Mama Tuition: The Knowing Every Woman Carries with Dr. Anik Cockcroft

Mama Tuition: The Knowing Every Woman Carries with Dr. Anik Cockcroft

In this week's episode of Routes of Healing, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa sits down with Dr. Anik Cockroft, a board-certified pediatrician, sports medicine physician, and the creator of Mama Mindset, a space devoted to empowering expectant and postpartum mothers. A Maui mama of three including a toddler, Anik brings to her work a deeply holistic lens shaped by her medical training and a master's in mental health counseling with a focus on play therapy and family dynamics. For years she cared for the keiki of the islands at Kapi'olani and was present at the births of hundreds of babies, witnessing mothers harness their divine power in the delivery room. That sacred work planted a seed. Over time, Anik came to recognize that she had been a mama doula for the women in her life and the women she served clinically, holding space for them with raw, transparent aloha. Together, Dr. Siri Chand and Dr. Anik explore the path of the wounded healer, the childhood anxiety that first taught her to listen to her body, the courage it took to take twelve weeks postpartum during residency, and the slow, sacred pivot out of clinical medicine when her own mama tuition asked her to color outside the lines. This conversation also opens into deeper terrain. Anik speaks about delivery room energy, the inborn knowing every nurturing woman carries whether or not she becomes a mother in the traditional sense, the practice of surrender as a creative force, and what it means to release the metrics of success in favor of becoming. Whether you are an expectant or postpartum mother, a physician navigating the question of how to practice in alignment with your values, a sensitive soul who has been told you were too much, or simply someone in a season of incubation waiting for what wants to be born through you, this episode offers grounded insight, validation, and a tender invitation to trust your knowing. If you're inspired by our exploration on Roots of Healing, a physician-led podcast uplifting the wisdom and lived experience of integrative and lifestyle medicine doctors, subscribe to receive new episodes weekly. 🔑 KEY TOPICS & TAKEAWAYS * The wounded healer: How childhood panic attacks became Anik's first invitation into healing, and why she believes emotions are teachers rather than problems to be solved. * Sensitivity as superpower: Reclaiming the empath's gift after a lifetime of being told she was "too much." * The art of active listening: Why presence, not the next agenda, is one of the most healing tools we have. * Higher calling, not next accolade: How surrender carried her into medicine after rounds of rejection and reframed her path as a vehicle to serve. * Hawaii as classroom: The way aloha culture and the islands shaped her as a physician and human. * Twelve weeks postpartum: The quiet act of courage to honor her newborn daughter and her own healing, even at the cost of graduating on time. * Trailblazing softly: Making space for the residents who came after her by simply taping a sign on a call room door. * The growing knowing: How a cell-deep awareness asked her to pivot out of a clinical role she had earned and prepared for. * Mama tuition: The inborn knowing every nurturing woman carries, whether or not she becomes a mother in the traditional sense. * Delivery room energy: The divine creative force witnessed at birth and woven into every woman's DNA. * Mama Mindset as incubation: Why surrender, not strategy, has been the architect of her work. * Storytelling as medicine: Bringing color, family names, and humanness back into the clinical encounter. * Adversity and reinvention: The lifelong reframe that adversity causes some to break and others to break records. * Ancestral presence: The energetic lineage of women who came before and stand with us in the work of creative becoming. ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 — Opening Reflection 00:22 — Welcome and Introduction 02:00 — Meeting Dr. Anik Cockroft 03:15 — A Florida Childhood Among the Lakes 05:30 — Middle School Panic Attacks and the Counselor Who Changed Everything 07:30 — Mental Health Counseling and Clinical Social Work 09:45 — Vulnerability and the Wounded Healer 13:00 — Sensitivity as a Superpower 15:30 — Mental Health as a Vital Sign 18:00 — Active Listening as Healing 20:30 — Marriage, Medical School, and Becoming a Physician 23:00 — Moving 5,000 Miles to Hawaii 25:30 — Pregnancy During Fellowship and a Growing Grief 27:00 — Daring to Take Twelve Weeks Postpartum 30:00 — The Pumping Sign That Made Room for Others 32:00 — Missed Milestones and a Reframe That Held Her 33:30 — Crying With Patients and Leading With Vulnerability 35:30 — The Growing Knowing to Pivot 37:00 — A Sunset Walk and the Conversation That Changed Everything 38:30 — Declining the Position and Stepping Into the Unknown 40:30 — The Breath: Birth, Death, and Reverence 44:00 — Delivery Room Energy and Mama Tuition 46:30 — Empowering Mothers as the Experts on Their Children 48:30 — The Off-Script Question That Shaped a Life 51:00 — Inflammation of the Soul and the Hustle Culture 52:30 — Creating Mama Mindset and Releasing the Metrics 56:30 — Writing Mama Tuition by Speaking It Into Being 59:00 — Holding a Timeless, Non-Linear Model of Becoming 1:02:00 — Service Self and the Receiving Self 1:06:00 — The Sole Currency of Soul Connection 1:08:30 — Storytelling as the Art of Medicine 1:10:00 — Creative Pockets in the Day 1:12:00 — Where to Find Dr. Anik Cockroft 1:14:30 — Closing Reflections ABOUT TODAY'S GUEST Anik Cockroft, DO Pediatrics • Sports Medicine • Creator of Mama Mindset® Anik is a Maui Mama of three, including a toddler, and a Board-Certified Pediatrician and Sports Medicine Physician who now serves fully outside the bounds of clinical medicine. She brings to her work as a physician and healer a holistic mindset and a Master's in mental health counseling with a focus on play therapy and family dynamics. Inspired to continue empowering expectant and postpartum mamas, she created Mama Mindset® at mamamindset.com [https://www.mamamindset.com/]. Anik worked at Kapi'olani caring for the keiki of the islands and has been present for the births of hundreds of the newest miracles of aloha, witnessing mamas harness their divine power in the delivery room. She is honored to come alongside mamas and women in their divinely chosen roles, and will celebrate your crown anytime. She has come to recognize that she has been a Moula all these years, a mama doula for the mamas in her own life as well as those she has been privileged to serve clinically. Anik knows her purpose here in life is loving others well and deeply, with raw and authentic, transparent aloha. She arrived at this space and place of delicious vulnerability by placing the stethoscope upon her own heart and openly listening, so she could then speak life and love over the hearts of the mamas she crosses paths with. Her role is showing up in that sacred space between you and who you are destined to become as a woman and mama, reborn. She is honored to hold space for your story and to celebrate your inborn superpower of Mamatuition. Being pregnant with purpose and creativity is something we carry with us our entire lives, whether we blossom into mothers or act in other divinely guided human capacities in a nurturing role. Currently on a self-chosen social media sabbatical, Anik prefers human-to-human connection through email. 🌐 FIND DR. ANIK COCKROFT * Mama Mindset®: mamamindset.com [https://www.mamamindset.com/] * Personal: anikcockroft.com [https://www.anikcockroft.com/] * Passport Ohana: passportohana.com [https://passportohana.com/] * Oceans of Aloha: oceans-of-aloha.com [https://oceans-of-aloha.com/] * The Aina That Is Lahaina: theainalahaina.com [https://www.theainalahaina.com/] * Email: anikcockroft@gmail.com [anikcockroft@gmail.com] / alohadranik@gmail.com [alohadranik@gmail.com] In the press: * Coco Moon Hawaii — Mama of the Month: Read here [https://cocomoonhawaii.com/blogs/blog/mama-of-the-month-dr-anik-cockroft] * Canvas Rebel: Read here [https://canvasrebel.com/meet-anik-cockroft/] Currently creating: * Mamatuition (forthcoming book) * Passport Ohana * Oceans of Aloha / The Aina That Is Lahaina 🎁 ANIK'S INVITATION > Show up for yourselves. Share your story. Step into your genius zone. Create and cultivate impactful commUNITY around you through your own actions and Mamamentum. Explore Mama Mindset® if it serves you. mamamindset.com [https://www.mamamindset.com/] 🌐 CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa, MD MS Lifestyle & Integrative Medicine Physician • Culinary Medicine • Ayurveda * Website: drsirichand.com [https://drsirichand.com/] * Instagram: @doctorsirichand * Culinary Medicine Blog: drsirichand.com/blog [https://drsirichand.com/blog] Community: https://vishuddha.com [https://vishuddha.com/] VISHUDDHA: A MEDIA AGENCY FOR CONSCIOUS CLINICIANS & WELLNESS SEEKERS Vishuddha is a media and creative agency dedicated to amplifying the voices of integrative and lifestyle medicine clinicians who are transforming how we understand health and healing. We provide media representation, book development, public speaking coaching, podcast strategy, content creation, and course development alongside classes and workshops for wellness seekers committed to intentional, conscious living. Rooted in whole-person healing, Vishuddha helps clinicians translate their wisdom into impact, design offerings that matter, and bring conscious, transformative work into the world. Ready to share your wisdom? Explore how we can support your vision at Vishuddha.com [https://vishuddha.com/]. KEYWORDS mama tuition, mama mindset, intuitive motherhood, postpartum support, expectant mothers, wounded healer, women in medicine, physician motherhood, pediatrician, sports medicine, osteopathic medicine, mental health counseling, play therapy, childhood anxiety, vulnerability, surrender, delivery room energy, birth, leaving clinical medicine, physician pivot, Hawaii, aloha, ancestral wisdom, storytelling in medicine, empath, sensitivity, creative becoming, Roots of Healing, Dr. Anik Cockroft, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa

Who Do You Want to Become? Empowering Women's Choices with Dr. Janeeka Benoit

In this week's episode of Roots of Healing, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa sits down with Dr. Janeeka Benoit, a board-certified internal medicine and sports medicine physician and the founder of InVessel Health and Wellness. Dr. J's work focuses on helping high-achieving women navigate the metabolic, hormonal, and identity shifts of perimenopause and menopause through a comprehensive, personalized approach that honors both science and lived experience. Together, they explore why our metabolism responds to truth rather than force, how to recognize when the body is asking for something different, and why so many driven women find that the strategies that once worked no longer serve them. Dr. J shares her own turning point, an 18-pound weight gain and rising cholesterol in her mid-thirties, and how that experience deepened her commitment to a more whole-person model of care. This conversation also opens into broader questions around the limits of traditional medicine, the courage it takes to build something different, and the inner work of grieving an old identity to make space for who we are becoming. Dr. J speaks with warmth and clarity about meeting women where they are, identifying the thoughts and feelings beneath the symptoms, and creating sustainable habits that support energy, vitality, and purpose. Whether you are moving through midlife shifts, feeling at odds with your body, carrying aging parents while raising children, or simply longing for a more thoughtful and individualized approach to your own health, this episode offers grounded insight, validation, and an invitation to come home to yourself. If you're inspired by our exploration on Roots of Healing, a physician-led podcast uplifting the wisdom and lived experience of integrative and lifestyle medicine doctors, subscribe to receive new episodes weekly. KEY TOPICS & TAKEAWAYS * Metabolism and truth: Why pushing harder often backfires, and how listening to the body creates more sustainable change than discipline alone. * The DO foundation: How osteopathic training centers on finding health, not just diagnosing disease, and how OMT brings structure, mind, and body into one conversation. * A rare clinical pairing: How combining internal medicine with sports medicine creates space for understanding both the inner physiology and how the body moves through the world. * Personal experience as medicine: Dr. J's own 18-pound weight gain and rising LDL in her mid-thirties became the catalyst for building a different kind of practice. * Beyond GLP-1s: Why medications can be useful tools, but lifestyle, behavior, and the psychological relationship with food remain the foundation. * The feelings wheel and thought work: How identifying emotions, and the thoughts beneath them, helps high-achieving women locate themselves and find clarity. * Eating for nourishment, not survival: How busy women often default to hyper-palatable foods at the end of long days, and what shifts when meals become intentional. * Recovery as medicine: Why high-performing women often need permission to rest, and how worthiness of rest becomes part of the healing itself. * Identity in midlife: The gradual grief, and gift, of releasing an older version of self to make room for who we are becoming. * The practice of silence: How starting the day in stillness anchors women in their own truth and protects them from absorbing the noise of others' expectations. * The deeper why: What women actually want when they say they want to lose weight, and how vitality, energy, and sustainability become the real goal. * Mentorship and courage: How relationships with mentors gave Dr. J the audacity to step outside the traditional model and build a practice in alignment with her values. ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 — Opening Reflection 00:30 — Welcome and Introduction 01:41 — Meet Dr. Janeeka Benoit 02:19 — Why Metabolism Responds to Truth, Not Force 03:40 — Origin Story: Growing Up in Her Father's Practice 04:53 — The DO Path and Finding Health, Not Just Disease 07:25 — Internal Medicine, Sports Medicine, and the Whole Person 08:21 — OMT and the Wisdom of Osteopathic Training 10:52 — A Personal Turning Point at Mid-Thirties 13:00 — Beyond GLP-1s: Why Comprehensive Care Matters 14:13 — Founding InVessel Health and Wellness 16:09 — Doing It Scared: Stepping Out of the Traditional Model 17:50 — The Power of Mentorship in Medicine 21:45 — Inside the Practice: Membership and Personalized Intake 25:14 — Where to Begin Working With Dr. J 27:00 — The Midlife Stretch: Body, Career, and Caregiving 29:13 — The Feelings Wheel and the Thoughts Beneath the Tension 32:43 — Catching What Others Miss in Intake 37:13 — Eating for Nourishment, Not Survival 40:23 — When the Real Goal Is Recovery, Not More Muscle 43:00 — What Women Actually Want: Energy, Vitality, Sustainability 44:50 — Rest and Recovery for the High Achiever 47:19 — Grieving an Old Identity to Become Who You Are 50:51 — A New Relationship With Self, Food, and Body 52:36 — The Practice of Silence and Intentional Mornings 55:47 — Where to Begin: Who Do You Want to Become? 59:34 — How to Connect With Dr. Janeeka Benoit 1:00:56 — Closing Reflections ABOUT TODAY'S GUEST Janeeka "Dr. J" Benoit, DO Internal Medicine • Sports Medicine • Metabolic Health for High-Achieving Women Dr. Janeeka "Dr. J" Benoit helps high-achieving women who feel frustrated by their body finally understand what it needs. She is a Board-Certified Internal Medicine and Sports Medicine physician and founder of InVessel Health & Wellness. Her mission became personal when she gained 18 pounds despite staying active and seeing her cholesterol rise for the first time. She wasn't lacking discipline. Her metabolism needed a different strategy. Now, Dr. J helps driven women stop fighting their bodies and start working with their metabolism. Through mindset, science, and lifestyle medicine, she helps women build sustainable energy, metabolic health, and strength that support their purpose and legacy. 🌐 FIND DR. JANEEKA BENOIT * Website: www.invesselhealth.com [https://www.invesselhealth.com/] * All Links (social + more): https://linktr.ee/heydrj_ [https://linktr.ee/heydrj_] * Book a Consultation: https://link.invesselhealth.com/widget/booking/oQlHjWMcxrI8y7xucJNb [https://link.invesselhealth.com/widget/booking/oQlHjWMcxrI8y7xucJNb] FREE RESOURCE Beyond BMI — a free resource from Dr. J for women ready to understand what their body is actually asking for. https://invesselhealth.com/beyond-bmi [https://invesselhealth.com/beyond-bmi] 🌐 CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa, MD MS Lifestyle & Integrative Medicine Physician • Culinary Medicine • Ayurveda * Website: drsirichand.com [https://drsirichand.com/] * Instagram: @doctorsirichand * Culinary Medicine Blog: drsirichand.com/blog [https://drsirichand.com/blog] Community: https://vishuddha.com [https://vishuddha.com/] VISHUDDHA: A MEDIA AGENCY FOR CONSCIOUS CLINICIANS & WELLNESS SEEKERS Vishuddha is a media and creative agency dedicated to amplifying the voices of integrative and lifestyle medicine clinicians who are transforming how we understand health and healing. We provide media representation, book development, public speaking coaching, podcast strategy, content creation, and course development alongside classes and workshops for wellness seekers committed to intentional, conscious living. Rooted in whole-person healing, Vishuddha helps clinicians translate their wisdom into impact, design offerings that matter, and bring conscious, transformative work into the world. Ready to share your wisdom? Explore how we can support your vision at Vishuddha.com [https://vishuddha.com/]. KEYWORDS metabolic health, women's health, perimenopause, menopause, midlife wellness, weight loss for women, sustainable habits, lifestyle medicine, sports medicine, internal medicine, osteopathic medicine, OMT, GLP-1, integrative medicine, behavioral health, nutrition coaching, body composition, insulin resistance, high-achieving women, women in medicine, physician mentorship, rest and recovery, identity shift, mindful eating, Roots of Healing, Dr. Janeeka Benoit, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa, InVessel Health and Wellness

Pause, Presence, and What Wants to Emerge with Dr. Jessie Mahoney

PAUSE, PRESENCE, AND WHAT WANTS TO EMERGE WITH DR. JESSIE MAHONEY In this week's episode of Roots of Healing, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa sits down with Dr. Jessie Mahoney, a board-certified pediatrician, certified physician coach, mindfulness and yoga teacher, and the founder of Pause & Presence. After nearly two decades as a pediatrician and physician leader at The Permanente Medical Group, Jessie stepped outside the traditional medical model to reimagine what sustainable well-being in healthcare could look like. Together, they trace Jessie's path from delivering a sibling at the age of twelve and choosing pediatrics as a child, to motherhood in medical training, to two decades of leadership at Kaiser, and finally to the moment she realized she could no longer alter the same coat to make it fit. Jessie shares the inner work that quietly made leaving possible: coach training, yoga teacher training, mindfulness practice, and the willingness to develop muscles she did not yet know she would need. This conversation also opens into deeper questions about belief, embodiment, and the pace of becoming. Jessie describes the future-self exercise that gave her clarity, the terror that followed giving notice, the pandemic pivot that turned her plan upside down, and the unexpected way Nicasio Creek Farm came to be the home of her retreats. She speaks honestly about the "twangy moments" that still arrive when something is shifting, and why intuition, paired with a regulated nervous system, is one of the most reliable instruments a physician carries. Whether you are a physician feeling a quiet inner stirring, a healthcare leader curious about coaching and mindfulness, or anyone drawn to a slower, more intentional way of practicing medicine, this episode offers honest reflection, practical wisdom, and the reminder that you do not have to know the how before you take the first step. If you're inspired by our exploration on Roots of Healing, a physician-led podcast uplifting the wisdom and lived experience of integrative and lifestyle medicine doctors, subscribe to receive new episodes weekly. KEY TOPICS & TAKEAWAYS Pediatric origin story: How Jessie knew at age twelve, after watching her brother be born, that she wanted to be a pediatrician, and how the positive feedback loop of medicine kept her on a linear path. Motherhood in medical training: Being one of nine women in her UCSF class to have a child during medical school, and what that revealed about a system not built for the people inside it. Two decades at Kaiser Permanente: Building a career, raising three children, and serving as Chief of Physician Health and Wellness while quietly outgrowing the role. The integration years: Coach training, yoga teacher training, and mindfulness practice approached as self-permission rather than career planning. Whose belief, whose results: Why borrowed beliefs from family or culture often determine the life we end up living, and how to gently set them down. Future-self wisdom: Asking your sixty-year-old self what she would wish you had done, and trusting her answer. Giving notice: The terror that did not give way to relief, and the pandemic that arrived six weeks later. What coaching actually is: A forward-looking, strength-based practice that is not therapy, not mentorship, and not advice. Pause & Presence: Building a coaching and retreat practice rooted in mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and lifestyle medicine. Nicasio Creek Farm: The four-acre property north of San Francisco that became the embodied home of the work, and the unexpected way it came to be. The retreat experience: Seven women physicians, four days, plant-forward farm-to-table meals, yoga, sound healing, forest bathing, and small-group coaching as CME. The twangy moments: Why intuition still requires courage, even after years of practice. You do not know the how: The reminder that clarity arrives after the first step, not before. CHAPTERS 00:00 — Introduction and Welcome 01:55 — Meet Dr. Jessie Mahoney 02:50 — A Pediatrician's Origin Story at Age Twelve 05:00 — Once a Pediatrician, Always a Pediatrician 06:35 — UCSF and the First Class of Women 08:00 — Motherhood During Medical Training 09:00 — Choosing Kaiser Oakland for Residency 10:30 — Berkeley Roots and Growing Misalignment 12:30 — Chief of Wellness and Asking Better Questions 14:00 — Coach Training, Yoga, and the Permission to Explore 17:00 — The Sabbatical and Borrowing Belief 19:30 — Whose Belief, Whose Results 22:30 — The Lifelong Learner Without an Agenda 24:30 — Caring for Clinicians and the Suppression of Needs 27:00 — Wisdom From Your Sixty-Year-Old Self 30:00 — Giving Notice and the Pandemic Pivot 33:00 — Coaching Stanford Anesthesia Fellows 35:30 — What Coaching Actually Is 39:00 — Stumbling Onto a Retreat Space 41:00 — When Your Spouse Becomes Your Business Partner 43:30 — Finding Nicasio Creek Farm 46:00 — Embodied Living on the Farm 48:30 — Skeptical Physicians and the First-Night Sound Healing 51:00 — Who Retreats Are For, and Who They Are Not 54:00 — Inside the Women's Physician Retreat 58:00 — Speaking the Language of Physiology 1:00:30 — What People Leave With 1:03:30 Visionary by Upbringing, Not by Plan 1:05:00 The Twangy Moments and Trusting Yourself 1:06:30 For the Physician Feeling Her Own Stirring 1:09:00 Where to Find Dr. Jessie Mahoney 1:11:30 Closing Reflections ABOUT TODAY'S GUEST JESSIE MAHONEY, MD Physician Coach • Mindfulness & Yoga Teacher • Keynote & TEDx Speaker • Retreat Facilitator Jessie Mahoney is a board-certified pediatrician, certified coach, physician wellness leader, mindfulness/yoga teacher, keynote and TEDx speaker, and founder of Pause & Presence. After nearly two decades as a physician leader at the Permanente Medical Group/Kaiser, Dr. Mahoney stepped outside the traditional medical model 6 years ago to reimagine sustainable well-being in health care. She now helps physicians and leaders cultivate clarity, intention, and balance—leveraging mindfulness, coaching, yoga, and lifestyle medicine to create deep and lasting change. She hosts a popular podcast called Healing Medicine and recently built a retreat center, Nicasio Creek Farm, just north of San Francisco, where she host her popular wellness retreats for women physicians. FIND DR. JESSIE MAHONEY * Website: https://www.jessiemahoneymd.com/ * TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRQwr8-ITBQ&t=345s * About Jessie: https://www.jessiemahoneymd.com/about-jessie * Coaching: https://www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching * Retreats: https://www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats * Nicasio Creek Farm: https://www.jessiemahoneymd.com/nicasio-creek-farm * Podcast (Healing Medicine): https://www.jessiemahoneymd.com/healing--podcast * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/healing-medicine-mindfulness-mindset-physician-well/id1542538851 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0q9yep2gnjZEOpw5ItVevT * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-mahoney-md/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessie.mahoney.56/ FREE RESOURCES * Healing Medicine Podcast: Weekly episodes with Dr. Jessie Mahoney and Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang exploring mindfulness, mindset, and physician well-being. * Free yoga classes on Dr. Mahoney's YouTube channel. * Jessie's Blog: Reflections on physician wellness, coaching, mindfulness, and sustainable leadership at jessiemahoneymd.com. 🌐 CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa, MD MS Lifestyle & Integrative Medicine Physician • Culinary Medicine • Ayurveda * Website: drsirichand.com [https://drsirichand.com/] * Instagram: @doctorsirichand * Culinary Medicine Blog: drsirichand.com/blog [https://drsirichand.com/blog] Community: https://vishuddha.com [https://vishuddha.com/] VISHUDDHA: A MEDIA AGENCY FOR CONSCIOUS CLINICIANS & WELLNESS SEEKERS Vishuddha is a media and creative agency dedicated to amplifying the voices of integrative and lifestyle medicine clinicians who are transforming how we understand health and healing. We provide media representation, book development, public speaking coaching, podcast strategy, content creation, and course development alongside classes and workshops for wellness seekers committed to intentional, conscious living. Rooted in whole-person healing, Vishuddha helps clinicians translate their wisdom into impact, design offerings that matter, and bring conscious, transformative work into the world. READY TO SHARE YOUR WISDOM? EXPLORE HOW WE CAN SUPPORT YOUR VISION AT VISHUDDHA.COM [https://vishuddha.com/]. KEYWORDS physician coaching, mindful coaching, Pause and Presence, Nicasio Creek Farm, women in medicine, physician burnout, physician wellness, mindfulness in medicine, yoga for physicians, lifestyle medicine, nervous system regulation, career transition in medicine, leaving Kaiser Permanente, pediatrician coach, Healing Medicine podcast, Mindful Healers podcast, Dr. Jessie Mahoney, Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang, women physicians retreat, CME wellness retreat, plant-forward nutrition, forest bathing, sound healing, embodied medicine, sustainable healthcare, Roots of Healing, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa

Preventive Cardiology and the Future of Personalized Heart Health Care with Cardiologist, Dr. Tracy Paeschke

In this week’s episode of Roots of Healing, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa sits down with Dr. Tracy Paeschke, a board-certified cardiologist and health coach whose work is devoted to helping people understand their cardiovascular risk before a crisis occurs. Through her integrative cardiology practice, Dr. Paeschke blends advanced lab testing, wearable technology, cardiac imaging, and the pillars of lifestyle medicine to create a more personalized and preventive model of heart care. Together, they explore the limitations of conventional cardiology, the importance of looking beyond standard lipid panels, and the ways that inflammation, sleep, stress, toxins, blood sugar, movement, and family history all shape heart health. Dr. Paeschke shares why she stepped away from a more traditional model of medicine and how she now helps patients build sustainable, individualized strategies for prevention and health span. This conversation also opens into deeper questions around women in medicine, burnout, identity, and what it means to practice in alignment with one’s values. The episode highlights the empowering truth that while genetics matter, they do not tell the whole story. Through daily choices, better data, and a more integrative understanding of the body, people can often reduce risk, improve vitality, and create a longer, healthier future. Whether you are concerned about your heart health, living with a family history of cardiovascular disease, interested in lifestyle medicine, or simply curious about a more thoughtful and personalized approach to prevention, this episode offers grounded insight, hope, and practical wisdom. If you’re inspired by our exploration on Roots of Healing, a physician-led podcast uplifting the wisdom and lived experience of integrative and lifestyle medicine doctors, subscribe to receive new episodes weekly. 🔑 KEY TOPICS & TAKEAWAYS * Preventive cardiology: Why Dr. Paeschke shifted from treating heart attacks and heart failure to focusing on prevention before catastrophic events occur. * Integrative heart care: How she combines conventional cardiology with functional medicine, lifestyle medicine, and health coaching. * Advanced cardiovascular testing: Looking beyond the standard lipid panel with ApoB, Lp(a), LDL particle size, CRP, myeloperoxidase, and oxidized LDL. * Cardiac imaging: The value of calcium scoring, CCTA, and newer technologies that can assess plaque and coronary artery disease more clearly. * Wearables and health tracking: How continuous glucose monitors, sleep tracking, heart rate variability, and blood pressure monitoring can reveal meaningful patterns. * Lifestyle medicine: The essential role of plant-forward nutrition, movement, sleep, stress reduction, avoidance of harmful substances, and social connection. * Genetics vs. epigenetics: Why family history matters, but does not necessarily determine destiny. * Lp(a) awareness: Understanding lipoprotein(a) as an underrecognized and often genetically driven cardiovascular risk factor. * Women in medicine: How corporate medicine and legacy systems often fail to support women physicians and values-based practice. * Health span: Why the goal is not simply to live longer, but to live well, with vitality and function. ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 — Introduction and Welcome 00:37 — What Integrative Cardiology Looks Like 02:00 — Why Prevention Matters More Than Crisis Care 03:40 — Personalized Risk Assessment and Advanced Lipid Testing 05:35 — Imaging, Calcium Scores, CCTA, and AI in Cardiology 07:00 — Wearables, Glucose Monitoring, Sleep Apnea, and Blood Pressure Tracking 08:11 — Personalized Medicine and the Shift Away from One-Size-Fits-All Care 09:18 — Leaving Corporate Medicine and Finding Alignment 12:25 — EMRs, Venture Capital, and the Changing Landscape of Medicine 13:05 — Women in Medicine and Systems Not Built for Women 15:40 — Insurance, Burnout, and the Value of Integrative Care 18:01 — Genetics, Epigenetics, and Reframing Family History 21:41 — Agency, Hope, and the Power of Lifestyle Change 23:14 — Dean Ornish, Plant-Based Nutrition, and Reversing Disease 25:00 — Coaching Through Real-Life Food and Family Challenges 27:27 — The Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine 27:57 — Toxins, Environmental Exposures, and the Yuka App 30:15 — Journaling, Daily Habits, and Tracking Lifestyle Patterns 32:48 — Small Changes That Create Long-Term Transformation 36:06 — Heart Rate Variability and What Wearables Can Teach Us 38:33 — The Body as a Temple and the Systems View of Health 41:44 — Inflammation, Cholesterol, and the Bigger Picture of Cardiovascular Disease 42:44 — Lp(a): What It Is and Why It Matters 48:38 — Health Span, Hospice Wisdom, and Why Prevention Is Worth It 51:00 — Meeting People Where They Are 53:55 — A Day in the Life: Teen Twins, Pets, and Real Life 55:00 — Where to Find Dr. Tracy Paeschke 57:33 — Closing Reflections ABOUT TODAY’S GUEST Tracy Paeschke, MD Cardiology • Health Coaching • Integrative & Preventive Heart Care Dr. Tracy Paeschke is a board-certified cardiologist and health coach with over 25 years of experience dedicated to helping people with heart disease. After years of diagnosing and treating heart conditions, she now concentrates on proactive, preventive care. In her integrative cardiology practice in Monument, Colorado, and through telehealth across multiple states, she combines advanced lab testing, wearable technology, and cutting-edge cardiac imaging to deliver a personalized assessment of each client’s cardiovascular risk. She works closely with each individual to develop a customized treatment plan, tailored to their unique needs and goals. She is passionate about empowering people to prevent and even reverse heart disease through personalized medicine, enabling them to lead long, healthy, and fulfilling lives. Dr. Paeschke approaches heart health through the pillars of Lifestyle Medicine and enjoys discussing both the latest tools for assessing risk and the ways that plant-forward nutrition and sustainable lifestyle change can meaningfully lower that risk. She is also a mother of teenaged twins, shares a home full of beloved pets, and is an avid non-fiction reader. 🌐 FIND DR. TRACY PAESCHKE Website: https://hearthealth.care/ [https://hearthealth.care/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hearthealthprevandwell [https://www.facebook.com/hearthealthprevandwell] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_heart.health_/ [https://www.instagram.com/_heart.health_/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drtracypaeschke/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/drtracypaeschke/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hearthealth_/ [https://www.youtube.com/@hearthealth_/] Podcast: https://podfollow.com/heart-health-prevention-and-wellness [https://podfollow.com/heart-health-prevention-and-wellness] 🎁 FREE RESOURCE Free health consultation available through her website. Free ebook: https://hearthealth.ck.page/hypertensionebook [https://hearthealth.ck.page/hypertensionebook] 🌐 CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa, MD MS Lifestyle & Integrative Medicine Physician • Culinary Medicine • Ayurveda * Website: drsirichand.com [https://drsirichand.com/] * Instagram: @doctorsirichand [https://www.instagram.com/doctorsirichand/] * Culinary Medicine Blog: drsirichand.com/blog [https://drsirichand.com/blog] Community: https://vishuddha.com [https://vishuddha.com/] VISHUDDHA: A MEDIA AGENCY FOR CONSCIOUS CLINICIANS & WELLNESS SEEKERS Vishuddha is a media and creative agency dedicated to amplifying the voices of integrative and lifestyle medicine clinicians who are transforming how we understand health and healing. We provide media representation, book development, public speaking coaching, podcast strategy, content creation, and course development alongside classes and workshops for wellness seekers committed to intentional, conscious living. Rooted in whole-person healing, Vishuddha helps clinicians translate their wisdom into impact, design offerings that matter, and bring conscious, transformative work into the world. READY TO SHARE YOUR WISDOM? EXPLORE HOW WE CAN SUPPORT YOUR VISION AT VISHUDDHA.COM [https://vishuddha.com/]. KEYWORDS preventive cardiology, integrative cardiology, heart disease prevention, lifestyle medicine, lipoprotein(a), Lp(a), ApoB, cardiovascular risk, wearable technology, continuous glucose monitor, heart rate variability, plant-forward nutrition, personalized medicine, women in medicine, physician burnout, inflammation, cardiac imaging, calcium score, CCTA, health coaching, telehealth cardiology, Roots of Healing, Dr. Tracy Paeschke, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa

Preconception, Fertility, and the Future of Women’s Health Using Lifestyle Medicine with Dr. Rashmi Kudesia

SHOW NOTES In this week’s episode of Routes of Healing, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa sits down with Dr. Rashmi Kudesia, a triple board-certified physician in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, obstetrics and gynecology, and lifestyle medicine, whose work bridges advanced fertility care with prevention, education, and whole-person health. Together, they explore the deeper dimensions of reproductive medicine not only the science of conception, but the emotional, relational, and cultural layers that shape how people experience fertility, infertility, and family-building. Dr. Kudesia shares her path into medicine, her early fascination with embryology and women’s health, and the ways her work has evolved to include lifestyle medicine, preconception care, and a more humane, empowering model of patient support. This conversation moves through the gaps in fertility awareness, the importance of preparing the body before pregnancy, the role of nutrition, stress, sleep, and metabolic health in reproductive outcomes, and the need for culturally relevant care that honors the realities many women and families carry. They also discuss how infertility can impact identity, why education is one of the most powerful tools in women’s health, and what it means to care for patients with both scientific precision and deep compassion. Whether you are trying to conceive, curious about preconception health, supporting someone navigating infertility, or simply interested in a more integrative and empowering future for women’s health, this episode offers wisdom, clarity, and hope. If you’re inspired by our exploration on Routes of Healing, a physician-led podcast uplifting the wisdom and lived experience of integrative and lifestyle medicine doctors, subscribe to receive new episodes weekly. KEY TOPICS & TAKEAWAYS * What drew Dr. Kudesia into reproductive endocrinology and infertility * How embryology, women’s health, and lived experience intersect in fertility care * Why fertility is never only about hormones, diagnosis, or procedures * The importance of preconception health and proactive preparation for pregnancy * How lifestyle medicine supports fertility through nutrition, sleep, stress care, movement, and metabolic health * The emotional and relational impact of infertility * Cultural expectations and family pressures surrounding fertility and childbearing * The need for better fertility education and reproductive literacy * The role of compassion, empowerment, and patient education in women’s health CHAPTERS 00:00 — Introduction and Welcome 01:15 — Why Fertility Conversations Matter 03:02 — Dr. Kudesia’s Path Into Medicine 05:28 — Early Fascination with Embryology and Women’s Health 08:11 — Why She Chose Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility 11:04 — Fertility as More Than a Medical Diagnosis 14:26 — The Emotional Weight of Infertility 17:40 — Identity, Family-Building, and Social Expectations 21:08 — What Preconception Health Really Means 24:33 — Lifestyle Medicine in Fertility Care 27:14 — Nutrition, Inflammation, and Metabolic Health 30:21 — Stress, Sleep, and Reproductive Outcomes 33:06 — Why Women Need Better Fertility Education 36:42 — Cultural Context in Reproductive Medicine 40:10 — Supporting Patients with Compassion and Clarity 44:37 — Empowerment Through Knowledge 48:20 — The Future of Whole-Person Fertility Care 51:05 — Where to Find Dr. Kudesia 52:00 — Closing Reflections ABOUT TODAY’S GUEST RASHMI KUDESIA, MD Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility • OB/GYN • Lifestyle Medicine Dr. Rashmi Kudesia is triple board-certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, OB/GYN, and Lifestyle Medicine. She has been caring for patients at CCRM Fertility Houston since 2018, where she has received multiple annual clinical recognition awards and serves as Director of Patient Education and Sugar Land Site Director, as well as Assistant Clinical Professor at Houston Methodist Hospital. After graduating magna cum laude from Brown University, she received her M.D. with honors from the Duke University School of Medicine. Her OB/GYN residency at New York Hospital–Weill Cornell Medical Center was followed by a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility fellowship at Albert Einstein College of Medicine–Montefiore Medical Center, alongside a Master of Science degree in Clinical Research Methods. She subsequently served as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, as well as Medical Director of the Brooklyn office of Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York. Dr. Kudesia is a Fellow and active member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, has served in multiple local and national leadership roles in organized medicine, including currently as District XI Section 4 Chair, and is a public advocate for reproductive health. She has presented scientific research at national and international conferences, published in leading peer-reviewed journals, and received multiple awards and grants for her work. She is also the author of Understanding Fertility Awareness Methods: Gaining Control of Your Fertility. FIND DR. KUDESIA Instagram: www.instagram.com/rkudesia [http://www.instagram.com/rkudesia] Book: https://a.co/d/eQqKmYM [https://a.co/d/eQqKmYM] 🌐 CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa, MD MS Lifestyle & Integrative Medicine Physician • Culinary Medicine • Ayurveda * Website: drsirichand.com [https://drsirichand.com/] * Instagram: @doctorsirichand [https://www.instagram.com/doctorsirichand/] * Culinary Medicine Blog: drsirichand.com/blog [https://drsirichand.com/blog] Community: https://vishuddha.com [https://vishuddha.com/] VISHUDDHA: A MEDIA AGENCY FOR CONSCIOUS CLINICIANS & WELLNESS SEEKERS Vishuddha is a media and creative agency dedicated to amplifying the voices of integrative and lifestyle medicine clinicians who are transforming how we understand health and healing. We provide media representation, book development, public speaking coaching, podcast strategy, content creation, and course development—alongside classes and workshops for wellness seekers committed to intentional, conscious living. Rooted in whole-person healing, Vishuddha helps clinicians translate their wisdom into impact, design offerings that matter, and bring conscious, transformative work into the world. Ready to share your wisdom? Explore how we can support your vision at Vishuddha.com. ⚠️ DISCLAIMER This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider for personalized guidance. KEYWORDS fertility, reproductive endocrinology, infertility, preconception health, lifestyle medicine, women’s health, fertility awareness, IVF, OB-GYN, metabolic health, nutrition and fertility, stress and fertility, sleep and fertility, reproductive health education, culturally responsive care, South Asian women’s health, integrative fertility care, whole-person medicine, Routes of Healing, Dr. Rashmi Kudesia, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa