Gauri's daily practices were gentle. Breathing exercises to ease stress. Yoga, which she said has a wonderful effect on the hormone system.
Her favorite is a warm oil massage. Any oil you are not allergic to... coconut in summer, because it cools, sesame in winter, because it warms, or a blend of the two. Apply it the way you would apply lotion. Let the skin take it in for about five minutes, then step into a warm shower. On weekends, give it 20 to 25 minutes.
Move, but only to about half your capacity. There is no need to overdo it.
Give meals your full attention. We eat with every sense, she said. We taste, see and smell food, and we even hear it being made. What we watch and hear feeds the mind too.
Sleep has its own care. In bed by about 10 p.m., with screens off half an hour before.
Gauri asked a quiet question. Do we notice the season changing? Do we change how we eat? Most of us do not.
Her guidance was to follow what is growing. More seasonal fruits and vegetables. Spices for flavor and for digestion... cooling coriander and cumin in summer, warming black pepper, cinnamon and cloves in fall.
Stay hydrated, especially in summer, and go easy on ice cold and caffeinated drinks. Dress for the weather, with light, breathable cotton in summer and warmer layers in fall. Try grounding scents like sandalwood, cedarwood or lavender. Choose calm movement such as walking, yoga or tai chi.
She walked us through five kitchen spices. Ginger, warming, often taken as tea for nausea. Fennel, for digestion and fresh breath. Coriander, cooling, its leaves the cilantro we know. Turmeric, studied for anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. And cumin. After a heavy meal, she suggested, sip a cumin tea. It may ease the bloating.
The center of the talk was digestion. The old view, Gauri said, goes one step past the familiar saying about food. One line stayed with me: "We are what we digest."
She described the signs of strong digestion. Real hunger, rather than thirst mistaken for hunger. Regular bowel movements. Steady energy. Radiant skin, which she called a reflection of our health. And the signs of weak digestion... bloating, rushing to the restroom after meals, low appetite, constipation, diarrhea, sluggishness.
Her practices for the gut are below. Tap each one to read more.
01Know your digestion.
Eat according to how strong it is.
02Eat with the season.
Add the fruits and vegetables that are in season now.
03Cook with spices.
Use them daily, for flavor and for digestion.
04Make lunch the largest meal.
It sustains energy through the 3 or 4 o'clock dip and may reduce evening cravings.
05Sip slowly with meals.
Avoid large amounts of fluid with meals. Choose small sips of something warm.
06Eat mindfully.
Notice what, where and when you eat.
Then Gauri shifted gears, from the old tradition to the dietitian's view.
For hair and skin, she named four nutrients. Vitamin C for collagen, from citrus, yellow peppers and strawberries. Vitamin A, from carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato and kale. Vitamin E, from nuts, seeds, spinach and sunflower oil. Omega 3 fats, from salmon, edamame, walnuts and flax seeds.
For fiber, make at least half your grains whole. Add vegetables at lunch and dinner, and a fruit or two each day. Soluble fiber, from beans, legumes and oats, clings to extra cholesterol and sweeps it out like a broom. Insoluble fiber, from vegetables, bran and fruit skins, keeps us regular. Onions, garlic and beans add prebiotic fiber, which feeds the gut's helpful bacteria.
Most adults need 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day. A cup of milk or yogurt gives about 300. Calcium is absorbed better from food than from supplements, and vitamin D helps the body take it in.
For hormones, she suggested balanced meals, lean protein, healthy fats, plenty of berries and greens, fewer processed foods and sugary drinks, and seven to eight hours of sleep.
Even the grocery store got a word. Shop after you have eaten, and bring a list. If fresh produce tends to spoil in your fridge, choose what lasts... apples, oranges, potatoes, or frozen fruits and vegetables.
Gauri closed where she began, with our full lives. Self-care, she said, is resilience. It raises energy and sharpens focus. And when we care for ourselves, we become a quiet example for the people around us.
She asked for micro rituals rather than an overhaul. Ten minutes of meditation or breathing. Batch cooking. A tea break. Screen free time. A call to a friend, a check-in with family. Support counts as care too.
Her takeaways were simple. Begin the day with intention. Eat warm, nourishing meals suited to your digestion. Turn off screens half an hour before bed. Add one seasonal change this month, even a single fruit or vegetable. And put 30 minutes of time for yourself on the calendar... music, a book, coloring, a hobby.
I keep thinking about those fennel seeds. A small habit, handed down, with nothing urgent about it. Just a way of saying, I am caring for this body today.
