In the middle of her medical residency, Dr. Tasneem Bhatia—widely known as Dr. Taz—began losing her hair. As a newly minted doctor with years of medical education behind her, she was baffled. “My eating was off, my sleep was off, I didn’t know how to take care of myself,” she recalls. Alongside the hair loss came acne, joint pain, weight gain, and fatigue. Despite these glaring signs, she kept pushing through—until she couldn’t.
It wasn’t until she linked her symptoms to dietary issues—specifically gluten sensitivity and nutritional deficiencies—that she began healing. This experience would completely change the direction of her medical career. Today, Dr. Taz is a functional medicine doctor, acupuncturist, certified nutritionist, and author based in Atlanta who believes that true healing comes from treating the root cause—not just the symptoms.
*This is a short clip from our interview with Dr. Taz. Click here to watch the whole thing!*
You can also listen to an audio version of our interview with Dr. Taz on The WellBe Podcast.
From ER Doctor to Holistic Health Advocate
At the time of her health crisis, Dr. Taz was working in the ER, planning to become an ICU physician. But her personal experience with unexplained, chronic symptoms showed her the limitations of conventional, “heroic” medicine.
“The idea that tiny shifts can shift your health so dramatically was fascinating to me,” she says.
Small changes—like cutting out gluten and upping iron and B vitamins—led to huge results. “Ultimately, it came down to food quite honestly,” she explains. After that, her symptoms disappeared.
This eye-opening moment made her see the medical field differently. “I suddenly saw clearly the strengths and weaknesses of conventional medicine,” she says. That realization planted the seed for what would become her lifelong mission: to teach others how food, lifestyle, and personalized care can dramatically improve health.
The Shortcomings of Conventional, “Hero” Medicine
Dr. Taz describes her ER experience as “hero medicine”—the kind of dramatic, last-minute interventions where doctors are seen as saviors.
“A more preventative, lifestyle-based approach moves away from the savior role of the doctor,” she explains.
Functional medicine, in contrast, emphasizes root-cause resolution, nutrition, hormonal balance, and whole-person care. This approach allows for subtler, sustained healing, especially for chronic issues that don’t show up clearly in labs.
Medical Gaslighting: A Gendered Epidemic in Healthcare
One of the biggest issues Dr. Taz sees in conventional medicine is medical gaslighting, particularly affecting women. If you haven’t heard the term, it refers to when a medical professional minimizes, ignores, or outright dismisses a patient’s symptoms—often suggesting it’s all in their head.
A 2022 survey found that 72% of women had experienced medical gaslighting. Worse still, women are significantly more likely to be misdiagnosed with mental health issues when the root problem is physical, which can delay diagnosis by up to 14 times.
“We’re still very much in a gaslit medical culture for sure,” says Dr. Taz. She believes the issue stems from the lack of investment in women’s health—and from the systemic dominance of male leadership in medicine.
Why Women in Medicine Are the Key to Change
Despite the growing number of female medical students, top positions at major medical institutions are still held predominantly by men. According to a 2023 BMJ Global Health study, women make up 70% of the healthcare workforce but hold only 25% of leadership roles.
“Until we have more women in medicine in the decision-making chairs,” Dr. Taz argues, “medicine is going to continue to be this very paternalistic model where women’s health issues will be gaslit.”
She also points out that even when women do enter medicine, the system isn’t always welcoming. Many step away from leadership tracks after having children or are absorbed into the conventional model without space to question it.
“We’re so fluid and flexible all the time. We’re hormonal. We do 50 different things in any given lifetime. For us to be put in these boxes where this is the only way absolutely doesn’t work.”
Super Woman RX and Power Types
Dr. Taz wrote Super Woman RX to help women understand the intricate relationship between their hormones, diet, and lifestyle. In the book, she outlines five “Power Types” that correlate with hormone patterns. Each type comes with customized recommendations for food, supplements, workouts, and mindset.
Her goal is to empower women to stop chasing one-size-fits-all solutions and instead embrace their body’s individual blueprint for health and vitality.
The WellBe Takeaway from Dr. Taz
- Your diet can make or break your health. Dr. Taz’s own symptoms—including hair loss and fatigue—were resolved through dietary changes and nutritional rebalancing.
- Tiny tweaks have a big impact. Small shifts in daily habits—like going gluten-free or increasing B vitamins—can create major health changes.
- Conventional medicine isn’t built for chronic illness. Functional medicine helps bridge the gap by focusing on prevention and root causes.
- Medical gaslighting is real—and more common than you think. Women, in particular, are often dismissed or misdiagnosed, delaying effective treatment.
- We need more women in leadership in medicine. Representation matters. Systemic change requires women in policy-making roles, not just clinical ones.
- Self-advocacy is essential. If something feels off, trust your instincts and don’t hesitate to seek a second opinion.
- There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Dr. Taz’s “power types” in Super Woman RX offer customized solutions based on your body’s unique needs.
Watch our full interview with Dr. Taz to hear her discuss why she thinks the entire medical education system needs to be overhauled (and the challenges standing in the way of that), which health issues are most commonly left undiagnosed and why, the reason that she always treats mothers and children together, why our modern environment is leading to more and more hormone disruption in women (especially young women)…and much more!
You can also listen to an audio version of our interview with Dr. Taz on The WellBe Podcast.
If you’re struggling with a mysterious chronic health issue like Dr. Taz was, schedule a 1:1 call with Adrienne to learn about her holistic patient advocacy services! She can work with you to get to the root cause of your issue and start healing.
The information contained in this article comes from our interview with Dr. Tasneem Bhatia, M.D. (Dr. Taz), a board-certified integrative medicine physician, wellness expert, and author of the books What Doctors Eat, The 21-Day Belly Fix, and Super Woman RX. Her qualifications and training include graduating from the Medical College of Virginia with a focus on Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, graduating from the University of Arizona with a focus on Integrative Medicine, and an internship in Pediatrics and the Medical College of Virginia. She also served as an Adjunct Professor in Integrative Medicine at Emory University and is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Certified Nutrition Specialist. You can read more about Dr. Taz here.
Citations:
- Felsenthal, Julia. “Medical Gaslighting Is Real — and It’s a Feminist Issue.” POPSUGAR, 22 Mar. 2022, www.popsugar.com/fitness/medical-gaslighting-48794868. Accessed 3 May 2025.
- Dunn, Kayla. “Doctors Keep Dismissing Women’s Health Problems. We Asked Why.” TODAY, NBC Universal, 10 Jan. 2023, www.today.com/health/womens-health/medical-gaslighting-doctors-dismiss-symptoms-rcna66298. Accessed 3 May 2025.
- George, Asha, et al. “Maximising the Contributions of Women to Global Health.” BMJ Global Health, vol. 8, no. 4, Apr. 2023, gh.bmj.com/content/8/4/e011211. Accessed 3 May 2025.
- “What Is Functional Medicine?” Institute for Functional Medicine, www.ifm.org/functional-medicine/. Accessed 3 May 2025.
- Bhatia, Tasneem. Super Woman RX: Discover the 5 Power Types and Unlock the Secrets to Your Best Health. Rodale Books, 2017.
- “Meet Dr. Taz.” doctortaz.com, doctortaz.com/about-dr-taz/. Accessed 3 May 2025
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