Health Is A Skill with Todd Vande Hei

Latest Episodes:

Genetics, Epigenetics, and Taking Back Control of Aging | Jeffrey Mark Gaal Jan 08, 2026

Show notes

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 as something you actively steer — not something that happens to you.
Jeffrey explains how modern genetic testing goes far beyond DNA reports, revealing how daily choices influence gene expression, biological age, and the pace at which individual organ systems age.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
• Why genetic predisposition does not equal genetic destiny
• The difference between genetics, epigenetics, and methylation
• How lifestyle choices influence which genes turn “on” or “off”
• Why biological age matters more than chronological age
• How intracellular nutrient testing reveals what blood tests miss
• The role of inflammation, mindset, and environment in aging
• Why true prevention starts with better data, not more treatments
• How personalized diagnostics empower better decisions — not fear
Your body isn’t broken — it’s adaptive.
With the right information, you can change how you age, how you feel, and how your genes express themselves.
About the Guest
Jeffrey Mark Gaal is the co-founder of Genetic Lifespan and a former aerospace engineer with decades of experience in genetics, epigenetics, and integrative wellness. His work focuses on giving individuals and practitioners actionable data to optimize healthspan, longevity, and performance.
Learn more at: agecode.bio/healthspan

Your health is a skill you can build. Start with the free resources at podtodd.com or explore team-based health optimization at stark.health

Sleep Is a Skill — And It Changes Everything | Mollie Eastman Jan 01, 2026

Show notes

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 chronological age. They also dive deep into circadian-aligned living, morning light exposure, movement, caffeine timing, and why modern environments are quietly sabotaging deep sleep.
You’ll learn how small, repeatable behaviors throughout the day compound into better sleep at night — without perfection, gimmicks, or pills.
Topics include:
• AI-powered sleep coaching and CBT-I
• Wearables, sleep disorders, and data accuracy
• What “sleep age” really means
• Circadian rhythm basics most people miss
• How light, food timing, movement, and stress shape sleep
• Why resilience matters more than perfect sleep scores
Learn more about Mollie’s work at sleepisaskill.com
Learn more about Stark at stark.health

Your health is a skill you can build. Start with the free resources at podtodd.com or explore team-based health optimization at stark.health

Raising Strong Men & Healthy Women — A Psychiatrist’s Warning About the Next Generation with Dr. Mark McDonald Dec 25, 2025

Show notes

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.
Author of The United States of Fear and Freedom From Fear, Dr. McDonald brings a rare combination of clinical insight and cultural analysis. Together, he and Todd explore whether boys are still becoming men, whether girls are developing into healthy women, and how factors like social media, pornography, video games, ultra-processed food, and sedentary lifestyles are driving a psychological and physiological crisis.
In this episode, Todd and Dr. McDonald break down:
• Why boys are becoming physically weaker, emotionally fragile, and socially isolated
• The rise of narcissism and identity confusion in girls
• How algorithm-driven technology is rewiring young brains
• The collapse of real-world skill building and risk-taking in boys
• Why decentralization, community, and structure are the antidote
• What healthy parental boundaries actually look like today
• The deep link between physical health, emotional regulation, and identity
• Whether young people are still developing into functional adults — and what happens if they don’t
This conversation is a wake-up call for parents, educators, and anyone who cares about the future generation. As Dr. McDonald puts it, we’re not just dealing with boy problems or girl problems — we’re dealing with a civilization problem.
⚡ Final Takeaway
Decentralize your home life. Reconnect your kids to reality. Set boundaries. Young people can still become strong, capable men and emotionally grounded women — but only if we lead.

Your health is a skill you can build. Start with the free resources at podtodd.com or explore team-based health optimization at stark.health

From Burnout to Balance — Blueprint for Personalized Nutrition, Recovery & Sustainable Performance Dec 18, 2025

Show notes

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 corporate sales and athletics into health, performance psychology, and culinary education, and explains how bio-individuality, functional testing, and practical kitchen skills create sustainable energy, better digestion, and long-term results. This episode bridges science, mindset, and real life — without extremes, fads, or perfectionism.
In this episode, Todd and Katie cover:
• Why “eating healthy and working out” often still leads to fatigue, weight gain, and frustration
• The hidden cost of constant cardio, grazing, and under-recovering
• Bio-individuality in practice — why one-size-fits-all plans fail
• Cortisol patterns, stress resilience, and why timing matters more than effort
• The role of intentional recovery, sleep, and micro-resets throughout the day
• Why salads, gluten-free foods, and raw meals can backfire for some people
• Cooking as a performance skill — not a chore
• How ghee, protein-forward meals, and simple prep support hormones and energy
• Mindset, visualization, and why focusing on what you want beats avoiding what you fear

⚡ Final Takeaway:
Real health isn’t about trying harder — it’s about listening better. When recovery, nutrition, movement, and mindset are personalized to your physiology, progress stops being exhausting and starts becoming sustainable.

Your health is a skill you can build. Start with the free resources at podtodd.com or explore team-based health optimization at stark.health

Magnesium, Stress & Performance — Why This Mineral Might Be the Missing Piece Dec 11, 2025

Show notes

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 per day to stay in balance as a high-output entrepreneur, clinician, dad, and coach, and why most people are dramatically underestimating their true needs.
In this episode, they cover:
• Why magnesium is a “stress buffer” and how allostatic load (work, kids, training, stimulants) determines your real dose.
• The role of magnesium in mitochondrial function and ATP production — and what low levels feel like.
• Links between magnesium, testosterone, thyroid, cortisol regulation, and sleep quality.
• How deficiency shows up as tight muscles, twitching, restless legs, low stress tolerance, cravings, and mood issues.
• Why our food has less magnesium than it used to — and what that means for supplementation.
• Serum vs RBC magnesium testing, and why “normal” on a lab doesn’t always mean optimal.
• How meds like diuretics and even high-dose vitamin D can quietly drain magnesium.
• Magnesium’s support role in long COVID recovery and autonomic balance.
• Forms vs fundamentals: why people over-fixate on glycinate vs threonate and under-focus on simply getting enough.
⚡ Final Takeaway:
Magnesium is low-hanging fruit for better health and longevity — but only if you get enough for your lifestyle, not just a generic maintenance dose.

Your health is a skill you can build. Start with the free resources at podtodd.com or explore team-based health optimization at stark.health

Strong on Purpose, Part 3 — Purpose, Discipline & Rebuilding Young Men Dec 04, 2025

Show notes

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 a path forward centered on purpose, community, and disciplined living.
In this episode, Todd covers:
• Why purpose is the antidote to drifting, distraction, and quiet despair.
• How to use “good misery” — hard workouts, scary conversations, challenging goals — to build confidence.
• The role of tribe and mentorship — why boys need older men and strong peer groups.
• Discipline vs. punishment — using structure, standards, and honest feedback to shape character.
• How parents and leaders can model strength: self-care, boundaries, and receiving criticism well.
• Why emotional language matters for men — naming feelings to deepen relationships and resilience.
• How physical, emotional, and spiritual health are different expressions of the same system.
• Todd’s warning about a coming divide: healthy, purposeful young men vs. distracted, depleted ones.

Your health is a skill you can build. Start with the free resources at podtodd.com or explore team-based health optimization at stark.health

Thriving Through Thanksgiving — Todd’s Guide to Enjoying the Holidays Without the Setback Nov 25, 2025

Show notes

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 January,” this episode will help you find balance between discipline and joy.

In this episode, Todd covers:

Why Thanksgiving is more than one meal — and how to manage the “four-day challenge.”
Training before the feast — using glycogen depletion to make carbs work for you.
Protein and hydration hacks — how to stay satiated and stable all day long.
Walking after meals — the easiest, most effective tool for blood sugar control.
Sleep and social connection — how to recover and still enjoy those late-night laughs.
Mindset mastery — gratitude journaling, presence, and emotional discipline at family gatherings.
Rebound strategy — what to do if you overeat and how to reset without guilt.

Todd’s approach blends performance science, psychology, and perspective — reminding us that health isn’t about perfection; it’s about rhythm, presence, and conscious choices.

⚡ Final Takeaway:
Your body isn’t fragile — it’s adaptive. With intention and gratitude, the holidays can make you stronger, not softer.

Your health is a skill you can build. Start with the free resources at podtodd.com or explore team-based health optimization at stark.health

Is Your House Making You Sick? Mold, Mycotoxins & Heart Health with Dr. Jack Wolfson Nov 20, 2025

Show notes

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 disease, cancer, neurodegeneration, hormones, and stubborn weight gain.

Together, Todd and Jack explore why mold is so often missed by conventional medicine, why women tend to get sick first, and what you can actually do if you suspect your environment is holding your health back.

In this episode, they cover:

Why Jack believes most chronic illness comes down to “too much bad stuff, not enough good stuff” — with mold as a major “bad stuff” source.
How mold mycotoxins can suppress your immune system, damage vessels, disrupt hormones, and drive cancer and heart disease.
Why women are often the “canaries in the coal mine” for mold — with brain fog, weight gain, skin issues, and hormone chaos showing up first.
The link between mold and gut problems, mood issues, infertility, and the inability to lose weight despite “doing everything right.”
How to test: urine mycotoxin testing for your body and Swiffer dust testing for your home.
The hard truth about beautiful, expensive homes that are secretly making families sick — and why environment change is sometimes non-negotiable.
Jack’s own solution: living outdoors, tent life, and building mold-resistant homes from concrete, steel, and glass.

⚡ Final Takeaway:
You can’t truly optimize your health if you’re sleeping in a toxic box. Sometimes the most powerful “treatment” isn’t another supplement — it’s changing the environment you live in.

Your health is a skill you can build. Start with the free resources at podtodd.com or explore team-based health optimization at stark.health

Strong on Purpose, Part 2 — Young Men, Hormones & the Modern World Nov 13, 2025

Show notes

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 video games — are reshaping male hormones, mental health, and identity all at once. Then he lays out what parents, mentors, and leaders can actually do to help boys become strong, grounded men in a world that makes that harder than ever.
In this episode, Todd covers:
• Why identity and health are inseparable for young men.
• How today’s 18-year-olds often have lower testosterone than their 50-year-old dads.
• The impact of chronic stress, poor sleep, porn, and late-night gaming on hormones.
• How tech, social media, and environmental toxins are stunting male development.
• Practical changes for parents: devices, sleep, food, and home environment.
• Why “stupid young man behavior” (risk, mistakes, pushing limits) is actually developmental.
• How girls process emotional pain versus how boys isolate and implode.
• The double-edged sword of the gym — salvation or self-punishment.
• Using strength training as a path to confidence, resilience, and self-respect.
• Todd’s warning about the emerging split: healthy young men who lead… and everyone else.
⚡ Final Takeaway:
Young men aren’t weak — they’re overwhelmed by an environment their biology wasn’t built for. With boundaries, mentorship, and a focus on health, we can still raise men who are strong in body, mind, and purpose.

Your health is a skill you can build. Start with the free resources at podtodd.com or explore team-based health optimization at stark.health

Why Women and Men Need Different Nutrition for Optimal Health Nov 06, 2025

Show notes

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 shift not only across their lifespan but throughout the month — and how to align your nutrition, training, and recovery with your body’s natural rhythm.

In this episode, Todd covers:

Why one-size-fits-all nutrition fails women — and how energy use, fat storage, and metabolism differ between the sexes.
Macronutrient strategies for women — how to balance protein, fats, and carbs for hormonal health and energy.
The menstrual cycle blueprint — how to eat and train differently during the follicular and luteal phases.
Micronutrients that matter most — iron, magnesium, calcium, vitamin D, and B vitamins — and how deficiencies show up in energy and mood.
Seed cycling and natural hormone support — simple ways to smooth mood and energy swings.
Menopause nutrition & HRT — how protein, resistance training, and hormone support can help you feel better than ever in your 40s, 50s, and beyond.

Todd’s message is clear: women’s nutrition shouldn’t be a smaller version of a man’s diet. Your body is cyclical, not static — and when you fuel it right, you don’t just age better, you thrive.

⚡ Final Takeaway:
Your biology isn’t a disadvantage — it’s a rhythm. Learn to work with it, not against it.

Your health is a skill you can build. Start with the free resources at podtodd.com or explore team-based health optimization at stark.health

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