High Performance Longevity

#268 Herbal Medicine vs Pharmaceuticals: What Actually Works? | Dr. Robert Beltran @recomnd Nutrition

What if the pills in your medicine cabinet are the problem, not the fix?
Dr. Robert Beltran was a triple board-certified surgeon and pharmacist for 30 years. Then a 2014 accident left him dependent on OxyContin. A five-herb blend from an Asian market cleared his brain fog in three weeks and got him off opioids, launching a decade of formulating plant-based supplements at recomnd Nutrition.
Meet our guest
Dr. Robert Beltran (MD, PharmD, FACS) is a retired ENT and cosmetic surgeon and the CEO and Chief Formulator of recomnd Nutrition. At 73, he blends a pharmacist's rigor with a decade of clinical work on herbal formulas for cognition, stress, and sexual wellness.
Thank you to our partners
Outliyr Biohacker’s Peak Performance Shop: get exclusive discounts on cutting-edge health, wellness, & performance gear
Ultimate Health Optimization Deals: a database of of all the current best biohacking deals on technology, supplements, systems and more
Latest Summits, Conferences, Masterclasses, and Health Optimization Events: join me at the top events around the world
FREE Outliyr Nootropics Mini-Course: gain mental clarity, energy, motivation, and focus
Key takeaways
A 2024 DNA barcoding study found 60% of shelf supplements don't match their label
At least half of market supplements show no measurable benefit
No clinical study has shown an obvious anti-aging benefit from NAD, per Beltran
Herbs like tongkat ali and maca raise the body's own testosterone without replacing it
70% of men on testosterone therapy over 12-18 months develop side effects
Antidepressants, sedatives, and sleep aids account for 60,000 deaths a year
Fix exercise, diet, and stress before reaching for any supplement
Episode highlights
01:53 The accident and the opioid trap
04:43 The five-herb blend that changed everything
07:01 What extract ratios really mean
18:31 The case against NAD
28:26 Herbs that raise testosterone naturally
30:55 The testosterone therapy risks clinics bury
49:15 The 60,000-death problem
53:26 Three desert-island ingredients
01:01:22 What to fix before any supplement
 
Links
Watch it on YouTube:
Full episode show notes: https://outliyr.com/268 
Connect with Nick on social media
Instagram
Twitter (X)
YouTube
LinkedIn
Easy ways to support
Subscribe
Leave an Apple Podcast review
Suggest a guest
Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for us? Let me know in the show notes above and one of us will get back to you!
Be an Outliyr,
Nick

#267 Low Testosterone Isn’t Always the Problem: Root Causes You Should Know | Ollie Matthews @Ojay Health

Most men over 40 who feel tired, foggy, and flat get told the same thing: your testosterone is low, here's a prescription. Functional medicine practitioner Ollie Matthews makes the case for the opposite order of operations.
In this episode, men's hormone coach Ollie Matthews (OJ Health) explains why your hormones are a readout of how you live, why the gut quietly runs your hormones, and why he treats testosterone replacement as the last step, not the first. He shares his own story of crashing his hormones during a bodybuilding phase, rebuilding them as a new dad, and the framework he now uses with clients.
Meet our guest
Ollie Matthews is a functional medicine practitioner and men's hormone coach, and one of the first UK practitioners accredited under Harvard-affiliated Dr. Datis Kharrazian. He's the creator of The ONE Method and works with dads who want their energy and confidence back. After losing his own father young and later rebuilding his health from a deep low, his mission is to help a million dads not die before seeing their children grow up.
Thank you to our partners
Outliyr Biohacker’s Peak Performance Shop: get exclusive discounts on cutting-edge health, wellness, & performance gear
Ultimate Health Optimization Deals: a database of of all the current best biohacking deals on technology, supplements, systems and more
Latest Summits, Conferences, Masterclasses, and Health Optimization Events: join me at the top events around the world
FREE Outliyr Nootropics Mini-Course: gain mental clarity, energy, motivation, and focus
Key takeaways
Low testosterone is often a signal of sleep, alcohol, training, and stress, not just a number to medicate
High SHBG can leave total testosterone "normal" while usable free testosterone sits at the bottom
Replacement therapy works best as a last step, after the basics are genuinely handled
The gut supplies the raw materials your body uses to build hormones, and helps clear them too
Fiber tolerance is a quick window into gut health
Stress perception, not just the amount of stress, drives much of the damage
Build foundations like Everest base camp, because people fall off fastest right after hitting a goal
The deepest, most durable motivation is usually personal, in Ollie's case, being there for his daughter
Episode highlights
00:00 Why "your testosterone is low" is usually the wrong starting point
01:48 What functional medicine actually means
02:54 The lifestyle factors that quietly suppress testosterone
05:54 Why blood work only tells part of the story
11:17 The marker most doctors skip (free testosterone vs total)
13:43 Ollie's story: losing his dad, burnout, and bodybuilding
19:11 Hitting rock bottom and the road back as a new dad
24:49 The ONE Method: Own it, Nourish it, Elevate it
27:50 The Mount Everest model of building health
33:19 Aesthetics vs health, and why psychology matters most
45:11 Why fixing your gut helps fix your hormones
50:23 Stress perception vs stress level
59:00 The question about men's health nobody asks
 
Links
Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/u6H_hn8Gx1k
Full episode show notes: https://outliyr.com/267 
Connect with Nick on social media
Instagram
Twitter (X)
YouTube
LinkedIn
Easy ways to support
Subscribe
Leave an Apple Podcast review
Suggest a guest
Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for us? Let me know in the show notes above and one of us will get back to you!
Be an Outliyr,
Nick

#266 Unlock Consistent Peak Energy by Fixing the 7 Hidden Gaps in Modern Nutrition | Nick Urban @Outliyr

How to get the nutrients modern food misses, even when you eat clean. In this episode Nick walks the full chain from seed to cell and shows the simple fix.
He makes the surprising, hopeful case that closing your nutrient gap is one of the easiest health upgrades in 2026.
Meet the host
Nick is the founder of Outliyr and host of the High Performance Longevity podcast. A bioharmonizer and performance coach, he blends modern science with ancestral wisdom to decode what actually moves the needle on energy, healthspan, and performance.
Thank you to our partners
Outliyr Biohacker’s Peak Performance Shop: get exclusive discounts on cutting-edge health, wellness, & performance gear
Ultimate Health Optimization Deals: a database of of all the current best biohacking deals on technology, supplements, systems and more
Latest Summits, Conferences, Masterclasses, and Health Optimization Events: join me at the top events around the world
FREE Outliyr Nootropics Mini-Course: gain mental clarity, energy, motivation, and focus
Key takeaways
The "balanced diet means no supplements" model is decades out of date
North America once grew 17,000+ apple varieties; stores now carry ~10
Across 43 crops (1950-1999), zinc fell 27-59% and calcium 16-46%
Milling white flour strips 70-90% of B vitamins; ~80% of magnesium is lost in processing
Glyphosate was patented as a mineral chelator and an antibiotic
Organ-meat intake dropped ~90% since the 1970s, cutting choline and B12
Modern water and modern life raise your nutrient demand
The fix is simple: eat the most nutrient-dense food you can, then close the gap with a smart stack
Episode highlights
00:46 The "supplements are a waste" myth
02:24 Seeds & the varietal collapse
04:21 What 50 years did to the soil
06:32 How produce is grown today
10:01 What processing strips out
12:11 Glyphosate & farm chemicals
15:00 The foods that left the modern plate
16:46 Why your water lost its minerals
17:37 Why your body needs more now
24:28 How to close the gap
 
Links
Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lMW85dc6W7o
Full episode show notes: https://outliyr.com/266 
Connect with Nick on social media
Instagram
Twitter (X)
YouTube
LinkedIn
Easy ways to support
Subscribe
Leave an Apple Podcast review
Suggest a guest
Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for us? Let me know in the show notes above and one of us will get back to you!
Be an Outliyr,
Nick

#265 How 5 Days With No Food OR Water Triggers a 100% Natural Stem Cell Release | Theo Lucier @Forgotten Health

Here's how the hardest reset on the planet actually works, and how to do it safely.
Theo Lucier has spent over a decade studying dry fasting through his project Forgotten Health and his guided program Dry Fast with Friends. He breaks down why a true dry fast is different from a water fast, how the body burns fat for its own water, the endogenous stem cell release on day 5 and 7, and why the way you exit matters more than the fast itself.
Meet our guest
Theo Lucier is a natural health researcher and supplement formulator, founder of Forgotten Health, and co-creator of the Dry Fast with Friends community program with Sean McCormick. After overcoming severe chronic fatigue and 16 years of one-meal-a-day eating, he now focuses on dry fasting for stem cell release, cellular detox, and energy.
Thank you to our partners
Outliyr Biohacker’s Peak Performance Shop: get exclusive discounts on cutting-edge health, wellness, & performance gear
Ultimate Health Optimization Deals: a database of of all the current best biohacking deals on technology, supplements, systems and more
Latest Summits, Conferences, Masterclasses, and Health Optimization Events: join me at the top events around the world
FREE Outliyr Nootropics Mini-Course: gain mental clarity, energy, motivation, and focus
Key takeaways
A dry fast turns 100 grams of fat into 115 grams of metabolic water from within
A water fast breaks down muscle and organ tissue; a dry fast spares lean mass
A 5-day dry fast triggers one wave of stem cell release, a 7-day triggers two
The Russian fat-loss method: a 24-hour dry fast plus a 6.2 mile walk, twice a week
Day 3 is the hardest, when the body switches from glucose to ketone metabolism
A soft dry fast with hydrogen peroxide baths supports detox better than a hard one
Dry fasting is one of the few ways to quickly eject deuterium from the mitochondria
Pre-tox for months first if you carry heavy toxic load
How you refeed matters more than the fast: no sugar, sip water slowly to avoid edema
Episode highlights
00:00 Important safety disclaimer
02:42 Introduction
04:21 What dry fasting is & what it feels like
06:06 Dry vs wet fasting (gluconeogenesis)
07:49 How 100g of fat becomes 115g of water
12:26 Endogenous stem cell release explained
16:48 The Russian "AK47" fat-loss method
22:44 Cortisol, stress & why day 3 is hardest
28:23 Changing your fat set point vs GLP-1s
40:02 How to pre-tox before a dry fast
47:19 Exiting safely: the most important part
58:32 Why dry fast "with friends"
1:02:16 Community results: mood, injuries, parasites
1:09:06 The program & how to join
 
Links
Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/69msEGyAXFQ
Full episode show notes: https://outliyr.com/265 
Connect with Nick on social media
Instagram
Twitter (X)
YouTube
LinkedIn
Easy ways to support
Subscribe
Leave an Apple Podcast review
Suggest a guest
Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for us? Let me know in the show notes above and one of us will get back to you!
Be an Outliyr,
Nick

#264 How Toxic Burden Impacts Hormones, Brain Health & Longevity | Kyle Hulbert

Heavy metal detox is the most overlooked driver of fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, and low testosterone — and most standard lab panels miss it entirely.
In this episode, toxic burden specialist Kyle Hulbert explains why "normal" blood work can leave you feeling terrible and what actually works to reverse hidden toxicity.
Meet our guest
Kyle Hulbert is a wellness and integrative nutrition coach specializing in detoxification, hormones, and root-cause health. After his own decade-long struggle with anxiety, brain fog, fatigue, and a testosterone level of 159 at age 21, Kyle discovered that hidden heavy metal toxicity was driving his symptoms. He now runs a clinic model that has helped over 1,500 people in its first year reverse toxic burden, balance hormones, and recover their energy.
Thank you to our partners
Outliyr Biohacker’s Peak Performance Shop: get exclusive discounts on cutting-edge health, wellness, & performance gear
Ultimate Health Optimization Deals: a database of of all the current best biohacking deals on technology, supplements, systems and more
Latest Summits, Conferences, Masterclasses, and Health Optimization Events: join me at the top events around the world
FREE Outliyr Nootropics Mini-Course: gain mental clarity, energy, motivation, and focus
Key takeaways
25 to 30% of the population is dealing with heavy metal toxicity. 60 to 70% with toxins more broadly.
Standard blood tests are unreliable for heavy metals because metals live in tissues, not blood. A negative blood test does not rule out a burden.
The provocation test (DMPS or EDTA IV plus an 8-hour urine collection) is the gold standard for measuring heavy metal load.
Cilantro and most "natural" detoxes cannot bind mercury. Mercury needs a chelator with two thiol bonds: DMPS, DMSA, or alpha lipoic acid.
90 percent of people with mold symptoms see those symptoms resolve when their heavy metals come down. Metals form the scaffolding for mold biofilms.
EBOO filters glyphosate, mold toxins, microplastics, bacteria, and viruses. It increases blood oxygenation by about 35 percent and the effect lasts roughly a week.
8,000 daily steps is the research-supported target for lymphatic drainage. 10,000 was a pedometer-marketing number.
Start at home with water, then food (EWG Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen), then swap household products as you run out.
Selenium can displace mercury from the brain but only do this while you are actively chelating from the body.
Episode highlights
04:04 The hormone replacement breakthrough that changed everything
13:26 What percent of the population is dealing with toxic burden
16:49 The provocation test: gold standard heavy metal testing
21:12 Mercury, mold, parasites, glyphosate: what to test for
27:00 Why most "mold problems" are actually heavy metal problems
34:34 TPE vs EBOO: comparing two longevity therapies
43:01 What an EBOO session actually costs
48:14 The mold test that actually works (MyMyco antibody test)
55:23 Why mental health symptoms may be a toxic burden story
01:03:39 Procaine therapy: the underrated nervous system reset
01:06:23 Final takeaways
 
Links
Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UkOmi7Ox0Qg 
Full episode show notes: https://outliyr.com/264 
Connect with Nick on social media
Instagram
Twitter (X)
YouTube
LinkedIn
Easy ways to support
Subscribe
Leave an Apple Podcast review
Suggest a guest
Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for us? Let me know in the show notes above and one of us will get back to you!
Be an Outliyr,
Nick

#263 Ayahuasca, Trauma Healing & Plant Medicine Science | Jeff McNairy @Rythmia

Imagine throwing away your antidepressants and never needing them again. For about 85% of the people who sit with Dr. Jeff McNairy, that is exactly what happens.
He is the Chief Medical Officer of Rythmia, the world's only medically licensed ayahuasca retreat, and he looks at the most stigmatized corner of mental health through a clinical lens: the chemistry, the screening, the data, and the integration work that decides whether change lasts.
Meet our guest
Dr. Jeff McNairy holds a doctorate in psychology and a master's in public health from UCLA. He ran locked psychiatric units in Pasadena and was administrative director of Passages Malibu before trying plant medicine himself in 2014. For 25+ years he has worked at the intersection of Western psychology and indigenous medicine, and today he runs the medical operation and Costa Rican licensing for Rythmia.
Thank you to our partners
Outliyr Biohacker’s Peak Performance Shop: get exclusive discounts on cutting-edge health, wellness, & performance gear
Ultimate Health Optimization Deals: a database of of all the current best biohacking deals on technology, supplements, systems and more
Latest Summits, Conferences, Masterclasses, and Health Optimization Events: join me at the top events around the world
FREE Outliyr Nootropics Mini-Course: gain mental clarity, energy, motivation, and focus
Key takeaways
Ayahuasca pairs DMT with an MAOI vine so the compound survives digestion and reaches the brain
It activates a gene that links the amygdala to the prefrontal cortex, letting stored trauma surface and release
About 85% of guests who came off antidepressants to attend never go back on them
Rythmia turns away ~22 people a day for SSRIs, benzodiazepines, heart conditions, bipolar 1, schizophrenia, or type 1 diabetes
The ceremony is the start, not the finish: every guest gets a free 13-week integration program
A "psychosomatic" purge (vomiting, yawning, sweating) is how the body lets go of held emotion
Intention plus meditation may drive a real epigenetic effect, per emerging UK research
The biggest red flag in plant medicine is a retreat without firm staff-guest boundaries
Episode highlights
00:00 Intro
02:25 What ayahuasca actually is (DMT + MAOI)
05:22 What a week at Rythmia looks like
10:22 How emotions get stored in the body
12:31 85% come off antidepressants and don't go back
17:19 The free 13-week aftercare program
38:41 Foods that pull you out of the medicine
48:51 Testing biological age before and after
51:31 How Rythmia measures success (98%)
53:42 Breaking the hippie stereotype 57:59 When NOT to do ayahuasca
1:05:57 What he's building next
 
Links
Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/N6SdiFFKFTY 
Full episode show notes: https://outliyr.com/263 
Connect with Nick on social media
Instagram
Twitter (X)
YouTube
LinkedIn
Easy ways to support
Subscribe
Leave an Apple Podcast review
Suggest a guest
Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for us? Let me know in the show notes above and one of us will get back to you!
Be an Outliyr,
Nick

#262 10,000 Steps Is Making You Worse: The Biomechanics Truth About Pain & Performance | Gabriel Saravia @The Paraball

What if your 10,000 steps a day were the reason your back hurts?
Biomechanics engineer Gabriel Saravia, joins Nick Urban to break down why most chronic back pain comes from millimeter-scale vertebra shifts rather than weak muscles. After eliminating chronic pain in hundreds of clients ranging from world champions to people who couldn't move without bracing, his approach centers on spine-driven mechanics: the rotation, lateral flexion, and decompression patterns humans evolved for.
Meet our guest
Gabriel Saravia is an engineer turned biomechanics specialist and the creator of the Paraball, Paramace, and Parabell training systems. After years of chronic back pain from competitive squash and bodybuilding, he rebuilt his understanding of the human body from first principles and now coaches everyone from world champions to clients with severe movement limitations. His method centers on spine-driven mechanics: the rotation, lateral flexion, and decompression patterns humans evolved for.
Thank you to our partners
Outliyr Biohacker’s Peak Performance Shop: get exclusive discounts on cutting-edge health, wellness, & performance gear
Ultimate Health Optimization Deals: a database of of all the current best biohacking deals on technology, supplements, systems and more
Latest Summits, Conferences, Masterclasses, and Health Optimization Events: join me at the top events around the world
FREE Outliyr Nootropics Mini-Course: gain mental clarity, energy, motivation, and focus
Key takeaways
A 1-millimeter vertebra shift can be the difference between pain and no pain
Static stretching destroys concentric muscle strength over years, which is why yoga teachers develop the worst back pain Saravia sees clinically
10,000 asymmetric steps a day compounds into lateral spinal shifts and S-curve patterns
Bottom-up kinetic sequencing (pelvis first, ribcage second) powers every rotation; reversing it collapses force
The universal weakness on almost every client is knee flexion in hip hyperextension
Heavy axial loading widens vertebral cross-section, which reduces spinal range of motion
Sprint ground forces exceed deadlift ground forces, with none of the spinal ompression
Replace static stretches with loaded mobility: use your own muscles plus a light weight to pull joints through end range
For posterior chain loading, swap deadlifts for atlas stones, single-leg deadlifts at half weight, or sprints
 
Episode highlights
00:00 Intro
02:01 Origin story: bodybuilding back pain
05:18 Spine anatomy: 3 planes of motion
06:07 The 1 millimeter vertebra shift that decides pain
13:33 Why static stretching fails biomechanically
17:08 Why yoga teachers have the worst back pain
21:35 Bottom-up kinetic sequencing (the cross punch)
32:22 The universal weakness on every gait analysis
35:48 The ribcage elevation protocol for back pain
42:25 Why 10,000 asymmetric steps destroy the spine
56:36 Tensegrity and active spinal decompression
01:02:25 Rapid fire: daily exercise, biggest gym waste
 
Links
Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1JkynREwwcQ 
Full episode show notes: https://outliyr.com/262 
Connect with Nick on social media
Instagram
Twitter (X)
YouTube
LinkedIn
Easy ways to support
Subscribe
Leave an Apple Podcast review
Suggest a guest
Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for us? Let me know in the show notes above and one of us will get back to you!
Be an Outliyr,
Nick

#261 10 Ironmans in 10 Days: The BRAIN System for Ultra-Endurance Recovery | JD Tremblay

What if everything you've been told about training harder is the reason you're breaking down? JD Tremblay is one of only 3 people to complete the Epic Deca - 10 Ironmans in 10 consecutive days. He didn't get there by pushing harder. He engineered it.
In this episode, JD reveals the BRAIN system he uses with athletes, military, and high performers across 4 countries. He explains why elite Kenyan runners train at 5-6 minutes per kilometer most days, why a 12-minute nap beats 2am caffeine, and why studies show humans cannot truly multitask.
 
Meet our guest
JD Tremblay is a former military member with over a decade of service, an ultra-endurance triathlete, naturopathic practitioner, and Integrated Performance Engineer. He serves as Director of High Performance & Mental Resilience Advisor at Hungry Warrior Academy. Only 3 people have ever completed the Epic Deca (10 consecutive Ironmans). JD is also a world record holder in firefighting gear and runs philanthropy supporting children in 5 countries
Thank you to our partners
Outliyr Biohacker’s Peak Performance Shop: get exclusive discounts on cutting-edge health, wellness, & performance gear
Ultimate Health Optimization Deals: a database of of all the current best biohacking deals on technology, supplements, systems and more
Latest Summits, Conferences, Masterclasses, and Health Optimization Events: join me at the top events around the world
FREE Outliyr Nootropics Mini-Course: gain mental clarity, energy, motivation, and focus
Key takeaways
The BRAIN system: Blood chemistry, Recovery, Attention, Inflammation/input, Nervous system regulation
A morning smoothie spikes cortisol - fine pre-workout, problematic before sedentary work
A 12-minute nap outperforms 2am caffeine for late-night cognition without the rebound
Match recovery to actual training and life demand. One-size-fits-all recovery is a marketing myth
Phone scrolling is physical rest only. The mind stays in sympathetic mode and does not recover
Pain is normal in training. Injury should stop you. Reserve ibuprofen for emergencies, not defaults
Studies show humans cannot truly multitask. What feels like multitasking is rapid context switching
Some people need MORE stress, not less. Input under-load creates fake-victim cycles
Engineer your goals like an experiment: plan, strategy, prototype, execute. Most people fail at execute
Track symptoms over data points during ultra-endurance. Fatigue could be electrolytes or sugar
 
Episode highlights
00:00 Intro
01:35 The Alien Athlete
04:03 The BRAIN system explained
10:31 12-minute nap vs 2am caffeine
16:27 How elite Kenyan runners actually train
20:24 Active vs passive vs total rest
30:24 Why multitasking is a myth
39:11 Why some people need MORE stress, not less
46:36 Engineering 10 Ironmans in 10 days
51:32 Symptom-based pacing in ultra-endurance
 
Links
Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/M4TzdSeP5Hs 
Full episode show notes: https://outliyr.com/261 
Connect with Nick on social media
Instagram
Twitter (X)
YouTube
LinkedIn
Easy ways to support
Subscribe
Leave an Apple Podcast review
Suggest a guest
Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for us? Let me know in the show notes above and one of us will get back to you!
Be an Outliyr,
Nick