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On Purpose with Jay Shetty

Celebrity Nutritionist Mona Sharma: Stop Stress Before It Becomes Disease! (Do THIS Before Every Meal)

with Mona Sharma

Published October 8, 2025
View Show Notes

About This Episode

Jay Shetty interviews nutritionist and wellness strategist Mona Sharma about her journey from corporate burnout, heart palpitations, and PCOS to healing through yoga, meditation, holistic nutrition, and nervous system work. Mona explains why she focuses on root causes rather than symptoms, emphasizing stress and nervous system dysregulation as precursors to disease. She shares practical tools like breathwork, visualization, heart coherence, and personalized morning routines to help people shift from chronic stress into a restorative state where true healing can occur.

Topics Covered

Stress management Autonomic nervous system Meditation Trauma Food as medicine Autoimmune disease PCOS Cardiovascular disease Personal Development Breathwork

Disclaimer: We provide independent summaries of podcasts and are not affiliated with or endorsed in any way by any podcast or creator. All podcast names and content are the property of their respective owners. The views and opinions expressed within the podcasts belong solely to the original hosts and guests and do not reflect the views or positions of Summapod.

Quick Takeaways

  • Mona sees most health issues as rooted in unaddressed stress and nervous system dysregulation rather than isolated physical symptoms.
  • Her own experience with corporate burnout, PCOS, significant weight gain, and two heart surgeries led her to reject quick fixes and return to yoga, meditation, and holistic nutrition.
  • Conventional medicine often treats symptoms in isolation; Mona instead runs comprehensive labs while also exploring beliefs, values, and emotional history.
  • She emphasizes three nervous system states-safety, activation, and shutdown-and notes that many high performers get stuck in chronic fight-or-flight.
  • Physical symptoms like digestive issues, poor sleep, low energy, and skin problems are framed as "whispers" from the body asking for course correction.
  • Daily practices like conscious breathing, visualization, and gratitude-based heart coherence can physiologically shift the body into a parasympathetic, healing state.
  • Mona believes the future of medicine will integrate Western diagnostics with ancient practices from yoga and traditional Chinese medicine that work with energy, coherence, and mind-body connection.

Podcast Notes

Introduction and framing of the conversation

Jay welcomes listeners and introduces Mona Sharma

Jay describes On Purpose as the place to listen, learn, and grow[2:02]
• He positions the podcast as the "number one health and wellness podcast" and sets an educational tone
Mona's professional background[2:14]
• Jay introduces Mona as a globally recognized nutritionist, entrepreneur, and corporate wellness strategist working with high-performing individuals
• He notes that she blends Ayurvedic wisdom with cutting-edge science to create personalized health blueprints
• Jay explains that Mona believes "you are the healer," helping clients reconnect with their body's innate ability to heal through nutrition, stress resilience, and holistic practices
Personal connection between Jay and Mona[2:25]
• Jay shares that he and Mona met years earlier when she was helping him with his own health journey
• He reveals he was introduced to her by Will Smith, who is also a client of hers
• Jay recalls that Mona was working with Will's team and others when they first met

Opening question: Why clients come to Mona

Top reasons clients seek her out[3:27]
• Mona says her personal story is what resonates most with people who come to her
• She explains that clients are usually ready to "unlearn" what they think it takes to be healthy in the modern world
• They are prepared to break up with diet culture and worker culture and recognize that their health goals go much deeper than surface metrics
Critique of fragmented, symptom-based medicine[4:10]
• Mona feels there is a disconnect and dissociation in modern medicine, where symptoms are treated in isolation rather than viewing the body as a whole
• She contrasts this with her approach, where clients know they will be working on mind, body, and spirit together
• Jay notes that the holistic approach seems like common sense but is actually counter to current norms where one organ or body part is treated in isolation

Mona's holistic assessment and client process

Integration of Western diagnostics and holistic inquiry

Use of medical testing and data[4:38]
• Mona emphasizes the value of Western medicine and science as one part of her work
• She runs a full panel blood lab on every system in a client's body
• She sometimes measures stress via cortisol tests and uses genetic testing, as she did with Jay
• In some cases, she incorporates MRIs or Dutch tests as part of the assessment
Exploring symptoms, values, and deeper desires[5:43]
• Mona asks new clients: "If I could take away three things, what would it be?" which usually elicits a list of symptoms
• Clients often initially want a straightforward protocol-workout plan, supplement regimen, and food plan-that they can just execute
• She frames this as dieting, a cycle many people have tried repeatedly without long-term success
• Mona then digs deeper to uncover when they last truly felt good in their bodies, which often brings clients to tears
• She explores their limiting beliefs and, as she did with Jay, elicits their core values around healing
• She emphasizes it is not just about a number on a scale or a pant size, but how they truly want to feel and aligning daily steps with that feeling

Influence of the ashram on her strategy

Healing after heart surgeries informed her method[6:39]
• Mona explains that her strategy came from the ashram where she healed from her heart surgeries
• She had been on a "hardcore" protocol that did not work until she did deeper work to uncover the root cause of her suffering
• Addressing emotional and spiritual roots allowed her physical symptoms to go away

Mona's personal journey from corporate burnout to holistic healing

Corporate life and onset of illness

Life in the cosmetic industry[7:14]
• Before working in nutrition, Mona worked in the corporate cosmetic world for luxury cosmetic brands
• On paper, her job sounded fun, but she was working out of alignment and not on purpose
• Her role was in sales, and she ultimately experienced typical corporate burnout
Health issues: digestive problems, PCOS, and heart palpitations[7:41]
• She suffered from digestive issues and developed polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), so severe that doctors told her she would never have children
• Mona began experiencing heart palpitations that would accelerate so rapidly she feared blacking out from simple movements like bending to pick something up
• Exercise or running would nearly cause her to collapse, but in her 20s she was not interested in root causes and only wanted quick fixes
• Her lifestyle involved frequent travel, waking up in hotel rooms not knowing which city she was in, and prioritizing that lifestyle over investigating her health
Diagnosis and initial medical interventions[8:25]
• Cardiologists diagnosed her with atrial tachycardia, extra electrical valves firing in the atrial center of her heart
• The "quick fix" offered was a beta-blocker prescription, which she accepted
• The beta blocker caused her to gain about 45 pounds, left her lethargic, and drained her excitement for life
• She notes that outwardly people may not have realized she was suffering, but she was experiencing significant sadness

Heart surgeries and turning point

First catheter ablation at age 23[8:51]
• Doctors recommended surgery, and at 23 she underwent her first heart surgery, a catheter ablation performed while awake
• One catheter was inserted through her groin and another through her neck, while she was pumped with adrenaline and caffeine to induce palpitations
• After about an hour, doctors located a site to ablate; the ablation felt like an explosion in her chest as they burned off an electrical valve
• The next morning she woke up still experiencing palpitations, leaving her frustrated and questioning why this was happening despite her relatively healthy upbringing
Second surgery and risk of pacemaker[9:39]
• She returned for a second heart surgery; she vividly recalls seeing the wires on a massive screen and having her leg immobilized by a log
• Doctors found another ablation site but warned it was close to her SA node, raising the risk of needing a pacemaker for life if they burned it
• This was a "life flashing before your eyes" moment where she questioned how she had burned out and ended up in this situation in her 20s

Childhood influences: ashram and family health

Growing up between East Indian and Danish cultures[10:25]
• Mona shares that her father is East Indian and her mother is Danish
• Her mother has always suffered from debilitating rheumatoid arthritis, with severely deformed hands
Ashram summers and early exposure to holistic practices[10:43]
• Her mother discovered the Shivananda Ashram in Val-Morin, Quebec, and the family spent summers there
• As a child, Mona practiced yoga and meditation daily at the ashram while other kids attended typical summer camps
• They ate vegetarian food, participated in satsang, spent time in nature, and lived in community
• She noticed clear differences in her parents' health and happiness when they were at the ashram
• The family motto was "eat it, it's good for you," reflecting her mother's willingness to try anything to alleviate her autoimmune disease

Returning to roots instead of another surgery

Rejecting a further ablation[11:19]
• Despite this background, in her 20s Mona had rejected these practices and opted for quick fixes
• When faced with the risk of a pacemaker, she decided the next surgery was not the solution and chose to return to her roots to heal
Training and study in holistic healing modalities[11:27]
• She went back to the Shivananda Ashram and became a yoga teacher and meditation teacher
• Mona later became a Reiki master, holistic nutritionist, and studied NLP, immersing herself in various aspects of human healing for her own health

From hardcore dieting to true healing at the ashram

Life before the ashram: extreme control[12:19]
• Before returning to the ashram, she was already "hardcore" with exercise and dieting
• Her apartment was nicknamed the "house of free"-sugar-free, fat-free, carb-free, etc.-reflecting an extreme, restrictive approach
Shifting to relaxation and emotional processing[12:51]
• At the ashram, she stopped being hardcore and began to relax
• She started listening to the "open running tabs" in her brain and dealing with the actual heartache and emotional pain inside her that doctors had never asked about
• Through yoga, meditation, and other practices at the ashram, she began to heal and never looked back
Physical changes from inner work[13:49]
• Her heart palpitations almost completely disappeared
• The 45 pounds she had gained melted off her body
• She ate more carbohydrates than she had all year due to the vegetarian diet, yet felt her best
• She needed less sleep, felt more energized, and experienced calm, clarity, and happiness, sensing she could be truly happy again
Redefining her professional approach[13:59]
• Mona resolved that if she worked professionally in this field, it could no longer be just about diet and exercise protocols, even though those are important
• She concluded that deeper work is needed to uncover what prevents people from making optimized choices for their own health and happiness

Stress as the root cause and understanding nervous system states

Stress as instigator of disease and overlooked life context

Why people chase symptom relief[14:23]
• Jay observes that people often want to get rid of pain quickly, making it hard to focus on root causes when symptoms are intense
• He notes that this mindset contributes to widespread pill-popping and reliance on generic medications to mask symptoms
Mona's view: begin with stress[14:30]
• Mona says the instigation of everything, and the instigation of all disease, is stress
• She encourages people to investigate when their symptoms started and what was happening in their life at that time
• She recalls that her doctors asked about alcohol and fast food and did a stress test, but never inquired about her personal life context
• They ignored major life stressors like her parents going through a divorce and a major move, as well as the general state of her nervous system

Polyvagal theory and three nervous system states

Safety (rest and digest) state[15:16]
• Mona outlines that one nervous system state is safety: rest, digest, and a feeling that life is good
• In this state, people feel calm, eat when hungry, stop when full, sleep well, and generally feel happy
Activation: fight, flight, or freeze[16:36]
• The activation state is characterized by fight, flight, or freeze responses
• People move into this state when dealing with big projects, major events, or daily pressures
• Many individuals get stuck in this activated state rather than transitioning back to safety
Shutdown/overwhelm state[16:54]
• The third state is overwhelm or shutdown, which can follow prolonged time in fight-or-flight
• She illustrates this as coming home after a stressful day and going straight for a bottle of wine and Netflix
• Although this looks like the stillness of the safety state, it is actually just putting fears and stressors "on a shelf" to face later

Modern stressors and unprocessed trauma

Constant bombardment of stress in modern life[18:04]
• Mona lists daily stressors: environment, obligations, making money, world events, social media, and the news
• For sensitive people, these can be felt intensely, and on social media the brain often cannot distinguish virtual events from events happening in front of us
How unprocessed experiences impact the nervous system[17:20]
• She suggests many listeners may have been stuffing emotions like sadness, fear, worry, and anxiety into their bodies since childhood
• She defines trauma as how the nervous system metabolizes an experience, not only major events like abuse or neglect
• Trauma can stem from experiences others might not notice, such as childhood humiliation, teasing, or a grandmother's hurtful comment that made someone hide their light
• When similar emotional tones reappear later in life, the body relives that frequency unless the original emotions are processed
• Without tools to deregulate, people shift into fight, flight, or freeze repeatedly and normalize that dysregulated state
Mona's own hypervigilance[19:03]
• Mona admits that hypervigilance felt good to her: the harder the challenge, the more she wanted it, seeing it as success
• Staying in that busy, high-adrenaline state helped her stay in her head and avoid feeling what was happening in her body
• Meanwhile she had been stuffing sadness, emotion, fear, worry, and anxiety into her body for years

Balancing stress, purpose, and recovery

Healthy versus unhealthy stress

Acknowledging both ends of the spectrum[19:52]
• Jay notes that while too much stress leads to burnout and illness, complete avoidance of stress and lack of motivation doesn't make people happy or healthy either
• He frames the challenge as finding the right amount of stress that pushes growth without breaking a person
Mona on beneficial stress and cortisol rhythms[20:13]
• Mona says stress is often demonized, but it can be good for us in the right dose and timing
• She notes a healthy cortisol spike in the morning supports drive, ambition, and motivation
• Problems arise when people stay too long in the sympathetic state, leading to cortisol spikes at the wrong times, such as waking between 2-4 a.m. feeling like the world is crashing

Avoidance, purpose, and the need for activity

Risks of staying "comfortable" and inactive[20:41]
• On the other end of the spectrum, some people avoid stress altogether, stay comfortable, and "don't do anything" because they dislike how stress feels
• Mona warns this can backfire in the future as well, as lack of motion leaves people stuck in a way of being
Importance of purpose and service[21:59]
• She encourages deeper investigation: asking how you want to feel, whether you feel productive, and whether you have a sense of purpose
• Mona states that a sense of purpose and service is important for health and fulfillment
• If you're not in motion with your life, she questions what the point is of being here if you're not truly living

Courage to self-examine and build resilience

Facing labels like "lazy" or "busy"[21:38]
• Mona notes it takes a leap of faith and courage to address these issues because people fear being seen as lazy or having their hypervigilance called out
• Recognizing that years of busyness might have meant years of suffering can be confronting
Goal: resilience between stress and rest[22:36]
• She emphasizes building resilience so you can shift between stressful days and mastering relaxation the following day
• Mona uses Jay as an example of someone who is good at going hard and then taking time to recover

Recognizing symptoms and beginning course correction

High performers feeling overworked and exhausted

Common overworked lifestyle description[22:55]
• Jay describes a typical scenario: someone feeling exhausted, overworked, constantly chasing tasks, with weekends full of social and work events, essentially on a nonstop treadmill
• He asks Mona where such a person should start
Step one: awareness of unsustainability[23:29]
• Mona says many high performers she works with live on the go constantly and know they are overworked and overtired
• The first stage is simply becoming aware of being in that state and admitting it is not sustainable long term

How long can stress be sustained?

Role of resilience and repair practices[23:46]
• Mona says how long you can sustain stress depends on your body's resilience and what you are doing to repair
• She contrasts someone like Jay, who prioritizes mornings, meditation, and grounding practices, with people who do not build in any recovery
• She cites a group of men she coaches who aim to "do more, go harder, dream bigger," pushing to harder races like 100-milers, viewing it as a badge of honor
• Society often reinforces this mindset, telling them mind over matter equals success, though Mona says that's not actually the case for health

Symptoms as whispers from the body

Audience exercise listing common symptoms[24:32]
• Mona describes asking audiences how many suffer from anxiety or worry, and hands go up
• She continues with symptoms like tension, digestive issues, heartburn, gas, bloating, poor sleep, muscle aches, low sex drive, and low energy
• She adds brain fog, lack of mental focus, brittle hair, and breakouts to the list
• By the end of the list, every hand in the audience is raised, illustrating how widespread these issues are
Call to action: course correct now[25:11]
• Mona says if you live in a stressed state and answer yes to even one, two, or three of these symptoms, it is time to course correct
• She urges people not to ignore symptoms as she did, describing them as whispers from the body's intelligence
• She emphasizes that the body is communicating every second of every day, not just on Mondays or at the start of the year
• Course correction can begin at any moment, and the body will respond, though it takes time

Tools for nervous system regulation and state change

Immediate regulation tools: breath, movement, and journaling

Simple practices to break the stress cycle[26:09]
• After awareness, Mona says step two is learning modalities to help you shift state
• She highlights taking a deep breath as the first and simplest tool
• She invites listeners to take a long deep breath in and notes that if they needed instruction, they likely do not breathe this way throughout the day
• Other options include meditation, walking, yoga, journaling, and scribble exercises to move thoughts from the brain onto paper
• These practices break the immediate stress cycle, even though they do not make the underlying problems disappear

Going deeper: coaching and visualization

Coaching for persistent emotional states[27:30]
• Mona recommends coaching for those who "just can't shake this feeling" and need extra support to understand what's going on
Best self snapshot and circle of excellence[27:34]
• She describes a coaching modality called a best self snapshot, also known as a circle of excellence
• Visualization is presented as a powerful tool for changing one's state

Visualization of optimal health and daily practice

Guided imagery of optimal health[27:56]
• Mona asks listeners to imagine themselves in their most optimal health and happiness, waking up joyful with well-functioning digestion and a strong body
• She frames visualization of this state as a physiological shift that moves you from sympathetic to parasympathetic nervous system dominance
Timing and personalization of morning routines[28:33]
• Mona recommends practicing visualization first thing in the morning when thoughts are quieter, calling mornings "magic healing" time
• She cautions that her own wellness routine is not a prescription for everyone; just as healing protocols are customized, mindfulness should be unique to each person
• Possible morning practices include meditation, visualization, journaling, walking, or getting sunlight, with the key being finding a place of stillness
• Once in stillness, she suggests asking how you want to feel and what that looks like

Nature-based grounding visualization

Imagining a favorite place in nature[29:03]
• Mona guides listeners to imagine going outside into their favorite place in nature, placing their feet on the ground, and feeling sunlight on their skin
• She asks them to notice how the wind feels, what it looks like, and background sounds like birds chirping, making the scene vivid
Shifting into joy and calm[29:47]
• She then invites listeners to notice how they feel in their body in this imagined state, including happiness, peace, and calm
• She asks whether they can "turn on" the feeling of joy in their body and observe what happens physically when they do
• Mona explains that this practice effectively turns down the volume on distractions and stressors and helps retrain the nervous system when repeated like a muscle

Scientific framing of vibration, frequency, and heart coherence

From skepticism to scientific validation

Changing attitudes toward "vibration" language[30:23]
• Mona recalls that ten years ago, when she talked about shifting a client's vibration from imbalance to balance, people would roll their eyes
• Today, she says words like vibration and frequency are no longer considered "woo-woo" because science increasingly supports them
Citing researchers and her own studies[30:55]
• She references doctors like Bruce Lipton and Joe Dispenza, who use biofeedback to validate that thoughts, feelings, and emotions can change physiology
• Mona shares that she is pursuing a master's degree in quantum healing, convinced there is deep interconnectedness between thoughts, feelings, emotions, and healing

Reconnecting with childhood essence

Helping clients access joy when it's unfamiliar[31:38]
• For clients who do not know what joy feels like in their body, she encourages them to imagine it or revisit childhood memories
• She asks them to remember their childhood "note" or frequency: favorite colors, games, ways of dressing, and how loudly they expressed themselves
• She observes clients' faces light up when recalling those memories, as they reconnect with a sense of oneness before life's burdens accumulated
• Mona recommends guided meditations and visualizations available online to help people practice returning to this feeling

Future of medicine and heart-centered gratitude practices

Integrating Western and Eastern medicine

Ancient practices backed by modern science[32:32]
• Mona believes the future of medicine will integrate Western modalities with Eastern and ancestral practices
• She notes that yoga has used mindfulness, guided meditation, breathwork, and visualization for over 5,000 years
• Traditional Chinese medicine is cited as another system that recognizes the body's energy and internal systems, and how lack of coherence indicates stress
• When coherence returns in these systems, the body shifts into a healthier state

Heart coherence and gratitude practice

HeartMath and resilience of the heart[32:59]
• Mona mentions the HeartMath community, which studies heart resilience and heart coherence
Practical gratitude visualization[33:30]
• She suggests a heart coherence exercise: think of something or someone you love deeply
• She invites listeners to imagine hugging this person, waking up with them in the morning, or traveling with them, and feel how good their presence is
• For parents, she suggests thinking of being present with a child and noticing how work problems dissipate when immersed in that love and gratitude
• She explains that this practice turns down the frequency of stress and that everyone has the superpower to shift their frequency from imbalance to balance

Lessons Learned

Actionable insights and wisdom you can apply to your business, career, and personal life.

1

Chronic stress and nervous system dysregulation are often the root drivers of physical symptoms, so sustainable healing requires addressing stress patterns rather than just masking discomfort.

Reflection Questions:

  • • What physical symptoms in my life (digestive issues, sleep problems, tension, etc.) might actually be signals of chronic stress rather than isolated problems?
  • • How do I typically respond when I feel overwhelmed-do I reach for quick fixes, or do I pause to explore what's really going on beneath the surface?
  • • What is one concrete change I can make this week to reduce a recurring source of stress or to respond to it differently?
2

Awareness of your nervous system state-whether you are in safety, activation, or shutdown-is a prerequisite to choosing the right tools to regulate and recover.

Reflection Questions:

  • • If I scan my last few days, which state (calm safety, fight-or-flight, or shutdown/numbness) have I been spending most of my time in?
  • • How does my behavior change when I move from safety into activation or shutdown, and what early warning signs can I watch for?
  • • What simple regulation practice (breath, walk, journaling, stillness) can I commit to using the next time I notice myself stuck in fight-or-flight or collapse?
3

Symptoms are "whispers" from the body's intelligence, and listening early-rather than waiting for a crisis-allows you to course-correct before damage accumulates.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Which minor but persistent symptoms have I been ignoring or normalizing as just part of life?
  • • How might my life look different a year from now if I treated those symptoms as important feedback instead of inconveniences?
  • • What is one small, specific step I can take this week to investigate or address a symptom I've been brushing off?
4

Intentional visualization and gratitude practices can physiologically shift you into a parasympathetic, healing state by changing your emotional and mental "frequency."

Reflection Questions:

  • • When I imagine my most optimally healthy and joyful self, what details stand out about how I feel, move, and think?
  • • How could building a short, daily visualization or gratitude practice into my mornings change the tone of my day over the next month?
  • • What concrete scene-favorite place in nature or time with someone I love-can I choose as my go-to mental image to generate calm and gratitude on demand?
5

Your healing and mindfulness routines should be personalized; the best practices are the ones you will actually do consistently and that genuinely help you feel grounded and aligned.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Which practices (meditation, walking, journaling, yoga, etc.) have historically helped me feel most centered and present in my body?
  • • How can I experiment over the next two weeks to discover a morning or evening routine that fits my life instead of copying someone else's?
  • • What is one small change I can make to tomorrow morning to make it more of a "magic healing" time for me personally?

Episode Summary - Notes by Spencer

Celebrity Nutritionist Mona Sharma: Stop Stress Before It Becomes Disease! (Do THIS Before Every Meal)
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