Dr. Shivani Gupta: What is 'Inflammaging' & How Ayurveda Explains What's Really Happening in Menopause

Did you know that most of the symptoms women are told to just "manage" during perimenopause and menopause, the brain fog, the anxiety, the weight that won't move, the sleep that won't come, were actually mapped out and explained by Ayurvedic medicine over 5,000 years ago? And it's not just explained but addressed with specific tools, specific foods, specific rituals, and a personalized framework built around your body type that modern science is now catching up to prove. Most women in midlife are working harder than ever and still feel like they're falling apart and feel hopeless around the concept of aging. Dr. Shivani aims to change that by bridging Ayurveda and Western medicine to help us recover the forgotten ancient wisdom about the female body and how to treat it.  In this episode of Hello Hormones, I sit down with Dr. Shivani Gupta, Ayurvedic practitioner, PhD-level researcher, and founder of Fusionary Formulas, to break down why inflammation is the real driver behind most midlife symptoms, what your elemental design reveals about your health, and how ancient wisdom is giving modern women a completely different, and far more effective, path forward. Dr. Shivani completed her PhD specializing in turmeric's anti-inflammatory properties and has spent over a decade helping women understand that their body isn't broken. Her book, The Inflammation Code, is the instruction manual every woman in perimenopause didn't know she was missing. This isn't another conversation about creatine and cold plunges. This is the one that changes how you think about everything including your body.  What's Discussed: (01:20) Why women are exhausted by modern health advice. (03:10) Hustle culture, cortisol, and why boss babe culture is literally inflaming us. (04:45) Rapid fire: what Dr. Shivani wishes every woman knew about inflammation. (06:30) What made Dr. Shivani write The Inflammation Code. (08:50) The forest fire within: why chronic low-grade inflammation is wrecking women in midlife. (11:00) Mental inflammation: why stress and overwhelm are just as damaging as poor diet. (13:15) Tea Time is Me Time: the simplest nervous system reset backed by modern neuroscience. (15:30) Why ancient Ayurvedic wisdom and modern science keep arriving at the same answers. (18:30) Elemental design explained: what Vata, Pitta, and Kapha actually mean for your health. (20:15) Why perimenopause and menopause should be renamed the Vata Syndrome. (22:00) What each constitution should eat, how they should move, and what self-care looks like for each.  (26:10) The herbs and spices customized to each elemental design. (28:30) Why most of us have a Vata mind right now. (31:00) The Ayurvedic foundations every woman needs regardless of constitution. (33:20) Why sleep between 10pm and 2am is the most important window. (42:30) Turmeric deep dive: what it actually does, why most supplements are useless, and what to look for. (46:00) How to take curcumin correctly: black pepper, healthy fats, and why absorption is everything. (49:00) Can all three doshas take turmeric? The one exception Dr. Shivani flags.   Thank you to my sponsors : Timeline: If you're feeling tired, foggy, or drained during perimenopause, Timeline's Mitopure Gummies support your energy from the inside out. Powered by clinically proven Urolithin A, they help your cells clean out damaged mitochondria and build new, stronger ones. If you'd like to give it a try, visit timeline.com