. https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/parents/index.htmlJoin me for a 1:1 consultation about expanding your family's emotional healthhttps://WendySchoferMDScheduling.as.me/AllTheThingsDownload Modern Day Stress Relief for Parents:https://www.wendyschofermd.com/stressrelief🌐 Connect with Your HostDr. Siri Chand Khalsa, MD MSLifestyle & Integrative Medicine Physician • Culinary Medicine • AyurvedaWebsite: drsirichand.comInstagram: @doctorsirichandCulinary Medicine Blog: drsirichand.com/blogCommunity: https://vishuddha.comVishuddha: A Media Agency for Conscious Clinicians & Wellness SeekersVishuddha is a media and creative agency dedicated to amplifying the voices of integrative and lifestyle medicine clinicians who are transforming how we understand health and healing.We provide media representation, book development, public speaking coaching, podcast strategy, content creation, and course development alongside classes and workshops for wellness seekers committed to intentional, conscious living.Rooted in whole-person healing, Vishuddha helps clinicians translate their wisdom into impact, design offerings that matter, and bring conscious, transformative work into the world.Ready to share your wisdom? Explore how we can support your vision at Vishuddha.com.⚠️ DisclaimerThis podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider for personalized guidance.Keywordsemotional health, parenting support, pediatric lifestyle medicine, family systems, physician burnout, nervous system regulation, social emotional learning, school wellbeing, weight stigma, health at any size, behavior change, family relationships, humor in medicine, improv in healthcare, urgent care pediatrics, connection in clinical care, Routes of Healing, Dr. Wendy Schofer, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa