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Proof of Practice PodcastHonest, research-backed conversations that inspire real people to live longer, stronger, and more fully. Author: To cut through the noise in health and wellness with honest, research-backed conversations that inspire real people to live longer, stronger, and more fully. No shame, no shortcuts, no wellness theater.
Five voices, one table, no filter. Proof of Practice brings together pro athlete Gabby Reece, Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, Dr. Stacy Sims, and tech leader Amber Taylor for the kind of conversation that usually only happens after the conference ends - honest, sharp, and grounded in both lived experience and real science. Each episode explores the intersection of health, performance, and longevity through a lens that centers women without excluding anyone. From hormones to strength, sleep science to mental resilience, nutrition to biometric tech, the trio covers what's actually working, what's overhyped, and what the research says versus what culture tells us. Guests span sport, medicine, nutrition, research, mental health, and beyond. This isn't a podcast that makes you feel bad for not doing enough. It's a table where smart people come to get real, get informed, and get inspired. proofpractice.substack.com Language: en Genres: Health & Fitness, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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BPC-157, NAD, and the Truth the Wellness Industry Isn't Telling | Dr. Rachele Pojednic
Monday, 8 June, 2026
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Rachele Pojednic, PhD, Chief Science Officer at Restore Hyper Wellness and faculty at Stanford Lifestyle Medicine, to cut through the noise on one of the most talked-about topics in women’s wellness: peptides and NAD. Dr. Pojednic pulls back the curtain on what peptides actually are, why most of the ones being sold online right now have almost no human data behind them, and the very real risks of buying from the gray market. She also explains why NAD IV drips are largely a waste of money (and sometimes genuinely miserable), what the research actually supports for longevity, and why BPC-157 sits at the top of her study list. The conversation ends with a grounding reminder that none of these therapies will move the needle if the foundational behaviors are not already in place.WHAT WE EXPLORE* What peptides actually are and why GLP-1 drugs are technically peptides* BPC-157, growth hormone secretagogues, and the peptides women are hearing about most* Why almost no human clinical data exists for the peptides flooding the wellness market right now* The gray market problem: what you are really buying when you order peptides online* Why NAD IV drips may make you feel awful and what actually works instead* NR vs. NMN: the right dose, the right form, and what the research actually says* Why supplement stacking can work against you (and sometimes make things worse)* GLP-1 drugs at microdose: could they be the longevity therapy of the future?* The foundational behaviors that determine whether any of this matters at all* How citizen science models are changing the way longevity research gets doneABOUT DR. RACHELE POJEDNICDr. Rachele Pojednic, PhD, EdM, FACSM, is a nutrition and exercise scientist, Chief Science Officer at Restore Hyper Wellness, and Director of Education at Stanford Lifestyle Medicine. She holds a PhD in Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition and Exercise Physiology from Tufts University and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Pojednic is one of a rare breed of researchers who operates across both academic and industry settings, using her position to conduct IRB-approved studies on the real-world therapies people are actually using, including peptides, NAD, and GLP-1 compounds.CONNECT WITH DR. RACHELE POJEDNICInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelepojednic/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelepojednicYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RachelePojednic_PhDWebsite: https://www.rachelepojednic.com/https://trykiral.com/Timestamps:* 00:00 Why Peptides Suddenly Went Mainstream* 01:26 GLP-1 Is a Peptide: What Most People Don’t Realize* 03:28 What Compounding Pharmacies Are and Why They Matter* 05:45 Every Peptide Women Are Talking About Right Now* 08:00 The Hard Truth: Almost No Human Data Exists* 11:00 How Peptides Are Actually Sold Online (It’s Sketchy)* 13:49 Dr. Pojednic Ordered a Peptide from Reddit. Here’s What Arrived.* 16:07 Why Buying Gray Market Peptides Is Riskier Than You Think* 18:06 Growth Hormone Peptides: The One Class That Worries Her Most* 22:00 How She Studies Therapies the FDA Won’t Let Academics Touch* 28:35 NAD IV Drips Make You Sick Because NAD Lives Inside the Cell* 33:00 Why NR and NMN Work When IV NAD Doesn’t* 37:00 NAD Starts Declining at 30, Not 65: Why That Changes Everything* 44:42 Why Stacking Supplements Can Actually Make Them Work Against You* 47:10 The Two Peptides with the Most Real-World Promise* 49:22 Peptides Won’t Work If You Skip the BasicsABOUT THE PROOF OF PRACTICEThe Proof of Practice: Where Science Meets PracticeHosted by five of the most respected names in women’s health: Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan, Amber Taylor, Gabby Reece, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, and Dr. Stacy Sims, this show exists because women have been studied less, treated as afterthoughts, and given advice built for men. We’re changing that.Every episode brings evidence-based, experience-backed conversations on strength, metabolism, hormones, longevity, and performance: for women, by women who’ve dedicated their careers to getting it right. No trends. No shortcuts. Just the proof that practice works.–JOIN THE PROOF OF PRACTICE COMMUNITYThe conversation doesn’t stop when the episode does.📷 Follow us for evidence-based clips and the kind of content that makes you feel less alone in what you’re going through. This is where the conversation stays alive.👉 https://www.instagram.com/proofofpractice_💌 Some things deserve more space than an episode allows. Join us on Substack for deeper dives, exclusive resources, and the nuance that actually helps you make sense of your health, not just follow a trend.🎧 If this episode moved you, challenged you, or gave you something you needed to hear, there’s more where that came from. Subscribe so you never have to go looking. Every new conversation lands straight in your feed, ready when you are. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit proofpractice.substack.com
