In this powerful episode of The Functional & Integrative Medicine Podcast for Providers, host Ginger Allen speaks with Dr. Sudha Kumar — a board-certified physician with over 30 years of experience in Western medicine and advanced training in integrative and functional care.
Dr. Kumar shares her inspiring transition from high-intensity neonatal and critical care to a root-cause approach focused on prevention, hormonal health, and lifestyle medicine. Her personal health struggles — including adrenal fatigue, thyroid dysfunction, and insulin resistance — led her to discover the healing power of bioidentical hormones, micronutrient therapy, and functional diagnostics.
This episode covers:
✅ Dr. Kumar’s personal journey healing herself with integrative medicine
✅ The top root causes of chronic illness: gut health, stress, toxins, and hormone imbalance
✅ Why conventional medicine often overlooks lifestyle and hormonal root causes
✅ How functional labs and personalized diagnostics reveal the full picture
✅ A functional medicine approach to perimenopause, insomnia, brain fog, and mid-belly weight gain
✅ The science behind micronutrients, mitochondrial health, and intestinal permeability
✅ The critical role of estrogen receptors in the gut and brain — and why HRT matters
Dr. Kumar’s message is clear: functional medicine isn’t “alternative” — it’s evidence-based, biochemical, and personalized. Her story is a testament to the healing possible when providers use root-cause thinking in their own lives and practices.
🎧 Listen now: [Insert podcast link]
🌐 Learn more: HolisticHealthMD.com
📍 Dr. Kumar is based in Virginia and sees patients virtually