Extend Podcast with Darshan Shah, MD

What if the stress you feel every day is not a personal failure, but a biological response to how modern life pulls at your nervous system? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Mayim Bialik to explore why so many people feel overwhelmed, distracted, and disconnected, even when they are doing everything they were told should make them happy. We talk about how stress lives in the body, how technology quietly rewires attention and dopamine, and why mental health cannot be separated from gut health, lifestyle, and human connection. Mayim shares her path from child actor to neuroscientist, how science and spirituality meet in real life, and why resilience is built through daily practices, not quick fixes. We also unpack trauma, attention, parenting in a digital world, and why learning to regulate your nervous system may matter more than any single intervention. This conversation is an invitation to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and remember that healing does not start with perfection. It starts with awareness. Dr. Mayim Bialik is a neuroscientist, actor, author, and mental health advocate. She holds a PhD in neuroscience from UCLA and is widely known for her role on The Big Bang Theory. Through her podcast and public work, she focuses on mental health, stress, spirituality, and making science accessible and human-centered.   What's Discussed: (00:00) Why Modern Stress Feels Different Today (06:12) How the Nervous System Responds to Daily Overload (12:45) Technology, Dopamine, and Attention Drift (18:30) The Hidden Biology Behind Feeling "Burned Out" (26:04) Gut Health and Mental Health: What We Now Understand (33:29) Trauma, Identity, and the Stories We Carry (41:52) Parenting, Boundaries, and Emotional Regulation (50:11) Building Real Resilience in a Distracted World   Thank You for Our Sponsors: IM8:  Try IM8 today with a 30-day money back guarantee. You can get 10% off your first order with code DRSHAH at https://im8health.com/discount/DRSHAH. Function Health: Learn more and join using my link. Visit www.functionhealth.com/drshah and use gift code DRSHAH25 for a $25 credit toward your membership.   Learn more about Dr. Shah: Website: https://www.drshah.com/ Clinic: https://www.next-health.com/ Instagram:@darshanshahmd   Learn more about Dr. Mayim Bialik: Podcast: Mayim Bialik's Breakdown Instagram: @missmayim Substack: Mayim Bialik's Breakdown    

How much control do you actually have over how your brain ages? Most people assume memory loss and cognitive decline are inevitable, but the science tells a very different story. In this solo episode, I break down why brain health is something you can actively protect decades before symptoms ever appear. I walk you through the core systems that shape how your brain functions over time, from blood sugar regulation and inflammation to sleep, stress, circulation, and daily movement. We explore how lifestyle signals either strengthen or slowly erode cognitive resilience, and why modern research now allows us to detect risk far earlier than ever before. I also explain the biomarkers I watch, the habits that make the biggest impact, and how small daily choices compound over years. This episode is a practical roadmap for anyone who wants sharper thinking, stronger memory, and long-term cognitive health. Whether you are focused on prevention or performance, these principles apply at any stage of life and give you tools to protect what matters most.   What's Discussed: (00:00) Why Brain Aging Is More In Your Control Than You Think (05:45) The Brain's Energy Problem Most People Overlook (12:14) Why Alzheimer's Is Now Called "Type 3 Diabetes" (18:55) How Chronic Inflammation Quietly Damages Cognition (25:38) Blood Pressure, Blood Flow, And Memory Loss (32:40) What Sleep Actually Clears From Your Brain At Night (41:03) Stress, Cortisol, And Shrinking Your Memory Center (53:46) The Hidden Brain Injuries No One Warns You About   Thank You for Our Sponsors: Timeline: Go to timeline.com/drshah to get 20% off your order.   Learn more about Dr. Shah: Website: https://www.drshah.com/ Clinic: https://www.next-health.com/ Instagram:@darshanshahmd  

Have you ever wondered why you can be "doing everything right" with your health and still feel inflamed, foggy, or depleted? The more I study longevity, the more I am convinced this has less to do with the latest hack and more to do with something very basic that we almost never talk about: the integrity of the cell membrane. Every process in the human body begins at the level of the cell membrane, and in today's world, that membrane is under constant attack from toxins, infections, chemicals, and everyday stressors. In this episode of Extend, I sit down with Jess Kane to explore why phosphatidylcholine (PC) may be the most critical nutrient we're not talking about, how modern exposures create "leaky cells," and why nearly all of us are now deficient in the lipids required to keep our DNA, mitochondria, and metabolic pathways safe. We break down the original PK Protocol, the role of PC in detoxification and brain health, and the steps anyone can take to rebuild membrane resilience and restore energy at the cellular level. Jess Kane is the Chief Marketing Officer and third-generation co-owner of BodyBio, a family-led company pioneering science-backed solutions for cellular health, mitochondrial support, and anti-toxin resilience. She blends strategic insight with deep biochemical knowledge, helping BodyBio earn the trust of more than 35,000 healthcare practitioners worldwide. Jess is dedicated to educating the public on foundational lipids like phosphatidylcholine and the critical role they play in modern health.   What's Discussed: (00:00) The "Bubble" Shield: How Your Cell Membrane Actually Works (03:31) Leaky Cells: Toxins, Viruses, and the New Epidemic of Cellular Damage (04:40) Fats That Build (or Break) Your Cell Membrane (11:19) "Our Lipids Are Under Attack": Low-Fat Diets, Modern Toxins, and Metabolic Chaos (15:42) Detox, Rebuild, Repeat: Using PC, TUDCA & Glutathione to Repair from the Inside Out (27:49) Brain Fog, Acetylcholine, and Why PC Is a Hidden Brain Nutrient (33:35) Skin, Aging, and What Healthy Cells Actually Look Like (37:23) Seed Oils, Oxidized Fats, and How to Swap In the Right Lipids   Thank You for Our Sponsors: NextHealth: Your destination for cutting-edge health optimization—from IV therapy to hormone balancing. Explore at https://www.next-health.com/   Learn more about Dr. Shah: Website: https://www.drshah.com/ Clinic: https://www.next-health.com/ Instagram:@darshanshahmd   Learn more about Jess Kane: Blog: https://bodybio.com/blogs/blog TikTok: @jesskaneb X: https://x.com/jesskberman Instagram: jesskane Instagram: bodybio TikTok: body.bio Facebook: BodyBio Website: Bodybio.com  

Most people still think GLP-1s are "weight loss shots," but what we are really doing is changing biology at the level of appetite and inflammation, with ripple effects across future generations. In this conversation, I sit down with endocrinologist and obesity specialist Dr. Rocio Salas Whalen to unpack what these medications do inside the body and how to use them responsibly as part of a long-term health strategy. We get into why "eat less, exercise more" failed so many patients, how family history, hormones, and aging drive obesity, and why GLP-1s must be paired with protein and strength training. We also explore GLP-1's impact on visceral fat, diabetes, brain health, what healthy weight loss looks like on a body composition scan, and how to avoid sarcopenia and the so-called "Ozempic face." Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen is a board-certified endocrinologist and obesity-medicine specialist, author of Weightless, and an early adopter of GLP-1 therapies. Her so-called "GPS framework", GLP-1, protein, and strength training, reflects her approach to evidence-based obesity care. What's Discussed: (00:00) GLP-1s and Weight Loss (12:45) The Impact of GLP-1 Hormone (25:29) Muscle Mass and GLP-1 Importance (31:46) Optimizing Protein Intake on GLP-1 (43:24) GLP-1 Dosing and Gut Health (48:20) Mental Health Implications of Weight Loss (57:16) Weightless Book Pre-Order Announcement   Thank You for Our Sponsors: IM8: Try IM8 today with a 30-day money back guarantee. You can get 10% off your first order with code DRSHAH at https://im8health.com/discount/DRSHAH. Function Health: Own your health for $365 a year. That's a dollar a day. Learn more and join using my link. Visit www.functionhealth.com/drshah  and use gift code DRSHAH25 for a $25 credit toward your membership.   Learn more about Dr. Shah: Website: https://www.drshah.com/ Clinic: https://www.next-health.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darshanshahmd/   Learn more about Dr. Rocio Salas Whalen: Website: https://www.nyendocrinology.com/dr-salas-whalen IG: https://www.instagram.com/drsalaswhalen/ Threads: https://www.threads.com/@drsalaswhalen Book: Pre-order Here!       

Most people think heart disease is obvious and predictable, yet women often present with completely different warning signs that traditional testing fails to catch. We now have the tools to identify risk decades earlier and reverse disease before it becomes dangerous. In this episode of Extend, we sit down with Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, cardiologist and leading voice in women's cardiovascular prevention, to uncover why standard testing misses female heart disease, how microvascular dysfunction develops long before blockages appear, and why expanded markers like ApoB and HSCRP should replace outdated cholesterol panels. We break down the role of CLEERLY scans, the power of CPET for detecting endothelial dysfunction, and the exact metabolic shifts that happen during perimenopause and menopause. We also explore how zone two training restores endothelial health, why soft plaque is more dangerous than calcified plaque, and how personalized exercise prescriptions can reverse early disease at any age. Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum is a pioneering preventive cardiologist, founder of the ADESSO model for women's heart health, and a national leader in microvascular research whose work is redefining how we diagnose, prevent, and reverse cardiovascular disease in women.   What's Discussed: (04:15) Why women experience heart disease through microvascular dysfunction rather than classic blockages (07:50) How outdated cholesterol panels miss early cardiovascular risk in women (12:40) Why ApoB, HSCRP, and metabolic markers reveal the real drivers of plaque (17:05) How CLEERLY scans detect dangerous soft plaque that calcium scores miss (22:30) Why standard angiograms often look normal in women despite real disease (27:55) How CPET testing uncovers endothelial dysfunction and identifies true zone two (33:20) How zone two exercise restores arterial flexibility and reverses early disease (39:45) Why perimenopause, stress, sleep, and pregnancy history raise cardiovascular risk and demand personalized prevention Thank You for Our Sponsors: Timeline: 20% off your order. Go to timeline.com/drshah. That's timeline.com/drshah.    Learn more about Dr. Shah: Website: https://www.drshah.com/ Clinic: https://www.next-health.com/ Instagram:@darshanshahmd   Learn more about Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum: Website : drsuzannesteinbaum.com  Instagram: @drsteinbaum  X: @Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum  Linkedin: Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum