11: Ancient Wisdom: Modern Science with Michelle Hammond and guest Geeta Vara11: Ancient Wisdom: Modern Science with Michelle Hammond and guest Geeta Vara
UK Health Radio Podcast
Michelle Hammond talks with ayurvedic practitioner and author Geeta Vara about Ayurveda, gut health, rejuvenation and practical rituals for healthy ageing. The discussion touches on doshas, midlife changes, and how simple, nature-based habits can build resilience and nourishment.
41:41•18 Jun 2026
Ancient Ayurveda, Modern Longevity: Geeta Vara on Keeping Life Juicy
Episode Overview
- Ayurveda views the body as a complete ecosystem, focusing on root causes, prevention, and each person’s unique constitution.
- Digestive health is seen as the starting point for both disease and healing, with early signs like bloating, bad breath and skin changes treated as important signals.
- Consultations use tools like pulse and tongue reading, plus in‑depth lifestyle and emotional discussion, rather than quick symptom-based fixes.
- Rasāyana emphasises replenishing and nourishing the body’s tissues and immunity instead of constant detoxing and optimisation.
- Simple daily practices such as eating only when hungry, tongue scraping, gentle breath work and early-morning sunlight can support resilience and healthy ageing.
“"It's not about stripping away, it's about replenishing, nourishing the tissues deeply."”
What drives someone to seek a life that actually feels nourishing, rather than just "optimised"? This conversation on UK Health Radio brings together host Michelle Hammond and ayurvedic practitioner and author Geeta Vara to look at how a 5,000‑year‑old health system still fits modern lives, ageing, and stress. Geeta shares how Ayurveda "found" her, moving her from a business degree and Western nutrition to a practice that sees the body as an "eco-complete system".
She explains Ayurveda as the science of life, focused on root causes and prevention as much as cure, with core ideas like the three doshas (vata, pitta, kapha) and digestion as the foundation of health. If you like practical detail, you’ll appreciate her simple early-warning signs of imbalance, from smelly flatulence and bad breath to dry skin and poor sleep.
You’ll also get a feel for what actually happens in an ayurvedic consultation: pulse and tongue reading, in‑depth conversations about lifestyle and emotions, and a focus on digestive fire rather than a quick prescription. As Geeta puts it, "a lot of our physical ailments... are actually rooted in mental and emotional stress." Her first book introduces Ayurveda and gut health; her new book, Rasāyana, shifts the focus to rejuvenation and longevity.
She contrasts today’s biohacking culture with the gentler ayurvedic goal of resilience and nourishment: "It's not about stripping away, it's about replenishing, nourishing the tissues deeply." Menopause, midlife changes, and the gap between lifespan and healthspan are all discussed through this lens of personal constitution and rhythm. The episode rounds off with easy, no-gadget habits anyone can try: tongue scraping, eating only when hungry, gentle breath work, and early-morning sun on your face.
If you’re curious about feeling "juicy" rather than just surviving, this chat might spark a fresh look at your daily routine. Which of these small practices could you try this week to build real nourishment into your day?
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