This is the artificial intelligence voice of Jay Shetty narrating this pod slice summary of the On Purpose Podcast.

Jay Shetty, the host of the On Purpose Podcast, sat down to interview Dr. Darshan Shah, a renowned surgeon, entrepreneur, founder of Next Health, and a health and wellness specialist. Dr. Shah discussed his personal struggle with health despite his intensive medical training and background. The challenges he encountered with high blood pressure, being pre-diabetic, and experiencing autoimmune symptoms led him to reflect on his sedentary lifestyle, leading him to the painful realization that he might not survive long enough to see his first child graduate from college.

Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Dr. Shah hired an expensive concierge medicine doctor who primarily prescribed more medication, failing to consider other key health aspects such as diet, exercise, stress, and sleep. Disheartened, Dr. Shah began to see that mainstream medicine focused on disease reactions rather than disease prevention, which demanded a proactive approach to health.

So, Dr. Shah took a sabbatical to educate himself and learn to optimize his health by attending multiple conferences across various medical fields. Eventually, he stumbled upon functional medicine, the principle of addressing the root cause of illness. He applied the knowledge gained and significantly improved his health within eight months, consequently educating his patients and helping them do the same.

His realization of the need for preventive care to maintain good health led him to pursue a new career path. Dr. Shah’s approach focuses on the 20% of information that gives 80% results, looking foremost at nutrition, sleep, exercise then delving into gut health, immune system health, hormone health, heart health, and brain health.

Dr. Shah’s health management for patients consists of three steps: preserving life, improving health span (keeping the patient as healthy as possible for as long as possible), and then, applying advanced scientific techniques from the longevity field. His work emphasizes the importance of not jumping ahead to advanced techniques without first addressing the basics of good health.

Dr. Shah’s story provides insight into the necessity for healthcare professionals and individuals to prioritize a proactive, comprehensive approach to health beyond mere reactive treatments. His evidence-backed, integrated strategy towards health indeed offers an instructive blueprint for maintaining and optimizing one’s well-being.

Jay Shetty and Dr. Darshan Shah delve deeper into the concept of nutrition and its critical role in maintaining overall health. The rise in conditions like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes over the last 50 years have been attributed largely to the increased consumption of mass-produced, ultra-processed foods. The increasing dependence on these types of foods, coupled with over farming, has drastically reduced the quality of our food supply, with food losing its nutritional value and being filled with preservatives and toxins.

Dr. Shah emphasized the need to switch from ultra-processed food to fresh, organic whole foods. This simple change can bring about the vast majority of positive health outcomes without needing to significantly analyze protein content or micro nutrients. In fact, he argues that if you make this one switch, you’re likely to see a substantial decrease in your hunger because your body is getting the proper nutrients it needs.

Beyond eliminating ultra-processed foods, Dr. Shah laid out two additional changes that could yield significant health benefits:

1. Managing your glucose response curve: This involves continual glucose monitoring to gauge how certain foods impact blood sugar levels. This understanding of individual reaction to specific food items can help maintain steadier glucose levels and, therefore, better overall health.

2. Ensuring adequate protein intake: Protein is necessary to preserve skeletal muscle mass, an essential component of overall health. Dr. Shah recommends consuming one gram of protein per pound of body weight each day, divided into three to four doses.

The discussion paints a clearer picture of the need to rethink our approach to food and nurturing our health. The shift from mass-produced, ultra-processed foods to organic and wholesome foods, coupled with understanding personal glucose response and maintaining sufficient protein intake, could profoundly influence our well-being and longevity. From using technology like continuous glucose monitors to personalized dietary adjustments, this episode emphasizes the need to adopt a more proactive, personalized approach to wellness.

In this conversation, Jay Shetty and Dr. Darshan Shah address some useful tools and more dietary recommendations for a healthier lifestyle. Dr. Shah underscores the relevance of not only adequate protein intake but also the right balance in the type of protein consumed. He suggests that for vegetarians or vegans, who may have less bioavailable protein, slightly increasing protein intake might be needed. For this, plant-based sources such as beans and grais can be useful; even more so, pea protein powder, which can be easily added to meals.

Discussing the challenges of meeting desirable protein and vegetable intake, Dr. Shah raises the topic of supplements. If your vegetable intake is in line with the recommended amount, you might not require much supplementation, if at all. However, in reality, achieving the right balance of protein and vegetables can be difficult, compelling the need for supplements. Among the most common he recommends are vitamin D (in the D3 K2 form), fish oil, and magnesium, all of which many people are deficient in.

Interestingly, Dr. Shah also includes creatine—a vital amino acid with a wealth of research supporting its efficacy—in the supplement lineup. In the case of poor vegetable intake, Dr. Shah suggests considering a phytonutrient powder or a multivitamin and always having protein powder at hand.

Both Jay and Dr. Shah underline the importance of familiarizing yourself with your health metrics. They point out how people usually manage their health by how they feel rather than by their bio-statistics. In this context, knowing crucial Key Performance Indicators of your health—such as skeletal muscle mass, body fat percentage, and vitamin D level—is vital. This approach enables you to proactively manage your health status and more effectively address any emerging health issues.

At the same time, Jay and Dr. Shah make a poignant point about how society often transfers physical issues into mental ones, blaming lack of focus or motivation for what could be physical ailments. The emphasis is that one must scrutinize the possibility of these feeling being tied to physical issues rather than blaming them on shortcomings of the mind.

Reiterating the importance of being proactive about health, Dr. Shah shares his personal experience with mismanaging his health by outsourcing its monitoring to his primary doctors. Because his indicators were barely out of range, they were overlooked, a scenario that is common in Western medicine—he explains this approach usually leads to disease management rather than health optimization. Instead, he suggests staying on top of your health by having your own spreadsheet, letting you monitor your numbers and making you the CEO of your health.

In the segment, Dr. Shah emphasizes the importance of movement and activity in our daily routine. He introduces the concept of an “exercise snack”—rather than spending extended periods of time sitting down, he recommends getting up and walking around for about 10 minutes every 45 minutes. This approach breaks the cycle of sedentary behavior, which is a leading cause of many health issues and increases the rate of mortality. This practice is beneficial not only for physical health but also for mental well-being, giving a much-needed break to the eyes and mind.

Jay also suggests shifting the culture of long meetings, encouraging the implementation of shorter meetings to allow for breaks where one can stand up, hydrate, or get some fresh air. Working to add movement into the workday, such as standing desks or using a treadmill while on video meetings, can also drastically increase daily step counts.

Next, concerning exercise, Dr. Shah highlights the importance of strength training, especially after the age of 40 due to muscle breakdown. Along with this, he advocates incorporating cardio into one’s routine, which includes anaerobic and aerobic workouts. Given how challenging it can be to fit regular workouts into a busy schedule, he suggests making things as simple as possible – including brief HIIT workouts into your day or keeping a set of barbells nearby for quick exercises.

Lastly, Jay and Dr. Shah discuss the “perfectionist mentality” when it comes to health and fitness. They argue that this all-or-nothing mindset can be harmful, as it overlooks the value of small but consistent healthful choices in favor of a ‘perfect diet’ or workout that is often unsustainable. Instead, they emphasize consistency and persistence in smaller healthful choices, as these are realistically achievable and can still lead to significant improvements in health and fitness.

In this portion, Dr. Shah delves into the science behind habit and routine building. He recommends a positive approach to health and fitness that involves rewarding yourself for doing the right thing rather than punishing yourself for the occasional slip-up. By adopting a positive attitude, we can break psychological barriers and begin to form new healthful habits. Jay Shetty and Dr. Shah then discuss the importance of maintaining stability and balance, especially as one gets older – this can be as simple as standing on one foot each day, improving muscle strength and preventing future potential falls.

In speaking about the habit of tackling multiple health goals at once, Dr. Shah counsels a stepwise approach towards health adjustments. Small, systematic changes are more achievable and less overwhelming, leading to a higher success rate in the long term. For instance, before scrutinizing protein intake in your diet, begin by decluttering your pantry and removing unhealthful food choices.

Shifting to sleep health, Dr. Shah emphasizes the importance of tracking sleep patterns. However, he warns that tracking sleep can lead to anxiety in some people and recommends mindful tracking when making changes to sleep habits and then discontinuing use once the goal is achieved. He also sheds light on the implications of sleep apnea – a condition where you stop breathing at night, leading to daytime fatigue, poor quality of sleep, and potentially fatal outcomes if left untreated. It’s very treatable with numerous therapies, including dental appliances, sleep masks, CPAP machines, or even surgery, and treating it can dramatically impact overall health, metabolism, and mental clarity.

For those facing intermittent sleep disturbances, the main reasons could include waking up for bathroom breaks (nocturia), bedtime anxiety and stress, and eating or drinking too close to sleeping time. It is important to address these issues to achieve better sleeping patterns.

Dr. Shah also highlighted his battle with long Covid, clarifying that tracking his sleep helped him understand his increased heart rate – a factor contributing to his poor sleep quality. This affirms again the significance of keeping tabs on sleep trends.

In this segment, Jay Shetty and Dr. Shah switch gears and start discussing anxiety, particularly anxiety stemming from consumption of certain types of media content. Jay gives an example of how graphic content can influence sleep negatively, recommending that we be aware of what we consume, especially before bed, to ensure quality sleep.

Focusing on sleep routine and environment, Dr. Shah advises making your sleep environment as cave-like as possible by keeping it cold, dark, and quiet. An interesting tip he offers is to use a white noise machine which can improve sleep quality significantly. He also mentions that it’s crucial to establish a healthy sleep routine, which starts as soon as you wake up – exposure to morning sunlight, for instance, sets the circadian rhythm. Two hours before sleep, it’s important to wind down by dimming lights and avoiding electronic devices.

Jay brings up the concern of gut health – an area of wellness often overlooked or misunderstood. Dr. Shah emphasizes the importance of understanding any discomfort in our gut and not brushing it off. He introduces a biomarker called HS CRP (Highly Sensitive C-reactive Protein) – a marker of inflammation that could indicate potential gut health issues. Long term inflammation is dangerous as it can erode one’s immune system, leading to various diseases.

The conversation also touches upon the significance of oral health, with Dr. Shah linking poor oral health to increased chances of dementia and heart attacks. This is because inflammation can occur in your mouth from cavities or gingivitis, wreaking havoc on your overall health.

Dr. Shah draws attention towards the critical need for awareness on gut health. Tracking biomarkers like HS CRP can provide vital signals about our internal health conditions, possibly even before we notice glaring symptoms. Thus, this portion of the conversation emphasizes the importance of staying aware and proactive in managing our health.

Finally, the discussion transitions into heart health – a topic that, despite its importance, is rarely discussed from a scientific perspective. Dr. Shah stresses the need for vigilance in measuring cholesterol levels from as early as 25 years old.

Overall, this segment embodies the critical message of becoming more informed and proactive about our physical health – incorporating knowledge of sleep, gut, and heart health in our daily routines and wellness strategies.

The emphasis now shifts to heart health with Dr. Shah explaining the importance of early detection and monitoring of cholesterol levels, specifically a new type of cholesterol measurement called ApoB. This measurement helps identify dangerous forms of cholesterol, giving an indicator of potential future health risks from as early as 25 years old. Regular monitoring of this can allow individuals to address the issue through exercise, diet, sleep, gut health, and eventually medical intervention and even cardiac testing if necessary.

Speaking about early detection, Dr. Shah introduces the concept of a CAT scan for the heart which can predict potential heart problems 20-30 years before their instance, a truly revolutionary aspect of medical tech. Bringing attention to another lesser-known factor affecting heart health, they discuss Lp(a), a genetic form of cholesterol that traditional diet, nutrition, exercise, or cholesterol-lowering medication can’t treat. Dr. Shah strongly advises listeners to ask their doctors about these two tests.

Jay acknowledges the new terminology and insights provided by Dr. Shah, emphasizing the power of knowledge when it comes to one’s health. Dr. Shah cautions against complacency and encourages listeners to become proactive CEOs of their own health, pushing doctors to consider these new tests and measures.

As the conversation move towards the threat of cancer, Dr. Shah highlights the primary weapon against it is early detection at stage one. Fear often surrounds this topic as most people discover they have cancer at stage three or four. Two tests have revolutionized cancer diagnostics in recent years: the Full Body MRI and the Liquid Biopsy. The Full Body MRI can detect tumors and other abnormalities without using radiation, marking a significant improvement. The Liquid Biopsy, on the other hand, can identify 50 of the most difficult to diagnose tumors at very early stages using just a sample of blood.

On the topic of toxin elimination as a cancer prevention measure, Dr. Shah introduces the idea of detoxifying the air, water, food, and chemicals on our skin over which we have control. Solutions like using air purifiers, drinking from glass bottles, ensuring to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly go a long way towards creating a healthier living environment.

Lastly, Dr. Shah leaves listeners with a call to action to actively manage, monitor and take charge of their health, delve deeper into research and maintain an open mind about new health information. By doing so, individuals stand a better chance of recognizing health issues before they become too severe and can aim for a longer, healthier life.

In this continuation of the interview, Jay Shetty invites Dr. Shah to share where listeners can access more of his expert advice. Dr. Shah mentions his Instagram page, @darshanshahmd, where he posts his health course for free. The course will touch on multiple aspects of health including nutrition, sleep, and exercise, among others.

Jay Shetty then moves on to what he terms the ‘final five’ questions for Dr. Shah. When prompted to reveal the best health advice he’s ever received, Dr. Shah encourages listeners to “get up and start moving”. The worst advice? To merely let doctors watch your blood markers. He challenges this passive approach with the belief that everyone has the agency to actively manage their health. Dr. Shah also shares how he shifted his stance on eliminating toxins from everyday environments; something he initially viewed skeptically but now fully supports, recognizing its importance.

In a surprising turn, Dr. Shah, a former self-described proponent of intermittent fasting, admits he no longer swears by the practice. He saw a decrease in his skeletal muscle mass while on the diet, and suggests intermittent fasting is beneficial for those looking to reduce daily caloric intake but cautions those practicing it must maintain sufficient protein intake and not fall into categories like pregnancy, breastfeeding, or athletics, where it could be harmful.

Finally, when asked what one world law he’d create, Dr. Shah advocates for community, suggesting it is essential for everyone to gather a group of friends who share ambitions and will help create forward-moving momentum in life.

As the interview wraps up, Jay again recommends Dr. Shah’s Instagram page for more information and thanks him for sharing his insights, urging listeners to adopt even just one of these practices to witness life changes. Jay reminds the audience to stay happy, healthy, and well as they conclude the informative session.