Everyday Ayurveda with Kate

Antibiotics are sometimes necessary — Kate shares her own experience with a 2019 sinus infection that required treatment, and how she tracked the recovery process closely. What she learned from that experience forms the backbone of this episode.
 
What We Cover:
Why antibiotics kill agni (digestive fire) and what that means for your health
The two-week protocol: what to do while taking antibiotics AND the critical week after
Why the post-antibiotic period is more dangerous than the treatment itself
One-pot healing meals: kitchari, meat stews, soups, and hot cereals
Ayurvedic probiotic approaches: lassi (diluted yogurt drink) and small-batch ferments
CCF tea (cumin, coriander, fennel) and ginger tea as digestive rebuilders
What to avoid: cold foods, fruit mixed with dairy, heavy proteins, raw salads
How to track hunger as a sign your agni is returning
How this protocol applies to colonoscopy prep recovery
How to apply all of this for children as well
 
Kate also addresses the all-important listener concern: 'Do I really have to be careful for a full week after I finish the antibiotics?' Yes, friend. And she explains exactly why — with warmth, zero judgment, and a lot of practical wisdom.
 
Resources mentioned:
Everyday Ayurveda cookbook by Kate O'Donnell — lassi recipe and anti-ama meals
Banyan Botanicals Breathe Easy Balm (Kate's personal sinus support)
Cumin, coriander, and fennel (CCF) tea
Fermented vegetables: sauerkraut, kimchi, local small-batch options
For deeper support on seasonal routines, digestion, and Ayurvedic wellness, visit healwithkate.org.
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

Pregnancy loss touches one in four pregnancies — yet it remains one of the least discussed experiences in women’s health. Kate O’Donnell sits down with Jenny June Arnold, certified Ayurvedic practitioner, postpartum doula, and Reiki master, to have the conversation that too many women have never been able to have.
 
Jenny June is also the author of Held, a new e-book on healing after pregnancy loss, and shares her own deeply personal story of two ectopic pregnancies, emergency surgeries, the loss of both fallopian tubes, and the years-long journey through grief, identity, and eventually a profound reconnection with her body through Ayurveda.
 
This is a rich, compassionate episode for anyone who has experienced pregnancy loss, loves someone who has, or wants to understand why this topic deserves far more care and conversation than our culture currently gives it.
 
What We Cover
Why Jenny June uses the term “pregnancy loss” rather than “miscarriage” — and the full spectrum of losses it honors
The types of pregnancy loss beyond miscarriage: ectopic pregnancies, chemical pregnancies, blighted ovum, failed embryo transfer, and more
Jenny June’s own story: two ectopic pregnancies, emergency surgeries, and losing both fallopian tubes
How the period after pregnancy loss mirrors postpartum — and why the body deserves the same 42-day recovery window
Vata and Kapha through grief: what happens in the body and how to respond with warmth, food, and ritual
Abhyanga as a practice of physical and emotional reconnection after loss
The role of warm, nourishing food in grief recovery — and why cooking can itself become a healing ritual
What to say (and what not to say) to someone experiencing pregnancy loss
Why ceremony and honoring the loss matters — even years later
How Ayurveda’s tools apply to grief of all kinds, not only pregnancy loss
 
Guest Bio: Jenny June Arnold
Jenny June Arnold is a certified Ayurvedic practitioner, postpartum doula, and Reiki master based in Maine. She is the founder of Pearl and Moon Ayurveda, where she works primarily with women navigating pregnancy loss, infertility, and IVF. Her practice centers on helping women befriend their bodies after loss and rebuild a relationship with themselves through Ayurvedic tools, energy work, and ceremony.
 
Jenny June is the author of Held: Healing After Pregnancy Loss, an e-book offering practical tools, recipes, and rituals grounded in Ayurveda and her own nine-year healing journey. She draws on personal experience — including two ectopic pregnancies that led to the loss of both fallopian tubes — to meet her clients with deep compassion and lived understanding.
 
Website: pearlandmoonayurveda.com
E-book: Held: Healing After Pregnancy Loss — available at pearlandmoonayurveda.com
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

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 alcohol as hot and dry — and why that matters
Why alcohol and perimenopause are a challenging combination
The alcohol-sugar connection and what it reveals about cravings
Sleep disruption, the pitta detox window, and why you wake up at 1am
Damage control tools: timing, herbs, movement, and the "bar closes at 8" rule
When to avoid alcohol during the menstrual cycle
How to investigate your why without shame or judgment
Host: Kate O'Donnell | healwithkate.org | @katedonnell.ayurveda
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

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 nourishment on your own terms.
 
What We Cover
The origin of the 30/30 protein trend and why it's a meaningful counterbalance to years of intermittent fasting
How the Ayurvedic daily clock (and Kapha time of morning) shapes Kate's response to eating immediately upon waking
Vata, Pitta, and Kapha body types and how each relates to morning appetite, muscle building, and digestion
 Why Dr. Stacy Sims' research on women's hormones aligns surprisingly well with Ayurvedic principles of individualization
The problem with cold, heavy morning proteins — overnight oats from the fridge, fruit-and-Greek-yogurt combos, cold protein shakes
Why putting protein powder in cold oats is less effective than adding it to warm, spiced porridge
How to train a sluggish morning appetite using digestive spices like dry ginger and cardamom
Kate's personal experience starting weight training and discovering she could no longer work out on an empty stomach
The difference between therapeutic eating patterns and daily normal eating — and why Ayurveda has always championed the latter
A practical warm oatmeal formula: ratios, spices, seeds, and how to prep it the night before
 
Key Takeaways
If you feel nauseous or heavy-stomached in the morning, address that with ginger water before adding more protein.
The goal isn't to pound 30 grams into an unprepared gut — it's to gradually train your appetite earlier and build from there.
Warm food in the morning supports Kapha-time digestion far better than cold smoothies or refrigerated overnight oats.
Two tablespoons of hemp seeds + one tablespoon of nut butter in warm oatmeal gets you close to 15 grams of easily digestible protein.
Mixing dairy and fruit — especially cold, first thing — is a food combination Ayurveda specifically cautions against.
 
Referenced Episodes
Episode 23 — Ayurvedic Protein Sources
The Ayurvedic Daily Clock episode (recent)
 
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

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 support — and dig into the design pillars of beauty, order, color, and calm. France shares why your brain is constantly scanning your environment for safety cues, and how small intentional shifts can regulate your nervous system, improve your sleep, and reshape your daily habits.
Whether you're overwhelmed by clutter, intimidated by color, or just feel "off" in a room you can't explain, this conversation gives you practical, budget-friendly tools to start immediately.
 
What we cover:
Why your home is a biological environment, not just a decorative one
France's three-step method: clear, align, design
How light levels and placement affect your nervous system after 6 PM
The concept of "shopping your own home" before buying anything new
How color works physiologically — and why it's not about warm vs. cool
Designing for your actual personality, not your ideal self
Simple changes that work for families, city dwellers, and small spaces
Find France Brunel at francebrunel.com and @iamfrancebrunel on Instagram.
 
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

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 a California-licensed Chinese medicine practitioner. She now practices entirely online alongside her father — one of the early pioneers of telemedicine in Chinese medicine — treating complex chronic cases from around the world, and she still sees everything through the lens of a data economist.
What We Cover:
How tongue reading works in TCM — and why it differs fundamentally from Ayurvedic tongue assessment
The difference between yin deficiency and yang deficiency, and why yang deficiency is far more common in Western patients today
The gut-ADHD connection: why so many ADHD presentations begin with early digestive disruption
How antibiotic overuse in childhood may have long-term consequences for digestion, focus, and mood
The autoimmune-stress connection: Jiaming's "candle wax" theory of burnout and chronic illness
Why Americans have disproportionately high rates of autoimmune disease — and what the data shows
Seasonal eating in Chinese medicine: where it aligns with Ayurveda and where it diverges
Why extreme exercise may harm more than help — and what moderation actually looks like
How Jiaming and her father practice true family medicine online, tracking hereditary patterns across generations
Guest Bio: Jiaming Ju
Jiaming Ju is a second-generation Chinese medicine practitioner and the founder of Kun Health, an online Chinese medicine clinic she runs alongside her father. Trained first as an economist at Columbia University, Jiaming spent over a decade as a health economist leading major think tanks and research initiatives across the globe before returning to the medicine she grew up with. She holds a California license in Chinese medicine and brings a data-driven, prevention-focused approach to her clinical practice. Known for her tongue reading expertise and her candid communication style, Jiaming is on a mission to bring Chinese medicine to a global audience — authentically and rigorously.
Website: https://www.kun.health/
Instagram: @byjiamingju 
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

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 been practicing for years, there's something here for you — and Kate's invitation is simple: take one thing and try it.
 
In this episode:
Why 10pm is the magic bedtime hour — and what your body does when you miss it
The midnight fire cycle that drives natural detoxification
Morning practices that open channels of elimination
Why your biggest meal belongs at midday
The afternoon energy crash — and the 10-minute reset that beats it
How to wind down from 6–10pm for deeper, more restorative sleep
 
Subscribe to Everyday Ayurveda with Kate for weekly episodes on Ayurvedic nutrition, seasonal living, and daily practices. Visit healwithkate.org to learn more.
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

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 the structure of a Panchakarma day from sunrise chanting to evening group meetings. She describes the food, the treatments, the classes, the restricted screen time, and the unexpected depth of community that formed among strangers who became lifelong friends.
Then she hands the mic to five participants — Susan, Sarah, Maya, Allison, and Bethany — who share, in their own words, what changed.
 
WHAT WE COVER
Why Kate kept her India Panchakarma practice private for decades — and what changed
What a day actually looks like at an Ayurvedic healing village (chanting, meals, treatments, classes, rest)
The role of ritual, ceremony, and spirituality in Ayurvedic medicine
How the healing village limits screens, sunlight, and stimulation during treatment
Why community deepens the Panchakarma experience
The common threads Kate observed in all participants after coming home: less internal noise, knowing what to do, and restored relationships
Real participant voices: what shifted physically, mentally, and spiritually for five travelers
NEXT TRIP: JANUARY 2027
Kate will be leading another group Panchakarma journey to India in mid-January 2027. The trip is approximately three weeks, ending around the first week of February.
 
To get on the waitlist:
Visit: https://ayurvedicliving.institute/panchakarma-in-india
DM @kateodonell.ayurveda on Instagram with the word INDIA
Email hello@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

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 walks through her signature blended soups (cream of asparagus, cream of celery, carrot-ginger-chickpea), a simple breakfast bok choy broth, quinoa cereal with hemp milk, and the goat cheese pinwheel that has officially earned its place as a lazy-kitchen hero.
 
Part two of the beloved "What To Eat When You Don't Know What To Eat" series. Recipes and seasonal guidance also in the Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook. Visit healwithkate.org for more.
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 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 nutritional perspective.
What We Cover:
What is missing from your standard annual bloodwork
How functional medicine ranges differ from conventional lab ranges
Full thyroid panels, iron panels, nutrient markers, and insulin
Hormone testing in perimenopause: when labs help and when they do not
The real out-of-pocket cost of a comprehensive panel ($399-$469)
DIY bloodwork services: what they get right and where the gaps are
How to balance data with body wisdom
Find resources and practitioners at healwithkate.org.
Order bloodwork with Danielle Dellaquila:
https://www.eaglevisionnutrition.com/comprehensive-blood-analysis/
Danielle's Supplement Dispensary: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/ddellaquila/store-start
 
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