5HT: 5 Healthyish Things, including peptides and smart scales

A friend (and 5HT reader) recently recommended Sermorelin, a peptide that stimulates the pituitary gland to produce more growth hormone. It’s primarily used to treat poor growth in kids, but there’s research showing that, when injected, it can increase hGH levels in adults, too. 

Naturally, I was curious and asked my PCP about it. And she… immediately said it was BS and wouldn’t recommend it. 😆

Annnd like Googling symptoms when you know you shouldn’t, I turned to the internet to investigate 🕵️. Pretty quickly, I found it was hard to order online (unless you want to roll the dice with a sketchy site). Some clinics offer it, but you have to go in person. I would’ve dropped it there, but now I can’t stop hearing about peptides (!).

Today, biohackers like Ben Greenfield, Bryan Johnson, and Dave Asprey regularly talk about and use them. They're all over on Reddit. Many boutique clinics now offer peptide protocols. Clinicians are rushing to offer them in their practices. Lifeforce and Superpower openly sell them to members (I’m told they’re making $$$). People want them! I’m now increasingly convinced someone will inevitably build the Hims & Hers or Ro of peptides (and have identified a few co’s I’m excited about doing just that).

But what are peptides, and is this a good thing? The scientific answer is they’re short chains of amino acids. But you can also think of peptides as your body’s mini task force—each with its own mission 🫡 . 

Relatively recently, scientists figured out how to isolate and synthesize specific peptides for targeted uses 🧬. Sermorelin is just one example. There are peptides for muscle growth, cognition, longevity, etc. You also see them everywhere in skincare—from topicals like serums and creams that work on the surface, to injectables that deliver concentrated ingredients deeper into the dermis.

The peptide you’ve probably heard most about? GLP-1s (which I’m currently microdosing). That’s right, they’re peptides! Buuut most therapeutic peptides are not FDA-approved for general use, and many are only available through compounding pharmacies or prescribed off-label. 

In theory, therapeutic peptides could be game-changing for health. I’ve heard many anecdotal, game-changing examples (like see this and this TikTok). But we don’t know their long-term effects yet and these have been very, very minimally studied in humans. (A case fave Eric Topol makes well here.) Yes, it’s totally plausible some peptides are going to be like GLP-1s—epic with benefits seemingly far outweighing the risks—but we truly don’t know yet. A classic 5HT IDKID!

I’ll say I’m more hesitant than expected to inject myself with peptides beyond GLP-1s after doing my homework here. Still, no question peptides will continue to blow up 💥 and I’m cautiously optimistic (plus very curious if) that evidence will build over time.

Imagine you’re in a cold plunge, trying desperately to focus on your breath…and someone starts playing the flute 😆. Apparently this happens at Othership—a NYC spot known for its guided saunas and ice baths.

I’m into it? I kind of love the concept of “niche wellness situations” (Throat singing in the sauna, anyone?) and absolutely think health & wellness should get more fun, more unexpected, and more memorable.

Stumbled into anything delightfully weird lately? Hit reply and tell me about it! 

Fitt Insider is my go-to source for the latest intel on digital health, human performance, longevity tech, and the $4T wellness economy. If you’ve been reading 5HT for a while, I’ve referenced them and their work a zillion times.

I’ve used insights from their banger reports and articles everywhere—from client meetings to pitch decks to, yup, 5HT 🤓. Sometimes, they put new things on my radar (like the value of designing indoor spaces to mimic nature). Other times, they validate trends I’ve been eyeing  👀 (like people being willing to spend more out-of-pocket for preventative care). Either way, they’re always among the first to cover emerging trends and market shifts—making them one of the few stop-everything-I'm-doing-to-read emails.

Fitt Insider’s founders, brothers Joe and Anthony Vennare, are also friends. I’ve known them since Joe was a writer for Greatist in the early days, more than a decade ago, and it’s been incredible watching them grow Fitt Insider into a platform trusted by 200K+ leaders, investors, and decision-makers.💥

I’ve also been lucky to collaborate with them along the way, joining their podcast back when I was running Ness (what a face I’m making here) and now collaborating on an article about top health marketing campaigns. (More on that soon.)  

Long story short: If you’re a health and wellness exec, the one newsletter you should read (other than this one, ofc) is Fitt Insider’s. It’s sharp, ahead-of-the-curve, well-curated, annnd lands in your inbox every Tuesday—just in time to hold you over until Thursday’s 5HT. 😏

Sign up here, and thank me later.

I got the fancy Withings Body Smart scale pretty early on in the weight loss journey I've been on this year and it’s time I report back. It's been my most honest health companion and watched me shed 30+ pounds. (No judgement, just Bluetooth 🫡. )

Functionally, the scale is simple and solid. It tracks weight plus eight advanced body composition metrics, like muscle mass (which I’ve loosely monitored to ensure I’m not losing muscle, a fear of mine when microdosing GLP-1s). What I really like is how seamlessly the app syncs across my digital health life—Apple Health, MyFitnessPal, WHOOP, the whole gang. It’s basically become the connective tissue for my body data.

If I’m being picky, they do tack on some extra features that are kinda overkill. (I don’t need a bathroom air quality report with my morning weigh-in 😅 and the readout you get includes so much it sometimes feels like I’m watching a short film.) And while I'm not sold on any scale being completely accurate—especially around things like muscle mass—it’s better than nothing and I’ve been into it!

Part of that’s because I've long been a Withings fan boy. (I even used one of their first Wi-Fi scales in 2009 during my 6-pack abs in 6 weeks challenge.) They've consistently made slick, medically-relevant devices—from scales to blood pressure monitors. More recently, they teased a futuristic mirror at CES (which I wrote about here). I've always thought they were ahead of the curve, annnd, needless to say, 5HT approved ✅. 

Starting tomorrow, I’m embarking on a new health quest to DOUBLE my restorative sleep time in two months (more to come on this). So, my evening routine is top of mind. I’m currently getting about 2ish hours of REM and Deep Sleep (according to my WHOOP/Oura), and my goal is to get that to 4+ hours within 8 weeks. Here’s my protocol:

🙊 6:45pm: Stop eating

(This is hard with social stuff, so I try to do this when possible.)

🧘 9:15-9:45pm: The Wind Down

😴 9:45pm: Lights Out

🌅 5:15am: Wake up and start my morning protocol.

Okay, you know what I’m curious about—but here’s what everyone else is searching for—according to a few trusty platforms.

👋 Who are you again? I’m Derek Flanzraich—founder of two venture-backed startups in Greatist (👍) and Ness (👎). I’ve 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: I’m more your friend with health benefits. None of this is medical advice.) Annnd follow me on LinkedIn for more hot takes on health.