Dr. Chhaya Makhija, MD, DipABLM
Triple Board-Certified Endocrinologist & Lifestyle Medicine Specialist
Founder, Unified Endocrine & Diabetes Care.
As Featured In
About Me
I’m Dr. Chhaya Makhija, a triple board-certified endocrinologist and lifestyle medicine specialist with nearly 20 years of experience caring for patients. My passion has always been simple yet powerful — to help people understand their bodies, prevent disease, and live with vitality and confidence.
After years of practicing within traditional healthcare systems, I saw how rushed visits and fragmented care left patients confused and unsupported. In 2021, I founded Unified Endocrine & Diabetes Care — the first direct-care endocrinology and lifestyle medicine practice in California — to bring back what medicine was meant to be: time, trust, and transformation.
I love connecting with people — whether I’m seeing patients in Fresno or the Bay Area, guiding them through telemedicine across California, or coaching individuals globally on preventive endocrinology and longevity. My approach blends the science of hormones and metabolism with the art of mindfulness, nutrition, and lifestyle, bridging the strengths of Eastern and Western medicine.
Teaching and education are at the heart of everything I do. I work closely with premed and medical students, sharing not only medical knowledge but the human side of healing. I also serve as a speaker and community educator, organizing events like Walk with a Doc in Fresno and expanding wellness outreach throughout California.
You can also find me hosting the Hormones & Hope Podcast, where I share real conversations with physician experts, practical insights, and science-based tools to help people everywhere take charge of their hormonal and metabolic health.
Very often, you’ll see me on social media sharing glimpses of my own journey — whether it’s my workouts, reflections on hormonal balance, or simply lessons from life and perspective.
✨ Come join our world — a space filled with knowledge, simplicity, and transformation.
A Physician Who Listens, Connects, and Transforms Lives
My Story
My journey in medicine began in India, where I attended medical school and discovered my passion for understanding how hormones influence every aspect of health and well-being. After completing my training, I met my love, and together we began a new chapter — I moved to the United States to continue pursuing my medical career.
I completed my residency and diabetes research in New Jersey and New York at Hackensack Mountainside Hospital and Albert Einstein, followed by an Endocrinology Fellowship at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
Since 2015, I’ve been caring for patients across California, helping them navigate complex hormonal, metabolic, and bone health challenges with clarity and confidence. I serve as an Adjunct Associate and Clinical Associate Professor and Assistant Professor at CHSU-COM and UCSF, Fresno respectively.
Each step of my journey — from the East to The West — has deepened my belief that medicine must go beyond prescriptions. It’s about understanding the “why,” empowering patients with knowledge, and guiding them toward prevention, balance, and long-term vitality.
Certifications
Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism
Internal Medicine
Plant-Based Nutrition Certification
Lifestyle Medicine
Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism
Professional Affiliations
Publications
Chhaya Makhija, Vijay Shivaswamy, Meredith Ross, Andjela Drincic, Whitney Goldner; Department of Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolism, UNMC, Omaha, NE; Catecholamine Crisis Precipitated by Intra-Articular Glucocorticoid Administration in a Patient with Paraganglioma; AACE Clinical Case Reports: Autumn 2015, Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. e265-e268.
Chhaya Makhija, Unified Endocrine and Diabetes Care, Fresno CA. Harmony in Health: Bridging the Gap Between Lifestyle Interventions and Traditional Medicine—A Personal and Professional Perspective. Published in Fresno Madera Medical Society Magazine, 2024
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Chhaya Makhija, Ying Hu, Masood Ahmad; Department of Internal Medicine, Mountainside Hospital, New Jersey. Quality Improvement of Diabetes Care and Physician Compliance Using Flowsheet in the Clinic. Poster presented at: American College of Physicians meeting 2010; San Diego, CA
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Chhaya Makhija, MD, Lynn Mack, MD, Fedja Rochling, MD, Jennifer Larsen, MD, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, UNMC, Omaha, NE. Use of portable Ultraviolet B lamp for treatment of Vitamin D deficiency. Presented at Endocrine society meeting 2015; San Diego, CA
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Leslie Anne Eiland, MD, Andjela T Drincic, MD, Whitney S Goldner, M.D, Jay Rajni Patel, M.B.B.S. and Chhaya Makhija, MD, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism, UNMC, Omaha, NE. Two Cases of Resolution of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia Associated Central Diabetes Insipidus after Treatment. Presented at Endocrine Society meeting 2014; Chicago, IL.
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Nikki Kasinathan, MD, Chhaya Makhija, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, Hackensack UMC Mountainside Hospital, Montclair, NJ. Hyperthyroidism induced Pulmonary hypertension. Presented at American College of Physicians meeting 2015; Boston, MA.
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Chhaya Makhija, MD, DipABLM, Megha Bhalla OMS-II, Skylynn Thangwaritorn OMS-II, California Sciences University, Clovis, CA, Unified Endocrine and Diabetes Care, Fresno, CA. Thyrotoxicosis associated with leukopenia in Graves’ disease: A case report and review of medical management. Presented at CHSU Research Day May 2024, Clovis, CA.
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Chhaya Makhija, MD, DipABLM, Chelsey Preciado OMS-III, California Sciences University, Clovis, CA, Unified Endocrine and Diabetes Care, Fresno, CA. Revolutionizing care with the power of continuous glucose monitoring and lifestyle medicine in Type 2 Diabetes patient with complications. Presented and Won the Best Poster at CHSU-COM Research Day May 2024, Clovis, CA
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Chhaya Makhija, MD, DipABLM, Chelsey Preciado OMS-III, California Sciences University, Clovis, CA, Unified Endocrine and Diabetes Care, Fresno, CA. Revolutionizing care with the power of continuous glucose monitoring and lifestyle medicine in Type 2 Diabetes patient with complications. Presented At American College of Lifestyle Medicine National Meeting Oct 2024, Orlando, Florida.
Dr. Makhija is the Host and Creator of the Hormones & Hope Podcast
Where Science Meets Real-Life Wellness
Dr. Chhaya Makhija hosts Hormones & Hope, a podcast that helps listeners understand their hormones, metabolism, and overall wellbeing through real conversations and practical advice. Each episode blends expert insights with lifestyle strategies that make prevention and healing feel possible — and personal.
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