Ayurveda for Women’s Wellness: Digestion, Hormones & Everyday Rituals with Liz of Vedic Wild

Hey friend—today I’m sharing a heart-to-heart with Liz from Vedic Wild, an Ayurvedic doctor who just wrapped a dissertation on gestational diabetes and has a gift for making holistic care feel doable. If you’ve been piecing together gut issues, hormone swings, skin/hair changes, and “why am I always constipated?”—this conversation ties it all together in a calm, practical way.

 

Ayurveda 101: Simple, ancient, and surprisingly modern

Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old medical system from India focused on diet, lifestyle, and herbs. In the U.S. you’ll meet Ayurvedic doctors (like Liz) and Ayurvedic health counselors. Doctors are trained under disease models and can guide deeper detox-style protocols; counselors shine with everyday nutrition and routine support. Liz’s specialty? Women in transition—pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, and menopause.

Whole-person care (not symptom whack-a-mole)

A visit with Liz looks at your full picture: history, what/when you eat, sleep/wake times, energy, skin, bowels, and stress. Instead of isolating “the one symptom,” Ayurveda looks at how everything interacts—mind, body, and environment—so your plan matches real life. It’s collaborative with your MD, too. (Ayurveda handles rhythm, food, and daily habits beautifully; your physician manages labs, meds, and diagnostics.)

Agni: Your digestive fire (and why the best poop…floats)

Meet Agni, your digestive power. When Agni hums, you feel steady: regular appetite, regular bowel movements, clearer skin, better mood. When Agni is sluggish, you’ll see low morning hunger, sticky stools, constipation, bloating, and “heavy” energy.

A favorite zero-cost remedy Liz loves: boiled water. Warm, boiled water can nudge digestion without the side effects of harsh laxatives. Flip side, the “coffee to poop” habit often backfires because coffee is drying—so you may move today but worsen constipation tomorrow. Ayurveda plays the long game.

Poop notes you’ll never un-know: the “ideal” is like one soft banana that floats; daily is the goal (up to three times can be normal).

Hormones show up everywhere: hair, skin, mood, sleep

We covered hair texture shifts, shedding, scalp changes, and skin flares postpartum and in perimenopause/menopause. In Ayurveda, hair is considered a byproduct of bone nourishment, so hair/nails/teeth often tell the same story. Rather than chasing products, Liz works upstream—warming, mineral-rich meals, better timing, calmer routines, supportive herbs, and real rest.

Postpartum TLC & perimenopause support (mothering the mother)

Liz’s postpartum home visits are the sweetest thing: nutrient-dense cooking to rebuild minerals, oil massage, gentle baby massage, and belly binding for core/pelvic floor support. Her moms report more stable energy and a gentler hair-shed window around months 4–5.

For perimenopause/menopause, Ayurveda layers beautifully with HRT or conventional care: meal timing, sleep hygiene, stress regulation, daily movement, and digestion support. It’s the consistency that compounds.

Feeling brushed off? Here’s the reframe

So many women feel unheard. Liz’s approach includes advocacy—how to ask for specific tests, when to consider adjunct therapies (acupuncture, craniosacral), and what to try at home first. It’s not a one-and-done; real shifts take weeks to months. But you’ll have a plan, skills, and someone cheering for you between visits.

Tiny actions that move the needle

• Sip boiled water during the day
  
• Prioritize warm, cooked meals when digestion feels “meh”
  
• Align meals and sleep/wake times more consistently
  
• Notice your morning hunger and bowel patterns (they’re data!)
  
• Pair MD guidance with Ayurvedic rhythm so both work better

Dr. Elizabeth Marie Swamy

Dr. Elizabeth Marie Swamy is an Ayurvedic Doctor and Postpartum Doula who blends her background in nonprofit leadership, medical research, and education with her deep commitment to women’s health and Ayurveda.

She holds a Master’s in Nonprofit Business from NYU, conducted clinical research trials on Vitamin D insufficiency and breast cancer treatments at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Hospital, and led operations for a Montessori preschool in New York City.

For more than seven years, Liz has been practicing Ayurveda, studying closely under Dr. Anusha Sehgal. She lives in San Jose with her husband, Tushar, their daughter, Maya, and their French bulldog, Pali.

How to Reach Dr. Swamy + Her Gift

Beauty Lab listeners can grab a free online consultation by emailinghello@vedicwild.com with the subject line: Listener of The Beauty Lab Podcast.

You can also find Dr. Swamy at her website and on Instagram.

Until next time, let’s keep experimenting with your holistic routine—gently, consistently, and with lots of self-kindness.