Health Is A Skill with Todd Vande Hei

What if your genes weren’t your fate — but a starting point? In this episode of Health Is a Skill, Todd Vande Hei sits down with Jeffrey Mark Gaal, co-founder of Genetic Lifespan, to explore how genetics, epigenetics, and lifestyle choices intersect to shape aging, disease risk, and long-term health. This conversation bridges cutting-edge diagnostics with personal responsibility, reframing health...

In this conversation, Todd Vande Hei sits down with Mollie Eastman, founder of Sleep Is a Skill, to explore how AI, wearables, circadian rhythms, and daily habits are transforming the way we understand and improve sleep. Mollie breaks down how AI is expanding access to insomnia treatment, how wearable data can reveal hidden sleep disorders, and why “sleep age” may soon matter more than chronologic...

Todd Vande Hei is joined by Dr. Mark McDonald — psychiatrist, author, and one of the sharpest, most unapologetically clear voices on the psychological development of young people today. Dr. McDonald has spent decades working with children, adolescents, and families, and his work centers on how our modern culture is reshaping the minds, identities, and emotional resilience of the next generation. A...

In this episode of Health Is a Skill, Todd Vande Hei sits down with Katie, founder of MyPeak, to unpack why so many driven, health-conscious people feel stuck despite “doing all the right things.” From constant grazing and over-cardio to poor recovery and misunderstood lab data, this conversation reveals why effort alone isn’t the answer — personalization is. Katie shares her journey from corporat...

In this episode, Todd Vande Hei sits back down with “the magnesium guy,” Dr. Robert Fredrickson, to go deeper into one of the most underrated levers in health optimization: magnesium. Dr. Fredrickson explains why magnesium isn’t just a lab value to glance at — it’s a central regulator of stress, sleep, hormones, cardiovascular health, and performance. He shares how he personally needs ~1,000 mg pe...

In the third and final part of his Young Men series, Todd Vande Hei shifts from diagnosis to strategy: how do we actually help boys become strong, grounded, purpose-driven men in a world of endless comfort and distraction? Building on parts one and two — where he unpacked culture’s confusion about masculinity and the biological/psychological damage modern life is doing to young men — Todd lays out...

In this special Thanksgiving episode, Todd Vande Hei shares how to navigate the holiday season without derailing your health journey — and maybe even use it to get stronger. From practical nutrition strategies to mindset shifts, Todd reframes Thanksgiving as a metabolic and emotional opportunity, not a threat. Whether you’re hosting the feast, traveling, or just trying not to “start over in Januar...

In this episode, Todd sits down with cardiologist-turned-functional-medicine leader Dr. Jack Wolfson to unpack one of the most overlooked drivers of chronic disease: mold toxicity and water-damaged homes. Jack shares how discovering mold in his own multimillion-dollar house changed everything — from his family’s living situation (tents, concrete/steel/glass builds) to how he thinks about heart dis...

In part two of the Strong on Purpose series, Todd Vande Hei digs into what’s really happening to young men today — not just culturally, but biologically. Testosterone is crashing, motivation is fading, and more and more young men are drifting without purpose, buried under tech, porn, and ultra-processed food. Todd unpacks how modern lifestyle inputs — sleep, screens, stress, plastics, porn, and vi...

In this solo episode, Todd Vande Hei breaks down one of the most overlooked truths in health optimization: men and women are biologically different — right down to how their cells process food. Yet most diets, supplements, and pharmaceutical recommendations are designed for men. Drawing on over a decade of data from Stark’s health optimization clinics, Todd explains how women’s nutritional needs s...

Episode Description In this solo episode, Todd Vande Hei tackles a deeply personal and cultural topic: masculinity—what it means, how we’ve lost touch with it, and why rebuilding it matters for the health of men, families, and communities. From declining testosterone levels to the epidemic of disconnection and anxiety among young men, Todd explores how society’s shift away from physicality, discip...

In this episode, Todd Vande Hei sits down with Dr. Duncan Ross, founder of Chimera Labs, one of the pioneers behind exosome science and regenerative medicine. Together, they unpack what exosomes are, how they work, and why they’re redefining what’s possible for healing, recovery, and human longevity. Todd opens the episode with his signature introduction — sharing his own path from vegan to carniv...

In this episode, Todd sits down with renowned strength coach Brett Jones of StrongFirst to explore how physical strength training becomes a pathway to emotional strength, confidence, and mastery — both in and out of the gym. They discuss: • The emotional benefits of strength training — how confidence, courage, and self-trust grow through consistent practice. • The psychology of capability — why le...

When crisis strikes, most people run from danger — Dean Stott runs toward it. A former Tier One Special Forces operator turned humanitarian, Stott has led evacuations from war zones across the globe — from Afghanistan and Libya to Israel. In this powerful conversation, he sits down with Todd to unpack the mindset, planning, and humanity behind saving lives under pressure. They discuss: • October 7...

In this heartfelt conversation, Todd sits down with longtime Stark student and CASA OC leader Regan Phillips to unpack a candid, hopeful journey through perimenopause—brain fog, joint pain, weight changes, and the moment everything turned around through smart training, sleep, nutrition, and evidence-based HRT. They discuss: Feeling like a stranger in your own body — brain fog, joint pain, and shif...

What actually happens when you infuse phosphatidylcholine (Plaquex)? Dr. Alice Nguyen breaks down the cell-level mechanics—how repairing membranes and supporting the endothelium can influence blood pressure, brain recovery post-stroke, and overall cardiovascular health. We also get into choline from food (eggs, liver), omega-3/omega-6 balance, environmental toxins like mercury, and where Plaquex f...

In this solo episode, Todd tackles the top trending conversations in health and longevity for Fall 2025. From circadian rhythm “microdosing sunlight” to the surprising new shift in cardio research, he shares what’s hype, what’s real, and how he’s applying it all at Stark. Todd covers: • Microdosing sunlight to regulate circadian rhythm, melatonin, cortisol, and hormone health. • Zone 2 vs. aerobic...

CEO of Stark, Todd Vande Hei, goes solo and distills the practices he actually uses: how to make every lift a glute exercise, how to leverage GLP-1s without sacrificing muscle, why Zone 2 should be a tool (not a religion), when to prefer heat over cold, the simplest way to use creatine for body and brain, and how to lower your exposure to microplastics/PFAS without losing your mind. He closes with...

Dr. Alice Nguyen has never stopped moving. From martial arts competitions in her twenties to strength training through medical school, she’s built a philosophy of health that blends functional medicine, hormone optimization, and the overlooked fundamentals of movement. In this conversation with Todd, Alice unpacks: Why strength and power training are essential for women to counteract sarcopenia an...

When Nicholas Charlier, co-founder of Vivobarefoot’s VivoHealth platform, talks about “rewilding your feet,” he’s not just promoting a shoe — he’s describing a path back to how the human body was designed to move. Over the last 13 years, Nicholas has built global wellness programs, cultivated health professional networks, and championed natural movement through community initiatives across the Wel...

When joint pain and fatigue nearly took her off her feet, Jaclyn discovered she was facing rheumatoid arthritis—triggered after COVID—and a future of possible bone erosion and loss of mobility. Instead of letting the diagnosis define her, she rebuilt her life through strength training, anti-inflammatory nutrition, and an unwavering commitment to movement. In this conversation, Jaclyn tells Todd: H...

Colton Danz was the picture of discipline on the outside—an elite strength coach with single-digit body fat, running eight classes a day. But behind closed doors, he was consuming 45 shots of vodka daily, hiding tremors, neuropathy, and shame. When the drinking nearly killed him, Colton chose something far harder than alcohol: the truth. In this raw and revealing conversation, Colton tells Todd: H...

Csaba Lucas wasn’t just building wellness companies—he was testing their limits on himself. When low immunity and poor labs disrupted his health, the President of Hyperion Motors and General Partner at CerraCap North turned to the tools he trusted most: hyperbaric oxygen , exosomes , NAD , and the ancient value of discomfort. The transformation? Recharged energy, normalized labs, deepened recovery...

When Rachelle Ramiro was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in her early 30s, her first thought was: “I’ll figure it out.” But what followed was more than just a health protocol. It was a complete rewiring of how she viewed time, energy, productivity—and herself. In this intimate and eye-opening conversation, Rachelle sits down with Todd inside a 4-person hyperbaric chamber to unpack: How catching mu...

When 26-year-old yoga teacher and personal trainer Drew Valentine arrived at Stark, he seemed like the picture of health—lean, athletic, and mindful. But underneath the surface, his testosterone was dangerously low, his protein intake was inadequate, and he was unknowingly undernourished and underpowered. Three years later, Andrew has redefined what "healthy" looks and feels like—achieving elite b...