Hey Guys,

I want to introduce you to someone who’s had a big impact on how I think about health and wellness—Dr. Darshan Shah. I met Darshan at the Eudemonia Summit late last year, and we hit it off right away. You know that feeling when you meet someone and just click? That’s exactly what happened here.

Here’s why I’m excited to share this conversation: 

In a world flooded with health advice and quick-fix solutions, Darshan cuts through the noise. He focuses on what actually works—the 20% of actions that deliver 80% of the results. No gimmicks, no over-complicated systems, just straightforward strategies that fit into real lives like ours.

What I love about Darshan’s approach is how practical it is. He gets what we’re dealing with: the daily grind, the time crunch, and the need for solutions that actually stick. While he’s got the credentials to back everything up, he doesn’t bury you in jargon or academic theory. Instead, he translates it all into simple, actionable steps that can make a real difference.

In our chat, we covered the stuff that matters most—staying strong, boosting energy, feeling better, and thriving in midlife. It’s the same territory I explore in my book, but Darshan brings fresh insights and practical tips that can help you take things to the next level.

I think you’re going to get a ton out of this conversation. Darshan isn’t just an expert—he’s become a friend—and I genuinely believe what he shares here could be a game-changer for you too. Here’s our conversation:

How I See It, with Dr. Darshan Shah

MLM: Great to meet you. Can you give us the quick rundown as a midlife male. Wife? Kids? 

Darshan Shah: I’m 52. I’ve been married for 12 years now and I have a 10-year-old boy and 7-year-old girl.

MLM: What is your specialty?

Darshan Shah: I’m in longevity medicine now. I’m a physician, and my original specialty was surgery. About 10 years ago, I moved into longevity medicine.

MLM: Why did you make the transition? What were you seeing?

Darshan Shah: Honestly, it was my own personal health struggle. I was 45 pounds heavier than I am now. I had multiple medical diagnoses, and I wanted to turn my health around. The tools to do that weren’t in typical Western medicine, so I decided to educate myself. I learned about the science of health, got myself healthy, and realized that this was the kind of medicine I wanted to practice.

MLM: What did that look like? So, you come to this tipping point and decide to get yourself healthy. Where do you even begin?

Darshan Shah: Medical school doesn’t teach us how to get people healthy or reverse chronic disease. We’re taught how to diagnose a disease and prescribe medications. I had to start from scratch. I knew nutrition and exercise were part of the solution, but I didn’t know how to incorporate them. I’m a knowledge junkie, so I thought, “Let me take a course and figure this out.” I got a degree in nutrition sciences, became a certified personal trainer, and started learning from coaches and nutritionists. Along the way, I discovered functional medicine and met pioneers like Dr. Jeffrey Bland and Dr. Mark Hyman. They were just starting to teach functional medicine, and I became one of their first students.

MLM: For those of us who don’t know, what is functional medicine? How is it different?

Darshan Shah: Functional medicine is root-cause medicine. It’s proactive instead of reactive. The Western medical system —graduate college, get a job, pick a primary care doctor, and only see them when something’s wrong—is reactionary. That system is great for emergencies, like if you get hit by a bus or have a heart attack. But it’s not designed to maintain health. Functional medicine focuses on preventing issues before they arise by addressing things like nutrition, movement, sleep, hormones, gut health, and stress management. It’s a completely different mindset.

MLM: How do people get started? A lot of guys feel overwhelmed by all this information. What’s step one?

Darshan Shah: The first step is a mindset shift. Stop outsourcing your health to the traditional system—it’s not built for health optimization. Take ownership of your health. Yes, this means allocating time, energy, and money to things like gym memberships, organic food, and functional medicine. Think of it as reallocating resources. For example, many patients switch to disaster-care insurance, saving money that they then invest in health savings accounts to fund functional medicine. Start small. Focus on the basics: nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management. Master those before diving into anything more complicated.

MLM: What do your patients typically come to you for?

Darshan Shah: There are two groups. One group is already healthy but wants to optimize their health and prevent chronic disease. The other group doesn’t feel great. They have brain fog, bloating, can’t lose weight, or can’t build muscle. They’re frustrated because their doctor says, “You’re fine,” but they know something’s wrong. We dig deeper with comprehensive functional testing to find the root causes—hormones, gut health, toxicity—and help them turn things around.

MLM: What’s something people are over-obsessing about right now?

Darshan Shah: Protocols. People ask me all the time, “How many minutes in a cold plunge? Sauna before or after?” Meanwhile, they’re eating junk food and drinking excessively. Stop majoring in the minors. Focus on the basics first. Another thing is that people need to understand they are an “n of one.” What works for someone else may not work for you. You need to understand your biomarkers and what’s happening in your own body. That’s where the real work begins.

MLM: What about the opposite? What aren’t people talking about enough?

Darshan Shah: Toxic exposure. Over the last 60 years, we’ve introduced an insane amount of chemicals into our environment—things like mold, PFAs, and microplastics. These are building up in our systems and causing serious issues. It’s going to be the fourth pillar of health alongside sleep, nutrition, and exercise. There are simple steps you can take to detoxify your lifestyle, and they’ll make a huge difference.

MLM: How often do your patients meet with you?

Darshan Shah: Personally, I’ve stopped taking on new patients because I’m on the road a lot now for speaking engagements and my podcast. But I’ve trained a team of functional medicine doctors. Patients usually have formal meetings every six weeks, with blood work reviews every three months. They also have access to a doctor, a PA, and a health coach in between.

MLM: What does the investment look like?

Darshan Shah: It depends. Our top-tier package, which includes a full-body MRI and heart scan, is $12,000 annually. Functional medicine testing with regular doctor consultations is $5,000 a year. For those just starting, we offer a $300/month membership that includes blood tests.

MLM: Do you work with families?

Darshan Shah: Absolutely. We can tailor plans for families to ensure everyone is taken care of, whether it’s parents or kids.