Darshan Shah, 52: Prioritizing Health

Physician, heal thyself! And he did. One way to judge a physician is to understand the health challenges they personally faced, how they dealt with them, and how they have changed their thinking. If a doctor can’t manage their health or has never had an issue of their own, it may give one pause. Darshan Shah, like so many medical providers, was absolutely failing at his own health until he decided to make it a priority. 

His journey led him to found a series of clinics centered on disease prevention. Rather than solely focusing on disease treatment, maybe it is a better idea to look into preventing disease from occurring. Longevity medicine may sound exotic to us, and there can be exotic elements to it, but at its foundation are the basics we all need to get right: sleep, eating, movement, stress management, community, and purpose. Then, if we wish, we can layer on things like hormones, sauna, cold, light, etc. 

Keeping a growth mindset throughout one’s life is the key: stay open and optimistic, explore what may work for you, then take the actions needed. Having a knowledgable guide on the journey with you, someone like Darshan Shah, is a huge asset. 

How old are you?
52.

Where are you from and where are you currently based? 
Born in New Jersey; currently in Malibu, CA.

You practiced as a plastic surgeon before starting Next Health. What made you start Next Health? 
I “saw the light”, from my own personal health struggles, about the failings of western medicine to provide and promote health and prevention. When I learned how to do this, using a combination of functional medicine and nutrition and fitness training, I decided to change my career. 

“I ‘saw the light’ about the failings of western medicine to provide and promote health and prevention”

You travel a lot — how do you manage your fitness? 
Dedicate 45 minutes to fitness every AM, even if it is an in-hotel-room workout. I try to still walk 10,000 steps a day. I research hotel gyms prior to booking a hotel. (Some of them are incredible and I can’t wait to work out in them!)

How do you eat when you travel? Do you bring your own food? What about supplements? 
I take my Vitaboom.com supplement packs that are easy to travel with. I generally still seek out healthy restaurants, do not eat during plane flights (also helps with managing jet lag), and when I am at a restaurant I still always follow basic diet principles: protein first, then high fiber vegetables.  

How do you deal with jet lag? 
I use the Timeshifter app. Your circadian rhythm is set in multiple ways (not just with sleep) — it involves when you eat, light exposure, movement. The Timeshifter app helps manage all those aspects. 

What have been some of the health challenges you have faced?  
When I was 40 years old, I was overweight by 50 lbs, had metabolic syndrome, uncontrolled high blood pressure and an autoimmune disease.  I was able to “cure” myself with root cause (functional) medicine and some longevity hacks like sauna, cold- and light therapy.  I totally reversed all my diseases and lost 40 pounds in 8 months.  

“I was able to ‘cure’ myself with root cause (functional) medicine. I totally reversed all my diseases and lost 40 pounds in 8 months”

What is your ambition for the next 10 years? 
My ambition is to provide this renewed focus on root cause medicine, combined with advanced longevity science, to the masses at my new business Next Health which is opening 30 locations in the next two years. 

What do you do for fun? 
I absolutely love rucking. It combines all the things I love the most: challenging walks, being in nature, being in solitude in a meditative state. 

What is Darshan Shah’s personal sleep preparation routine? 
One hour before sleep I put my phone in the bathroom to charge, change all the lights to red, do a yoga routine on a PEMF mat while exposed to LED lights. Then I read a little before I immediately fall asleep in a few minutes. 

Are there modalities out there that you have seen as effective in helping people optimize their health, that we may not be using? Could you give us an idea on a scale of 1-10 how impactful these are?

• Red light: 8
• Cold plunge: 8
• Infrared sauna: 9
• Acupuncture: 8
• PEMF: 7
• NAD+ drips: 9 (although I use NR drips, which is better absorbed)

What are the top health challenges in the longevity space that you’re seeing among people 50+ who may believe they are healthy, reasonably fit, and not overweight? 
The number one challenge is maintaining strength and mobility. Every day sedentary subtracts two days of mobility from your life, in my estimation.   

“Every day sedentary subtracts two days of mobility from your life, in my estimation”

Do you have any thoughts on protein? How much, and types? 
I always start my meals with protein, from grass-fed or pasture-raised organic sources. I aim for 1 g/ lb of body weight, although this is difficult to achieve so sometimes I use a whey protein powder. 

Do you have a favorite Dr. Darshan Shah patient story? 
I have thousands of them! Many of them revolve around combining lifestyle changes with some advanced, well-managed interventions such as peptide therapy, testosterone replacement, or GLP-1 therapy for metabolic disease.  In addition, we have saved many lives by using advanced diagnostics like full body MRI and CT Cleerly scans. 

When you are dealing with patients, how important is their belief system? Meaning, are they optimistic vs pessimistic, and how do you approach improving their outlook?
Assuming we are talking about something where a lifestyle change can make a positive impact, I think having a growth mindset is fundamental to making health changes. Without having a mindset that is optimistic, resilient, and determined, any change (health or otherwise) has an additional massive roadblock. In my practice, we focus on this mindset shift before we start making ANY health changes. 

Big question, but where do you see healthcare in 10 years? 
I see a massive shift where many people will have the understanding that the benefit of adding a health-focused approach to their healthcare not only leads to less disease, but incredible vitality and added healthspan. Many businesses like Next Health will emerge that will serve as a routine in people’s lives (much like the gym) and decrease utilization of the western medical system through a fundamental overall decrease in rates of chronic disease. 

Favorite books? 
Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? (Hyman); Good Energy (Casey Means); Built to Move (Starrett); Comfort Crisis (Easter).

Who is your hero?
Elon Musk for his massive-scale thinking around energy, communication, and space.

What are 3 life non-negotiables for Darshan Shah? 
1. Love my family.

2. Love my friendships. 

3. Love my work. 

(In that order)

Connect with Darshan:
Website
LinkedIn
Instagram
Next Health
Vitaboom

Images by Claudia Goetzelmann.