Brown Women Health

In this episode of the Brown Women Health podcast, co-anchors Tanushri Akula and Priya Sanghvi are joined by Dr. Mukta Chauhan, DPT, for the final installment of our sexual health mini-series. Dr. Chauhan shares her expertise on the topic and answers some common questions related to pelvic floor dysfunction, such as the difference between pelvic health and gynecology, common signs of pelvic floor...

In this episode of the Brown Women Health Podcast, anchor Pooja Vellury and podcast director Tanushri Akula are joined by special guest Bushra Mollick.  Bushra is an expert in providing culturally sensitive and aware sexual education and has created a Bengali language education website ( www.bdsexeducation.com/ ) and a social media presence (Instagram: @bushraapa) to break down the sex stigma...

Happy Galentine's Day! On this special episode of the Brown Women Health Podcast, join new anchor Mariam Khan with Ameek in talking about a topic that's crucial to our health and wellbeing: sexual health. Unfortunately, sexuality and izzat (honor/shame) are often linked in South Asian culture, but we believe that it's time for us to break down these barriers and take control of our bodies. This Va...

Happy New Year! We hope that you have a wonderful 2023 :D In honor of setting New Years Resolutions, we wanted to post a #ThrowbackThursday of a recent podcast we taped on nutrition, sleep and fitness. Enjoy this snippet of a conversation we had with Anita Mirchandani, a registered dietitian and certified fitness professional. Catch the full episode 'Expert Dietitian Reveals the Simple Trick to Ac...

In this episode, Ameek is joined by guest speakers Prabhnoor & Naviya, recent psychotherapy graduates and currently practicing therapists. Prabhnoor and Naviya are mental health advocates who started their own podcast, So Tell Me More: A Dive into Psychotherapy, with the goal of raising awareness of mental health and psychotherapy topics in an accessible way. They have featured various speaker...

Welcome to the "Brown Women Health Podcast," where co-anchors Tanushri and Ameek dive into all things health and wellness with a focus on the experiences and perspectives of South Asian women. In this episode, join Tanushri and Ameek as they sit down with registered dietitian nutritionist, exercise specialist, and certified fitness professional Anita Mirchandani. They'll discuss the important conn...

Get the Inside Scoop on Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention in the South Asian Community. Join co-anchors Tanushri and Ameek on the "Brown Women Health Podcast" for a vital conversation about breast cancer awareness and prevention in the South Asian community. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, they sit down with Dr. Beenish Bhaidani, an OBGYN based in the United States. Did you know th...

Join us on the Brown Women Health Podcast for a groundbreaking conversation about reproductive health in the South Asian LGBTQ+ community. They sit down with Alyy Patel, a trailblazing LGBTQ+ activist, author, scholar, and influencer. Recently, Alyy published their first book Don't Tell My Parents: Queer Diasporic Truths which challenges enforced assimilation and empowers readers to embrace their...

In this episode, listen to Simar and Ishani interview Toral Shah, Founder of The Urban Kichen, a Nutritional Scientist, Integrative Medicine Practitioner, Health writer, and Consultant.  Toral is a passionate educator, researcher and advocate for breast cancer prevention and uses evidence-based science and nutrition along with lifestyle medicine to help optimize health and reduce the risk of...

Many of us have marked becoming and being successful with academic and professional achievements. At a certain point in our lives, typically mid 20s (from Marisa's personal and client experience), that slows down or plateaus (done with school, working).  At this stage, we may feel as though we've lost our sense of purpose, are hard on ourselves for not being 'productive enough' each day, or n...

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, hear a snippet of Dr. Simran Malhotra's story of being a BRCA Previvor. Dr. Malhotra, MD is an Internist and Palliative Medicine specialist, as well as a BRCA previvor. After having a conversation regarding cancer and its stigmas in the South Asian community, listen to Simran's personal story with cancer and going through different surgeries in the midst...

Endometriosis is a common but often misunderstood condition that affects around 10% of people globally, including many South Asian women. In this episode, Tanushri talks to Elizabeth K'mali, an endometriosis survivor and advocate, about her personal experience with the disease and the challenges she has faced as a South Asian woman with endometriosis. Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to th...

Pap smears sound uncomfortable, but they don't have to be! I know I have a bit of fear surrounding them as well. Listen to this candid snippet between Ameek and Dr. Vaidehi Mujumdar on decreasing your discomfort around pap smears.  This is only a preview of our podcast with Dr. Mujumdar. Listen to the full thing "Everything You Need to Know About Pap Smears" on our page.

What are some of the most common menstrual myths you’ve heard in our community? Have you ever felt period shame before? There’s so much to unpack here. Today, as part of our Know Your Rights, Period. Series co-produced by Mrinal Gokhale, we are having a special Instagram live with Megha Desai, the President of The Desai Foundation The Desai Foundation is a public foundation that aims to elevate th...

September is PCOS Awareness Month! In this episode with Dr. Ami Patel, PharmD, BCPS, we cover ways to combine traditional and holistic practices to manage PCOS, as well as the high prevalence of PCOS among South Asians. We also briefly talk about period health. Ami can be found on Instagram and Tik Tok at PCOS.holistic.coach, or her website pcosholisticcoach.com . This episode is part of our Know...

It's time for you to Know Your Rights, Period. Mrinal Gokhale (she/her) is a tech professional, mental health advocate, freelance writer, and author. Her first book, Saaya Unveiled: South Asian Mental Health Spotlighted, is a collection of true stories that illustrate mental health stigma in South Asian cultures. This episode is an introduction of the Brown Women Health Menstruation Mini Series, c...

Anemia is a common but often overlooked health condition, especially in the South Asian community. In this episode of the Brown Women Health podcast, host Mrinal Gokhale and Ameek Bindra sit down with journalist and world traveler Aleenah Ansari to discuss her personal journey with anemia and the importance of self-advocacy when it comes to seeking medical care. Aleenah Ansari (she/her) shares her...

With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, now is the time to educate yourself on reproductive health. From period poverty and shame to high prevalence of reproductive disorders, student doctor Pallavi Mhaskar has seen it all.  Join Pallavi to discuss the biggest myths, medical treatment barriers, and stigmas on menstrual health in the South Asian community, and how YOU can help change the narrativ...

Cervical cancer is a highly preventable and treatable disease, but too often it goes undetected due to a lack of awareness and misunderstandings about screening. In the latest episode of the Brown Women Health Podcast, host Ameek speaks with Dr. Vaidehi Mujumdar, MD to shed light on this important issue and share crucial information about cervical cancer prevention and early detection. Did you kno...

What is intergenerational trauma? Whether its the effects of grandparents living through the Partition or our parents facing increased racism post-9/11, there have been many sources of trauma that have been passed down generations. But along with trauma comes impact on our emotional, mental, and physical healths! Join us in conversation with Dr. Preety Salh, a physician who you can find on popular...

How hard is it to balance modeling with medicine while being an undergraduate student? Listen to our podcast with Ashna Gray, a model, pre med undergraduate student and an influencer on Tik Tok and Instagram to find out! We are so grateful to her for sharing her own journey of battling her insecurities to modeling and medicine. In out latest conversation, we cover everything from: 1. Conscious Liv...

71% of Indian girls have no knowledge about menstrual health until after their first period. And we've all seen the lack of dialogue surrounding periods due to taboos. Join Ameek & Ishani on a thorough interview with Kaman (@KamanMPH), where we talk about everything menstruation from stigmas in India, language surrounding periods, the lack of research, and how to explain periods to kids and ev...

Bollywood is consumed by millions of people globally and the effects of the Hindi Film Industry are huge. Join us for a conversation between two huge Bollywood fans, Ameek Bindra & Tanya Marwaha, where we go through our favorite Bollywood films and talk how mental health has been treated in this industry. At the end, we have a fun rapid fire round inspired by the renown Karan Johar! Check out...

There is a lack of knowledge around eating disorders and stigma within the South Asian community. The misinformation and stigma contributes to many barriers for South Asians seeking help when it comes to eating disorders.  In addition to all of this, psychiatrists fear that the past year (lockdown) has caused a rapid rise in the number of people experiencing anorexia and bulimia. For many Sou...

Can cancer survivors have children? How can survivors and current patients seeking treatment be more aware about family planning? What are some of the most important factors to look at? There are four subspecialties of Ob/Gyn, where one is the sub-field of Oncofertility. Listen to our chat with Dr. Vaidehi Mujumdar, MD, where we answer the above questions and more.  Follow Brown Women Health...