The Inflammation Code

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 LearnWhy perimenopause can feel like "ADHD light," and when the brain typically starts to recoverWhy ADHD women may hit perimenopause earlier, with more severe symptomsHow estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, insulin, and cortisol shape focus and moodThe 25/25 rule for lowering inflammatory visceral fatGut-brain foods: ghee, cooled potatoes, and a brain-supportive taco plateWhy thyroid and ferritin should be checked before an ADHD evaluationHow to advocate for yourself when your doctor dismisses youYou've been working harder than anyone realized. This conversation helps you understand why, and what to do next.RESOURCES MENTIONEDADHD and Women by Dr. Jolene Brightenhttps://drbrighten.com/adhd-and-women/The Dr. Brighten Show / Website: https://drbrighten.com/Instagram: @drjolenebrightenThe Inflammation Codehttps://www.amazon.com/dp/140199699X?tag=usalinktagdefault-20&th=1&psc=1&geniuslink=trueFusionary Formulas SupplementsUse code CODE15 for 15% off your first orderhttps://fusionaryformulas.com/?utm_source=Show+Notes&utm_medium=Show+notes+&utm_campaign=Podcast+promo&utm_id=The+Inflammation+Code+Podcast7-Day Inflammation Detox Challengehttps://www.7dayinflammationdetox.com/Work with Dr. Shivani / Free Discovery Callhttps://shivanigupta.com/CONNECT WITH DR. SHIVANIInstagram: @dr.shivaniguptaWebsite: 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.

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 MENTIONEDCONNECT WITH DR. JILADr. Jila Senemarhttps://www.jilamd.com/Her Time, Her Health Podcast (Dr. Jila Senemar's podcast)The Inflammation Codehttps://www.amazon.com/dp/140199699X?tag=usalinktagdefault-20&th=1&psc=1&geniuslink=trueFusionary Formulas SupplementsUse code CODE15 for 15% off your first orderhttps://fusionaryformulas.com/?utm_source=Show+Notes&utm_medium=Show+notes+&utm_campaign=Podcast+promo&utm_id=The+Inflammation+Code+Podcast7-Day Inflammation Detox Challengehttps://www.7dayinflammationdetox.com/Work with Dr. Shivani / Free Discovery Callhttps://shivanigupta.com/CONNECT WITH DR. SHIVANIInstagram: @dr.shivaniguptaWebsite: https://shivanigupta.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 midlifeThe 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 Codehttps://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% offhttps://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 Detoxhttps://www.7dayinflammationdetox.com/ Free Discovery Call with Dr. Shivanihttps://shivanigupta.com/CONNECT WITH DR. SHIVANIInstagram: @dr.shivaniguptaWebsite: 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.

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 MENTIONEDThe Inflammation Codehttps://www.amazon.com/dp/140199699X?tag=usalinktagdefault-20&th=1&psc=1&geniuslink=trueFusionary Formulas SupplementsUse code CODE15 for 15% off your first orderhttps://fusionaryformulas.com/?utm_source=Show+Notes&utm_medium=Show+notes+&utm_campaign=Podcast+promo&utm_id=The+Inflammation+Code+Podcast7-Day Inflammation Detox Challengehttps://www.7dayinflammationdetox.com/Work with Dr. Shivani / Free Discovery Callhttps://shivanigupta.com/Free Elemental Design Quizhttps://drshivani.com/CONNECT WITH DR. SHIVANIInstagram: @dr.shivaniguptaWebsite: 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.

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 MENTIONEDThe Inflammation Codehttps://www.amazon.com/dp/140199699X?tag=usalinktagdefault-20&th=1&psc=1&geniuslink=trueFusionary Formulas SupplementsUse code CODE15 for 15% off your first orderhttps://fusionaryformulas.com/?utm_source=Show+Notes&utm_medium=Show+notes+&utm_campaign=Podcast+promo&utm_id=The+Inflammation+Code+Podcast7-Day Inflammation Detox Challengehttps://www.7dayinflammationdetox.com/Work with Dr. Shivani / Free Discovery Callhttps://shivanigupta.com/Eat Smarter Family Cookbook by Shawn StevensonAvailable wherever books are soldThe Model Health Showhttps://themodelhealthshow.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnmodel/CONNECT WITH DR. SHIVANIInstagram: @dr.shivaniguptaWebsite: 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.