[00:00:01] Speaker A: Welcome back to Integrative lyme Solutions with Dr. Karl Felt.
[00:00:05] Speaker B: I am so excited about the show.
[00:00:07] Speaker A: That we have ahead of us.
[00:00:08] Speaker C: We have some phenomenal information that could save lives. You're going to need to tune in.
[00:00:15] Speaker D: To what's going on today.
[00:00:16] Speaker C: The information is jam packed, so don't step away.
Hello.
[00:00:24] Speaker B: Thank you so much for joining Integrative lyme Solutions with Dr. Karl Feldt. I am your host, Dr. Michael Karlfeldt. I've been in clinical practice since 1987. I've seen pretty much everything under the sun, worked with so many different Lyme patients, and I know what a devastating disease this is. That's why I'm doing this podcast to make sure that you are armed with the information that you need in order to be able to be successful in your struggle with Lyme. We'll be featuring authors, doctors, professors, and also people like yourself that have gone through the journey that you're going through, that have been where you've been and is now on the other side. And they get to tell their victorious story as to how they battle Lyme so that you can implement that in your life as well. Be sure to like us and write a review on whichever platform that you're listening on. What that does is it enables other people to see us more so that they have access to this information as well. So I'm so excited that you're tuning in and get ready for this upcoming show. It is going to be amazing.
[00:01:40] Speaker D: Well, I am so blessed and honored to have Dr. Shivani Gupta with me today. We're going to have a fascinating conversation, so thanks for being with me today, for sure.
[00:01:50] Speaker C: Thanks for having me.
[00:01:52] Speaker D: So one of the things that I've. I know in regards to Lyme is that, yes, you can go after the infections a lot, but one of the main thing is to obtain help. And you are. And an issue that a lot of people struggling with Lyme is inflammation. And these are things that I know that you talk a lot about. In fact, you even got your PhD in turmeric.
[00:02:18] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:02:20] Speaker D: So, so, so talk to me a little bit about inflammation because that is, that is such a key component to be able to control when you're dealing with pain, when you're dealing with neuroinflammation from Lyme, neurological issues, you know, gut issues, all these kind of things. So talk to me a little bit about inflammation, what it is, for sure.
[00:02:43] Speaker C: So most people think of inflammation as acute inflammation. They hurt themselves, they run into something, their elbow hurts or whatever that is. That Hurts in the body, acute inflammation, the body's going to send its response and its healing response to get that, that under control. But what most people forget is most of us are already dealing with some level of chronic, low grade persistent inflammation purely because of the construct around us in modern day society. And so unfortunately, when you have something like Lyme disease, so much of what you were dealing with before becomes more exacerbated once you're sick. Whether it's the psychological issues, any anxiety and depression could become far more exacerbated or that inflammation that you were already battling with the immune system already kind of under the gun, already affected, gut health, dysregulated, all of that can impact you later. And so I really look at inflammation as this chronic low grade problem that we rarely want to address, but we need to address consistently. We need to remove so many of the insults that are causing it. And from the Ayurvedic perspective, Ayurveda is an entire system of health, healing and medicine from India that's over 5,000 years old. And within it, the whole goal of Ayurveda is reduce inflammation, support the immune system, build great gut health so that we can have vitality and vigor and energy. And we use so many tools like the super spices to get there. So with inflammation, it's just important to understand that if we're not going to cool down those fires and simmer down that inflammation, then we're always going to stay in pain. And one big tool that I love is turmeric. My dissertation was on turmeric and I think turmeric has so many applications because it's not just antibacterial, antiviral, which, the antibacterial component is relevant here, but it's also antioxidant and very anti inflammatory. And there's an intelligence there in how it supports the body. And I think that's one of the most important pieces you need when we're talking about Lyme and chronic illness is how do we get in there and not overactivate the system, but instead have an intelligence and like a sympathetic approach into coming into the system and supporting the system from the ground up.
[00:04:59] Speaker D: And, and that's the issue that we see a lot when you bring in pharmaceutical substances is that here you just have a simple molecule and it's kind of like a, you're talking about intelligence. And obviously these pharmaceuticals, they don't bring intelligence. They're not these complex molecules, so they just go in, do their thing, but they create a lot of havoc on the body. At the same time. So how, how does something like turmeric, how does that differ in its function compared to like aspirin or celebrex or something like that?
[00:05:32] Speaker C: Sure. So when turmeric comes into the picture, it's so interesting because I've been working with turmeric for the last 10 years. When people are suffering, what I find is curcumin from turmeric. And what most people don't know is out of the entire turmeric plant, only 3% is the curcuminoids. And of those three curcuminoids, curcumin is the most effective ever. Inflammation. But that proportion of all three matters. And having the exact right proportion, mimicking nature is important. So in a lot of supplements nowadays, they'll just pull the 3% they'll extract and they'll push it to be above the 95% standard just to be able to say that they met it. Versus, you can build more intelligent formulas that mimic nature by really regarding how you pull that 3% out of the turmeric. And so when it comes to turmeric, what most people don't realize is it has its own intelligence, it is adaptogenic, and it has so many different pathways that it can impact. Not just NF, Kappa, B, T and F Alpha, we've got Interleukin 6, Interleukin 9. So many cocks and locks are affected by turmeric. But when it comes to turmeric, it's going to go after the big problems first, then the medium problems and then the small problems. And I have found that so fascinating because people will say, my back pain, my hip pain, my knee pain, it took me from a 10 to a 2, like, wow, this is incredible. Then they'll say, you know what? I've had gingivitis bothering me for years and that's gone. You know, my daily aches and pains that I thought were aging and part of aging, those are gone. So that's what I find so beautiful about the plants and super spices from Ayurveda is turmeric is definitely one of the master spices in terms of its capabilities. I think that's why we have over 17,000 scientific studies and papers written on it right now, because it's, it's a fascination to the scientific community. Why it works so well. It's gut healing, it's immune supportive, it does so much. It's anti aging, anti obesity. It just has so many applications. And then right after it, Ayurveda loves ginger, Ashwagandha, brahmi, even these have applications for those suffering with Lyme, because we know with Lyme you're going to suffer with some, some people will suffer with brain fog and all the cognitive issues. And so Ashwagandha is another adaptogen that's very powerful and good at cognitive support. So is Brumme. And so I just love reaching into the whole spice kit to solve and help us.
[00:07:59] Speaker D: You're talking about adaptogen. What does that mean?
[00:08:03] Speaker C: So, for example, when you take Ashwagandha, if you're stressed and anxious, it calms you down a few notches. If you're depressed and feeling the blues, it lifts you up. It works like an intelligent thermostat in the body, meeting you where you're at and supporting you for what you need. And just like turmeric, tumor goes after the big problems first, but it'll go after the smaller problems after that. And so I find a lot of people and we have a lot of science on this. Actually, ashwagandha is as effective, they've shown in studies as 14 different psychoactive drugs. So when people are suffering from depression and anxiety, what my policy is, I tell people, look, let's be integrative, use what you're going to use, be safe. I like that people use the tools they have, but let's bring natural alternatives right up alongside and see if we can get off the solutions that may have side effects that may not serve us.
[00:08:52] Speaker D: And I'm curious, going back to turmeric again, because that's always a question, what is better? Should I do the curcumin or should I do turmeric?
When should I do what? Or is one better than the other?
[00:09:08] Speaker C: I am actually a 100% believer in using curcumin supplementation. After doing my dissertation and spending years immersed in the science of turmeric, I think that as a society we are too inflamed, we're suffering from too many issues to just rely on turmeric, the spice. Now, as an Indian, does an entire 1 billion population on our planet consume turmeric regularly? Yes, we do. But I don't think that that matches the level of inflammation, obesity, chronic metabolic disease and the things we're suffering from. So taking curcumin as a daily support, I think is the best investment. And when people go to buy curcumin supplements, turmeric supplements, the problem is a lot of the labels will say things like curcuma, trying to imply that it's curcumin, but it's not curcumin. That's regular turmeric powder, which you could buy for $3 at the grocery store. And so it's so important when we're buying supplements that we really pay attention to who we're buying it from. Are we buying it medical grade? Are we buying it from people we can really trust?
[00:10:13] Speaker E: Hello, dear listeners, this is Dr. Michael Karlfeld, your host of integrative Lyme solutions. Today I'm excited to share an exclusive opportunity from the Karlfeld center, where we blend healing power of nature with groundbreaking therapies to combat Lyme disease and its associated challenges. At the Karfeld center, we're not just fighting Lyme, we're revolutionizing the way it's treated with cutting edge therapies like photodynamic therapy, full body ozone, IV therapy, silver IVs, brain rebalancing, autonomic response testing, laser energetic detoxification, and more. We aim to eradicate Lyme. Our approach is comprehensive, supporting your body's immune system detoxification processes, hormonal balance and mitochondrial health, ensuring a holistic path to recovery. Understanding Lyme disease and its impact is complex, which is why we're offering a free 15 minute discovery call with one of our Lyme literate naturopathic doctors. This call is your first step towards understanding how we can personalize your healing journey, focusing on you as a whole person, not just your symptoms. Our team, led by myself, Dr. Michael Carlfields, is here to guide you through your recovery with the most advanced diagnostic tools, individualized treatment plans, and supportive therapies designed to restore your health and vitality. Whether you're facing Lyme disease head on or seeking preventative strategies, we're committed to your wellness. Take the first step towards reclaiming your health. Visit us at thecarlfolcenter.com or call us at 208-338-8902 to schedule your free discovery call at the Carl Feld center. We believe in healing naturally, effectively and holistically. Thank you for tuning in into Integrative lyme solution with Dr. Karlfeld. Remember, true health is not just the absence of disease. It's achieving the abundance of vitality. Let's discover yours together.
[00:12:14] Speaker D: And something that a lot of people talk about is the absorption ability of turmeric and curcumin and how it was used traditionally that increased absorption and what's needed for us as a supplement to take it, to absorb, to utilize it.
[00:12:33] Speaker C: Sure, there are issues there. No doubt curcumin does not absorb easily and that's why we have scientific studies that show that if you add black pepper to it, that'll increase the absorption by 2000%. And also healthy fat helps with the absorption. So there's whole team black pepper and there's a team healthy fat out there. I went with the black pepper solution because I worked in the lab under the gentleman who discovered that it was black pepper that increases that absorption. So I'm from that school of thought. But I also tell people when you're taking your curcumin supplement, take it with a meal so that you're hedging your bet. You're getting both benefits there.
[00:13:08] Speaker D: Yeah, I love it. And so you were talking with curcumin and turmeric. We know about the anti inflammatory. That's, you know, when we think about that, we think, you know, anti inflammatory.
But you also mentioned antibacterial antiviral. You know, so it seemed like it has a lot of other functions outside of just the anti inflammatory aspect.
[00:13:31] Speaker C: Correct. And most people think of it as just an anti inflammatory. I'm going to support my joint pain or I'm hurt, I'm going to take it. I've worked out heavy, I'm going to recover faster. They think, think of it so much as joint focused. And truly my health history is a history of leaky gut and a lot of gut issues. So I looked at it as my steel superman armor against or superwoman armor against what's out there. Because I just needed a defense system that worked. So the fact that it's antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal is what I lean on the most. When anyone sneezes around me, I just increase my curcumin dosage to protect myself. And I think it's beautiful that these plants, plants have so much intelligence because they go in there and heal a lot of the issues. We know it supports the gut microbiome. We know it's anti obesity. We know it extends our telomeres. There's science and research on that. We're studying its impact on sirtuins and zombie cells. So another interesting aspect of curcumin is when we have cells that don't belong in our body. Curcumin is the ultimate janitor. And it goes in there and kicks them out. And then it's also a very powerful antioxidant compared to a lot of the antioxidant foods that we're consuming. We could take curcumin to do the job.
[00:14:44] Speaker D: I love it. Yeah. I mean, I use curcumin in so many different forms. You know, do it I.V. we do it. Yeah. I love curcumin and the impact that it has. Yeah. And regards, since I do a lot of cancer as well. You know, there's. There's been. Yeah. If you look at what Curcumin does, compare that to the different pharmaceuticals that they are trying to get out on the market. I mean, if they could patent curcumin, that would be a multi. Multibillion dollar drug.
[00:15:13] Speaker C: I know, I know. It's incredible how multifactorial the applications are across so many different issues that we're suffering with as a society. And that's why I keep beating that drum of we must reduce systemic inflammation daily. We must win at it. And I start with curcumin always because I want to get the job done fast. I want to drive a result. And then I have that conversation with everyone of, let's talk about lifestyle. Now that you're out of pain, now that you're feeling better, you got a little more energy. Let's talk about sleep, let's talk about diet, and we go on down that line and.
[00:15:49] Speaker D: And let's go there. I mean, one of your passions is ayurvedic medicine, and your heritage is Indian. And so I know that you went there and visited us as a. As a youngster. Tell me a little bit about how you fell in love with ayurvedic medicine, what that process looked like.
[00:16:11] Speaker C: Sure. So I grew up in two worlds. I grew up in Houston, Texas, living the traditional immigrant American life. And then I grew up in India every year as well, in my grandmother's home. I have two grandmas of both homes, and they would always treat any issue with teas and herbs, and they were always stinky. And I couldn't understand, like, why are you giving me this gross tea? But I'd get relief any gut issue. There are certain spices we have in Ayurveda that'll just appease and soothe the gut. And every time I went to the doctor in America, they would write a prescription for Augmentin and never mention probiotics. And so after years of taking so many antibiotics, by the time I got to college, I realized, you know what? Every time I come to India, we treat me differently, and it works. And when I'm over there, that works for a short period. But then every month, why am I sick again? I don't get it. And so I told my parents, I want to go. I want to go figure this out. I want to learn Ayurveda. And so we went on a journey. I'm Lucky. My parents were successful, burnt out entrepreneurs by then they were ready to detox with me. So we went to South India, East India. Like we ran around and detoxed and detoxed and healed. And that's when I realized the system is so powerful. My mother's been a diabetic on insulin for 35 years now. Every time we detox we could drop her insulin from 14 to about 4 per meal. That's insane that we can reverse metabolic disease like that out of Ayurveda. So I just, I've consistently done it. I used Ayurveda detox for pre pregnancy, for a post pregnancy. I'm just very passionate that we have more autonomy and power over our body and health than we normally believe. Because I think here we go to the doctor and I love doctors, I'm married into an all doctor surgeon family and we expect this magic pill result and then sometimes we don't get the full magic pill result. And that's where there's this beautiful awakening into the lifestyle piece that we have to embody and implant into our lives if we're truly going to win at health.
[00:18:16] Speaker D: Help me understand Ayurvedic medicine. I know there's some very kind of solid basic principles that are there. If you don't mind, can I give me an overview of what Ayurvedic medicine is and a little bit how that's different because we know also Chinese medicine and how they differ a little bit.
[00:18:35] Speaker C: Sure. So Chinese medicine is ancient just like Ayurvedic medicine. There's actually a lot in common. They think of the body and spices and foods as hot and cold, freshness, vitality, prana, life force as the energy force we're trying to move through the body, how to build vitality and keep the gut, digestive fire, warm. It's interesting when they talk about post baby they have a lot of philosophies, just like us, of keeping the body warm to heal. And what's interesting to me is Ayurveda teaches an entire preventive lifestyle. So our job in Ayurveda is first to show you your dosha, your individual mind, body, constitution. Ayurveda teaches that we're made up of the elements. And those elements drive who we are, our personality, our nature, our physical body. And so because we're given a bosh, our constitution at birth, our job is to always stay in balance with that. Some of us are more air and ether, thin and wiry. Some of us are more fire and we call that pitta. And then Some of us are more earth and water energy, and that's gaffa. And so my first job is to understand what's your constitution and what was your constitution and how do I balance you back so you feel like yourself in your body. And knowing your dosha also influences how we treat any practice, any patient or any client that we see. And then after that, in Ayurveda, we teach about circadian rhythm and the circadian clock. That's a concept from Ayurveda. And so within that, we teach about sleep, the right time to eat, the right time to sleep, all of these different ways to optimize our health. We teach that if you are not, if you're going against the circadian clock of the seasons and the year, you're fighting against nature. And that's a losing battle. That's why we have so much dis ease. And so by aligning ourselves to our own circadian clock, knowing our dosha, we can all of a sudden live at ease with our bodies, with our rhythm. And then Ayurveda teaches a lot about gut health. We teach that gut is a gut digestive fire. And that fire is meant to be honored and revered and, and really tightly managed. So from the moment you wake up, igniting that fire, using it, well, not snacking all day or pouring ice cold water on the fire at mealtime, and really honoring that fire is the place where you're going to absorb your nutrition, you're going to really bring all the nutrients into your body, and you can also create a lot of toxins by having poor digestive habits. So we have a lot of tools around gut health and rebuilding gut health and then maintaining it as well. And then we teach about diet, the sattvic diet, a truly nourishing diet. No ultra processed foods, no junk. And then within that for Lyme disease, we actually teach something important called ojas and ojas, building foods that give you vitality and bringing that strength back into the body so that we can have that vitality and energy again. And then finally I teach about the self care rituals. So we have something called dina charya, the daily self care rituals that are detoxing but also supportive for gut digestive fire and overall health. So some of those include things like using a copper tongue, scraper, oil pulling, and these different things that all support oral microbiome, which supports gut microbiome. And so to me, it's just beautiful that this ancient wisdom had so much understanding of our body and health and gave guidance that completely applies to the here and now. Thousands of years later.
[00:21:59] Speaker D: Yeah, it's just fascinating to me. I mean, all that wisdom that's been there and I always try to figure out, how did they figure this out? I mean, how did they come up with these things?
[00:22:09] Speaker C: It's universal knowledge and they downloaded it, and then we are lucky enough that they put it into ancient texts. Like, I have the texts down here and I love reading them because every time you're like, how did you know? How did you know that we all would have to detox forever and then rebuild? And you had all the foods. Like, I just, I always reread my notes before I come on podcast and today I was like, oh my gosh, the oja's building foods are ghee, raw milk, almonds, dates, figs, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, like the whole list, Leafy greens, of course, beets, These foods, sweet potatoes. How did they know then the exact list of foods? And I think it's trial and error. They tried everything for thousands of years on people and they finally figured out this is the path. And when they found things like turmeric, ginger, boswellia, ashwagandha, they found their superfoods that could create significant change.
[00:23:02] Speaker D: Yeah, it's, it's just incredible to me. I mean, I, I, it always marvels me how somebody, and it's the same, you know, you have the Amazon jungle, how they figured out that this herb was going to save somebody's life or. Yeah, it's just amazing.
[00:23:16] Speaker C: It is. And I think back then they were so much more intuitive. There was so much less pollution and noise pollution, and so they could have more relationship with the plant kingdom than we do now. But thankfully they did that for us because now I can just pull the science and say, you know what? This person needs more turmeric, this person needs more ashwagandha. Oh, we're dealing with menopause. Let's deal with it this way.
[00:23:38] Speaker D: And you brought up the word intuitive, and that's always fascinated me because you can actually develop then a relationship then with these different herbs and then have them communicate with you in regards to, you know, if they're going to benefit you and what they're going to do.
[00:23:56] Speaker C: True, very true. You know, I truly now, now that I've been practicing and teaching and speaking on Ayurveda and writing books, I have a book coming out next to next year.
I think that the really end summary of Ayurveda, like if you really distill it down to the most beautiful point of it, is to teach us to be intuitive. With our own body. Because the goal of Ayurveda is to bring body, mind, and spirit into alignment. And so when someone asked me the other day, is Ayurveda spiritual? I said, that's the whole goal, is our spiritual alignment. That's why we're saying, get the body healthy, get the mind clear, get into your most joyful, vibrant state. We're building vibrant health to achieve that. And so it is our intuitive self that's giving us all the answers. So I teach people, look, have tea. I don't have my teacup today, but pause and have tea. Time is me time a couple times a day. And use that as your anchor just to ask yourself some powerful questions, like, how am I doing today? What do I need to change about my day so it's better. Do I need to change anything about my week so it's better for me? And your own intuition will give you very clear answers, but we just have to train the intuition to give those to us. And those answers can change the trajectory of your week, your month, your year, and thus your life. And so that's where Ayurveda, I think, is the most beautiful is. It's a retraining back to that intuitive self.
[00:25:21] Speaker D: Yeah. And that is so huge for lying people because the majority of them are type A and they just kind of run do, do. And to be able to just kind of sit down, have that anchor and connect yourself and listen to your body and kind of learn that intuitive process becomes so important in your healing journey.
[00:25:43] Speaker C: Absolutely. And you'll learn what foods are. Yes. No. Someone asked me today about a certain product and I said, you know what? That product repels me. It's on my shelf. I see it every day and it repels me. And it's done it about 100 times. So at this point, it's pretty clear I'm not taking that thing. I'm happy to pass that superfood along to someone. But we can develop that sense of what is my body actually going to utilize, absorb, and benefit from and what just doesn't. And it's, we shouldn't fight the body that hard for it.
[00:26:12] Speaker D: And you talked about finding your dosha. I mean, how. How should an individual do that?
[00:26:18] Speaker C: Sure. So on my website, I have a dosha
[email protected] and they can take the quiz. And you'll find it's so funny. People email me right after and they're like, how did you know all that about me? Like, this is ancient wisdom. I just am lucky enough that I get to teach it and channel it in this life. But your dosha, it's a combination of your physical traits, your mental traits and your emotional traits and your tendencies around sleep, around food and these things. And so taking a dosha quiz is good. Or if you want to dive deeper, it's important to work with a practitioner because we're going to look at a lot more factors than just what's in the quiz. We're going to really be analyzing the person and their personality.
[00:26:59] Speaker D: And you talked a little bit about circadian rhythm in relationship to your dosha. So there are different circadian rhythms depending on if you're a vata Kappa pita, whatever dosha that you are.
[00:27:13] Speaker C: Yes. So what's interesting is the doshas and the circadian intersection. I find because I am one of those type A personalities, if you don't control your relationship with your key season, you can really burn out, cause disease. So for example, I'm a bita, I'm all fire. And I used to work straight through the summer. I'd be like, you know what, it's a 12 month year, we've got to work all year, we have to be healthy all year and we have to be equal across the line. And now I've completely changed my tune now that I've, I've fully embodied how to live ayurvedically in the summer. I slow my gear down very consciously because a pitta in the summer is going to get overheated. We burn out and then we're not as productive the rest of the year. And so paying attention to vata season, for example, vata is in the fall. So a vata person needs to pay attention. They're going to tend to burn out or catch sicknesses and things then. So Ayurveda says, seasonally detox at the intersection of seasons, especially for your dosha in preparation of your dosha and then after that season to release all the accumulations that happened in that season. And then when it comes to the rhythm of your day, really honoring that. The circadian clock means we wake up and rise. We have the energy and the most intellect. In the morning, post lunch, we're actually meant to switch over into easier and simpler tasks. Just checking off the to do list, but not the big brain work. Then we're meant to unwind in the evening, which so many of us don't know how to do. We're on our devices. There's so much to get done. We're working all the way until bedtime. But Ayurveda teaches unwind. I've built a whole tea called Unwind Tea to help myself unwind from my business day. Because once I'm done with work and motherhood, projects of running around, it's like how do you help yourself unwind without wine, chocolate, food, all these things that we've trained ourselves to reach for when we're stressed or anxious or needing support to unwind. So unwinding at the end of the day and then going into your sleep hygiene rituals to ensure sure you get a higher quality night's sleep. And then Ayurveda says sleep from 10 to 2 on that circadian clock. 10 to 2 on that clock is when we detox, that's bit the time of day. So just like 10 to 2 during the day you're most supported to digest your biggest meal, absorb the most nutrition. 10 to 2 at night is when we clear and clean the lymphatic system. The janitors can come out and clear out every piece of junk in our mind and in our bodies and then evacuate it in the morning. But if we don't gift ourselves that sleep, we're taking away our rejuvenating process. We're going to collect lymphatic waste in the brain, lymphatic waste in the body and we're not going to clear it. And so Ayurveda said sleep on time which is discipline. It takes discipline but it's so important so that we can heal.
[00:30:03] Speaker D: And so 10 to 2, I mean most people they get to bed, I mean if they're lucky like at 11, maybe 11:30. Yeah, some even midnight. So that means, and also obviously it takes a while to fall asleep. So should a person then try to get to bed around 9:30 to be able to optimize this or what, what, what, what do you suggest to your clients?
[00:30:28] Speaker C: I tell them start your unwinding. So Finish dinner by 7. Finish all work and home related tasks by 8.
Switch into your sleep hygiene ritual. So hot shower, maybe take an Epsom salt bath. In Ayurveda we teach about dry brushing to move the lymphatic system. Abhyang massage which is very grounding, it's very nourishing to the body. It's just self massage with any food grade organic oil starting from the feet and preferably you warm that oil up but you don't have to really gifting that oil to our joints and our body and that that set up. If you do that process you're going to get sleepy by about 9:30 and then by 9, 9:30 I'm already having deep sleep tea. I'm already doing my sleep tools and sleep rituals and I will fall asleep by 10 if I do those steps. Now. If you don't have time, because we don't always have time. Sometimes I have like a quick and dirty, I just hot shower heating pad, sleep between 9:30 and 10. But it takes, it takes effort to move that sleep time back. It's easy to let that fall apart. But even if you're getting to bed by 10:30, you can still use the majority of that time for that high quality detoxification. The problem is people like me, where the pitha people are the type A person, if you go too close to midnight, that bit of fire energy is going to come into the brain and you're going to have it to get your work done. Like people will use it for work and say they're night owls, but really you have this energy and you're using it for work instead of detoxification and healing.
[00:32:01] Speaker D: Oh, fascinating. Okay, so that's why, you know, like you're saying night owls, it's essentially that they're using the energy they should have used then for cleaning up all these toxins and repairing and regenerating and now they're using it for, you know, cognitive skills or for kind of mental work and, and they're missing out on all that detoxification and then it just obviously builds up.
[00:32:27] Speaker C: Correct. And so for me, I invest in sleep. I have a whole toolkit alongside my bed and either I'm going to have deep sleep tea or I'll have sleep gummies, or I'll have a sleep cream. I pick every night which one. And if it's a perfect normal night and I know I'm going to get great sleep, I won't lean on any of them. But everyone goes through different periods of our lives that are more stressful. And so when life is stressful, I will triple down and take everything just to ensure I get that quality deep sleep and can function my best the next day.
[00:32:59] Speaker D: How do you implement this with your children?
[00:33:03] Speaker C: It's kind of the shoemaker's conundrum around here. My family will not swallow pills, no one. So I take turmeric and I open it in their food. I take medical grade probiotics, open it in their food, vitamin D. I have to be stealth to win. So in my house, no one wants to sleep on time. So last night I took my trifecta and I went to bed and I said, I hope everyone just sleeps at some point because I'm waking them up for school, but I just keep saying what I do out loud. And sometimes when they fall sick, that's my moment where I'm like, turmeric probiotic indeed could have prevented this. And they're like, okay, fine, I'll take your turmeric. So it just takes time. I think when they grow up they'll listen. But when they're children it's not as easy.
[00:33:45] Speaker D: It's hard. Yeah, yeah. I have our little ones. Yeah, they're not as little anymore, but they, they come to me. Can you give me my yucky shot? You know, you give all the nasty herbs and they, it's horrible, but they know, they feel so much better right after. Yeah, so.
[00:34:01] Speaker C: Yeah, so those are the moments we have to leverage.
[00:34:04] Speaker D: Exactly, exactly. That's funny.
So how, and I want to go back a little bit to. Because you talked, we talked a little bit about turmeric, but then also you mentioned things like ginger and bosvalia. Yeah, how, how do they differ? Because I mean in most people's minds they just think that turmeric is anti inflammatory, ginger is anti inflammatory, Bosvalia is anti inflammatory. So I can just take one or the other and I'll have the same effect.
[00:34:37] Speaker C: So interesting. So I, I'm very pro turmeric because of how long I studied it and I've worked with formulas. So I think taking straight curcumin the majority of the time for the majority of people will handle 90% of everything, maybe even 95% from what I've seen. I really love the impacts of turmeric. Now in Ayurveda we taught that there's a synergistic approach to how you put the herbs together and it's to be done in the right proportion to benefit. And so when you formulate for an anti inflammatory in Ayurveda, you use the strongest herbs first that are doing the job, then you put the secondary herbs in to support the first ones in doing the job. Then the next set helps them go where they need to go. Then the next set mitigates the negative effects of even putting everything in the body at this dosage in the first place. Because we're not meant to put crazy strong herbs into the body all the time. That's a modern day construct that we're taking supplements because we know our food and our water and our toxic burden is just too much and our food lacks all nutrition and nutrient density compared to the past. And so when it comes to ginger, for example, ginger is a Beautiful supportive herb as an anti inflammatory, some people might tolerate it better. I love ginger lemon tea as a morning support to ignite the digestive fire and support the digestive process process. You can have lemon, hot lemon water or hot ginger lemon tea before any meal and support the body, but you wouldn't have turmeric tea right before it. It's different. Ginger has a different applications. It's gastroprotective, it really supports the gut lining. Its job is more in that direction. And then Boswellia, yes, it is anti inflammatory, but we consider it supportive to the turmeric when we build a formulation.
So for me, I would never take Boswellia for joint pain. I would take Boswellia with turmeric for joint pain. So just it's this understanding of herbs can work together in a symphony and get the job done beautifully if we combine them in the right way.
[00:36:36] Speaker D: And are there different applications depending on where the inflammation is at? I mean, like for instance, you have inflammation neuroinflammation in the brain and that's a big deal with Lyme subversion.
[00:36:50] Speaker C: Right. You know, I think when it comes to neuroinflammation, we have so much science on curcumin for neuroinflammation. We've studied it heavily for neurodegenerative diseases, amyloid plaques, tau tangles. There's a lot of curcumin science behind that. We don't have as much on both ginger just because I think turmeric's been so, so successful. So it has more science. But I think over time, as people understand that the botanicals are so potent and I was just in India this year meeting with. So we're investing in that level of research. So it's pharma level research towards the botanical world and really working on standardization of those extracts and really growing even the plants that will give us the extracts at the levels that we want more consistently. So that's where that world is going.
But I do think when it comes to neuroinflammation, we have so much science on curcumin having applications there. So I would go to that tool first.
[00:37:49] Speaker D: I love it. And for somebody battling Lyme or somebody dealing with chronic infections, I mean, how, how do you foresee. Yeah, because yes, they go after and they try to kill things. They use antibiotics, they do all these things. But you know, frequently things like antibiotics, like you growing up, it throws the body off. Yes, we're killing things. But now we have created a battlefield in the body and we're not establishing that, that, that rhythm, that, that, that balance out. And so how, how should a person kind of start to shift from being in that state, you know, where they're kind of just trying to go after pathogens with, with, you know, pharmaceuticals and then move more towards a balance. What, what does.
[00:38:40] Speaker C: Sure. So I think it is important to kill off whatever's going to damage us. I think that that piece is important based on how you're going about it, of course. But right after that's complete or as it's completing, really taking a look at now as we're entering this phase where things are more chronic and we need more support in different ways, can we now purify and get rid of all the other insults that are happening? How can we really love the gut and rebuild the gut? And so in Ayurveda we start with detox first. It's always can we get rid of sugar, alcohol, smoking pot or anything that people are doing that causes any stressor on the system and reducing any inflammatory foods. Gluten would be one of them. So really cut out what you need to cut. Because in Ayurveda we typically do very big detoxes. But we wouldn't assume that right after treating for Lyme, you have the strength for it. You might feel weak because of everything you just did. So then it's just a cleanup act. Let's pull out the insults, get the inflammation down and then immediately start up on the spices that can help. So we mentioned turmeric, ginger, ashwagandha, brahmi, even neem. Neem is a very big antimicrobial out of Ayurveda as well that can support that process of trying to get rid of what does not serve. And so once we know like we've gotten rid of everything, then it's the rebuild project. How do we build back vitality that is loving on gut health, daily self care rituals, eating and living according to your dosha, your constitution. So you're more supported really investing in wonderful sleep, like incredible sleep that feels so good. And then finally those o just building foods that I mentioned. We want to build strength. And so although there might be no appetite and, and you know, there's so much fatigue and these different issues happening. Don't just lean on fruits and vegetables, but really invest in those foods that'll build that strength back up so that you can feel your best.
[00:40:31] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah. And wood detox, you mentioned a few things, you know, like dry skin brushing and then tongue scraping and also oil pulling. Yeah. So. And all these are Ayurvedic type of tradition to help to kind of move junk out.
Tell me the benefit a little bit about the tongue scraping and the, and the oil pulling because that always fascinates me.
[00:40:59] Speaker C: Sure. So in Ayurveda we teach to take any metal tongue scraper. It can be steel, it can be copper. We like copper because it's naturally antimicrobial. So it's kind of self cleaning in a way. We know you're not going to collect things on that metal, but you take a copper tongue scraper and you gently scrape the tongue seven to 14 times. Because just like in reflexology, all the organs are reflected on the bottom of the feet. In Ayurveda we teach that all those organs are reflected on the top of your tongue. And so any Ayurvedic practitioner will traditionally ask you, hey, can I see your tongue? And we're looking for serrations or dark red spots or what's happening. And most of all we're looking for a white film that accumulates. And in modern day times, I've never met someone without a white film on their tongue. Because we have these ultra processed foods, we have inflammatory oils, we have a lot of toxins and chemicals we deal with on a daily basis just in our cleaning products, our personal care products, the water and air, the accumulation is definitely there. And so by using a copper tongue scraper in the morning, you'll gently massage all the organs of the body and you'll start detoxing what we call AMA or the toxin film that accumulates within us, that's reflected on the tongue. And you're also going to ignite digestive fire. And you're going to help your tongue, your taste buds work better so your food tastes better, which is good. And so that's oil, that's tongue scraping. When it comes to oil pulling, that's just taking about one to two tablespoons of any food grade organic oil in IRV that we love sesame oil, it's antimicrobial, high in vitamin E and a lot of benefits are there. So untoasted, organic, unrefined sesame oil would be best. And you take that oil and you're going to hold it in your mouth for five to 20 minutes. And I know that that sounds weird, most people are like, why would you hold oil in your mouth? But what it's going to do is it's going to take all the toxins and bacteria that we've accumulated overnight that don't belong and it'll get rid of them. So a Lot of people use mouthwash. But the problem with mouthwash is, like you said, you're just killing everything as opposed to sympathetically removing what does not serve and leaving everything good behind. And so in Ayurveda, we always want to leave all the good where it is and only take out what does not belong. And so that oil is going to accumulate all of that. And when you spit it out, spit it out in the trash can, not the sink, the shower, or anything that has a pipe, because it'll, it'll clog the pipes of your home. So make sure you're spitting into a trash can. But what that does is because you're supporting oral microbiome. We know we are supporting heart health. You're supporting gut microbiome. It's going to leave a freshness in the mouth. So it has a lot of benefits.
[00:43:32] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah, it's. It's so many incredible tools that, that ancient wisdom, you know, like Ayurvedic medicine and, you know, Chinese medicine and Native American and Amazon jungle. I mean, there's so much richness and amazing information that we forget as a society. And then to bring us back to that root of health, it really serves as well and makes it so much easier to battle these so called chronic diseases like Lyme, like cancer, like autoimmune and et cetera.
[00:44:09] Speaker C: True, very true.
[00:44:11] Speaker D: Well, Dr. Gupta, this has been amazing. How can people learn more about what you do? I know you have a product line, you have books, you, you know, have courses. I mean, you do a lot.
[00:44:27] Speaker C: Thank you. Yes. My website is drshivani.com S H I V A N I People there can find the Dosha Quiz, my inflammation guide, my inflammation challenge. I have a book with Hay House coming out in 2026, so that'll be there as well. And then my supplement company is Fusionary Formulas. That's on my Dr. Shivani site. And I'm on all the social as Dr. Shivani go. And then I made a special code for your podcast line. Podcast will give everyone 15% off.
[00:44:55] Speaker D: I would love that. Love that. And so it will be done in the podcast notes, so everyone kind of look at the podcast notes so you can take advantage of this amazing special deal.
[00:45:08] Speaker C: Thank you. Thanks for having me.
[00:45:10] Speaker D: Thanks so much. Thank you.
[00:45:19] Speaker A: The information, this podcast is for educational purposes only and it's not designed to diagnose or treat any disease. I hope this podcast impacted you as it did me. Please subscribe so that you can be notified when new episodes are released. There are some excellent shows coming up that you do not want to miss. If you're enjoying these podcasts, please take a moment to write a review. And please, please don't keep this information to yourself. Share them with your family and friends. You never know what piece of information that will transform their lives. For past episodes and powerful information on how to conquer lime, go to integrativelimesolutions.com and an additional powerful resource, limestream.com for Lyme support and group discussions. Join Lime Conquerors Mentoring Lyme warriors on Facebook. If you'd like to know more about the cutting edge integrative of Lyme therapies my center offers, please visit thecarlfeldcenter.com thank you for spending this time with us and I hope to see you at our next episode of Integrative lyme Solutions with Dr. Karl Feldt.
