Doctor Changshou lost 50 pounds because he was worried that he would not see his son grow up. He changed 4 simple lifestyles.

• When Dr. Darshan Shah is looking forward to his first child, he is under pressure and overweight.

• He was worried that if he hadn't changed his lifestyle, he wouldn't have seen his son grow up.

• He lost 50 pounds and after lifestyle changes, including diet improvement.

At the age of 42, Dr. Darshan Shah was used to being under pressure. As a successful surgeon in Los Angeles, he spent 20 years working 12 hours on a regular basis, starting at 6 a.m.

But when his wife was pregnant with her first child in 2016, he realized he needed to make healthier changes.

“I found myself in poor health. I've already had an autoimmune disease, overweight 50 pounds, my blood pressure is high, I can't control it with medication, I have high cholesterol, and a high risk factor for early death,” Shah 52. ” “But my son has a long life in front of him, and I want to come for it.” ”

Shah started working as a surgeon for a year and began studying the science behind long-term health.

“I was able to completely change my health in one year and completely remove 10 different prescription medications in one year. I lost 50 pounds and my autoimmune disease completely disappeared,” he said.

His work priorities have also improved, and he finds that he is no longer tired. Instead, he “wanted to wake up every morning and jump out of bed to attack this day.”

Shah’s transformation made him realize that this is the type of medicine he wanted to practice – helping people become healthy, not just solving medical problems. In 2016, he founded the Next Health, a health optimization and lifespan clinic, locations in the United States and Dubai.

Now, Shah has conducted experimental lifespan treatments at his clinic, but he still believes that the basics as correct as he is the key to a long and healthy life. He told BI the lifestyle changes he made.

Cut out super processed food

“My nutrition is scary. I'm eating a lot of super processed foods, especially processed carbohydrates,” Shaa said.

Evidence suggests that UPF is associated with a range of health problems. Among the 45 studies in 2024, a study involving 9.8 million people published in the journal BMJ, UPFS is associated with cardiovascular disease, depression and type 2 diabetes.

Researchers disagree whether all UPFs are equally harmful, so nutritionists recommend eating less without emphasizing quitting smoking.

Sleep for 7 hours a night

Before his son was born, Shah said he “she hardly slept four hours a night.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults aged 18 to 60 sleep seven or more hours a night.

Not having enough sleep can be harmful. A 2022 study of more than 10,000 British civil servants found that participants reported sleeping less than five hours a night at age 50, at a higher risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, and dying from long-term health conditions.

Getting enough sleep is also associated with reducing calories.

Now, Shah sleeps seven hours a night and says he feels great.

Move more

Shah believes exercise is an important part of “good healthy habits” and that a mixture of strength training and aerobic exercise is associated with longer lifespan. He goes to the gym every other day for 70% strength training and uses his free weight for 70% strength training, while he runs on the treadmill 30% aerobic exercise—plus some stretching to warm up.

Shah also tried to get up and move every 45 minutes while sitting at work.

“They said sitting is new to smoking, and I think that's true,” Shah said. “As a surgeon, you spend a lot of time standing in one position and sitting non-sports can lead to a high risk of illness.”

While studies have shown that sitting for more than 10 hours a day is associated with a higher risk of early death, a 2023 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine studied 12,000 people over 50 years of age, a solution. The study found that 22 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise (such as doing housework, brisk walking or cycling) seemed to have had the negative effects of sitting for a long time all day.

Get his testosterone levels to normal range

“I didn't know my hormones were in the toilet. But when I measured my testosterone levels, a 42-year-old man had very low testosterone levels,” Shah said.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, low testosterone causes symptoms such as reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, depression and increased body fat.

Shah used hormone replacement therapy and raised his testosterone levels to a range considered normal.

The lifestyle changes he makes may also help. According to the Cleveland Clinic, eating a healthy diet, exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding excessive alcohol and drug use can help keep testosterone levels normal.

As previously reported by BI, once considered a taboo, more and more men are doing testosterone replacement therapy without formally diagnosed official diagnosis of “low testosterone” to help them build muscles, get an erection and have more energy. However, it is unclear whether it is beneficial for young, healthy men and whether side effects include acne, hair loss and infertility.

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