Episodes

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...

How is it that stress seems to run the show in our lives? In this solo episode of Everyday Ayurveda with Kate, Kate O’Donnell takes us beyond the usual “stress management” advice and introduces a more empowering approach: stress shifting. Instead of treating stress like an unchangeable force that we just have to “handle,” Kate breaks it down into clear categories, reveals how much of it is actually self-generated, and explains why so many of us are living in a constant stress reflex. From an Ay...

In this warm and practical conversation, Kate sits down with her longtime friend and colleague Emilie Reid, co-owner of the beloved Ayurvedic lifestyle brand Farmtrue. Emilie shares the full-circle story of discovering Ayurveda through cracked knuckles and toasted sesame oil, building a thriving yoga studio, navigating its closing during COVID, and ultimately finding her dharma in reviving Farmtrue with her husband. Emilie walks listeners through the process of making thousands of pounds of ghe...

Kate is a self-described holiday dork who loves parties, cookies, cocktails and a good stuffing situation. She also remembers what it felt like to stagger out of Thanksgiving week bloated, gassy, constipated and anxious for days. In this solo episode, she downloads her personal Holiday Health Guide, honed over two decades of living Ayurveda, healing her gut from parasites, and still saying yes to celebration. You will learn the one shift that made the biggest difference in her digestion during ...

Kate sits down with Ashley Turner to explore midlife as a true rite of passage. Yes, hormones matter. But Ashley makes a compelling case that what many of us feel in our 40s and 50s is also a psychospiritual reorganization. We cover what’s actually happening with progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone; why anger and irritability spike; how Ayurveda explains the energy shift after menstruation; and where tools like sisterhood, sleep, nutrition, and thoughtfully facilitated psychedelic therapy m...

In this solo episode, Kate shares the low-lift routines that keep her nourished all week: the exact groceries she buys, what she soaks at night, her quick morning setup, how she uses an Instant Pot without babysitting the stove, and why cooked water can be a total game-changer for hydration and digestion. Expect straightforward practices—soaked legumes, a pot of greens, a weekly chutney, and a simple condiment strategy—so you’re never stuck at the snack cabinet again. What You’ll Learn Why pre...

Cookbook author and Ayurvedic educator Claire Ragozzino joins Kate to talk about real Ayurvedic eating—beyond dogma and into daily life. They explore how routine and relaxation transform digestion, why many of us actually need more nourishment (not less), and how an omnivorous approach can be deeply aligned with Ayurvedic principles. Claire shares how she meal-preps on Kauaʻi, why porridges and stews are her anchors, and how sourcing food locally (and ethically) connects us back to the ecosystem...

Dry skin showing up already? In this solo, Kate shares Ayurveda’s whole-body approach to dryness—how to exfoliate without stripping, why oiling before a hot shower matters, which fall oils absorb best, and how to hydrate at the cellular level with hot water, soups, and a simple evening milk tonic. Plus, the once-a-week mung bean body scrub (with a cleanup hack) that makes a big difference when you’re feeling “lizardy.” What You’ll Learn If it’s dry on your skin, assume dryness is present syste...

Author and teacher Kate O’Donnell sits down with Mysore-based cook and educator Sahana Murthy to explore seasonal eating, real hydration, and the quiet genius of traditional South Indian cooking. You’ll learn why soupy meals hydrate better than constant water chugging, when to lean on salted buttermilk (and when not to), how to make coriander “coffee” to cool excess pitta, and why food combining matters for digestion. Sahana shares travel hacks, fall-friendly meals, and a simple approach to cook...

Feeling hungry, unprepared, and tempted by the snack cabinet? In this solo episode, Kate shares her real-life Ayurvedic plan for those “what do I eat?” moments—especially in fall. You’ll learn easy, grounding meals that come together quickly: 15-minute dals and greens, creamy porridges, tortillas with eggs or beans, “eggs + greens” anytime meals, and the evening hot-milk ritual for deep sleep. You’ll also hear Kate’s minimal prep habits (chia soaks, toasted pepitas, soaked almonds) that make fas...

In this episode of Everyday Ayurveda with Kate, Kate O’Donnell sits down with Ayurvedic doctor and podcast host Sasha Bershadsky for an eye-opening look at how Ayurveda is taught, practiced, and evolving in the United States. Many listeners ask: What’s the difference between an Ayurvedic health counselor, practitioner, and doctor? How do you know who to see—and for what kind of health concerns? What kind of training do Ayurvedic doctors in the U.S. actually receive? Will insurance ever cove...

As the season cools and dries, your body changes too. Kate shares exactly how to pivot your meals toward warm, moist, grounding foods, plus easy spice pairings and a gentle two-week transition mindset that protects digestion at the seasonal “joint” (the ṛtu sandhi). Expect soups and stews, cooked fruit, warm water rituals, and smart use of fat and seeds. If you’re feeling the first signs of dryness—skin, eyes, stools—this episode gives you simple, delicious ways to respond. What You’ll Learn W...

Everywhere you look, there’s another shop selling cannabis products. But how do you separate hype from helpful? Kate welcomes Stefanie Reiser of Acknowledge Farms back to demystify hemp, CBD, THC, and the often-mentioned but rarely explained CBDV. They trace hemp’s history in the U.S., unpack how research and regulation shape today’s products, and explain why regenerative, organic farming can influence how you feel a tincture or gummy. You’ll learn what the endocannabinoid system is, what the “e...