PUTTING THE HEALTH BACK IN HEALTHCARE

Episodes

Aug. 18, 2025

181. The Truth About Menstrual Cycle Training & Hormonal Impacts on Performance | Shawn Arent, PhD, CSCS

Dr. Darsh Shah and Dr. Altamash Raja continue their conversation with Dr. Shawn Arent on hormone physiology and performance. They dive into female physiology and menstrual cycle myths, the overlooked role of thyroid and reverse T3, catecholamines and autonomic balance, and the future of performance enhancement with GLP-1s and muscle-preserving drugs. A practical, evidence-based look at optimizing health and performance! TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to Medicine Redefined 00:37 Deep D...
Aug. 5, 2025

180. The Truth About Cortisol, Insulin & Overtraining | Shawn Arent, PhD, CSCS

We are back with a powerhouse guest, Dr. Shawn Arent, for part 1 of a series on hormone optimization. From cortisol misconceptions to insulin fearmongering, they cut through the noise with science-backed insight into performance, recovery, and stress physiology. You’ll rethink everything you’ve seen on social media about hormones. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to Medicine Redefined 00:36 Welcoming Dr. Sean Art 02:11 The Importance of Cortisol 02:49 Understanding Cortisol's Role in...
July 21, 2025

179. Is Medicine Worth It? Real Talk on Debt, Purpose, and The Future of Doctors

In this episode of Medicine Redefined, Darsh and Altamash dive deep into the question on every future and current physician’s mind: is medicine still worth it? What starts as a reflection on the financial and emotional toll of the profession quickly evolves into a powerful conversation about agency, reinvention, and longevity in medicine. With honesty and humor, they unpack their own journeys from burnout to building lives and careers on their own terms, sharing hard-earned insights and tactical...
July 7, 2025

178. The Cost of Secrecy in Insurance: Why Transparency Matters | Dr. Vincent Marchese, D.O.

In this episode of Medicine Redefined, Dr. Darsh and Dr. Altamash sit down with Dr. Vince Marchese, sports medicine physician and founder of Apex Medicine, to explore how transparency and direct pay models are transforming healthcare. We break down why traditional insurance creates confusion and barriers, how clear pricing empowers patients, and what happens when physicians reclaim time to focus on care - not paperwork. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to Medicine Redefined00:35 Meet Dr. Vince Ma...
June 23, 2025

177. Ketamine, Trauma, and the Future of Psychiatry | Rocky Sullivan, DO

In this episode of Medicine Redefined, Darsh and Altamash sit down with Dr. Patrick “Rocky” Sullivan, an emergency physician turned ketamine therapy pioneer, to explore how this powerful molecule is quietly transforming mental health care. Drawing from years of ER experience and clinical innovation, Dr. Sullivan breaks down the science, stigma, and promise behind ketamine treatment for depression, PTSD, addiction, and chronic pain. We unpack the nuances of off-label prescribing, why most depres...
June 16, 2025

176. Pills, Profits, and Power: The Fight to Reform Big Pharma | Vinay Patel, PharmD

In this episode of Medicine Redefined, Darsh and Altamash take a deep dive into the complex world of medications with Dr. Vinay Patel, pharmacist and founder of MakoRx. Dr. Patel exposes the hidden realities behind Big Pharma, explaining why generic drugs can be so confusing and revealing the true factors driving skyrocketing pharmacy prices. We also explore how cutting-edge AI technology is revolutionizing drug discovery and development. This conversation will fundamentally change how you unde...
June 15, 2025

175. Cynicism in Healthcare: New Surgeon General, Critiquing Viral Health Experts & Getting on Board with AI

In this episode, Darsh and Altamash talk about why so many people feel let down by the healthcare system. They break down where trust has gone wrong, how rising costs and confusing policies leave both patients and doctors frustrated, and why it feels like "no one is coming to save you". They also get into AI’s growing role in medicine, the recent Surgeon General pick, and what it means to get on board with AI. 00:00 Introduction (Dr. Darsh hates on LeBron) 00:49 Setting the Stage: Healt...
May 27, 2025

174. The Torn ACL Dilemma: Should Every Athlete Get Surgery? | Jeremy Boyd, PT, DPT

We welcome back Dr. Jeremy Boyd for a deep dive into one of the most debated injuries in sports medicine: the ACL tear. Building on our previous conversation around philosophy and mindset in rehab, this one gets tactical—real tactics, real strategies, and real challenges. Topics Covered in the Episode: • The 4 main pathways for ACL injury management: reconstruction, repair, non-operative rehab, and cross-bracing for regeneration/recovery • What makes someone a coper—and how to identify them sa...
May 27, 2025

173. Why Rehab Fails—And What Truly Heals | Jeremy Boyd, PT, DPT

Dr. Jeremy Boyd, founder of Trifecta Therapeutics, a sports rehabilitation and performance practice with three locations in Southern NJ/Greater Philadelphia, is residency and fellowship trained and board-certified in Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy. As a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists (FAAOMPT), he demonstrates advanced skills in diagnosing and treating complex neuromusculoskeletal conditions, utilizing a comprehensive approach that integrates ad...
April 14, 2025

172. Ultra-Processed Minds: Trauma, Addiction & the Food We Eat | David Wiss, PhD

Dr. David Wiss, a registered dietitian with a PhD in Public Health from UCLA and a minor in Health Psychology. David is the founder of Nutrition in Recovery and the creator of the Wise Mind Nutrition app, which blends nutritional psychology, behavioral change, and trauma-informed care. His work sits at the cutting edge of nutritional psychiatry, functional medicine, and public health—and today’s conversation will leave you thinking deeply about how food shapes not just our bodies, but our minds,...
March 31, 2025

171. Microplastics Are Everywhere But Should You Care?

In this unscripted deep dive, Altamash and Darsh tackle the overlooked but increasingly relevant topic of microplastics—what they are, how they affect our bodies, and what practical steps we can take to reduce exposure. From water filtration and air quality to household hacks and consumer habits, they explore the intersection of environmental toxins, chronic disease, and health optimization. Plus, the conversation veers into everything from sauna myths and visceral fat to book abandonment and th...
March 17, 2025

170. Owning Your Practice and Your Future with The Rise of Direct Specialty Care | Sarah Weinstein, DO

Dr. Sarah “Sassy” Weinstein—triple board-certified in family medicine, sports medicine, and lifestyle medicine. After finishing her family medicine residency, Dr. Weinstein headed to Colorado for a sports medicine fellowship, then expanded her expertise by becoming board-certified in lifestyle medicine. Now practicing in Princeton, New Jersey, she blends advanced sports medicine techniques with holistic, lifestyle-focused care—all within a direct specialty care model that cuts out needless insur...
March 2, 2025

169. Feeling Stressed is Optional: Redefining Burnout, Identity & Purpose | Robyn Tiger, MD

Dr. Robyn Tiger is a board-certified physician and founder of StressFreeMD, a platform dedicated to helping healthcare professionals navigate burnout and reclaim a sense of calm in their daily lives. After overcoming her own high-pressure struggles as an interventional radiologist, Dr. Tiger dove deeply into lifestyle medicine, mind-body techniques, and cognitive behavioral tools—eventually developing a holistic approach to sustainable stress management. She is the author of Feeling Stressed Is ...
Feb. 17, 2025

168. Rewiring the Brain: Unlocking the Secrets to Neurodegenerative Disease Prevention | Leonaura Rhodes, MBChB

Today, we are honored to welcome Dr. Leonaura Rhodes, a physician, public health expert, neurotherapist, and certified brain health coach. With over three decades of experience, she has dedicated her career to helping individuals optimize brain function, manage stress, and design fulfilling lives. Dr. Rhodes combines her expertise in medicine, coaching, and neuroscience to empower people with actionable strategies for peak health and longevity. In this episode, we explore neurodegenerative dise...
Feb. 3, 2025

Hype vs. Reality: The Biggest Health Trends of 2025

In this episode, we revisit our 2024 health predictions to see what we got right—and what we completely missed. Then, we dive into the biggest winners and losers of 2025, the most overhyped health trends, and the breakthrough technologies that will actually make an impact. Plus, Altamash shares his personal experience with surgery and recovery, revealing the critical lessons he learned about muscle loss, nutrition, and what most people (and even doctors) overlook when it comes to post-surgical h...
Feb. 3, 2025

167. Hype vs. Reality: The Biggest Health Trends of 2025

In this episode, we revisit our 2024 health predictions to see what we got right—and what we completely missed. Then, we dive into the biggest winners and losers of 2025, the most overhyped health trends, and the breakthrough technologies that will actually make an impact. Plus, Altamash shares his personal experience with surgery and recovery, revealing the critical lessons he learned about muscle loss, nutrition, and what most people (and even doctors) overlook when it comes to post-surgic...
Jan. 20, 2025

166. Bridging Health and Design Through Architecture and Sustainable Agriculture | Denzel Hill

Denzel Hill is an architectural designer with a unique perspective, aiming to connect the built world with nature to create healthier communities. He is the founder of Under One Sun Creative Consulting, an architectural design and visualization company. His company focuses on providing architectural drawings for custom residential builders and affordable home developers, emphasizing sustainability and communication. Denzel's vision focuses on designing healthy spaces with an emphasis on food sec...
Jan. 6, 2025

165. Can We Rebuild Trust in Healthcare After the COVID-19 Pandemic? | Heather Hammerstedt, MD, MPH

Dr. Heather Hammerstedt is an emergency medicine physician, lifestyle medicine coach, and founder of Wholist Health. With over 20 years of experience in acute and chronic care, she has dedicated her career to addressing the root causes of illness through integrative approaches. Dr. Hammerstedt’s unique perspective combines her frontline emergency medicine work with her passion for coaching patients on nutrition, mindfulness, and movement. In this episode, we discuss: Lessons learned from the C...
Dec. 26, 2024

164. Health Hijacked: Insurance Greed, Therapy Culture, and Alarmist Health Experts

Altamash and Darsh are back to discuss current events. Topics covered in the episode include: Current insurance industry issues - Brian Thompson, BCBS Therapy Culture "Health Experts" Resources mentioned in the show: Mark Manson episode Tangle News on CEO Shooting - Must Read
Dec. 26, 2024

163. Is Medicine Overlooking the Role of Psilocybin and Psychedelics? | Lida Fatemi, DO, MPH

Dr. Lida Fatemi, DO, MPH is a board-certified internal medicine physician, educator, speaker, certified physician coach, and founder of the Conscious Physician Method. A best-selling author and leader in the integration of psychedelics into medicine, Dr. Fatemi has gained national recognition for her innovative approach to healing trauma, burnout, and mental health challenges. Her work combines evidence-based medicine with holistic practices, focusing on helping healthcare professionals and pati...
Dec. 26, 2024

162. Should Nature Be The 7th Pillar of Lifestyle Medicine? | Melissa Sundermann, DO

Dr. Melissa Sundermann (aka Doctor Outdoors) is a plant-based physician, double board certified in both Internal Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine and has been practicing medicine for over 20 years. She also has training in Integrative Medicine through the University of Michigan and has completed a Professional Training Program in Mind Body Medicine through the Center for Mind Body Medicine based in Washington, DC. She has been featured in several Lifestyle Medicine articles and podcasts as well a...
Dec. 26, 2024

161. Navigating Student Loans Amidst The Chaos | Meagan McGuire

Meagan McGuire is back on the show to break down the current landscape of student loans. Meagan Landress is a student loan consultant for Student Loan Planner. She obtained her finance degree at The Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. In March 2017, Meagan started her practice, Financial Coach Meagan, to help people begin their financial planning journey with student loan debt in the mix. In this episode, we discuss: Recent court rulings and injunctions against the SAVE pla...
Dec. 26, 2024

160. Progress Note #19: The Return of Medicine Redefined, Life Updates & Discussing Alex Hormozi x Chris Williamson

We're baaaccckkk!! In this episode, we provide some life updates over the last 4 months. We'll also dive into the topics of work, success, and personal development through the lens of a couple podcasts we listed to with Alex Hormozi on Chris Williamson's Modern Wisdom podcast. 24 Controversial Truth About Success & Failue 21 Brutally Honest Lessons to Improve Your Life
July 8, 2024

159. Asset Protection: Life Insurance | Lawrence Keller, CFP

Lawrence B. Keller is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and the founder of Physician Financial Services, a company dealing exclusively with the financial needs and concerns of members of the medical profession. Mr. Keller has spent the last 33 years providing insurance and investment products and services to residents, fellows, and attending physicians. These include, but are not limited to, disability income insurance, life insurance, and investments. Mr. Keller represents many well-r...