'Upon first meeting Dr. Shah, I was immediately put at ease, not an easy task given the current restrictions with Covid, mask wearing, face shield. She was very attentive, thorough, and organized. After taking my pulse, looking at my tongue, and reading through the answers on my dosha questionnaire, she told me which dosha(s) were predominant in me, what was out of balance and how Ayurveda explains the doshas. She was happy to read my “life story”, and in fact seemed to appreciate the detail as it gave her a good snapshot of me. At no point did I feel rushed. She took the time to explain briefly but clearly how Ayurveda approaches healing and medicine and how it differs from but can include a western medicine approach. It is a very comprehensive but elegantly simple “common sense” approach for healing and really how to live in balance. Her knowledge of and education in both modalities is clear and very helpful. Dr. Shah was able to form a very good picture of me and what was going wrong and what had started it all. She had a systematic approach for our master wellness plan that she communicated very clearly and it made so much sense to me. '

Chronic gut issues, menopausal symptoms including mood swings, irritability, poor sleep, bloating, water retention and more; fatigue, loss of weight

A brief history of your illness(es) along with duration and all you had tried before seeing Shah: 

I suffered from constipation mainly as a child. As I grew older, and within the last 15 years especially, digestion and gut issues went from IBS to mainly diarrhea and a medical diagnosis of microscopic colitis. At the onset of menopause, all my symptoms grew worse and many more appeared, mainly due to a lot of inflammation, and long term lack of absorption of nutrients. I sought western medicine, naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, and a functional MD to find answers and relief. I wanted to take a holistic approach and try to get to the root of the problems. All provided some answers and measures of help and relief but nothing really stuck or fully helped me. 

Diarrhea, gas and bloating, water retention, headaches, insomnia, night sweats, skin breakouts, and high irritability. 

Upon first meeting Dr. Shah, I was immediately put at ease, not an easy task given the current restrictions with Covid, mask wearing, face shield. She was very attentive, thorough, and organized. After taking my pulse, looking at my tongue, and reading through the answers on my dosha questionnaire, she told me which dosha(s) were predominant in me, what was out of balance and how Ayurveda explains the doshas. She was happy to read my “life story”, and in fact seemed to appreciate the detail as it gave her a good snapshot of me. At no point did I feel rushed. She took the time to explain briefly but clearly how Ayurveda approaches healing and medicine and how it differs from but can include a western medicine approach. It is a very comprehensive but elegantly simple “common sense” approach for healing and really how to live in balance. Her knowledge of and education in both modalities is clear and very helpful. Dr. Shah was able to form a very good picture of me and what was going wrong and what had started it all. She had a systematic approach for our master wellness plan that she communicated very clearly and it made so much sense to me. For me, she explained that my gut has been an issue for basically my whole life and that no amount of medicines or completely healthy diet will work or help to any great extent until some healing and repair can be brought about. Also, that my habit and lifelong propensity toward fitness, exercise, extreme exercise was driving a lot of imbalance. Instead of so much exercise at this point in my life, cultivating other activities that bring me joy and stress relief would be very helpful. I loved her analogy of likening the situation to one’s arm getting punched over and over again...eventually there will be a lot of swelling and inflammation, possibly loss of function. 

Summary of the key benefits you have experienced (you can share in a bulleted form if you like): 

Within 4 weeks of starting the Ayurvedic protocol, I have experienced:

● Improvement in bowel movements and stool formation, less constipation and more formed 

● Reduction in water retention and swelling (Lymph wellness tea, Dr. Shah’s formulation) 

● Improved mood overall and a willingness to back off of intense overdoing it with exercise 

● A connection with myself, enough to slow down and have a more balanced approach to food and life in general

A consultation with Dr. Shah will give a thorough, clear picture of one’s state of health and the factors likely causing an imbalance. If one has some or even very little knowledge of Ayurveda, she will give an elegant, simple, and easy to understand synopsis of how Ayurveda works and the approach that will be taken. One’s physical and emotional/mental well-being and issues will be addressed as well as lifestyle and nutrition. If appropriate, some herbal formulations will be advised. All will be explained and written out in a clear master wellness plan, with an emphasis on taking time with this approach, not having to be perfect about it, and letting it unfold at its own pace. She offers plenty of support and advises reaching out with any questions or issues in between follow up consults. 

Yes, most definitely! She has a very calm and reassuring yet bolstering effect. Her confidence and ease of explanation came across to me in a way that just resonated. She is respectful of where one is at in their journey to health, and gives many analogies to a situation one might be dealing with to help one understand and maybe grasp on a deeper level what is going on. It helps me to think along those lines and bring greater awareness to what I’m doing or not doing without feeling judgmental about it in a negative way. For me, as I’ve been researching and trying to find healing for issues for a long time, Dr. Shah has been the teacher that appeared as I, the student, was ready.