Beyond Normal with Dr. Tyler J. Saunders

Most people who struggle with their health aren't struggling because they lack information. The problem is the gap between knowing and doing — and the gap between starting and sustaining.

Dr. Tyler Saunders sits down with Zachary DeCoster, physical therapist and Director of Lifestyle Medicine and Weight Loss at Revolution Physical Therapy and Weight Loss — a 13-clinic multidisciplinary model across Chicagoland combining PT, biomarker testing, nutritional counseling, and behavioral modification.

They cover why exercise alone isn't enough, what lifestyle medicine actually means in practice, what makes behavior change stick long-term, the truth about GLP-1s and muscle loss, and what becomes possible when a physician, PT, nutritionist, and strength coach are all working together toward the same patient.

Zach's closing message: "We all have our role to play — and nothing says we can't work together to help this patient. That's how medicine should be."

🌐 Revolution PT & Weight Loss: revolutionptwl.com
📅 Book a Discovery Call with HealthSpan Chicago: https://calendar.app.google/fNTDC8As2UzZmpCa7
🌐 healthspanchicago.com

For educational purposes only. Not medical advice. No physician-patient relationship is formed by listening.

The fitness industry has been telling women to be smaller for decades. Eat less. Do more cardio. Don't lift heavy. Most women have worked incredibly hard following that advice — and never gotten where they wanted. The reason is that the advice was wrong.

Sara Mastantuono is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and one of the most senior personal trainers at Equinox Chicago, with nearly 15 years of coaching experience. She joins Dr. Tyler Saunders to talk about what the fitness industry has gotten wrong for women, her own personal journey from calorie-obsessed cardio to fueling for strength, and what it actually looks like to build a body that works for you.

They cover the bulking myth, the under-fueling epidemic, what a real program looks like for a woman in her 40s, progressive overload, PMOS, and the collaboration between medicine and fitness that changes outcomes.

Sara's closing message: "The heaviest weight in the gym is the front door."

Find Sara:
📱 @sara_mastantuono
📱 @mr_and_mrs.pt (collab with her husband, a physical therapist)

📅 Book a Discovery Call with HealthSpan Chicago: https://calendar.app.google/fNTDC8As2UzZmpCa7
🌐 healthspanchicago.com

For educational purposes only. Not medical advice. No physician-patient relationship is formed by listening.

HealthSpan Chicago is officially open — and in this special episode, Dr. Tyler Saunders introduces the physician he trusts with his patients when he's away.

Dr. Frances Baxley is a Harvard-trained, board-certified Family Medicine and Integrative Medicine physician and founder of Baxley Family Medicine, launching alongside HealthSpan Chicago in Deerfield, Illinois. In this conversation, Tyler and Frances share how they met, why they both left large health systems, and what they've built — and why two physicians who took very different paths ended up in the exact same place.

They cover Frances's journey from county hospital medicine to Harvard integrative medicine fellowship, why both physicians needed more time and autonomy than the system allowed, the philosophy both practices share, and what it means to have a physician who actually knows you.

For HealthSpan Chicago patients: this episode is specifically for you. When Dr. Saunders is away, Dr. Baxley is who he trusts with your care.

🌐 Baxley Family Medicine: francesbaxleymd.com
📅 Book a Discovery Call with HealthSpan Chicago: https://calendar.app.google/fNTDC8As2UzZmpCa7
🌐 healthspanchicago.com

For educational purposes only. Not medical advice. No physician-patient relationship is formed by listening.

Most adults in their 40s and 50s either aren't strength training, are doing it wrong, or were scared away from it after an injury. This episode changes that.

Dr. Tyler Saunders sits down with Sterling Stalnaker — founder and head strength coach at Strength Affect, a personalized strength and conditioning gym in Northfield, Illinois — for a deep dive into the how and why of strength training for adults who want to perform well for the rest of their lives.

They cover progressive overload, the eccentric phase, compound vs. isolation movements, power training, rep ranges, and a practical weekly framework anyone can follow. Plus: why the assessment-first philosophy at Strength Affect mirrors exactly how HealthSpan Chicago approaches new patients — measure first, prescribe second.

If you've ever felt like strength training wasn't for you, this episode is for you.

🆓 Free intro assessment at Strength Affect: strengthaffectns.com
📅 Book a free Discovery Call with HealthSpan Chicago: https://calendar.app.google/fNTDC8As2UzZmpCa7
🌐 healthspanchicago.com

For educational purposes only. Not medical advice. No physician-patient relationship is formed by listening.

Most people who struggle with their metabolic health have been given the same advice their whole lives: eat less, move more. The problem isn't effort — it's that the advice was never built for them specifically.

David Anthony grew up as an overweight kid in a food-centered Italian family, spent years in the military and aviation, and eventually found metabolic health through glucose stability, real food, and movement. Now a commercial airline pilot, metabolic health advocate, and founder of Aviate and Eat & Feel Good, David shares what changed, how he manages his health across time zones and irregular schedules, and why low glycemic eating transformed his life.

Dr. Tyler Saunders provides the clinical context — circadian biology, insulin resistance, glucose stability, and the three things that actually move the needle: real food, protein, and fiber.

📅 Book a free Discovery Call: https://calendar.app.google/fNTDC8As2UzZmpCa7
🌐 healthspanchicago.com

For educational purposes only. Not medical advice. No physician-patient relationship is formed by listening.

EPISODE 3 — The Silent Number

Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure — and most have no idea it's doing anything wrong. In this episode, Dr. Tyler Saunders sits down with his medical school classmate and cardiologist Dr. François Kaleta to talk about what high blood pressure actually is, what it's silently doing to your heart, brain, and kidneys, and what it actually takes to change the trajectory.

We cover:
— The history of hypertension: from FDR dying at 63 with a BP of 300/190 to the SPRINT Trial
— What the two numbers actually mean — and why diastolic matters more than you think before age 50
— Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring — what it catches that your doctor's office misses
— The lifestyle interventions that actually move the needle: exercise, sodium, potassium, sleep, and more
— When medications are the right first move — and how lifestyle can reduce or eliminate them over time
— Supplements and medications that silently raise blood pressure most people don't know about
— What François wishes every patient under 40 knew about screening

Find Dr. François Kaleta:
Cardiologist based in Chicago, IL

HealthSpan Chicago is currently accepting patients.
📅 Book a free Discovery Call: https://calendar.app.google/fNTDC8As2UzZmpCa7
🌐 healthspanchicago.com

Follow Beyond Normal:
▶️ YouTube: youtube.com/@TylerJSaundersDO
📱 Instagram: @healthspanchicago
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tyler-saunders-do-fmcp-4b843626

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Listening does not create a physician-patient relationship. Hypertension is a serious medical condition — please do not make any changes to your medications or health regimen without consulting your own physician. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not reflect the position of any hospital, university, or medical institution.

EPISODE 2 — Movement as Medicine

Exercise is the single most evidence-based longevity intervention we have — stronger than almost any drug we prescribe. And yet most physicians never prescribe it with any specificity. Most physical therapy programs aren't thinking about longevity. And a physician and a physical therapist almost never work together toward the same patient's long-term goals.

In this episode, Dr. Tyler Saunders sits down with Dr. Muhibb Sadiq — Doctor of Physical Therapy, board-certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist, and founder of Element Performance and Physical Therapy. Muhibb trained at Northwestern and completed his orthopedic residency at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab — the number one rehabilitation hospital in the country.

We cover:
— Why most injured patients don't see a PT until 10–12 weeks in — and what that delay actually costs them
— How you lose 2–5% of muscle strength per day when fully immobilized
— Why "pain does not equal damage" — and how to know what's safe to push through
— The case for proactive movement assessment before injury happens
— Grip strength as a predictor of mortality
— What changes when a physician and a physical therapist are working toward the same goal

Find Dr. Muhibb Sadiq and Element Performance & Physical Therapy:
🌐 element-physicaltherapy.com

HealthSpan Chicago is currently accepting patients.
📅 Book a free Discovery Call: https://calendar.app.google/fNTDC8As2UzZmpCa7
🌐 healthspanchicago.com

Follow Beyond Normal:
▶️ YouTube: youtube.com/@TylerJSaundersDO
📱 Instagram: @healthspanchicago
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tyler-saunders-do-fmcp-4b843626

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Listening does not create a physician-patient relationship. Please consult your own physician before making any changes to your health or care.

Welcome to the very first episode of Beyond Normal. I'm joined by TJ Luby — a close friend, former college roommate, and cross country teammate — for a conversation about why I left a large health system after eight years to build something different, and what "healthy" actually means when most people only find out they weren't after something goes wrong.

We talk about:

• Why a clean bill of health at your annual physical doesn't mean you're actually healthy
• The problem with 13-minute appointments and 2,000-patient panels in conventional primary care
• Why more supplements and more information isn't the same as a better plan — and how personalization changes that
• What a real intake and first year in a longevity-focused practice actually looks like
• How TJ rebuilt his body composition with three focused changes, not an overwhelming overhaul
• Why "hope is not a strategy," and what it means to have a team instead of a to-do list

This is the introduction to what Beyond Normal is about: cutting through the noise, understanding your own numbers, and building a health plan around your actual goals — not generic advice.

If any of this resonates and you're wondering whether the system is giving you everything you need, learn more or book a free Discovery Call at healthspanchicago.com.

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice, and listening does not create a physician-patient relationship. Please work with your own physician before making any medical decisions.