Everyday Ayurveda with Kate

The farmers market is overflowing right now — but how do you keep all that fresh, local food from going to waste before you can eat it? In this solo episode, Kate answers a listener question about preserving the late-summer and early-fall haul, and shares the exact kitchen tricks she uses to make her produce last.
 
Kate tackles the question she gets every time she mentions saving or freezing food: doesn't Ayurveda say no leftovers, no frozen food? Her answer is a grounded, seasonal one. When you live where the growing season is short, local food that's been thoughtfully preserved carries far more prana (life force) than "fresh" produce trucked in from thousands of miles away. Short-term freezing has its place — and so does eating with the wheel of the year.
 
From there, Kate walks through her whole late-summer kitchen: heirloom and cherry tomatoes (and the traditional parboil method that removes the acidity Ayurveda cautions against), the parboil-and-freeze trick for kale, kale pesto in jars, and her famous jar-and-towel storage method that keeps hardy greens and fresh herbs alive for up to three weeks. She covers herbs all winter, zucchini and summer squash, pickling root vegetables to build digestive fire in the cold months, freezing berries and making fruit compotes, and storing winter squash in a root cellar (or a pretty bowl on the counter).
 
In this episode:
 
Why Ayurveda's "no frozen food" rule needs a seasonal, local-first reframe
The prana argument for preserving local food over buying shipped "fresh" produce
Tomatoes two ways: heirloom on sourdough + roasted cherry tomato compote
The traditional parboil method to make tomatoes easier to digest
How to parboil and freeze kale (and why it stays in perfect leaves)
Kale pesto you can freeze in single-serve jars
The jar-and-towel trick: keep greens & herbs fresh for up to 3 weeks
Keeping fresh herbs going all winter, indoors and in the fridge
Zucchini & summer squash: kitchari, soups, and eating them fast
Pickling beets, carrots & beans — and why pickles warm you in winter
Freezing berries, stone-fruit compotes, and easy crisps
Storing winter squash + the case for decorative "eat me" bowls
The Ayurvedic principle: food grown closest to home is most nourishing
 
Mentioned in this episode:
 
Kate's fall cleanse (beet pickle recipe included)
Kate's four books (variations on beet pickle & seasonal recipes)
India Culinary & Nutrition Immersion, February 2027 — a 10-day immersion in Mysore. Learn more and enroll at ayurvedicliving.institute
 
This episode is supported by:
 
Dr. Tung's — natural oral care, including their popular Smart Floss. New customers get 15% off at drtungs.com.
Banyan Botanicals Menopause Balance — Ayurvedic herbal support for perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause. Find it at banyanbotanicals.com/kate.
 
Have a preservation trick Kate didn't mention? She'd love to hear it — leave a comment or send her a message.
Connect with Kate: https://www.healwithkate.org Ayurvedic Living Institute Membership: https://ayurvedicliving.institute/membership Women's Health Collection: https://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/collections/womens-healthhttps://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/products/courses/copy-of-fall-community-cleanse-2024Thanks to our Sponsors: Banyan Botanicalshttps://alnk.to/eOQb34qMenopause Supporthttps://alnk.to/et0ZpFnBeauty Balmhttps://alnk.to/7Bj7czQKate's Discount code 15% off Banyan SPRINGWITHKATEandDr. TungsDr. Tungs Link: https://drtungs.com/collections/oral-care-kits

 
The farmers market is overflowing right now — but how do you keep all that fresh, local food from going to waste before you can eat it? In this solo episode, Kate answers a listener question about preserving the late-summer and early-fall haul, and shares the exact kitchen tricks she uses to make her produce last.
Kate tackles the question she gets every time she mentions saving or freezing food: doesn't Ayurveda say no leftovers, no frozen food? Her answer is a grounded, seasonal one. When you live where the growing season is short, local food that's been thoughtfully preserved carries far more prana (life force) than "fresh" produce trucked in from thousands of miles away. Short-term freezing has its place — and so does eating with the wheel of the year.
From there, Kate walks through her whole late-summer kitchen: heirloom and cherry tomatoes (and the traditional parboil method that removes the acidity Ayurveda cautions against), the parboil-and-freeze trick for kale, kale pesto in jars, and her famous jar-and-towel storage method that keeps hardy greens and fresh herbs alive for up to three weeks. She covers herbs all winter, zucchini and summer squash, pickling root vegetables to build digestive fire in the cold months, freezing berries and making fruit compotes, and storing winter squash in a root cellar (or a pretty bowl on the counter).
In this episode:
Why Ayurveda's "no frozen food" rule needs a seasonal, local-first reframe
The prana argument for preserving local food over buying shipped "fresh" produce
Tomatoes two ways: heirloom on sourdough + roasted cherry tomato compote
The traditional parboil method to make tomatoes easier to digest
How to parboil and freeze kale (and why it stays in perfect leaves)
Kale pesto you can freeze in single-serve jars
The jar-and-towel trick: keep greens & herbs fresh for up to 3 weeks
Keeping fresh herbs going all winter, indoors and in the fridge
Zucchini & summer squash: kitchari, soups, and eating them fast
Pickling beets, carrots & beans — and why pickles warm you in winter
Freezing berries, stone-fruit compotes, and easy crisps
Storing winter squash + the case for decorative "eat me" bowls
The Ayurvedic principle: food grown closest to home is most nourishing
Mentioned in this episode:
Kate's fall cleanse (beet pickle recipe included)
Kate's four books (variations on beet pickle & seasonal recipes)
India Culinary & Nutrition Immersion, February 2027 — a 10-day immersion in Mysore. Learn more and enroll at ayurvedicliving.institute
This episode is supported by:
Dr. Tung's — natural oral care, including their popular Smart Floss. New customers get 15% off at drtungs.com.
Banyan Botanicals Menopause Balance — Ayurvedic herbal support for perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause. Find it at banyanbotanicals.com/kate.
Have a preservation trick Kate didn't mention? She'd love to hear it — leave a comment or send her a message.
Connect with Kate: https://www.healwithkate.org Ayurvedic Living Institute Membership: https://ayurvedicliving.institute/membership Women's Health Collection: https://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/collections/womens-healthhttps://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/products/courses/copy-of-fall-community-cleanse-2024Thanks to our Sponsors: Banyan Botanicalshttps://alnk.to/eOQb34qMenopause Supporthttps://alnk.to/et0ZpFnBeauty Balmhttps://alnk.to/7Bj7czQKate's Discount code 15% off Banyan SPRINGWITHKATEandDr. TungsDr. Tungs Link: https://drtungs.com/collections/oral-care-kits

Model Nidhi Sunil — Vogue India Model of the Year and the first Indian global ambassador for L'Oréal Paris — joins Kate for a very candid conversation about how her work affected her mental and physical health. After more than a decade of image-building, red-eye flights to Paris and back, and relentless external pressure, Nidhi hit a full-body burnout in 2022. In this episode, she opens up about depletion, self-worth, complex trauma, colorism in the fashion industry, and the slow, honest work of healing — beginning with a simple bowl of kitchari.
Together, Kate and Nidhi explore how Ayurveda "decentralizes" the pressure to optimize, why ojas (our life-force reserve) matters more than output, and what it looks like to put the "juice" first. A grounding, deeply relatable listen for anyone in a season of transition, exhaustion, or reevaluation.
In this episode:
The real lifestyle behind international modeling — and its hidden cost on the body
How burnout actually arrives: insomnia, panic, depletion, a lost menstrual cycle
Food as the first tool: why kitchari was the portal back to sleep
Self-worth, shame, and outsourcing our value to productivity
Colorism in the fashion industry and the "colonial hangover"
"Perfectionism disguised as wellness" and why optimization can harm
Ojas, plumpness, and the Ayurvedic permission to simply be human
Learning to lead with your "yes" and your "no" from a place of abundance
The information shared on Everyday Ayurveda with Kate is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, supplements, or wellness routine.
Connect with Kate: https://www.healwithkate.org Ayurvedic Living Institute Membership: https://ayurvedicliving.institute/membership Women's Health Collection: https://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/collections/womens-healthhttps://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/products/courses/copy-of-fall-community-cleanse-2024Thanks to our Sponsors: Banyan Botanicalshttps://alnk.to/eOQb34qMenopause Supporthttps://alnk.to/et0ZpFnBeauty Balmhttps://alnk.to/7Bj7czQKate's Discount code 15% off Banyan SPRINGWITHKATEandDr. TungsDr. Tungs Link: https://drtungs.com/collections/oral-care-kits

Model Nidhi Sunil — Vogue India Model of the Year and the first Indian global ambassador for L'Oréal Paris — joins Kate for a very candid conversation about how her work affected her mental and physical health. After more than a decade of image-building, red-eye flights to Paris and back, and relentless external pressure, Nidhi hit a full-body burnout in 2022. In this episode, she opens up about depletion, self-worth, complex trauma, colorism in the fashion industry, and the slow, honest work of healing — beginning with a simple bowl of kitchari.
Together, Kate and Nidhi explore how Ayurveda "decentralizes" the pressure to optimize, why ojas (our life-force reserve) matters more than output, and what it looks like to put the "juice" first. A grounding, deeply relatable listen for anyone in a season of transition, exhaustion, or reevaluation.
In this episode:
The real lifestyle behind international modeling — and its hidden cost on the body
How burnout actually arrives: insomnia, panic, depletion, a lost menstrual cycle
Food as the first tool: why kitchari was the portal back to sleep
Self-worth, shame, and outsourcing our value to productivity
Colorism in the fashion industry and the "colonial hangover"
"Perfectionism disguised as wellness" and why optimization can harm
Ojas, plumpness, and the Ayurvedic permission to simply be human
Learning to lead with your "yes" and your "no" from a place of abundance
The information shared on Everyday Ayurveda with Kate is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, supplements, or wellness routine.
Connect with Kate: https://www.healwithkate.org Ayurvedic Living Institute Membership: https://ayurvedicliving.institute/membership Women's Health Collection: https://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/collections/womens-healthhttps://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/products/courses/copy-of-fall-community-cleanse-2024Thanks to our Sponsors: Banyan Botanicalshttps://alnk.to/eOQb34qMenopause Supporthttps://alnk.to/et0ZpFnBeauty Balmhttps://alnk.to/7Bj7czQKate's Discount code 15% off Banyan SPRINGWITHKATEandDr. TungsDr. Tungs Link: https://drtungs.com/collections/oral-care-kits

Is your phone making you a little crazy? Kate opens this episode with a confession: even as a longtime Ayurveda  teacher, she has to actively manage her relationship with her phone — because the device, and the apps on it, are engineered to keep you glued. If she's working at it, most of us are too. 
The heart of this episode is a reframe. We tend to swing to all-or-nothing: "I need to throw my phone in the desert,"  or nothing changes at all. Kate makes the case that what we actually need is steady, doable boundaries at specific times of day — not a fundamentalist detox overhaul. 
From an Ayurvedic perspective, the reason phones are so taxing is the nervous system. The sense organs — eyes,  ears, skin, tongue, nose — are windows into the mind. The phone is relentlessly stimulating through the eyes (and ears), which is essentially non-stop sensory consumption. As Kate points out, you wouldn't eat food all day long; why do we consume information and stimulation all day long? Rest, in Ayurveda, is when the senses finally power down — which is exactly why winding down on a stimulating screen backfires, especially for sleep. 
In this episode, Kate shares: 
Why it's boundaries, not a detox — and how to set them at the times of day that matter most • The sense-organ / nervous-system model that explains why scrolling feels restful but isn't • Her non-negotiable phone-free zones: the bedroom, the bathroom, mealtimes, and time in nature • Why a $5 old-school alarm clock may be the single highest-leverage change you can make • Turning off push notifications and the lock screen so you have to choose to check in • Using timers for intentional phone time (yes, even for Instagram) and putting it down when they ring • Booking one hour of silence a day — all at once or in 20-minute pieces
Bookending your day: dinacharya before the phone comes on in the morning, phone off ~7–7:30pm at night • Meeting boredom by attuning to nature — what you can smell, hear, and feel — instead of reaching for the  screen 
Analog allies: real books, a paper planner, keeping one social platform, and leaving the phone in another  room 
If your phone use is nudging you toward overwhelm or a mental-health imbalance — increasingly common — Kate  offers the Ayurvedic counterweight: nature. Attuning the senses to the natural world is the opposite energy of the  phone, and an easier on-ramp than forcing yourself into silence. 
Come study at the source. Join Kate in India next February for a 10-day culinary and nutrition immersion (2027) in  Mysore — cook, study, and come home confident to make food your medicine. Learn more and enroll at  ayurvedicliving.institute. 
Connect with Kate: https://www.healwithkate.org Ayurvedic Living Institute Membership: https://ayurvedicliving.institute/membership Women's Health Collection: https://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/collections/womens-healthhttps://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/products/courses/copy-of-fall-community-cleanse-2024Thanks to our Sponsors: Banyan Botanicalshttps://alnk.to/eOQb34qMenopause Supporthttps://alnk.to/et0ZpFnBeauty Balmhttps://alnk.to/7Bj7czQKate's Discount code 15% off Banyan SPRINGWITHKATEandDr. TungsDr. Tungs Link: https://drtungs.com/collections/oral-care-kits

Is your phone making you a little crazy? Kate opens this episode with a confession: even as a longtime Ayurveda  teacher, she has to actively manage her relationship with her phone — because the device, and the apps on it, are engineered to keep you glued. If she's working at it, most of us are too. 
The heart of this episode is a reframe. We tend to swing to all-or-nothing: "I need to throw my phone in the desert,"  or nothing changes at all. Kate makes the case that what we actually need is steady, doable boundaries at specific times of day — not a fundamentalist detox overhaul. 
From an Ayurvedic perspective, the reason phones are so taxing is the nervous system. The sense organs — eyes,  ears, skin, tongue, nose — are windows into the mind. The phone is relentlessly stimulating through the eyes (and ears), which is essentially non-stop sensory consumption. As Kate points out, you wouldn't eat food all day long; why do we consume information and stimulation all day long? Rest, in Ayurveda, is when the senses finally power down — which is exactly why winding down on a stimulating screen backfires, especially for sleep. 
In this episode, Kate shares: 
Why it's boundaries, not a detox — and how to set them at the times of day that matter most • The sense-organ / nervous-system model that explains why scrolling feels restful but isn't • Her non-negotiable phone-free zones: the bedroom, the bathroom, mealtimes, and time in nature • Why a $5 old-school alarm clock may be the single highest-leverage change you can make • Turning off push notifications and the lock screen so you have to choose to check in • Using timers for intentional phone time (yes, even for Instagram) and putting it down when they ring • Booking one hour of silence a day — all at once or in 20-minute pieces
Bookending your day: dinacharya before the phone comes on in the morning, phone off ~7–7:30pm at night • Meeting boredom by attuning to nature — what you can smell, hear, and feel — instead of reaching for the  screen 
Analog allies: real books, a paper planner, keeping one social platform, and leaving the phone in another  room 
If your phone use is nudging you toward overwhelm or a mental-health imbalance — increasingly common — Kate  offers the Ayurvedic counterweight: nature. Attuning the senses to the natural world is the opposite energy of the  phone, and an easier on-ramp than forcing yourself into silence. 
Come study at the source. Join Kate in India next February for a 10-day culinary and nutrition immersion (2027) in  Mysore — cook, study, and come home confident to make food your medicine. Learn more and enroll at  ayurvedicliving.institute. 
Connect with Kate: healwithkate.org · @kateodonnell.ayurveda
Connect with Kate: https://www.healwithkate.org Ayurvedic Living Institute Membership: https://ayurvedicliving.institute/membership Women's Health Collection: https://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/collections/womens-healthhttps://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/products/courses/copy-of-fall-community-cleanse-2024Thanks to our Sponsors: Banyan Botanicalshttps://alnk.to/eOQb34qMenopause Supporthttps://alnk.to/et0ZpFnBeauty Balmhttps://alnk.to/7Bj7czQKate's Discount code 15% off Banyan SPRINGWITHKATEandDr. TungsDr. Tungs Link: https://drtungs.com/collections/oral-care-kits

Dr. Karen Kirkness has spent decades in the yoga world and the last ten-plus years in anatomy labs earning a  master's in clinical anatomy and a PhD in medical sciences. In this episode she and Kate go straight into fascia —  not as packing material, but as a signaling system — and into hyaluronan, the molecule that makes your tissue  juicy. 
The surprise: more lubrication is not better. Fresh, long-chain hyaluronan tells your cells everything is regulated.  But movement shears those chains into fragments, and fragments are inflammatory. Clearing them matters as  much as making them. That's what a recovery day is actually for. 
Karen breaks down what changes at perimenopause and after, why losing lean muscle and mitochondria puts  the brakes on your body's own hydration, and what to do about it: vigorous training a few times a week, active  recovery in between, and 'movement snacks' scattered through the day — the twist, the reach, the sprint to the  stop sign. 
Find Karen at spiralsyllabus.com and on Instagram at SpiralSyllabus or Karen Kirkness. 
Questions for a follow-up episode? Email hello@ayurvedicliving.institute or leave a comment on your podcast  platform.
Referenced in this episode 
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/karenkirkness
https://www.instagram.com/spiralsyllabus
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1649-7221
Latest paper: The Myofascial Rheostat: H
yaluronan Molecular Weight Dynamics and Purinergic Signalling as a Physiological Feedback System
https://www.spiralsyllabus.com/
Work with Karen: Experience Spiral Motion Autumn Program
KEY REFERENCES 
Caon, I., Bartolini, B., Moretto, P., Parnigoni, A., Caravà, E., Vitale, D. L., et al. (2020).
Sirtuin 1 reduces hyaluronan synthase 2 expression by inhibiting nuclear translocation
of NF-kB and expression of the long-noncoding RNA HAS2–AS1. J. Biol. Chem. 295,
3485–3496. doi: 10.1074/jbc.RA119.011982
Caon, I., Parnigoni, A., Viola, M., Karousou, E., Passi, A., and Vigetti, D. (2021). Cell
energy metabolism and hyaluronan synthesis. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 69, 35–47.
doi: 10.1369/0022155420929772
Kirkness, K. B., and Scarlata, S. (2025). Understanding fascial tissue on the molecular
level—how its unique properties enable adaptation or dysfunction. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 27,
doi: 10.3390/ijms27010160
Kirkness, K.B., da Silva, Schleip,R, Cruvinel-Júnior R., and Scarlata, S. (2026). The Myofascial Rheostat: Hyaluronan Molecular Weight Dynamics and Purinergic Signalling as a Physiological Feedback System. Frontiers in Physiology 17 (June 2026). https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2026.1854585.
 
Raghavan, P. (2018). Emerging therapies for spastic movement disorder. Phys. Med.
Rehabil. Clin. N. Am. 29, 633–644. doi: 10.1016/j.pmr.2018.04.004
Raghavan, P. (2025). Muscle physiology in spasticity and muscle stiffness. Toxicon 259,
doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2025.108350
Raghavan, P., Lu, Y., Mirchandani, M., and Stecco, A. (2016). Human recombinant
hyaluronidase injections for upper limb muscle stiffness in individuals with cerebral
injury: A case series. eBioMedicine 9, 306–313. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2016.05.014
Rauhala, L., Jokela, T., Kärnä, R., Bart, G., Takabe, P., Oikari, S., et al. (2018).
Extracellular ATP activates hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2) in epidermal keratinocytes
via P2Y2, Ca2+ signaling, and MAPK pathways. Biochem. J. 475, 1755–1772.
doi: 10.1042/BCJ20180054
Slater, A. M., Barclay, S. J., Granfar, R. M. S., and Pratt, R. L. (2024). Fascia as a
regulatory system in health and disease. Front. Neurol. 15. doi: 10.3389/
fneur.2024.1458385
Stecco, C., Pratt, R., Nemetz, L. D., Schleip, R., Stecco, A., and Theise, N. D. (2025).
Towards a comprehensive definition of the human fascial system. J. Anat. 246, 1084–
doi: 10.1111/joa.14212
Stecco, A., Stecco, C., and Raghavan, P. (2014). Peripheral mechanisms contributing to
spasticity and implications for treatment. Curr. Phys. Med. Rehabil. Rep. 2, 121–127.
doi: 10.1007/s40141-014-0052-3
Stecco, A., Stern, R., Fantoni, I., De Caro, R., and Stecco, C. (2016). Fascial disorders:
Implications for treatment. PM&R 8, 161–168. doi: 10.1016/j.pmrj.2015.06.006
Theise, N. D., Kohnehshahri, M. N., Chiriboga, L. A., Fyfe, B., Cao, W., Zee, S., Imam, R., Pichler-Sekulic, S., and Wells, R. G. (2025). Evidence of interstitial continuity within and beyond the human pancreas. Human Pathology 161, 105855. doi: 10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105855
Vigetti, D., Clerici, M., Deleonibus, S., Karousou, E., Viola, M., Moretto, P., et al. (2011).
Hyaluronan synthesis is inhibited by adenosine monophosphate-activated protein
kinase through the regulation of HAS2 activity in human aortic smooth muscle cells.
Biol. Chem. 286, 7917–7924. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M110.193656
Vigetti, D., Deleonibus, S., Moretto, P., Bowen, T., Fischer, J. W., Grandoch, M., et al.
(2014). Natural antisense transcript for hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2-AS1) induces
transcription of HAS2 via protein 
Connect with Kate: https://www.healwithkate.org Ayurvedic Living Institute Membership: https://ayurvedicliving.institute/membership Women's Health Collection: https://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/collections/womens-healthhttps://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/products/courses/copy-of-fall-community-cleanse-2024Thanks to our Sponsors: Banyan Botanicalshttps://alnk.to/eOQb34qMenopause Supporthttps://alnk.to/et0ZpFnBeauty Balmhttps://alnk.to/7Bj7czQKate's Discount code 15% off Banyan SPRINGWITHKATEandDr. TungsDr. Tungs Link: https://drtungs.com/collections/oral-care-kits

If summer heat is leaving you irritable, bloated, broken out, or just plain wiped out, this solo episode is for you. Kate O'Donnell offers a midsummer check-in through the lens of Ayurveda — explaining why this particular point in the season is such an important juncture, and what to do now to keep summer's heat from setting the stage for a fall burnout.
 
Kate walks through the Ayurvedic concept of samprapti — the slow, predictable way a dosha moves out of balance — and helps you recognize the early signs of pitta accumulation: heat, sharpness (acidity), spreading (prickly heat, breakouts, itchy skin), dryness, loose stools, and a short emotional fuse. She explains how accumulation turns into aggravation, and why that unchecked heat can cause real imbalances like acid reflux and inflammation down the line.
 
Drawing on hard lessons from her own burnout last fall, Kate shares exactly what she's doing differently this year — from lying on the cool basement floor and eating her big meal at 10am, to giving up cold and raw foods, adding dry ginger to smoothies, and "slowing her roll" with a stay-home day each week. She also speaks directly to those in perimenopause and menopause about why extreme temperatures feel harder to manage now, and why that's something to be aware of rather than fixed.
 
In this episode:
Why midsummer is a critical juncture in the Ayurvedic year
The signs of pitta accumulation vs. aggravation
How heat, cortisol, and inflammation connect
Perimenopause and why heat (and cold food) hit differently now
Kate's practical toolkit: cooling the body, eating for the season, and slowing down
Why warm, cooked food may be the fix for summer bloat
 
Mentioned in this episode:
 
Dr. Tung's natural oral care — drtungs.com (new customers get 15% off)
Banyan Botanicals Beauty Balm — banyanbotanicals.com/kate
Ayurvedic Living Institute — India Culinary & Nutrition Immersion, February 2027 — ayurvedicliving.institute
The Fall Cleanse (offered each October)
LifeSpa grass-fed whey protein powder 
https://store.lifespa.com/?ref=16841
Save $10 with code KATE10
If you're navigating perimenopause or menopause and summer feels harder than it used to — this one's for you. Keep in touch, and I'll see you next time.
Connect with Kate: https://www.healwithkate.org Ayurvedic Living Institute Membership: https://ayurvedicliving.institute/membership Women's Health Collection: https://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/collections/womens-healthhttps://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/products/courses/copy-of-fall-community-cleanse-2024Thanks to our Sponsors: Banyan Botanicalshttps://alnk.to/eOQb34qMenopause Supporthttps://alnk.to/et0ZpFnBeauty Balmhttps://alnk.to/7Bj7czQKate's Discount code 15% off Banyan SPRINGWITHKATEandDr. TungsDr. Tungs Link: https://drtungs.com/collections/oral-care-kits

If summer heat is leaving you irritable, bloated, broken out, or just plain wiped out, this solo episode is for you. Kate O'Donnell offers a midsummer check-in through the lens of Ayurveda — explaining why this particular point in the season is such an important juncture, and what to do now to keep summer's heat from setting the stage for a fall burnout.
 
Kate walks through the Ayurvedic concept of samprapti — the slow, predictable way a dosha moves out of balance — and helps you recognize the early signs of pitta accumulation: heat, sharpness (acidity), spreading (prickly heat, breakouts, itchy skin), dryness, loose stools, and a short emotional fuse. She explains how accumulation turns into aggravation, and why that unchecked heat can cause real imbalances like acid reflux and inflammation down the line.
 
Drawing on hard lessons from her own burnout last fall, Kate shares exactly what she's doing differently this year — from lying on the cool basement floor and eating her big meal at 10am, to giving up cold and raw foods, adding dry ginger to smoothies, and "slowing her roll" with a stay-home day each week. She also speaks directly to those in perimenopause and menopause about why extreme temperatures feel harder to manage now, and why that's something to be aware of rather than fixed.
 
In this episode:
 
Why midsummer is a critical juncture in the Ayurvedic year
The signs of pitta accumulation vs. aggravation
How heat, cortisol, and inflammation connect
Perimenopause and why heat (and cold food) hit differently now
Kate's practical toolkit: cooling the body, eating for the season, and slowing down
Why warm, cooked food may be the fix for summer bloat
 
Mentioned in this episode:
 
Dr. Tung's natural oral care — drtungs.com (new customers get 15% off)
Banyan Botanicals Beauty Balm — banyanbotanicals.com/kate
Ayurvedic Living Institute — India Culinary & Nutrition Immersion, February 2027 — ayurvedicliving.institute
The Fall Cleanse (offered each October)
LifeSpa grass-fed whey protein powder 
https://store.lifespa.com/?ref=16841
Save $10 with code KATE10
If you're navigating perimenopause or menopause and summer feels harder than it used to — this one's for you. Keep in touch, and I'll see you next time.
Connect with Kate: https://www.healwithkate.org Ayurvedic Living Institute Membership: https://ayurvedicliving.institute/membership Women's Health Collection: https://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/collections/womens-healthhttps://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/products/courses/copy-of-fall-community-cleanse-2024Thanks to our Sponsors: Banyan Botanicalshttps://alnk.to/eOQb34qMenopause Supporthttps://alnk.to/et0ZpFnBeauty Balmhttps://alnk.to/7Bj7czQKate's Discount code 15% off Banyan SPRINGWITHKATEandDr. TungsDr. Tungs Link: https://drtungs.com/collections/oral-care-kits

This week, Kate is joined by Dr. Stephen Cabral, a board-certified naturopathic physician, bestselling author, and founder of EquiLife and the Integrative Health Practitioner Institute. Dr. Cabral shares the health crisis that launched his career — a cascade of autoimmune diagnoses at age 17 — and how naturopathic medicine, functional lab testing, and his clinical training in Ayurveda helped him fully recover.
The heart of the episode is a live read of Kate's own hair minerals and metals test, the same test that was the first lab Dr. Cabral ever ran on himself. He walks through her electrolyte ratios, mineral levels, and heavy metal results in real time, translating what each pattern means for stress, thyroid function, and detoxification. They also cover his concept of Personomics — personalized medicine built on lab data rather than one-size-fits-all protocols — and dig into why cortisol, progesterone, and estrogen have to be read together rather than in isolation, illustrated through a client case study.
What We Cover
Dr. Cabral's health crisis at 17 (autoimmune conditions, Addison's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes) and how he recovered
His clinical internships in Ayurvedic medicine in India and Sri Lanka
Personomics: why foundational health protocols only go so far, and personalized lab data closes the gap
Why blood work shows a disease state but not the underlying root cause
Reading Kate's live hair minerals and metals test: electrolyte ratios, stress patterns, zinc/copper balance, and elevated lead
Why cortisol, progesterone, and estrogen must be read together, illustrated through a perimenopause case study
Practical first steps for reducing heavy metal exposure (air, water, food)
Dr. Cabral's morning routine, first food of the day, and evening wind-down routine
Guest Bio: Dr. Stephen Cabral
Dr. Stephen Cabral is a Board Certified Doctor of Naturopathy, bestselling author, and founder of EquiLife and the Integrative Health Practitioner Institute. He specializes in personalized Integrative Health & Functional Medicine, at-home lab testing, and data-driven wellness protocols, and has seen over 300,000 clients in his practice to help them restore their health in both mind and body. He is the author of The Rain Barrel Effect and Personomics.
Website: stephencabral.com  |  Podcast: The Cabral Concept Podcast
Lab Discount for Your Audience
For 50% off labs, listeners can use StephenCabral.com/Kate to receive the discount on the Hair, Minerals, and Metals Test.
About the Hair, Minerals, and Metals Test
Mineral deficiencies can deplete energy, while toxic heavy metals often cause bodily inflammation. This simple at-home test — the first one Dr. Cabral ever ran to help restore his own health — provides insight into chronic issues like low energy, anxiety, and brain fog by measuring:
Electrolyte Markers: Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium
Thyroid & Mitochondria: Copper
Hidden Stress: Manganese
Immune & Metabolism: Zinc
Thyroid & Detox: Selenium
Blood Sugar: Chromium
Bone & Muscle Loss: Phosphorus
Toxic Heavy Metals: Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Arsenic, Aluminum
Take-Home Practices
Run a hair minerals and metals test as a low-cost entry point into functional lab testing
Support zinc/copper balance with a daily multivitamin at a 15:1 ratio rather than supplementing zinc alone
If cortisol runs high in the evening, consider an adaptogen blend (ashwagandha, phosphatidylserine, L-theanine) alongside a wind-down routine
Reduce heavy metal exposure by prioritizing air filtration, a reverse osmosis water filter, and third-party-tested herbal supplements
Read hormone panels as a set (cortisol, DHEA, estrogen, progesterone) rather than a single number in isolation
Anchor circadian rhythm with a consistent 30-minute sleep/wake window
Relevant Links
Dr. Stephen Cabral: stephencabral.com
Lab discount (50% off): StephenCabral.com/Kate
The Rain Barrel Effect: store.stephencabral.com/freebook
Personomics: personomics.io/book
The Cabral Concept Podcast: stephencabral.com/podcasts
Kate O'Donnell: healwithkate.org
Call to Action
If this episode has you curious about your own mineral and stress patterns, run your own hair minerals and metals test at half off using StephenCabral.com/Kate, and subscribe to Everyday Ayurveda with Kate for more conversations at the intersection of Ayurveda and integrative health. Visit healwithkate.org to go deeper.
Health Disclaimer
The information shared on Everyday Ayurveda with Kate is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, supplements, or wellness routine.
Connect with Kate: https://www.healwithkate.org Ayurvedic Living Institute Membership: https://ayurvedicliving.institute/membership Women's Health Collection: https://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/collections/womens-healthhttps://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/products/courses/copy-of-fall-community-cleanse-2024Thanks to our Sponsors: Banyan Botanicalshttps://alnk.to/eOQb34qMenopause Supporthttps://alnk.to/et0ZpFnBeauty Balmhttps://alnk.to/7Bj7czQKate's Discount code 15% off Banyan SPRINGWITHKATEandDr. TungsDr. Tungs Link: https://drtungs.com/collections/oral-care-kits