Claudia Welch's Blog

In this community Q&A session for Menopause Chronicles and the Women’s Health and Hormones courses, participants gathered to explore practical, grounded approaches to health concerns during perimenopause and menopause. A significant portion of the conversation focused on the current fixation with high-protein diets during this life phase, viewed through both Western and Ayurvedic lenses. The group also explored how shifting hormones affect digestion, the urinary tract, and body comp...

by Dr. Claudia Welch

This piece grew out of a few sparks: a conversation between Kate O’Donnell and nutritionist Karen Hurd (recommended by a friend), and reflections on the stubborn problem of high cholesterol — even in people who are not overweight, who eat well, yet still struggle with high numbers, on how best to rid the body of excess estrogen in cases of estrogen dominance and reflections on detox. What struck me is how different traditions — Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a...

Ayurveda, TCM, and Western Science on Mung Beans, Psyllium and Detox : How to Lower Cholesterol and Aid Hormonal Balance

by Dr. Claudia Welch

This piece grew out of two sparks: a recent conversation between Kate O’Donnell and nutritionist Karen Hurd (recommended by a friend), and my reflections on the stubborn problem of high cholesterol — even in people who are not overweight and who eat healthy food — and on how best to rid the body of excess estrogen in cases of estrogen dominance. I am struc...

By Dr. Claudia Welch

If you’re reading this with heavy eyelids, feeling like you’re moving through molasses, or finding yourself breathless after simple tasks, you’re not alone. Anemia—whether from heavy menstrual bleeding, postpartum blood loss, surgery, or any other cause—can leave us feeling like a shadow of ourselves. While this condition affects women disproportionately due to menstruation and childbirth, anyone who has experienced significant blood loss can find themselves in this exhausti...

When someone dies, the rearrangement of reality that follows can reach far beyond the absence of that person. It can alter the way family members relate to each other, as old dynamics collapse and new ones form. Since it’s often difficult—sometimes nearly impossible—to function practically in the days or weeks following a death, getting affairs in order ahead of time—whether our own or someone else’s—is a practical act of kindness.

When my mother died, it was not a simple transition. She had bee...

By Dr. Claudia Welch June 12, 2025

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Most of the attention coffee gets is for its ability to energize. But a new study, presented at the American Society for Nutrition’s annual meeting and reported in The New York Times on June 12, 2025, suggests coffee might also play a role in helping us age well. Researchers followed more than 47,000 women for decades and found that those who drank the most caffeine—mostly from coffee—were more likely to reach their 70s in good mental and physical health, fre...

By Dr. Claudia Welch; Originally posted September 1, 2010. Republished with light edits.

He who constantly examines how his day and night are passing and adopts the right way only, will never become a victim of sorrow.

— Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam, Sūtrasthāna II.47

What does my fork have to do with “that little spark of celestial fire…”?

My childhood friend recently bought a fake sheep fleece hat with double earflaps. We both love that hat. We both live in the woods. Off the grid. On mountains. Ones that,...

The following are two in-depth audio lectures from part of a 2014 Mentorship Dr. Welch offered, on the relationship between stress, the liver, and thyroid function. They assume a fairly in-depth understanding of Ayurveda. We chose to put them on their own page because thyroid issues are so common and information on them from an Ayurveda + Western science perspective is not so common, and we are not currently offering the mentorship.

Lecture on Thyroid From March 06, 2014:

Today’s session focused on hormonal balance, stress, weight gain, and the effects of lifestyle choices. Dr. Welch shared insights on excess bṛṃhaṇa (building, heavy qualities in the body), estrogen dominance, castor oil packs, and the impact of stress on hormonal function. The discussion also touched on the liver’s role in hormone processing and its connection to the thyroid, brain, and gut. There are two audio files below on thyroid health that answer the submitted thyroid questi...

Jack Stafford of www.podsongs.com interviews guests for his podcast and then writes a song inspired by the conversation.

Here he interviews Dr. Welch, who delves into the holistic health benefits of Ayurveda, focusing on stress relief, pregnancy nourishment, and balancing modern life with ancient wisdom. She shares personal experiences and expert insights on the interplay between physical, mental, and spiritual health. We explore topics ranging from the importance of a balanced...