You know what to eat. You've read the books, bought the vegetables with good intentions. And yet—you inhale lunch at your desk and an hour later you're hungry again, like you never even ate. You cook the "healthy" meal and still feel bloated. The vegetables go bad in the drawer. Meal prep Sunday lasted two weeks before you were back to takeout and feeling like a failure.

So maybe Ozempic is the answer? Everyone's talking about it. The idea of a shot that just turns off the food noise sounds like a miracle when you've tried everything else and nothing sticks.

But here's what most people don't realize: Your body already makes GLP-1—the same hormone those medications mimic. So why isn't it working on its own? Because your satiety signals need the right conditions to function. And if you're rushing through meals, eating while stressed, or reaching for food to soothe difficult emotions, those signals get overridden. You can take the medication, but if your relationship with food stays the same, the results often don't last.

In this episode, Dr. Avanti sits down with Dr. Erika Siegel, a naturopathic physician and acupuncturist with nearly two decades of experience in integrative and functional medicine. She's the author of The Nourish Me Kitchen—a two-volume set combining a functional medicine reference with 300+ whole-foods recipes, inspired by 15 years of listening to what her patients actually struggled with. After all that time in practice, Erika has seen it all: the overwhelm, the confusion, the women who know exactly what they "should" eat but still can't figure out why nothing works.

Together, they explore why your nervous system state changes how your body digests food, what's actually happening with ghrelin, leptin, and GLP-1 (and why rushing through meals short-circuits the whole system), what an integrative physician really thinks about Ozempic—and when it might actually make sense, the simple shift of eating fiber first and why it matters for blood sugar, and why cooking at home isn't just about better ingredients—it's about changing your relationship with food itself.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. (06:45) Why eating "healthy" foods in a stressed state leaves you bloated and unsatisfied
2. (15:50) How your brain needs 15-20 minutes to register fullness (and what happens when you eat faster)
3. (18:54) The truth about GLP-1: your body already makes it, so why isn't it working?
4. (26:25) The order you eat your meal matters—and it's simpler than you think
5. (33:24) Why deepening your relationship with your food actually helps
6. (48:34) One small shift that can change your entire relationship with food

By the end of this episode, you'll understand that why and how you eat matters just as much as what you eat—and you'll have simple, practical shifts you can start today to help your body's natural satiety signals actually work.

About Dr. Erika Siegel:

Dr. Erika Siegel is a naturopathic physician and acupuncturist with nearly two decades of experience in integrative and functional medicine. Known for her whole-person, East-meets-West approach, she blends ancient healing traditions with evidence-based practices. She is the author of The Nourish Me Kitchen, a two-volume set combining a functional medicine reference with a whole-foods cookbook, inspired by over 15 years of patient care. Her work is rooted in the belief that the body holds an innate...

For decades, medical research treated men's bodies as the standard—and women paid the price. Before 1993, women were barely included in clinical trials. Even today, we make up less than forty percent of most studies. So what happened? Women's symptoms—fatigue, pain, mood swings, even signs of a heart attack—got brushed off. Dismissed. Blamed on hormones.

That's finally starting to change. In this episode, Dr. Avanti talks with Meghan Rabbitt, an award-winning health journalist and author of The New Rules of Women's Health: Your Guide to Thriving at Every Age. Meghan spent three years interviewing over one hundred female experts to create this book—a comprehensive guide that feels like the next generation of Our Bodies, Ourselves. It's the kind of book you keep on your shelf and reach for when something feels off.

Together, they talk about why women's health got left behind, how heart disease shows up differently in women, and why women's pain has been taken less seriously for so long. They also get practical—how to prepare for doctor's appointments, how to track your symptoms, and what it really means to become the CEO of your own health. Because your body is always talking to you. And when you learn to listen—and arm yourself with the right information—you become your own best advocate.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

1. (04:17) Why women were left out of medical research for so long—and what that means for your care today
2. (20:07) How heart attack symptoms look different in women, and why so many get missed
3. (24:51) Why women's pain is often dismissed, and what you can do about it
4. (30:24) How to trust your intuition and take your symptoms seriously
5. (40:20) Simple ways to prepare for doctor's appointments so you get the care you deserve
6. (43:58) A free online tool to assess your breast cancer risk

By the end of this episode, you'll know how to listen to your body, track your symptoms, and walk into any doctor's office prepared to advocate for yourself—because you deserve care that actually sees you.

About Meghan Rabbitt:

Meghan Rabbitt is an award-winning journalist and author of The New Rules of Women's Health: Your Guide to Thriving at Every Age. She specializes in writing about women's health and wellness, and her work has appeared in many national publications, including Women's Health, Oprah Daily, Prevention, Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper, and more. She's known for translating complex medical and scientific topics into clear, actionable information—and for telling stories that help readers better understand their bodies, their health, and themselves.

Connect with Meghan Rabbitt:

1. Website: newrulesofwomenshealth.com
2. Instagram: @meghanrabbitt
3. LinkedIn: Meghan Rabbitt

Only 9% of people achieve their New Year's resolutions—and nearly 80% have given up by the third week of January. In this episode, Dr. Avanti shows you a different path: one that leads to sustainable change, a regulated nervous system, and alignment that feels like coming home to yourself.

In this solo episode, Dr. Avanti shares the powerful reframe that changed how she approaches the new year—and why the "new year, new you" mindset is actually setting most of us up to fail. The problem isn't willpower. It's framing.

Dr. Avanti walks you through three science-backed shifts: from self-improvement to self-alignment, from goals to feelings, and from the calendar to nature's rhythm. She also shares her "highest self" visualization practice and explains why—in an age of AI and wearable trackers—understanding your dosha (your unique mind-body constitution) is more important than ever.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

1. (00:59) Why resolutions fail—and what to do instead
2. (01:55) The physiology of why "fixing yourself" backfires
3. (07:52) How to visualize and embody your highest self
4. (14:15) Why choosing feelings over goals leads to lasting change
5. (17:03) Why January isn't the time to push harder
6. (22:31) What AI and wearables can't tell you about your health
7. (23:49) How knowing your dosha fills the gap

This episode is your permission slip to release the pressure, honor the season you're in, and enter 2026 from a place of alignment—not lack. Whether you're tired of the resolution cycle or ready for an approach that actually works with your body, Dr. Avanti shows you how to come back to yourself.

Connect with Dr. Avanti:

1. Subscribe, Rate & Review The Healing Catalyst podcast
2. Listen to more episodes on your favorite platform
3. Watch clips and past episodes on YouTube
4. Follow Dr. Avanti on Instagram at @avantikumarsingh
5. Get Dr. Avanti’s Weekly Letter: avantikumarsingh.com/join-my-newsletter
6. Leave a voice message for Dr. Avanti

Resources:

1. Take the free Dosha Data Assessment to get your...