profile

Varsha Khatri

Hello! Thank you for stopping by. My name is Varsha and I am the founder of Illuminated Health. I am a qualified nutritionist and ayurveda consultant who specialises in women's health, type 2 diabetes and digestive wellbeing. I love what I do so much that I am currently a PhD student in Food Innovation and Sustainable Nutrition. In my newsletters, I like to keep it real and practical. I love to share my knowledge and experience with all things related to holistic health. You will also hear about my student journey and my family. I love hearing from my readers, so please do say hi once you have subscribed! Wishing you health and happiness, Varsha

Featured Post

Why I chose PCOS

Hello Reader When it came to choosing a research topic, everyone assumed that I would have chosen something to do with digestive health. It made sense as it is a core part of my clinical practice. However, PhD-level research requires you to identify a genuine gap in science, a place where the current understanding is failing people. I knew I wanted to bridge the gap between Modern Nutrition and Ayurveda, which has been a focus of mine for nearly two decades. So, I started thinking about my...

Hello Reader My kids sometimes say to me, mummy you have so many "jobs." It is not that they think I do too much, but it is the fact that they know that I wear multiple hats. If anything, it shows them that I do not have to follow the "norm" with one title and that I can do multiple things all at once. At the end of the day, I follow my passion and purpose in life. Many people cannot even keep up with "what I am up to these days." Therefore, I have spent a lot of time recently thinking about...

Nutrition Consultation Free Resources Buy My Book Join Membership Hello Reader Have you seen the advert about how Nurofen is committed to "closing the gender pain gap by making women's pain more visible in healthcare"? Have you heard about the case of the unfair dismissal of a woman who was suffering through endometriosis? Did you also know that until the 1990s, women were largely excluded from clinical trials in the United States? And even today, much of the "standard" nutritional advice we...

Hello Reader Within my clinical work as a nutritionist and diabetes coach as well as my research and academia life, I see a recurring pattern that actually breaks my heart. It often starts with a scroll through social media. You see the posts: "Do these 10 things daily to be unrecognisable in a month." "Eat these 12 'superfoods' to fix your PCOS in 10 days." "The 7-step morning routine for perfect metabolic health." This is what I call the "Optimisation Trap." Don’t get me wrong. As a...

Hello Reader Question for you. What place or room in your home is your favourite spot? Or where do you tend to gravitate towards? In my home, we all gravitate towards the kitchen. We hang out in the kitchen, do homework in there, have conversations, cook together, have family meal times and so forth. The kitchen is a place where we all come together. The kitchen holds so much healing and therapeutic energy. Think about it: Your spice rack is essentially a cabinet of home remedies The meals...

Hello Reader How are you? (Do reply to this email and let me know!) It has been quite some time since I have written and sent out a Thursday newsletter. It is a bit of a long one today, but it is worth the read! Following my announcement of starting my PhD, I took a bit of "break" from sending newsletters. I am now back with a lot more to offer! Beyond my years of work within the clinical setting, I am also now involved academically, from teaching and supervising to doing research. As it...

Hello Reader Earlier this week, I took part in a drug and alcohol training session for health care practitioners to learn more about its use and misuse. One message really stood out: there is no safe level of drinking. That’s because when it comes to alcohol, you never truly know what damage might be happening behind the scenes. If you know me, you know that I am not a particular fan of alcohol. I do not drink much and this is purely a personal choice, one that has often raised eyebrows,...

Hello Reader Probiotics are often widely misused and misunderstood. Yet they are so vital for balanced health as they do so much more than aid digestion. Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria, and the balance between “good” and “bad” bacteria is crucial for your digestive health. By introducing more probiotic-rich foods into your diet, you can boost your gut flora and start feeling the benefits almost immediately. Some of the most popular probiotic-rich foods include: Kefir – Packed with...

Hello Reader Have you ever wondered why certain foods make you feel great, while others seem to leave you bloated, tired, or sluggish? In Ayurveda, the digestive system is considered to be the foundation of health, and the ancient wisdom surrounding it is incredibly powerful. One of the core principles in Ayurveda is the idea of Agni – your digestive fire. When your Agni is strong, your digestion is efficient and therefore your body thrives. But when Agni is weak, your gut becomes sluggish,...

Hello Reader The other day, I was shadowing a group wellbeing session for individuals in recovery from drug and alcohol misuse. The group was discussing various aspects of physical and emotional health, and one of the guided talking points was about dopamine, the “feel good” neurotransmitter. As the conversation unfolded, I was asked to share my professional insights into how dopamine works. I explained that it is not just a neurotransmitter responsible for pleasure and reward, but also plays...