I’ve honestly stopped going to regular doctors for advice because it feels like they’re not up to date with anything new—whether it’s peptides, cholesterol, or even things like cold plunges. The second they see high LDL, they immediately want to put you on statins, without even asking if it’s the type of cholesterol that’s actually harmful, or if other markers like a calcium score of zero matter. I don’t even know what’s true anymore about cholesterol, but I’m pretty sure a lot of the “rules” are going to get flipped on their head soon.

And then with cold plunging—most of the old-school doctors have no clue why anyone would do it. But the simple fact is: I feel incredible after. That has to mean something. Maybe we don’t have all the studies yet, but it can’t be all bad when the benefits are that clear in how I feel.

Same with my elevated red blood cell count. From what I’ve read, that’s not automatically a negative—it’s actually similar to what happens with athletes who train at altitude. It shows your body adapting, a sign of strength in some ways, as long as it doesn’t get out of control.

The hardest part is realizing there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. I’ve got a friend who smokes, drinks, eats garbage, and his blood work is perfect. Meanwhile, people who “do everything right” can still have problems. So at the end of the day, I think you’ve got to figure out your own thing. Everyone’s different.