Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Saru Bala. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Saru thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

Growing up with immigrant parents, my whole life I was always told from all my family members and people within our community that I have to work hard and be the usual “doctor, engineer, lawyer, etc.”

But, my mom would always tell me to do what I love, and to do it well. She would always emphasize the importance of my happiness being my marker for success, rather than how much money I’d make.

Living in a world where money and power equate success, this lesson has been something I still so much appreciate. Even deciding to go into the world of integrative medicine over a decade ago, everyone questioned why I’d go off the beaten path, but it’s what felt right to me. It’s what made me happy.

Even still, I frequently question whether the things I’m doing are bringing me joy- especially when things start getting hard with owning my own business, while juggling being a wife and mom.

I remind myself about how much I enjoy educating women and providing them with integrative options for their hormonal concerns, and I focus on how I can do that in a way that’s able to serve me AND my community.

Saru, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I got into the women’s health space because I saw a deep need for education. So many women are unaware of what’s going on in their bodies, what’s happening when they have a period, what’s considered normal, and what requires some attention.

We grow up being told period pain, PMS, and feeling miserable every month is normal. I wanted to move away from that stigma and show women that we can be pain free, energetic, and not feel anxious and depressed just because of our periods.

It’s especially important that young girls grow up knowing how to take care of their body. We require different needs, and no one teaches you that. Sex education is about how to use period products, or when to wear deodorant. No one talks about nutrition, the importance of sleep, how to manage your stress, etc.

And if they’ve already grown up thinking they just have to deal with their periods, I wanted to educate those women to know that their hormonal concerns DO have solutions other than birth control to manage the issue. Their hormones CAN be managed through proper nutrition, lifestyle changes, herbs, supplements, and healthy habits.

I teach women how to do this every single day and I love being in that education space.

I provide 1:1 consultations, group coaching, and self paced courses to demystify women’s hormones, women’s bodies, and educate women about exactly how to understand their body and give it what it needs for healthy periods and hormones.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

Absolutely. The more I got into the women’s health space, the more blatant it was how little information is out there for women.

The internet is full of “do this, don’t do that,” and some of it’s reputable, but much of it, is not. A lot of it is women who had to DIY their health and are now teaching other women. This may be helpful for some, but a lot of the times, it’s harmful.

Everyone has different needs, health history, situations, etc. It’s important to take those into consideration. And as a doctor, I can take into account all the context behind someone’s health and be able to help them achieve their goal.

I hear over and over, day in and day out from women that they felt unheard, dismissed, and pushed out the door without any answers to their questions.

So I feel really grateful to be in the space I’m in, and be able to educate the population I do.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I graduated medical school, I thought I’d work at a clinic, clock in and see patients, clock out and go home. That’s what you think about when you hear about being a doctor. You see patients. You help people heal.

But after graduating and opening practice, I realized that’s not at all the reality. I am a business owner. I’m an educator. I’m a mom. I’m a wife. AND I’m a doctor.

Realizing that I was a business owner and having to start and maintain not only a business, but also keep up with the medical and clinical aspect of life was a big shock to me. I was never trained to be in business. I was trained in biology, medicine, science. I had no idea what I was doing.

I really had to get serious about learning how to be a businesswoman, and that was such a huge shift for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.drsarubala.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/drsarubala
• Facebook: facebook.com/drsarubala
• Other: Tiktok: @drsarubala