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I sit down with Dr. Ami, a holistic hormone pharmacist who’s not just a clinician — she’s lived the journey. From missed periods and persistent acne to the emotional weight of feeling dismissed, she knows firsthand what many South Asian women silently endure.

Together, we unpack the deep and often overlooked intersections of hormones, healing, and honesty — and explore what PCOS is really costing South Asian women. The truth? It's not just about skipped cycles or fertility struggles. It's about mental health, identity, and generations of shame wrapped up in silence.

While birth control is often handed out as a band-aid, it’s really just been masking symptoms that deserved deeper care. And for many of us, our stories didn’t need more medication — they needed to be heard.

This episode is also a gentle (and sometimes not-so-gentle) invitation to our male partners: you aren’t just background characters in our hormone health stories. Whether it’s showing up in doctor’s visits, learning about our cycles, or unlearning assumptions — your role matters.

Dr. Ami now supports South Asian women all over the world in reclaiming their hormone health, fertility, and sense of self — with personalized, holistic care that listens and understands.

From the beauty of periods to the myth that motherhood is our only calling, Dr. Ami reminds us that we can’t out-medicate a lifestyle, and that healing starts with presence. With compassion and clarity, she helps us rethink what it means to rest, reconnect with our bodies, and reclaim our hormone health without shame.

“I wish more women didn’t hate their periods,” she says.
And after this episode — you just might feel the same.

Instagram: holistic.hormones.pharmacist

Linktree

If you like what you hear please click on "subscribe" or "follow" - It's free and you will get notified when the newest episodes are posted! Check us out on Instagram, X, and YouTube @mfupodcast. Give feedback, middle finger recommendations as well as random thoughts to [email protected]. Thank you for listening!

In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.

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In this deeply moving episode, we sit with Reshma — a mother of three, widow, and mindfulness coach — as she opens up about the unimaginable loss of her husband to suicide. Together, we explore what it means to stay present in the deepest pain, to mother through heartbreak, and to speak honestly about mental health in a world that often whispers when it should be listening.

Reshma doesn’t offer tidy answers — instead, she offers her heart. She shares what it was like to feel unsurprised by her husband’s choice to leave this world, how important it was that “everyone waited” for her, and the truth she’s come to hold: “My kids just need my heart.”

We talk about the cultural silence that often surrounds grief — especially in South Asian families — where “if the problem can’t be fixed with food, then we just don’t talk about it.” We reflect on the heavy question so many suicide loss survivors carry: “You have all the things. Why would you not want to be here?” And how, sometimes, the most radical thing we can do is “slow down, pay attention, and shut up.”

As a mindfulness coach, Reshma also shares how ancestral practices of presence and stillness became her compass — not to escape pain, but to move with it. In a world where mindfulness has been reduced to buzzwords and apps, she brings it home to its roots — and reminds us it was never a trend, but a way of being.

This episode honors Children’s Mental Health Month by asking what kids really need during loss, and why healing doesn’t follow a schedule — “grief has no timeline. It has no finish point.”

Reshma reminds us it’s not about big leaps, but small steps. And that the most loving thing we can do — for ourselves and each other — is to check in. Period.

Instagram: reshmakearney

Website: reshmakearney.com

If you like what you hear please click on "subscribe" or "follow" - It's free and you will get notified when the newest episodes are posted! Check us out on Instagram, X, and YouTube @mfupodcast. Give feedback, middle finger recommendations as well as random thoughts to [email protected]. Thank you for listening!

In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.

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In this soulful and tender conversation, I sit down with Salima Saxton — relational dynamics coach, writer, performer, and co-host of the Women Are Mad podcast. Together, we unpack the quiet truths women carry — the roles we’ve played, the selves we’ve tucked away, and the longing to feel fully seen.
Salima reflects on how often she was "very, very busy making it all right for everybody else," and how "a lot of life is not neatly packaged up." She invites us to consider a powerful question: "What if you were asked to write your own eulogy — what would it say?"
This episode isn’t about fixing yourself — it’s about finding your way back. It’s about learning to leave the porch light on for your own return. Because as Salima says, "turning up as ourselves is really the superpower for all of us."
It’s a conversation to sit with — a gentle invitation to reconnect with the parts of you that have been waiting to be welcomed home.

Website:

salimasaxton.com

Instagram:

salimajsaxton

If you like what you hear please click on "subscribe" or "follow" - It's free and you will get notified when the newest episodes are posted! Check us out on Instagram, X, and YouTube @mfupodcast. Give feedback, middle finger recommendations as well as random thoughts to [email protected]. Thank you for listening!

In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.

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This week on Middle Fingers Up, we’re holding space for a powerful voice during Ovarian Cancer Awareness Day — Alvina Nadeem, a South Asian woman, mother, wife, AI innovator, keynote speaker, and cancer survivor who reminds us that survival isn’t just about staying alive, but about reclaiming our voice.
She shares the mantra she carried as an immigrant woman in a male-dominated field — “I’ll show them” — and how that grit both protected and pressured her. We talk about trusting your gut, naming what feels off, and advocating for your body when silence feels safer.
“I needed to survive,” she says, “but I also didn’t want to make it hard for others.”
We unpack the toll of quiet strength, what it means to choose presence over pride, and how to honor your instincts when the system tells you otherwise.
This conversation isn’t just about one story — it’s a challenge to the systems and cultural silences that keep so many of us suffering quietly. From survival mode to self-defined healing, this episode affirms that we have the right to ask, to name, and to fight.

Instagram: coachalvina

TikTok: OCWARRIORQUEEN

Chai & Hope: South Asian Cancer Community

If you like what you hear please click on "subscribe" or "follow" - It's free and you will get notified when the newest episodes are posted! Check us out on Instagram, X, and YouTube @mfupodcast. Give feedback, middle finger recommendations as well as random thoughts to [email protected]. Thank you for listening!

In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.

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Loss is more than death — it’s the quiet grief of losing a homeland, a friendship, a relationship, trust, emotional safety, or even parts of ourselves we didn’t know we had to say goodbye to.

In this powerful conversation with Palak, a Grief and Loss Recovery Specialist, we explore how "grief is love" and how we can honor all types of loss. Palak reminds us that "no emotion is good or bad" and shares healing tools like guided journaling, helping us to unpack the weight of grief, especially when we don’t have words for it.
We also discuss the power of "collective responsibility" in healing, emphasizing that grief doesn’t have to be an individual burden — it’s something we can share, honor, and heal together.

As Palak says, "All losses are worthy of grief," and "there is no timeline to grief."

Instagram: rare_mind_talks

MindMakeoverService

If you like what you hear please click on "subscribe" or "follow" - It's free and you will get notified when the newest episodes are posted! Check us out on Instagram, X, and YouTube @mfupodcast. Give feedback, middle finger recommendations as well as random thoughts to [email protected]. Thank you for listening!

In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.

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What happens when two Indian women—from different parts of the world—sit down to talk about parenting, patriarchy, and psychiatry? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Sidhana, a psychiatrist based in India, for a cross-continental conversation rooted in truth-telling, compassion, and curiosity.

We reflect on what it means to be raised in systems where “the stricter the parent, the more rebellious the child,” and how “children notice the subtle signs” long before we think they do. We speak for the marginalized, question what we’ve normalized, and explore how" it’s time to break the generational curse."

This episode is a call to change the narrative, treat our daughters and sons equally, and understand that a "true gentleman is actually empathetic."

We explore the emotional worlds of young people—the silence, the self-blame, the identity crises that happen behind closed doors—and how adults can do better by simply learning to listen.

We’re igniting one mind at a time—and this episode is an opportunity to reflect on how mental health is viewed and handled across continents, and how much work we still have to do.

Let’s break the stigma. Together.

Instagram: shrink_aninda

Blog: draninda30.medium.com

If you like what you hear please click on "subscribe" or "follow" - It's free and you will get notified when the newest episodes are posted! Check us out on Instagram, X, and YouTube @mfupodcast. Give feedback, middle finger recommendations as well as random thoughts to [email protected]. Thank you for listening!

In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.

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What happens when you finally find the words for what you've been carrying your whole life? "Suddenly, I had language for things that I'm experiencing." That’s the power of sitting down with someone like Tony Nabors, a racial equity educator and truth-teller who doesn’t just talk about systems—he helps us feel and understand them.

In this raw and unfiltered episode, we talk about what it means to unlearn, to let go of people-pleasing, and to reclaim your power even when it hurts. We get into the heartbreaking reality that "sometimes the people we love truly don’t give a shit"—and what it takes to reclaim your power anyway.

From confronting the myth of being “a good person” to unpacking how "niceness is a tool of white supremacy," Tony challenges us to "prioritize the intersect that makes people the most uncomfortable." This conversation is not about shame—it’s about transformation. It’s about asking: "What does new community look like?" "What do new friendships look like?"

So if you’ve ever wondered whether you’re alone in this work, if you’ve ever wrestled with the loss that comes with growth, or if you’ve ever said to yourself, "I can change and transform and control what I do going forward"—this episode is for you.

"Can we cuss on this podcast?" Hell yes. Because this one’s about getting real.

Jen Willsea Article

www.racialequityinsights.com

Instagram: racialequityinsights

If you like what you hear please click on "subscribe" or "follow" - It's free and you will get notified when the newest episodes are posted! Check us out on Instagram, X, and YouTube @mfupodcast. Give feedback, middle finger recommendations as well as random thoughts to [email protected]. Thank you for listening!

In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.

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In this unapologetically real conversation, I sit down with Mohini, a Holistic Relationship Coach for Ranis, who guides Desi divorcees to reclaim their power and rewrite their relationship stories. After a 14-year marriage, Mohini has come face-to-face with the complexities of cultural expectations, self-worth, and the fear of being alone. She’s now on a mission to help others find freedom and joy on their own terms.

Mohini shares her deeply personal journey, reflecting on how her worth was once tied to her role as a wife, and how she was caged in cultural norms that kept her from fully embracing her true nature. “What is your true nature?” she asks, inviting us to explore what we’re hiding behind out of survival.

We dig into powerful truths like, “There’s a lot of shit to be pissed off about,” and how it’s by design that women aren’t always in spaces where they can make real change. Mohini talks about how multiple truths can be true at one time and how part of nature is change—sometimes, it’s necessary for our own evolution.

“Your life is not over just because you’re a divorced woman,” Mohini reminds us. She urges us to ask, Are you even happy doing that for your entire life? With raw honesty, she challenges us to let go of the fear of being alone, stop living on someone else’s frequency, and realize: You’re worthy of a life beyond suffering.

Join us for a powerful conversation that’s about more than just divorce—it’s about shedding the expectations that hold us back and rediscovering the fire within. "At some point, you’re going to have to let go of how many fucks you give,” says Mohini. So, let’s go on a fucking journey together.

Website:  ranirising.com

Instagram: iammohinigima

If you like what you hear please click on "subscribe" or "follow" - It's free and you will get notified when the newest episodes are posted! Check us out on Instagram, X, and YouTube @mfupodcast. Give feedback, middle finger recommendations as well as random thoughts to [email protected]. Thank you for listening!

In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.

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What happens when we try to understand South Asian mental health through a Western lens? We end up feeling lost—told to cut ties instead of repair them, to heal alone instead of within community. But healing was never meant to be an individual pursuit.

In this conversation with Astha, we start scratching the surface—getting curious about what it would take to truly decolonize mental health. How do we challenge the pressure of productivity in our culture while making space for our own healing? Where is the line between evolving and losing ourselves?

Astha also shares how her semester abroad in Delhi shaped her understanding of mental health—what she learned, what surprised her, and how it continues to influence her career today.

Together, we discuss: 

•  - Why being person-first rather than treatment-first matters 
•  - How we have privileges our ancestors didn’t—but also struggles they wouldn’t recognize 
•  - The tension between growth and staying true to who you are 
•  - The power of self-awareness: If you conquer your mind, you conquer the world

This episode is about unlearning, reclaiming, and finding your path—because true change starts with understanding yourself.

Instagram: theessenceofself

Website: theessenceofself.com

If you like what you hear please click on "subscribe" or "follow" - It's free and you will get notified when the newest episodes are posted! Check us out on Instagram, X, and YouTube @mfupodcast. Give feedback, middle finger recommendations as well as random thoughts to [email protected]. Thank you for listening!

In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.

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Music Media Personality and Multimedia Creative, LaToya Elle, joins us to share her journey of blending storytelling with a passion for amplifying Canadian artists. We dive into the artists on her radar, the challenges of being a Black woman in the industry, and the future of music media. LaToya opens up about the power of representation, the stories that matter most, and why true support goes beyond the spotlight. Plus, she puts her "Middle Fingers Up" to something we all need to hear. This is a conversation about purpose, passion, and making space for voices that deserve to be heard.

Instagram: latoya_elle

  linktr.ee/latoya_elle

Latoya Elle's Podcast Behind The Music:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6s778pKRM9jAM4kqFmsRAO?si=PXSnEfupTL69YIChxRIylQ

If you like what you hear please click on "subscribe" or "follow" - It's free and you will get notified when the newest episodes are posted! Check us out on Instagram, X, and YouTube @mfupodcast. Give feedback, middle finger recommendations as well as random thoughts to [email protected]. Thank you for listening!

In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.