The Inflammation Code

By Dr. Shivani GuptaAlternative Health Health & Fitness Nutrition

The Inflammation Code episodes

October 06You Were Never Meant to Heal Alone
Perimenopause. An empty nest. A divorce. A health journey no one around you quite understands. Midlife can be quietly isolating, and your body notices.
In this honest solo episode, Dr. Shivani Gupta connects the latest gene research with ancient Ayurvedic wisdom to show why loneliness is a real, measurable driver of inflammation. She also shares her own lonely year of mold recovery, the best friend whose questions made her feel seen, and why she stopped asking "what did I do wrong?"
What This Conversation Reveals:
Why women so often blame themselves when their health feels unstable
How loneliness changes the way your immune system reads its own DNA
Why warmth, trust, and feeling known are anti-inflammatory at the gene level
How ojas and sattva explain connection as a source of resilience
Why losing a community (like a favorite gym) can affect more than your mood
Easy, real-life ways to find your people again
Why sharing what's working for you gives you both connection and purpose

Take care of yourself, and of the people around you. As Dr. Shivani reminds us, those were never two separate things.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
The Inflammation Code
https://www.amazon.com/dp/140199699X?tag=usalinktagdefault-20&th=1&psc=1&geniuslink=true

Fusionary Formulas Supplements
Use code CODE15 for 15% off your first order
https://fusionaryformulas.com/?utm_source=Show+Notes&utm_medium=Show+notes+&utm_campaign=Podcast+promo&utm_id=The+Inflammation+Code+Podcast

7-Day Inflammation Detox Challenge
https://www.7dayinflammationdetox.com/

Work with Dr. Shivani / Free Discovery Call
https://shivanigupta.com/

FEATURED RECOGNITION
🎙️ The Inflammation Code with Shivani Gupta was featured in FeedSpot’s Top 45 Wellpreneur Podcasts of 2026.
Explore the full list here:
https://podcast.feedspot.com/wellpreneur_podcasts/
Feedspot is an RSS Reader that lets you follow your favorite podcasts alongside blogs and news in one place.

CONNECT WITH DR. SHIVANI
Instagram: @dr.shivanigupta
Website: https://shivanigupta.com/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
28 min
September 29ADHD or Perimenopause? Why Your Brain Feels Different in Midlife with Dr. Jolene Brighten
Can't focus, can't remember, can't follow through, and you're wondering if something is wrong with your brain? For many women in their late 30s and 40s, the answer involves hormones, and sometimes a lifetime of undiagnosed ADHD.
Dr. Jolene Brighten is a board-certified naturopathic endocrinologist, certified menopause specialist, nutrition scientist, and author of the new book ADHD and Women. She joins Dr. Shivani to untangle ADHD from perimenopause and share what actually helps.
What You'll Learn
Why perimenopause can feel like "ADHD light," and when the brain typically starts to recover
Why ADHD women may hit perimenopause earlier, with more severe symptoms
How estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, insulin, and cortisol shape focus and mood
The 25/25 rule for lowering inflammatory visceral fat
Gut-brain foods: ghee, cooled potatoes, and a brain-supportive taco plate
Why thyroid and ferritin should be checked before an ADHD evaluation
How to advocate for yourself when your doctor dismisses you
You've been working harder than anyone realized. This conversation helps you understand why, and what to do next.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
ADHD and Women by Dr. Jolene Brighten
https://drbrighten.com/adhd-and-women/

The Dr. Brighten Show / Website: https://drbrighten.com/
Instagram: @drjolenebrighten

The Inflammation Code
https://www.amazon.com/dp/140199699X?tag=usalinktagdefault-20&th=1&psc=1&geniuslink=true

Fusionary Formulas Supplements
Use code CODE15 for 15% off your first order
https://fusionaryformulas.com/?utm_source=Show+Notes&utm_medium=Show+notes+&utm_campaign=Podcast+promo&utm_id=The+Inflammation+Code+Podcast

7-Day Inflammation Detox Challenge
https://www.7dayinflammationdetox.com/
Work with Dr. Shivani / Free Discovery Call
https://shivanigupta.com/

CONNECT WITH DR. SHIVANI
Instagram: @dr.shivanigupta
Website: https://shivanigupta.com/
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
52 min
September 22The Second Bloom: Why HRT Isn’t the Whole Answer, with Dr. Jila Senemar
What if the reason your hormone therapy hasn't worked isn't the medication, it's that no one walked you through the first few months of it? In this episode, Dr. Shivani Gupta talks with Dr. Jila Senemar, a board-certified OB/GYN, certified menopause specialist, and longevity physician, about why HRT gets sold as a quick fix and why that expectation sets so many women up to quit too soon.
Dr. Jila also shares the story of a patient whose sudden, out-of-character anger revealed she was deep in perimenopause and hadn't recognized it, and how a single reassuring text message can be the difference between a woman staying on hormone therapy or abandoning it over a normal side effect.
In this episode:
Why HRT is not a magic bullet, and what real hand-holding through treatment looks like
Why women quit hormone therapy over a cramp or breast tenderness that was actually expected
What biological age testing reveals about inflammation and cellular aging
Why the mood symptoms of perimenopause are so under-discussed in women in their 30s and 40s
How chronic inflammation "pre-loads" women before perimenopause even begins
Why Dr. Jila calls this stage of life a "second bloom" instead of a decline
What led her to leave a 22-year, insurance-based OBGYN practice
This conversation isn't about whether you should take HRT. It's about understanding what your body actually needs, so whatever you choose works.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
CONNECT WITH DR. JILA
Dr. Jila Senemar
https://www.jilamd.com/
Her Time, Her Health Podcast (Dr. Jila Senemar's podcast)
The Inflammation Code
https://www.amazon.com/dp/140199699X?tag=usalinktagdefault-20&th=1&psc=1&geniuslink=true
Fusionary Formulas Supplements
Use code CODE15 for 15% off your first order
https://fusionaryformulas.com/?utm_source=Show+Notes&utm_medium=Show+notes+&utm_campaign=Podcast+promo&utm_id=The+Inflammation+Code+Podcast
7-Day Inflammation Detox Challenge
https://www.7dayinflammationdetox.com/
Work with Dr. Shivani / Free Discovery Call
https://shivanigupta.com/
CONNECT WITH DR. SHIVANI
Instagram: @dr.shivanigupta
Website: https://shivanigupta.com
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
57 min
September 15 Inflammopause: The Hidden Fire Behind Your Menopause Symptoms | Dr. Shivani Gupta
You haven't stopped taking care of yourself. You may still be exercising, eating well, taking your supplements, and doing many of the same things that worked for years.
So why does your body suddenly seem more inflamed?
In Part 2 of Dr. Shivani Gupta's Vata Season of Menopause series, she explores what she calls inflammopause—the inflammatory shift that can accompany declining estrogen during perimenopause and menopause.
Part 1 introduced the “wind”: rising Vata and the dryness, instability, anxiety, poor sleep, joint changes, and unpredictability that can come with this transition.
Now comes the “fire.”
What This Conversation Reveals:
• How estrogen helps regulate inflammatory signaling and what changes when estrogen declines
• Why joint stiffness, metabolic changes, hot flashes, brain fog, and cardiovascular changes can appear during the same life stage
• Why Dr. Shivani describes menopause as a collision between rising Vata and rising inflammation
• What current research suggests about curcumin and inflammatory pathways
• Why Ayurvedic formulations combine turmeric with Boswellia, ginger, amla, Guduchi, and black pepper
• How poor sleep can drive inflammation higher while inflammation itself makes restorative sleep harder
• Why supporting sleep, nervous system rhythm, and inflammation can become increasingly important in midlife
The goal isn't to fear menopause. It's to understand what your body is navigating so you can respond with better tools.
When you stop seeing every symptom as an isolated problem, the whole transition begins to make more sense.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
The Inflammation Code
https://www.amazon.com/dp/140199699X?tag=usalinktagdefault-20&th=1&psc=1&geniuslink=true
Fusionary Formulas (Inflammation Relief, Turmeric Gold, Deep Sleep Tea)
Code CODE15 for 15% off
https://fusionaryformulas.com/?utm_source=Show+Notes&utm_medium=Show+notes+&utm_campaign=Podcast+promo&utm_id=The+Inflammation+Code+Podcast
Elemental Design Quiz (find your Vata/fire balance)
https://shivanigreenliving.clickfunnels.com/elementaldesign
7-Day Inflammation Detox
https://www.7dayinflammationdetox.com/
Free Discovery Call with Dr. Shivani
https://shivanigupta.com/
CONNECT WITH DR. SHIVANI
Instagram: @dr.shivanigupta
Website: https://shivanigupta.com/
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
31 min
September 08The Vata Syndrome of Menopause: The Root Cause No One Named| Dr. Shivani Gupta
What if your joint pain, your sleepless nights, your stubborn belly weight, and your 3am anxiety were never ten separate problems? In this solo episode, Dr. Shivani Gupta names the root condition underneath nearly all of it: the Vata Syndrome of Menopause.
Drawing on 5,000-year-old Ayurvedic texts alongside modern menopause research, she explains why estrogen functions as your body's "anti-vata" hormone, why hot flashes are actually a wind problem rather than a fire problem, and why some women glide through this transition while others crash.
In this episode:
Why Western medicine has named a syndrome for the pelvis, the bones, and the brain in menopause, but never for the root connecting them
The real mechanism behind unpredictable hot flashes
Why progesterone often disappears before estrogen, and what that means for early anxiety and sleep disruption
How thyroid, adrenal, and gut health form a "team" that determines the severity of your transition
What ojas (vital reserve) means, and why it decides whether you crash or glide
Free, practical Ayurvedic practices that directly ground this shift, starting today
RESOURCES MENTIONED
The Inflammation Code
https://www.amazon.com/dp/140199699X?tag=usalinktagdefault-20&th=1&psc=1&geniuslink=true
Fusionary Formulas Supplements
Use code CODE15 for 15% off your first order
https://fusionaryformulas.com/?utm_source=Show+Notes&utm_medium=Show+notes+&utm_campaign=Podcast+promo&utm_id=The+Inflammation+Code+Podcast
7-Day Inflammation Detox Challenge
https://www.7dayinflammationdetox.com/
Work with Dr. Shivani / Free Discovery Call
https://shivanigupta.com/
Free Elemental Design Quiz
https://drshivani.com/
CONNECT WITH DR. SHIVANI
Instagram: @dr.shivanigupta
Website: https://shivanigupta.com/
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
49 min
September 01Healing, Mental Inflammation & the Power of Relationships with Shawn Stevenson
What if the diagnosis you were given isn't the end of your health story?
Shawn Stevenson was only 20 when he was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, two herniated discs, and told he had the spine of an 80-year-old. After two years of worsening pain and declining health, one question changed the direction of his life:
“What can I do to feel better?”
In this deeply personal conversation, Dr. Shivani Gupta and Shawn explore what happened next and why healing involves much more than nutrition and exercise. They dig into the nocebo effect, mental inflammation, sleep, brain health, loneliness, social connection, family meals, and the powerful role relationships play in long-term health.
What This Conversation Reveals:
How Shawn went from being told his condition was “incurable” to seeing documented changes on a follow-up scan
Why the question “What can I do to feel better?” became a turning point in his healing journey
How the nocebo effect can shape the way the body responds to a diagnosis
Why thoughts, stress, and mental inflammation can influence physical health
What research on loneliness and social connection reveals about longevity
Why the quality of your relationships may shape your sleep, food, movement, and stress more than you realize
How family meals can become a simple but powerful health practice
Why Shawn believes creating a healthy “microculture” at home can make better habits easier and more sustainable
Wherever you are in your own healing journey, this episode is a reminder that health does not always have to become more complicated. Sometimes it starts with asking a different question, creating a more supportive environment, and giving your body the conditions it needs to heal.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
The Inflammation Code
https://www.amazon.com/dp/140199699X?tag=usalinktagdefault-20&th=1&psc=1&geniuslink=true
Fusionary Formulas Supplements
Use code CODE15 for 15% off your first order
https://fusionaryformulas.com/?utm_source=Show+Notes&utm_medium=Show+notes+&utm_campaign=Podcast+promo&utm_id=The+Inflammation+Code+Podcast
7-Day Inflammation Detox Challenge
https://www.7dayinflammationdetox.com/
Work with Dr. Shivani / Free Discovery Call
https://shivanigupta.com/
Eat Smarter Family Cookbook by Shawn Stevenson
Available wherever books are sold
The Model Health Show
https://themodelhealthshow.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnmodel/
CONNECT WITH DR. SHIVANI
Instagram: @dr.shivanigupta
Website: https://shivanigupta.com/
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
1 hr 4 min
August 25Could Parasites and Mold Be Behind Your Symptoms? with Kim Rogers, The Worm Queen
You're eating clean, sleeping (or trying to), doing everything you know to do, and your labs still come back low across the board. Dr. Shivani sits down with Kim Rogers, "The Worm Queen," to talk about a root cause that's rarely discussed in Western wellness circles: the hidden trifecta of parasites, mold, and Lyme.
Kim spent over 20 years working inside Western medicine before her own health crisis, stage four endometriosis, 13 surgeries, and years of undiagnosed chronic Lyme, forced her to find her own answers. Her story went viral in 2021, and she's since built a following of over 1.5 million people teaching women how to advocate for their own health.
In this episode:
Why parasites, mold, and Lyme often live together in one "biofilm"
Everyday symptoms (teeth grinding, bloating, sugar cravings, insomnia) that can point to parasites
Why standard stool testing can miss parasites entirely
The surprising history of hookworm and early Western medicine
How hookworm can directly cause iron deficiency and anemia
What to expect physically and emotionally during a detox
Why moving into a new home can trigger unexpected health decline

If your body has been telling you something your labs haven't confirmed yet, this conversation gives you language for it.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
The Inflammation Code (book)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/140199699X?tag=usalinktagdefault-20&th=1&psc=1&geniuslink=true
Fusionary Formulas Supplements (use code CODE15 for a discount)
https://fusionaryformulas.com/?utm_source=Show+Notes&utm_medium=Show+notes+&utm_campaign=Podcast+promo&utm_id=The+Inflammation+Code+Podcast
7-Day Inflammation Detox Challenge
https://www.7dayinflammationdetox.com/
Work with Dr. Shivani — Free Discovery Call
https://shivanigupta.com/
CONNECT WITH KIM ROGERS
RogersHood Apothecary
https://rogershood.com/
Kim Rogers: Instagram @mrsrogers.hood
Kim's podcast, "What's Eating You"
CONNECT WITH DR. SHIVANI
Instagram: @dr.shivanigupta
Website: https://shivanigupta.com/
Podcast: The Inflammation Code on Spotify & Apple Podcasts
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
45 min
August 18The Conscious Parenting Shift Every Midlife Mother Needs with Dr. Shefali
What if the way we're raising our children is quietly teaching them to perform instead of connect? In this episode, Dr. Shivani Gupta talks with Dr. Shefali, Clinical Psychologist, New York Times Bestselling Author, and Founder of the Conscious Parenting Movement, about the difference between raising a "human doing" and a "human being."
They dig into why girls today feel crushing pressure to be everything, why boys are quietly withdrawing into loneliness and overstimulation, and why a scrolling, checked-out teenager isn't lazy, they're disconnected. Dr. Shefali also shares the story of a mother whose 13-year-old son kept sneaking out at night, and the surprising shift that turned the standoff into connection.
In this episode:
Why raising a "human being" instead of a "human doing" changes how you respond to your child
Why girls carry pressure and boys carry overstimulation, and what each actually needs
The Urban Explorer story, and what one mother did differently to reach her son
Why boys often bond side by side through activity, not face to face through talking
How a silent 15-minute walk rebuilt trust between a mother and her teenage daughter
Why reclaiming your own authentic identity is the real starting point of conscious parenting
What it means to stop measuring your parenting by your child's outward achievements
This conversation isn't about parenting perfectly. It's about seeing your child, and yourself, more clearly.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
The Inflammation Code
https://www.amazon.com/dp/140199699X?tag=usalinktagdefault-20&th=1&psc=1&geniuslink=true
Fusionary Formulas Supplements
Use code CODE15 for 15% off your first order
https://fusionaryformulas.com/?utm_source=Show+Notes&utm_medium=Show+notes+&utm_campaign=Podcast+promo&utm_id=The+Inflammation+Code+Podcast
7-Day Inflammation Detox Challenge
https://www.7dayinflammationdetox.com/

CONNECT WITH DR. SHEFALI
Instagram: @doctorshefali
Website: https://www.drshefali.com
YouTube: @doctorshefali
Podcast: Parenting & You with Dr. Shefali
CONNECT WITH DR. SHIVANI
Instagram: @dr.shivanigupta
Website: https://shivanigupta.com/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
44 min
August 11Why Pain Is the Last Signal Your Body Sends, Not the First | Dr. Shivani Gupta
Most of us treat pain as the beginning of a problem. It isn't. By the time you feel it, whether it's a stiff knee, an aching lower back, or hands that hurt in the morning, inflammation has usually been quietly active for months, sometimes years.

In this solo episode, Dr. Shivani Gupta breaks down why pain is the last signal your body sends, using her own experience with plantar fasciitis and a round of NSAIDs that damaged her gut without ever solving the original problem.

In this episode:
The real difference between acute inflammation, which is protective, and chronic inflammation, which is quiet and easy to explain away
Why Tylenol and Advil work differently, and why neither one addresses the disease process underneath your pain
What's happening inside an osteoarthritic or rheumatoid joint at the cellular level
Why curcumin research shows results comparable to ibuprofen and prescription NSAIDs, without the gut damage
The COX2 and 5-LOX pathway explanation, and why turmeric and boswellia work better paired together
How your everyday ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats shapes your body's baseline inflammatory response
Dr. Shivani's honest, still-unfolding story about her own hip and spine pain
This conversation is an invitation to listen to the whisper before your body has to shout.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
The Inflammation Code
https://www.amazon.com/dp/140199699X?tag=usalinktagdefault-20&th=1&psc=1&geniuslink=true
Fusionary Formulas Supplements
Use code CODE15 for 15% off your first order
https://fusionaryformulas.com/?utm_source=Show+Notes&utm_medium=Show+notes+&utm_campaign=Podcast+promo&utm_id=The+Inflammation+Code+Podcast
7-Day Inflammation Detox Challenge
https://www.7dayinflammationdetox.com/
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
43 min
August 04 What Your Cholesterol Test Isn’t Telling You with Dr. Philip Ovadia
Most people are taught to focus on cholesterol when they think about heart disease.
But what if cholesterol is only one small part of the story?
In this episode of The Inflammation Code Podcast, Dr. Shivani Gupta sits down with Dr. Philip C. Ovadia, a board-certified heart surgeon, founder of Ovadia Heart Health, host of The Stay Off My Operating Table Podcast, and author of Stay Off My Kitchen Table. After performing thousands of heart surgeries and reversing his own metabolic dysfunction, Dr. Ovadia now focuses on helping people prevent the very conditions that lead them to the operating table.
Together, they discuss what really drives heart disease risk, including insulin resistance, inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, nutrient absorption, gut health, and the importance of imaging like coronary artery calcium scans.
In this conversation, you’ll learn:
• Why heart disease can begin decades before symptoms appear
• Why cholesterol alone is not enough to predict heart disease risk
• How insulin resistance and inflammation contribute to cardiovascular disease
• Why women’s heart risk rises rapidly after menopause
• What a coronary artery calcium scan can reveal
• Why nutrient density and bioavailability matter for metabolic health
• How elimination diets may help identify foods that drive inflammation
This episode is for anyone who wants to understand heart disease prevention before it becomes urgent.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
The Inflammation Code
https://www.amazon.com/dp/140199699X?tag=usalinktagdefault-20&th=1&psc=1&geniuslink=true
Fusionary Formulas Supplements
Use code CODE15 for 15% off your first order
https://fusionaryformulas.com/?utm_source=Show+Notes&utm_medium=Show+notes+&utm_campaign=Podcast+promo&utm_id=The+Inflammation+Code+Podcast
7-Day Inflammation Detox Challenge
https://www.7dayinflammationdetox.com/
CONNECT WITH DR. PHILIP OVADIA
Instagram: @ifixhearts
Book: Stay Off My Kitchen Table (July 28, 2026)
Website: stayoffmykitchentable.com
CONNECT WITH DR. SHIVANI
Instagram: @dr.shivanigupta
Website: https://shivanigupta.com/
Podcast: The Inflammation Code on Spotify & Apple Podcasts
If this resonated with you, share it with someone who's still being told to just watch their cholesterol, and subscribe so you never miss an episode.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
56 min

About The Inflammation Code

From the publisher's feed

Your body isn’t broken. It’s out of balance. And it’s been trying to tell you something. The Inflammation Code Podcast is your guide to decoding that message. From unexplained fatigue and joint…