Meet Dr. Hanisha Patel of Mahan Health

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Hanisha Patel. 

Hi Dr. Patel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I received my Bachelor of Sciences in Pharmaceutical Sciences from The Ohio State University. While I was in school, I learned about hundreds of pharmaceuticals – most of which had side effects that led to the need for another medication. I found that it was a downward spiral of medications on medications for many people. This didn’t make sense to me nor did I want to feel doomed to be on multiple medications as I aged. 

I decided to explore other options of healing and ironically remembered that I am of Indian descent and my family has used Ayurvedic medicine since I was born. Ayurvedic medicine is an ancient Indian medicine that teaches food, movement, and mindset are all important medicine that can impact our well-being. The turmeric lattes that have become popular now were a staple in our house any time we felt sick. Of course, my mom put way more turmeric in our drinks than you can get at any cafe which made it taste extremely bitter – but it worked. We always felt better after we had our golden milk or haldi dood. 

This, along with traveling to Guatemala and learning about their traditional medicines and organic farming practices helped me realize there was a lot more out there than pharmaceuticals. 

As I explored traditional medicines of my ancestors I stumbled upon Naturopathic Medicine. I felt aligned with concept of naturopathic medicine that the body has the innate ability to heal itself if given the right tools. I loved that the medicine focused on healing from a mind, body, and spirit perspective. I applied, interviewed, and started at Bastyr University California within a year of learning about the medicine. 

As I embarked in my journey to help others heal in naturopathic medical school, I had the opportunity to heal myself. Until I attended naturopathic medical school, I thought my “minor” symptoms were normal. I would have one bowel movement a week, irregular menstrual cycles, joint pain, low back pain, difficulty focusing and with memory, allergies, and sinus congestion. Conventionally, there were no solutions but naturopathic medicine had the answers for me. With extensive lab testing, I was able to discover I had Hashimotos Hypothyroidism. After working with the naturopathic doctor, I was able to reverse all of my symptoms and truly understand what it means to experience “mahan” or “great” health. 

That’s why now, nothing but Mahan health makes sense to me, and I am passionate about helping others experience that as well. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
This journey was anything but smooth. However, I’ve learned that anything that is truly soul-filling is never easy but always worth it. 

Naturopathic medical school itself was difficult. I experienced my first panic attack with all the stress from medical school and my personal life. Beyond the struggles of 13–14-hour days in medical school, there was a lot of negative stigma around naturopathic medicine or complementary and alternative medicine in general. My parents were not supportive of my decision to take this path and most of my friends did not understand it. It is still not licensed in many states including Ohio but we are actively working on making it more accessible through legislative ventures. 

Outside of the stigma and the process of becoming a doctor, I also decided to start my own practice. My practice, Mahan Health, opened January 2020. And we all know what happened in March 2020… This itself was a challenge, but the networking/outreach efforts I made prior to starting my practice really helped me sustain and I was actually able to exceed my goals for 2020. 

From that point, we had gotten into a steady groove with a small practice consisting of me and our admin, Hayley. Things where fairly smooth sailing until Hayley was diagnosed with cancer in November of 2021 and eventually passed June 11, 2022. This was another rock in the boat as she had been with me from the beginning. So not only did I lose my admin person, I also lost a good friend. 

Alas, we are bouncing back in the practice today as we were able to hire a new health coach and admin who are both amazing. We are also currently in the process of hiring a new doctor to support more people. This will be extremely helpful as there is about a 6-8 week waiting period for an initial appointment right now. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Mahan means “great” in Sanskrit and it only makes sense to have the absolute best when it comes to your health. 

Mahan Health is a results-driven practice. We see REAL, sustainable results. At Mahan Health, before we resort to pharmaceuticals and surgery, we get to know YOU. We don’t treat the disease. We treat all of you, as the whole and unique individual that you are! 

We consider ourselves health detectives because we discover the ins and outs of your life. We get to know your entire health journey so we can find the underlying cause(s) of your symptoms. We go beyond understanding your past medical history, family medical history, allergies, and preventative screenings. We ask you about your complete health journey from birth until now starting with were you a vaginal delivery baby or c-section? What was your history of antibiotic and steroid use? What are your current diet and exercise habits like? What are your stressors, past stressors/trauma, and stress relievers? What are environmental toxins that you might have been exposed to? 

After we find out the WHY, we formulate an individualized wellness plan using the tools in our naturopathic toolbox, like nutrition, supplementation, herbal medicine, stress management, physical medicine, and as needed, pharmaceuticals and surgery to treat you, the patient. 

Your genetic and environmental makeup is what makes you uniquely you. At Mahan Health, we believe your wellness plan should reflect that. 

What matters most to you? Why?
Health. Without our health, we are not able to do the things we love and enjoy. This is why I created Mahan Health. 

To me, Mahan Health means having the ability to live the life you desire. For some, that means having the strength to climb Machu Picchu or become a ninja warrior, while for others, it may mean having the energy to play with their grandchildren or the option to have children of their own. 

Whatever it is that you dream of, I believe you can do it if you experience Mahan health. That’s what it comes down to for me – being able, in mind, body, and spirit to truly follow your dreams. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mahanhealth.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holistichanisha/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/holistichanisha
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC08RAKhxP1x8aDlZL8O2IAw
• Other: https://anchor.fm/mahanhealth

Image Credits
Brandon Goodyear