Rooted in Wellness with Mona Sharma

What if the holidays become a space where you stay connected to yourself instead of feeling depleted by January? In Part 3 of the holiday solos, I bring together everything we have been exploring so you can support your body with clarity and steadiness.  I share how alcohol affects digestion, sleep, inflammation, and energy, and what the liver truly needs this time of year. You will hear the simple practices I use to minimize bloating, calm the nervous system, and keep my rhythm steady without perfectionism or restriction. We explore mindful drinking, gut friendly food choices, hydration rituals, and the supportive herbs and supplements that help your system recover with ease. I also talk about boundaries, emotional triggers, and how to stay grounded when gatherings feel overwhelming or routines fall apart. This final part is an invitation to choose nourishment, intention, and self trust so you can move through the season feeling centered, supported, and well. What's Discussed: (00:06) The Holiday Season and Why Our Rhythm Shifts (00:23) Today’s Focus: Supporting Your Body Through the Holidays (00:30) Your Grounding Guide for the Season Ahead (00:40) Alcohol, Digestion, Sleep, Boundaries, and Real Holiday Support (01:12) Question Seven: Mindful Drinking and What the Liver Needs (10:35) Tools for Bloating, Inflammation, and Gut Friendly Choices (23:57) Closing Reflections and Holiday Nourishment Learn more about Mona Sharma: Download Your FREE Guide - 12 Wellness Tips to Unlock Your Best Health Now: Ready to reclaim your vitality? Download Mona’s 12 Wellness Tips and take actionable steps to transform your health, energy, and mindset. Get started now at https://monasharma.com/12tips.  Visit Mona's website: https://monasharma.com – Unlock powerful tools and wisdom rooted in wellness to elevate your health, energy, and clarity. Mona blends ancient healing practices with modern science to help you achieve lasting transformation. Follow Mona on Instagram: Stay connected with Mona for daily inspiration, holistic health tips, and personal growth. Join the conversation on Instagram at https://instagram.com/monasharma.

If you have been feeling inflamed, fatigued, overly stressed, or unsure why your body is not responding the way it used to, this episode will help you understand what your physiology is trying to communicate.  In today’s episode, I sat down with Dr. Ara Suppiah, a functional sports medicine physician who makes complex biomarker data feel simple, practical, and grounded. We explore why health is shaped by patterns and trends rather than isolated numbers and how markers like the Omega-3 index, hs-CRP, cortisol, and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio reveal what is happening beneath the surface.  We also discuss oral health as an early inflammation signal, the connection between movement and longevity, and the small daily habits that strengthen resilience. Dr. Ara Suppiah is a functional sports medicine physician known for translating complex physiology into guidance people can apply right away. What's Discussed: (00:00) Why your labs look “normal” even when your body doesn’t (04:18) The biomarkers that quietly predict resilience or burnout (09:52) What Omega-3, hs-CRP, and NLR reveal about hidden stress (15:10) How your gums expose inflammation before symptoms begin (21:44) The link between movement, recovery, and long-term vitality (28:30) What natural movement teaches us about microbiome health (36:12) How overtraining disrupts hormones and drains energy (42:58) When tools and medications support longevity goals (51:05) How to build a physiology that ages slowly and feels grounded Thank You to Our Sponsors: IM8: I’m always searching for wellness that’s simple, effective, and rooted in science. That’s why I love IM8, a daily drink with 92 nutrients designed to support energy, gut health, and longevity.Use code MONASHARMA10 for 10% off at im8health.com. Learn more about Mona Sharma: Download Your FREE Guide - 12 Wellness Tips to Unlock Your Best Health Now: Ready to reclaim your vitality? Download Mona’s 12 Wellness Tips and take actionable steps to transform your health, energy, and mindset. Get started now at https://monasharma.com/12tips.  Visit Mona's website: https://monasharma.com – Unlock powerful tools and wisdom rooted in wellness to elevate your health, energy, and clarity. Mona blends ancient healing practices with modern science to help you achieve lasting transformation. Follow Mona on Instagram: Stay connected with Mona for daily inspiration, holistic health tips, and personal growth. Join the conversation on Instagram at https://instagram.com/monasharma. Learn more about Dr. Ara Suppiah : Website: http://www.draraoncall.com  Instagram: @draraoncall

If you have been dealing with bloating, irregular digestion, sensitivities, or feeling off after meals, this episode will help you understand what your gut is trying to communicate. In today's episode, I sat down with Dr. Rajan Karan, a gastrointestinal surgeon and gut-health researcher who makes complex digestive science feel simple and grounded. We explore why digestion is more than isolated symptoms and how the microbiome functions as a living ecosystem that reflects your stress levels, routines, food diversity, and nervous system patterns. We also discuss the role of fiber, the oral microbiome, healthy transit time, and the small daily habits that genuinely improve gut resilience. This conversation is a reminder that supporting digestion does not require extremes. It begins with accessible, sustainable practices that help your whole body feel more rooted. Dr. Karan Rajan is a board-certified gastrointestinal surgeon and gut-health researcher known for translating complex physiology into practical guidance people can apply right away. What's Discussed: (00:00) How travel throws digestion, routine, and nervous system balance off (03:12) The simple morning rituals that create predictable energy and gut rhythm (05:08) When traditional medicine falls short and why prevention matters more (10:42) The deeper reasons bloating and sensitivities return even with a “healthy” diet (18:27) What fiber diversity really means and how it transforms your microbiome (26:42) How different fibers feed different microbes along the colon (33:15) The truth about stool tests and what they can actually reveal (55:32) Why gut diversity influences cravings, metabolism, mood, and long-term vitality Learn more about Mona Sharma: Download Your FREE Guide - 12 Wellness Tips to Unlock Your Best Health Now: Ready to reclaim your vitality? Download Mona’s 12 Wellness Tips and take actionable steps to transform your health, energy, and mindset. Get started now at https://monasharma.com/12tips.  Visit Mona's website: https://monasharma.com – Unlock powerful tools and wisdom rooted in wellness to elevate your health, energy, and clarity. Mona blends ancient healing practices with modern science to help you achieve lasting transformation. Follow Mona on Instagram: Stay connected with Mona for daily inspiration, holistic health tips, and personal growth. Join the conversation on Instagram at https://instagram.com/monasharma. Learn more about Dr. Karan Rajan: Website: https://www.drkaranrajan.com/ Instagram: @drkaranrajan  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKaran

What if the holidays become a time to return to your natural rhythm instead of something you have to recover from? In Part 2 of the holiday solos, I answer your top questions about how to stay grounded, nourished, and supported through a season that often disrupts our routines. I share how I support my gut when travel and schedule changes show up, how I reduce bloating with simple daily rituals, and how I keep my energy steady using a blend of Ayurvedic wisdom and functional science. We explore mindful ways to enjoy nostalgic holiday foods without guilt, how to regulate your nervous system when emotions feel heightened, and the grounding rituals warm morning tonics, herbal teas, mindful chewing, breathwork, and post meal walks that help you feel balanced even when life feels full. I also share realistic tools for traveling well and navigating family dynamics with intention. This episode is an invitation to choose nourishment over pressure and stay rooted in what helps your body feel safe, calm, and well. What's Discussed: (00:00) Welcome Back to Rooted in Wellness (00:20) How Holidays Disrupt Your Rhythm and Energy (01:40) Your Top Holiday Wellness Questions (02:50) How to Support Your Gut When Routines Break (08:10) Travel and Microbiome Support That Actually Helps (13:45) Staying Nourished During Holiday Eating (20:10) Tools for Indulgent Meals Without Guilt (23:45) A Rooted Closing for a Season of Ease Learn more about Mona Sharma: Download Your FREE Guide - 12 Wellness Tips to Unlock Your Best Health Now: Ready to reclaim your vitality? Download Mona’s 12 Wellness Tips and take actionable steps to transform your health, energy, and mindset. Get started now at https://monasharma.com/12tips.  Visit Mona's website: https://monasharma.com – Unlock powerful tools and wisdom rooted in wellness to elevate your health, energy, and clarity. Mona blends ancient healing practices with modern science to help you achieve lasting transformation. Follow Mona on Instagram: Stay connected with Mona for daily inspiration, holistic health tips, and personal growth. Join the conversation on Instagram at https://instagram.com/monasharma.

What if the symptoms you feel every day were actually gentle messages from your energy body asking you to slow down, reconnect, and listen a little more closely? In today’s episode, I sat down with Dr. Jason Yuan, a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist whose work blends functional medicine with Eastern healing and energy wisdom.  Our conversation explores what energetic congestion really looks like, why so many people feel ungrounded even when they are doing all the right things, and how subtle signals like fatigue, anxiety, digestive shifts, or feeling off are often early invitations back to balance. We talk about the biofield, the heart’s electromagnetic field, and the way emotions and belief shape healing. Dr. Jason shares simple, supportive practices you can begin right away to restore flow and reconnect with your inner guidance. This is a beautiful reminder that healing becomes possible when we honor every layer of ourselves. Dr. Jason Yuan is a naturopathic doctor, acupuncturist, and educator whose work sits at the intersection of functional medicine, Eastern healing, and energy medicine.  What's Discussed: (00:00) Settling into LA and the surprising intensity beneath the calm (03:15) Blending functional medicine with the energetic layers of healing (07:54) Unlocking energy flow and understanding subtle early symptoms (13:13) What “blocked energy” actually looks like in the body (20:30) How mitochondria, coherence, and ancient wisdom connect (30:39) When physical symptoms reveal emotional or energetic roots (38:13) The role of belief, openness, and the placebo effect in healing (51:45) Simple daily practices to support flow, grounding, and inner balance Thank You to Our Sponsors: Sunlighten: Experience the healing power of light for yourself. Visit get.sunlighten.com/monasharma and use code MONA to save up to $1,400 on your own Sunlighten sauna; a space to recharge, restore, and reconnect with your body’s natural rhythm. Learn more about Mona Sharma: Download Your FREE Guide - 12 Wellness Tips to Unlock Your Best Health Now: Ready to reclaim your vitality? Download Mona’s 12 Wellness Tips and take actionable steps to transform your health, energy, and mindset. Get started now at https://monasharma.com/12tips.  Visit Mona's website: https://monasharma.com – Unlock powerful tools and wisdom rooted in wellness to elevate your health, energy, and clarity. Mona blends ancient healing practices with modern science to help you achieve lasting transformation. Follow Mona on Instagram: Stay connected with Mona for daily inspiration, holistic health tips, and personal growth. Join the conversation on Instagram at https://instagram.com/monasharma. Learn more about Dr. Jason Yuan: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjasonyuan