119. Dr. Rocio Salas Whalen: How To Lose Weight On GLP-1s Without Losing Muscle
Extend Podcast with Darshan Shah, MD
Release Date: 12/09/2025
136. Dr. Goodenowe: Plasmalogens and the Hidden Science of Longevity
Extend Podcast with Darshan Shah, MD
Most people think brain aging is inevitable. What if the real future of longevity is protecting cellular health long before symptoms appear. In this episode of Extend, we sit down with Dr. Dayan Goodenowe, neuroscientist and biochemist, to explore the hidden role of plasmalogens in brain health, aging, and all-cause mortality. Dr. Goodenowe shares how his work in advanced metabolomics revealed that declining plasmalogen levels can predict dementia, cancer recurrence, and shortened lifespan years before disease is diagnosed, reframing aging as a loss of health rather than a disease...
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135. Sarah Ann Macklin: Self-Compassion and Sustainable Behavior Change
Extend Podcast with Darshan Shah, MD
Most people know what they should do to be healthy, yet still struggle to follow through. What if the real barrier is not discipline or knowledge, but mindset. In this episode of Extend, we sit down with Sarah Ann Macklin, a nutritionist and health educator who blends nutrition science with psychology and self-compassion. Sarah shares her journey from high fashion modeling to nutritional science, and how burnout, illness, and neurodiversity shaped her approach to sustainable health. We explore why health changes often fail when driven by restriction and scarcity, how self-compassion creates...
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134. Dr. Jessica Shepherd: Stop the Decline: Perimenopause Strategies
Extend Podcast with Darshan Shah, MD
Most people assume losing strength, energy, and bone health is inevitable as we age. But what if maintaining muscle, optimizing hormones, and protecting bone density were about targeting the right systems early rather than treating symptoms later? In this episode of Extend, we sit down with Dr. Jessica Shepherd, a board-certified OB/GYN and expert in midlife health and longevity. With years of experience merging clinical medicine with functional approaches, Dr. Shepherd shares how resistance training, hormone therapy, nutrition, and modern therapies like GLP-1 medications can work together to...
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133. Dr. Abid Husain: The Hidden Drivers of Heart Disease
Extend Podcast with Darshan Shah, MD
Most people focus on cholesterol and plaque when thinking about heart health. The truth is, there are hidden drivers that can silently damage your arteries and increase cardiovascular risk. In this episode of Extend, we sit down with Dr. Abid Husain, cardiologist and expert in cardiometabolic health, to unpack how microvascular dysfunction, glycocalyx degradation, metabolic disease, and mental stress contribute to heart disease beyond traditional risk factors. We break down the role of nitric oxide, small dense LDL, clotting mechanisms, and the often overlooked impact of stress on...
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132. Nathalie Niddam: Reverse Aging Signals with Bioregulators and Peptides
Extend Podcast with Darshan Shah, MD
Most people assume fatigue, low energy, and age-related decline are unavoidable. What if supporting your body, optimizing recovery, and enhancing longevity were about activating the right systems, rather than chasing symptoms? In this episode of Extend, we sit down with Nathalie Niddam, holistic nutritionist, longevity educator, and host of the Longevity Podcast with Nathalie Niddam, to unpack how bioregulators, mitochondrial peptides, and targeted nutritional strategies can support cellular health, improve energy, and enhance resilience over time. We also explore how bioregulators influence...
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131. Dr. Elizabeth Yurth: The Science of Ketones, Hormones, and Faster Recovery
Extend Podcast with Darshan Shah, MD
Most people assume joint pain, fatigue, and limited mobility are inevitable with age. But what if protecting your joints, optimizing recovery, and maintaining energy were about targeting the right systems early, rather than treating symptoms later? In this episode of Extend, we sit down with Dr. Elizabeth Yurth, co-founder and chief medical officer of the Boulder Longevity Institute and a Stanford-trained sports and spine physician. With over 30 years of experience merging orthopedic expertise with longevity science, Dr. Yurth brings a unique perspective on preventing joint degeneration,...
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130. Smarter Drinking: Cut Alcohol Without Sacrifice
Extend Podcast with Darshan Shah, MD
How much control do you really have over your alcohol consumption and its effects on your health? Many people assume drinking is just part of social life, but science shows there are practical steps to reduce intake while still enjoying your routine. In this solo episode of Extend, Dr. Darshan Shah, longevity expert and founder of Next Health, breaks down why smarter drinking is a key strategy for improving sleep, metabolism, and long-term wellbeing. He explains how alcohol impacts the body, from disrupting sleep and recovery to impairing executive function, metabolism, and reward pathways....
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129. Ashley Koff: The GLP-1 Conversation Most People Are Missing
Extend Podcast with Darshan Shah, MD
Most people think weight loss is about discipline, calories, or finding the right medication. But what if the real issue is that we’ve misunderstood how hormones, digestion, and recovery actually regulate metabolism in the first place? In this episode of Extend, we sit down with registered dietitian Ashley Koff to unpack what GLP-1 medications are really doing in the body and why bariatric surgery revealed metabolic changes long before significant weight loss ever occurred. We explore incretin hormones, vagus nerve signaling, and why appetite, blood sugar, and inflammation are part of a much...
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128. Hidden Environmental Toxins Are Destroying Your Health
Extend Podcast with Darshan Shah, MD
How much control do you actually have over the toxins in your daily environment? Most people assume chemical exposure is unavoidable, but the science shows there are practical steps that can significantly reduce your toxic load. In this solo episode, we break down why environmental detoxification is a key strategy for protecting your long-term health and longevity. We walk you through the main sources of exposure, from household cleaners and cookware to synthetic fragrances and clothing materials. We explore how these toxins affect your hormones, immune system, and metabolism, and why...
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127. Allison Evans: Hidden Household Toxins That Are Making You Sick
Extend Podcast with Darshan Shah, MD
Toxin exposure rarely announces itself loudly, yet it quietly shapes hormone balance, immune resilience, mood, and neurological health long before a diagnosis appears. The real tension lies in the fact that these exposures are largely invisible, normalized, and happening inside the very spaces meant to keep us safe. We dive deeper into this in the Extend podcast with Allison Evans. We also chat about the “toxic bucket” concept, why synthetic fragrance and harsh disinfectants can act as endocrine disruptors and neurotoxins, how asthma, fertility challenges, and chronic symptoms can be...
info_outlineMost 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
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