Episodes

You asked. Kate answered — honestly. In this solo episode, Kate O'Donnell goes deep on one of the most-requested topics from her community: alcohol. Drawing on the Charaka Samhita, seven years of personal observation, and her clinical work with women in perimenopause, she unpacks the Ayurvedic properties of alcohol, why it complicates midlife health, and how to build a more self-aware — and shame-free — relationship with this very common substance. What We Cover How Ayurveda classifies alcoho...

You've been asking, and Kate is answering. The trend of eating 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking — popularized in part by exercise physiologist Dr. Stacy Sims — has taken the women's wellness world by storm. In this solo episode, Kate O'Donnell brings her 25-plus years of Ayurvedic practice and teaching to bear on this contemporary nutritional conversation, offering a response that is neither dismissive nor uncritical. The result is a deeply useful framework for approaching morning...

What if your home is either supporting your health or quietly working against it — and you haven't noticed yet? In this episode, Kate sits down with France Brunel, holistic interior designer and RISD graduate working between Brooklyn and Paris. France combines sensory psychology, Ayurveda, and design expertise to help people transform their homes into active wellbeing tools — not just pretty spaces. They explore France's three-step method — clear the stress, align with your space, design the s...

In this episode, Kate O'Donnell sits down with Jiaming Ju — a second-generation Chinese medicine practitioner, former health economist, and founder of the online clinic Kun Health — for a rich, cross-cultural exploration of how traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda view the body, health, and healing. Jiaming brings a uniquely layered perspective: she spent a decade running health economics research across New York, India, Jordan, and Singapore before training for four years to become ...

Have you ever wondered why you crash at 3pm, crave food late at night, or can't seem to fall asleep before midnight? Ayurveda has a 5,000-year-old answer — and it's called Dinacharya, or the Ayurvedic daily flow. In this solo episode, Kate walks you through the complete Ayurvedic 24-hour clock — explaining what elements are active in your body at each time of day, and how to align your eating, sleeping, exercising, and resting with those natural rhythms. Whether you're new to Ayurveda or have ...

After decades of traveling to India for her own Panchakarma practice — a tradition she kept almost entirely private — Kate O'Donnell finally brought a group. Twelve people. Twenty-one days. An Ayurvedic healing village nestled in the countryside near the Tamil Nadu–Kerala border, surrounded by coconut palms, temple chanting, and the gentle rhythm of cows heading out to pasture each morning. In this episode, Kate offers a day-in-the-life travel log of the experience, walking listeners through th...

Spring has its own hunger. In this solo episode, Kate shares what's actually stocked in her kitchen this time of year and how Ayurveda shapes the way she cooks and eats when the season shifts. No complicated recipes, no pressure to be perfect — just practical, seasonal ideas for when you open the fridge and feel completely lost. Kate covers spring pantry staples including sprouted mung beans, white beans, chickpeas, asparagus, celery, kale, goat cheese, rye crackers, and corn tortillas. She wal...

The bloodwork conversation is everywhere right now — but are you getting the right tests, and do you know what to do with the results? Kate sits down with two functional medicine practitioners: Tracey O’Shea, medical director at the California Center for Functional Medicine and program director at the Kresser Institute, and Danielle Dellaquila, functional nutritionist and founder of Eagle Vision Nutrition. Together they demystify the comprehensive blood panel from both a clinical and nutritiona...

If spring feels heavier than it should — slow digestion, morning congestion, low appetite, a persistent heaviness you can’t quite name — Ayurveda has a precise and practical explanation for what’s happening. In Episode 77, Kate O’Donnell goes deep on Kapha season: the Ayurvedic name for the late-winter-into-spring transition when excess moisture in the body starts moving, filling the cavities of the stomach, throat, lungs, and sinuses. This is not a malfunction. It’s biology. And once you under...

This week, Kate welcomes Vedic astrologer Kaya Mindlin for a one-of-a-kind episode: a full tour of the Vedic solar year, month by month, through the lens of health and Ayurveda. Kaya has spent 25 years studying the Vedic wisdom traditions — Jyotisha (the “eye of the Vedas”), yoga therapy, Vedic scripture, and Ayurveda — and brings a rare combination of depth and practical accessibility to everything she teaches. In Jyotisha, the sun rules health and vitality. As it moves through the 12 signs of...

One of the most common questions Kate hears no matter where she’s teaching in the world: How much food should I eat? Her answer is deeply Ayurvedic — it depends on your body, your season, your activity, and the density of what’s on your plate. In this solo episode, Kate delivers a practical, body-based framework grounded in ancient Ayurvedic nutrition principles. What You’ll Learn: The cupped-hands (anjali) portion guide from the ancient texts How body type, season, and daily activity affect ...

What happens when yoga becomes more than postures? In this conversation, Kate O'Donnell is joined by Amy Landry, Australian yoga teacher, classical Odissi dancer, Ayurveda practitioner, and author of the forthcoming book The Ocean of Yoga. Together they explore what it means to walk yoga as a full spiritual path rather than a fitness practice. Amy shares her rare journey through India's sacred arts, studying Odissi classical dance in Orissa, deepening in Ayurveda, and eventually channeling year...

Every week, a new wellness trend goes viral. Every month, someone tells you what to eat, when to exercise, and which supplements you're missing. And somehow, after all that information, you feel less certain about your health than ever. In this solo episode, Kate O'Donnell names what's happening — and she calls it the hive mind. It's the way social media algorithms, trending health content, and urgency-driven information push us away from our own bodies rather than toward them. Drawing on 25 y...

Is your makeup toxic? Beauty industry insider Laura Olson—who spent decades writing product labels for major luxury brands—reveals what clean beauty actually means, why "fragrance" is the biggest red flag, and how to navigate greenwashing and health-washing. Learn which apps help you shop safer (Yuka, EWG Skin Deep), which stores you can trust (Credo), and which ingredients to avoid (parabens, sulfates, nano zinc). Laura shares her honest approach: she still uses conventional hair gel because no...

Broadcasting from South India, Kate talks with her partner Rich Ray about the hidden pitfalls of learning Eastern spiritual traditions. They explore why so many of us turn spiritual teachings into self-judgment, how to recognize karmic conditioning without shame, and what Buddhist practice actually looks like when you stop chasing spiritual highs. This is an honest, grounded conversation about duality, ego, Maya, and the surprisingly simple path toward acceptance. If you've ever felt like you're...

Feeling bloated, constipated, or constantly cold this winter? Your body is telling you it needs different foods. In this solo episode, Kate breaks down the Ayurvedic approach to winter eating—what to embrace, what to avoid, and why seasonal nutrition matters more than you think. You'll Learn: Why cold, dry weather changes your digestion Signs your body needs warming, moistening foods The best grains, oils, and spices for winter (and what to skip) How to fix winter bloating and constipation ...

Have you ever wondered what your dosha is? You're not alone—but that question might be keeping you stuck. In this groundbreaking conversation, Kate sits down with Arjita Sethi—serial entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and founder of Shanti, an AI-powered wellness platform that's revolutionizing how we access Ayurvedic wisdom. Arjita shares her remarkable journey from childhood illness to Silicon Valley burnout to postpartum healing, and how each crisis brought her back to the Ayurvedic roots planted b...

Where does your ashwagandha really come from? Tyler Wauters, VP of Herbal Affairs at Banyan Botanicals and Director of Banyan Farm, shares the truth about ethical herb sourcing, sustainable farming, and what happens when wellness trends commodify plants. Learn what organic, fair trade, and regenerative certifications actually mean, discover bioregional Ayurveda and analog herbs, and get practical steps for becoming a conscious consumer who knows the story of what's in their medicine cabinet. Ke...

Did you notice how many people got sick over the holidays this year? In this solo episode, Kate breaks down the Ayurvedic perspective on immunity—and it might surprise you. Instead of focusing on antibodies and white blood cell counts, Ayurveda teaches us about Ojas—the "nutrient cream of the body" that creates resilience and protects tissues against pathogens. Kate explains why moisture is the foundation of immunity, especially in dry winter months, and why conventional approaches like green j...

This week, Kate sits down with Mel Cunningham, founder of Yogi Fuel and the Integrative Ayurveda Practitioner Certification, for a groundbreaking conversation about nervous system regulation through the lens of Ayurveda. Mel shares her remarkable journey from professional rugby player who sustained over 10 concussions to becoming a leading expert in nervous system health. Her personal experience with anxiety, panic attacks, and dysregulation led her on a healing journey that ultimately brought ...

This week, Kate delivers a solo episode packed with practical Ayurvedic tools to help you reset after the holiday season—without the restrictive yo-yo dieting that disrupts your system. She breaks down why extreme cleanses don't work in winter, shares simple warming practices that actually support digestion, and offers a compassionate approach to turning the ship around in the new year. Kate covers warm herbal waters, the magic of kanji and kitchari, how to work with cravings instead of against...

What if the key to meaningful New Year's intentions isn't more goal-setting, but preparing your body as sacred ground? Kate walks listeners through her annual practice of a mono diet—eating simple, nourishing foods like kitchari, congee, or oatmeal for 1-3 days around the New Year. This isn't about deprivation or typical "cleansing." It's about creating sacred relationship with food, transforming meals into offerings, and preparing the soil before planting seeds. In this special replay episode...

In this solo episode, Kate addresses one of the most frequently asked questions: should you eat breakfast or not? Drawing from Ayurvedic wisdom, she explores why the answer depends on your individual constitution, life stage, exercise routine, and digestive capacity. Kate shares her personal journey from decades of yoga practice on an empty stomach to discovering she needed breakfast when she started weightlifting. She breaks down the relationship between cortisol, hormones, protein needs, and ...

This week, Kate talks with Micah Mortali, author of Rewilding and founding director of the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership. Together they explore what it means to reconnect with nature in a culture shaped by screens, artificial light, and constant productivity. Micah shares simple, realistic practices to reintroduce natural rhythms into daily life, especially during winter. The conversation covers candle rituals, light hygiene, the physiology of rest, the lost rhythm of second slee...