Meet The Vibrant Nature Lover, Dr. Poorvi aka 'Herbeshwari'!

By Ruchi Sharma

'Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.'- Albert Einstein

At Girls Buzz we always believe in finding inspiration from all the lovely women out there who are carving their way into the world doing something they love and yet are working towards making everyone's life better. And that's how we came across a beautiful instagram account @herbeshwari. Apart from the beautiful unique name, the amazing content was so close to nature, that it attracted us towards it, and when we met the person behind it all, we were stunned with her positivity and contagious energetic vibes. Meet Dr. Poorvi Bhat, a Naturopathic Doctor, her love for nature is what makes her truly special, and she is one doctor you would actually look forward to meet! 

She is a Naturopathic doctor and nutritionist who believes nutrition is not about things like forbidden foods or diet plans, rather eaiting intuitively and mindfully is the key. Wow! That had us intrigued already.

We spoke to Poorvi about how the life of a Naturopathic Doctor looks like, her aspirations and all about her. We are sure you will feel her vibrant vibes all the way across when you read this interview. So scroll down to read about her and we are sure you will be super inspired!

• Hi Poorvi! We would love to know more about you, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Hey there! I don't know what to say here, I started thinking about my identity as a whole and lost track! But to put short, I am a Naturopathic doctor and Nutritionist, I just got back from London and have quite the love for nature, food and culture in general

• We can already feel your energetic vibes! So, what’s the mystery behind this beautiful name ‘herbeshwari’?

The name came to me in a dream along with the whole idea, the goddess of forests told me to share the things I could see around me. Eshwari is a suffix my friends and I have used for ages and so herbeshwari was just a natural extension of that, it just clicked!

• How did the idea of ‘Herbeshwari’ come into existence?

It was during the first wave of COVID and we were on a farm during the monsoon. The ground was carpeted with beautiful herbs and after several years of being buried in work, I was able to spend some time looking at them. It is then that I felt I should share some things about the plants I see around me and voila - my alter ego was born. I am an intensely private person but I felt compelled to talk about the plants and somehow that led to me talking about everything on my page as I do now.

• What does your typical work day look like? Anything special you do for maintaining your calm during your hectic schedule?

My days are chaos - no two days are remotely alike. Until recently I was assisting a metabolic research team in King’s College with a study on IBS which took a good portion of my time. I simultaneously launched my own private practice and work as a consultant nutritionist which takes up the remainder of my hours.

Now that I am back in India, I am no longer doing research in a lab but spending my time with field work. My father and I are currently on a botanical expedition to study endemic plants in their natural habitats in South Canara. Our aim is to learn how to grow these plants in a bid to save them as urbanisation is leading to a mass extinction of these species. 

Time management was never my strong suit but I am getting better. I chunk my time into blocks to organise myself - having certain fixed call hours, messaging hours and time to read or pursue my hobbies too. I am usually on calls with clients for a few hours a day and the remainder is spent on other passion projects related to food and botany. Spending time with animals is what helps me maintain my composure best - if that is not an option then I like walking, a glass of wine with friends or just sleeping. 

• Wow! That's inspiring, so that brings us to the next question, being a Naturopathic doctor, how have the last few years helped you grow as a person?

In order to become a doctor in India - it requires 5.5 years of commitment and often a sacrifice of your social life. My whole youth was dedicated to studies. I used to get about 10 days of vacation in a year and spent almost all my time buried in books. I studied in a village and found scarce company with my interests so I spent my free time pursuing intellectual hobbies. 

I think the solitude gave me time to think - it helped me digest complex philosophical topics and also understand the human body very intimately. I would not have been able to get a gold medal in college had I the distractions I have today! 

When you study Naturopathy, you have to live like a Naturopath - that means doing compulsory yoga everyday, waking up early in the morning, chanting shlokas and learning philosophy - and we did that for nearly 6 years. That sort of experience changes you forever. 

• You have mentioned in your profile that your family has been into Ayurveda since the 1800s! Wow! Please tell us more about it.

My maternal great grandfather was an Ayurvedic doctor and my grandmother carried his lineage of being a traditional healer as well. My mother specialises in making over 200 Ayurvedic medicines according to the classical texts - she trained for close to a decade under one of the most eminent Ayurvedic doctors in India. 

Both my parents took interest in Ayurveda and started rediscovering our roots in the early 90s and established one of the first certified organic Ayurvedic medicine manufacturing companies in the world. My father is responsible for growing hundreds of Ayurvedic herbs and established South Asia's first certified organic dairy on one of our farms. My mother works with our doctors in manufacturing the medicines, which we mainly export. 

The plan was always for me to study Ayurveda, but it never felt right and I impulsively decided to do Naturopathy instead. I think the cosmos always has a different plan than the one we have:) 

• You live on a farm, right? It must be a heaven to stay amongst those lush greens. Can you tell us more about that?

I spent half my life in farms and the other in urban and city landscapes. Growing up on a farm was a unique experience - it has its pros and cons. It is of course beautiful but I had a very minimal social life, and my only interaction with my peers was in school. There was no wifi back in the day and so most of my time was spent with animals or reading by myself. It is a personality-shaping experience nonetheless and I quite like my solitude.

• What/ Who has been your biggest inspiration in this amazing journey?

It was my mother that pushed me to study medicine, because despite having such an old lineage in Ayurveda, we did not have a qualified AYUSH doctor in the family. I always told her that I would either credit her or blame her when asked about my career - so as of now I am crediting her haha! 

• Any experience that comes to your mind when you think of a memorable one?

The one that suddenly came to mind was when I made my first batch of Chawanprash last year. My mother taught me how to make it the old school way and I only got 2 bottles, one which I kept for myself and the other which I sent to my grandmother. It was not perfect but it was a proud moment for me.

• Your instagram handle- ‘Herbeshwari’ is full of amazing tips and content, if you had to pick your favourite one, which one would it be?

I honestly love telling stories, my flatmate once saw a post I had put up and said “this was what we spoke about yesterday!” - and it occurred to me that this entire page was just conversations I had with people around me. My inspiration is the questions people ask me, the discussions I have with peers and friends and increasingly, conversations I have had with myself too. I think the power of a story is infinite - it can change your whole thinking.

• What is the one best advice you received that is like your go to mantra?

I think the one that strongly resonates with me is one my father told me - “You can fool the whole world, but you cannot fool yourself”. In a world that is seemingly full of shallow networking, talking to people solely based on what they can do for you and judging people at face value,  I believe authenticy holds great intrinsic value and I try to stay true to myself. 

• We are sure our audience has the same question as us, can you share some tips and nuskhas to help with daily problems women face like painful periods, acne etc.?

If I had to say one thing to all women, it is not just your diet and exercise but sleep, stress levels and water intake also impact your health as well. I find that starting small always helps, so rather than giving any specific remedy, I would suggest identifying what your underlying problem is and trying to address that rather than running towards a cure - you will definitely have a better result with this approach.

• Any challenges you face being a naturopathic doctor?

I often feel caught between two very different worlds. At one end, I am in a world of evidence-based medicine and in research environments, especially back in London. On the other hand - holistic medicine is far more experiential and less data driven. I always strive to practise between these worlds. Somewhere in the mix the wildcard of my family’s traditional knowledge also holds weightage. This can be a little challenging since all three often go in different directions, but my ultimate aim is to always walk the middle path.

• Where do you envision yourself in the next few years?

I honestly have no idea - but I predict I will be assisting my family in the Ayurvedic manufacturing business and also continuing my private practice. I pride myself in being a polyglot, and want to pursue diverse interests. I see myself back in London too, I don't know where all these ideas intersect but I will find a way! I am sure I will be studying on and off my whole life. I always envisioned myself doing a niche quality job rather than one which caters to a large population as that suits my temperament and skill set. I want to write more, and really hope that I can explore that front as well in the coming years. 

• If you had one piece of advice for all women out there, what would it be?

You do not have to compromise on your beliefs in order to succeed in life, rather than comparing yourself to others, spend the same time cultivating your own knowledge and be true to the voice in your head.

Wow! That was one amazing interview, you can follow Poorvi on Instagram @herbeshwari, for some amazing tips and content that will bring you much closer to nature! You can even reach out to her on her website https://www.herbeshwari.com/ for consultations.