
#1Ā Blood cleaning
A growing health trend Iāve been eyeing lately is blood cleaning š©ø, aka therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE).Ā
Plasmaāthe liquid part of your blood that comes with hormones and antibodiesāalso carries some unwanted stuff like microplastics, inflammatory proteins, and potentially even some toxins š¬. TPE removes that plasma and replaces it with a clean solution (usually saline or albumin), then returns your blood cells to circulation. Think of it like an oil changeābut for your body š.Ā
A growing number of companies are now offering TPE. One company here in Austin, called Proxima Health, combines TPE with diagnostics and longevity coaching. Another company, Circulate Health, just raised $12M, indicating VCs are interested in the trend.Ā
Circulate also recently published a study showing TPE (especially when combined with something called IVIG) significantly reversed biological age markers across 15 epigenetic clocks (basically high-tech ways to estimate how āoldā your body really is) š§¬. If that holds up, thatās wild!
The science is still early, and the price tag is steepā$8-10K per treatment, not covered by insurance. But I could see a world where this eventually becomes as routine as an annual blood test. (Function x Circulate collab, anyone?) I havenāt tried it (yet š ), but the idea of a full-body reset is tempting.
Now, this isnāt the same thing as the more headline-grabbing (and controversial) blood swapping, made famous by Bryan Johnson when he traded plasma with his teenage son. Thatās a whole different thingāmore experimental and inspired by parabiosis studies, where scientists literally connected old and young mice to share blood. Crazy, I knowābut the results did show older mice lived 6-9% longer.Ā
Overall, this whole area is fascinating to me (though maybe a little Frankenstein-y š¬), and one Iāll keep watching. Curious what 5HT readers think. If cost and access werenāt an issueā¦
Which would you try?
#2 David selling cod
As you know, this newsletter is mostly dedicated to covering David protein bars.Ā
Theyāre a little bit controversial, but thereās no way to argue against their macros (28g protein, 150 calories). To hammer this point homeāand continue to embrace controversyātheyāre now selling Wild-Caught Pacific cod š¤. Like the literal fish, flash frozen. And this isnāt a prank; you can buy them (and, of course, I have).
I frankly just love the audacity and what a PR play to show how difficult it is to get a nutritional profile similar to their bars.
Also, whenever I hear about cod, itās hard for me not to remember how much cod Dwayne āThe Rockā Johnson used to eat. (Spoiler alert: A LOT.)
#3 My personal health protocol: Morning routine
Yes, Iām one of those people who wakes up at 5am. š
But I fully get that it's not for everyone, and donāt believe itās āthe secret to success.ā It just works for me, personally š¤·. Getting up hours before my wife and kids also gives me some me-time in the morning before I connect with the fam.Ā
As I continue to share my healthyish protocols, hereās what my mornings usually look like:
āļø 5am: Wake up
š“ 5-5:20am: Back exercises (more on why I do these below!)
š§āāļø 5:20-5:30am: 10-minute meditation (used to use Headspace, now I do this solo)
š» 5:30-7am: Deep work (paired with my trusty Costco cold brew and starting with 20 mins of my sun lamp)
šØāš©āš§ 7-9am: Family time (making breakfast for the family, plus helping them get ready for school). I currently eat for breakfast a whole carton of egg whites (50ish grams of protein), chopped up veggies with spices, and sauerkraut or kimchi on top. If this sounds gross to you, imagine how my kids feel (they get something else).
šļøāāļø 9-10am: Workout in my home gym (not fancy), unless Iām rock climbing or working out with a friend!
š 10-10:30am: Get ready (including skincare and morning supplements)
Whatās in your morning routine that I should add to mine? Hit reply with your rec. š©
#4 Holi (mane)
For the last three months, Iāve been testing holi (mane)āa hair/skin/nails supplement from Agent Nateur thatās heavy on āØvibes⨠and even heavier on price.
Itās a powder you scoop into your bev or food of choice (Iāve been adding it to my smoothie) and is designed to support longer hair, brighter skin, and stronger nails. The two headline ingredients: Marine collagen and pearl powder. Sounds cool, right? I thought soācool enough to drop $99 on this Vogue-backed product š. I just figured I needed to take something for this stuff since everyone else isā¦
Anyway, letās break down these two headliners:Ā
Marine collagen (made from non-GMO, wild-caught, kosher fish) includes types I, II, III, and IV collagen associated with skin elasticity, joint health, and hair strength. If you remember this 5HT edition, collagen is an incomplete protein. Since Iāve been focused on upping my protein this year, Iāve been counting collagen toward my daily total šŖ, but havenāt relied on it for my macros.
Pearl powder (made from, yes, crushed pearls š¦Ŗ) has supposedly been used for over a thousand years in Chinese medicine, from beauty care to healthcare. It's rich in calcium and amino acids and thought to be beneficial for skin regeneration. (Though the science is still early, I tend to believe Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine know whatās up š. )
Buuut as interesting as that sounds, after three months, Iām not convinced š. Iāve been on a mission to simplify my supplement stack, and this one ultimately didnāt make the cut š¬. I wasnāt quite seeing/feeling results, and I didnāt really enjoy supplementing with it (its super fine particles kind of got everywhere), plus ultimately couldnāt justify the heavy price tag. Sorry, holi (mane)! š¤·
#5 Myo
I have a lot of experience with PT, including having a reallyyy tough time finding one I could trust.Ā
Years ago, when I first hurt my back, I went to a PT that was basically a sad little room inside a doctorās office ā¹ļø, and it took about three seconds for me to realize I wasnāt coming back. Unfortunately, that was a huge mistake. I spent years trying to fix what could have been resolved then, all because that first experience gave me the ick. (Am I using this right?)
Eventually, I tried again. This time, I went to three different providers before finding one I felt okay sticking with. But once I did, it made a genuinely huge difference. My back went from āDonāt even think about bending overā to āYeah, okay, I can do this.ā š
When you stick with it, PT is pretty amazingāespecially if you struggle with any MSK (or musculoskeletal, think back, knee, neck) issues. And given that most of us sit hunched over a desk all day with pretty questionable posture š¤Ø, itās becoming even more essential. Unfortunately, finding the right PT is tough. Along my journey, Iāve found some to be too sterile. Some, too woo. Some, too impersonal. And thatās why Iām so glad Myo is doing things differently and offering a more modern take on physical therapy. Finally.Ā
Myoās approach to movement care is designed to help you better understand your body so you can improve how you move. Each 1-1 session with an expert clinician is meant to help you boost your body IQ. No machines. No assistants. Itās how PT should be, and Iām so excited about what theyāre building.Ā
I've also known Scott (Myoās founder) for a long time. He has an amazing vision, has built an experience people love, and itās no wonder itās growing. They just opened their newest location in New York City, adding to their clinics in Vancouver, Los Angeles, Calgary, and Toronto. Annnd, if youāre in NYC or LA, theyāre offering 50% off your first sessionāexclusively for 5HT readers š. So cool.
My advice? Donāt let years go by before you do PTā¦because life is too short to have a bad back. š«
Other things happening now
Fire&Spark released a list of the biggest winners in digital health SEO in 2025 annnd two of our partners at Healthyish Content, Oshi and Midi Health, are in the top 3. Very cool validation for my agencyās model! š„³
Rhode Island becomes the first state (!) to require employers to provide workplace accommodations for employees experiencing menopause. I hope other states follow.
You can now track your sun exposure and vitamin D levels in a new app brought to you by Twitterās co-founder, Jack Dorsey. I feel like Jack is always ahead of things. And you can be, too, because SUN is the theme of the next 5HT Special Edition, coming next week.
ICYMI, Fitt Insider published their Wellness 2.0 Playbook earlier this month, highlighting whatās what in health and wellness. Theyāre the best.
This guy lost 12lbs and cut his body fat by 7% eating āmountains of honeyā for 90 days šÆ. Pooh approved, of course.
Bryan Johnson shares what benefits he felt from 48 (!) sessions of 200F, 20 min, dry sauna š„µ. Hard not to be convinced by all the data on Finnish saunasā¦
Most clicked last week: Denmarkās secret to happiness.
If you think being healthyish is cool, share this newsletter with your health-curious friends, fam, and...that one coworker who also wakes up at 5am.
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š Who are you again? Iām Derek Flanzraichāfounder of two venture-backed startups in Greatist (š) and Ness (š). Iāve worked with brands like GoodRx, Parsley, Midi, Ro, NOCD, and Peloton. I now run Healthyish Content, a premium health content & SEO agency (among other things).
Every Thursday, I share 5 health things I feel strongly about so you can live healthyish. (Disclaimer: Iām more your friend with health benefits. None of this is medical advice.)Ā
And oh, you also feel strongly about some health things? Hit replyāIād love to hear it.