Why Healthcare Is Failing Us: Peptides, GLP-1, NAD+ Therapy, and the Future of Longevity With Daniel Rudyak from ReadyXR

ReadyRx co-founder Daniel Rudyak on preventative health, GLP-1s, NAD+, peptides and why there's still no shortcut past the basics

TL;DR

• Daniel's family experiences convinced him healthcare is too reactive. The answer is preventative, data-informed care and advocating for yourself.
• GLP-1s can be a powerful catalyst, but they're a tool, not the whole plan. You still need training, protein, water and sleep.
• Supplements and peptides only help alongside the basics, and consistency matters more than any one-off treatment.
• Daniel's one thing for everyone: sleep at least seven and a half hours, without screens or late meals beforehand.

Introduction

Daniel Rudyak's story is the reason he does what he does. When he was about 12, his father was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. A year or two later came lung cancer. After surgery and five clear years, a scan showed it had spread. Then a trial therapy left doctors saying they didn't understand why it had stopped growing. About three months after being told he no longer had active cancer, his father passed away.

Years later, Daniel's fiancée was sent home from two highly regarded Los Angeles hospitals with what they said was a viral infection. A friend who was a doctor told them to go to another hospital and insist on a scan. Her appendix had burst and she was septic.

Those experiences led Daniel, an investor and operator, to co-found ReadyRx, a US-based longevity platform offering doctor-prescribed therapies, health coaching and support groups. We talked about what Blue Zones get right, how to use GLP-1s properly, what NAD+ and peptides actually are, and why tracking your health matters.

A quick note: this is general education, not medical advice. GLP-1 medications, NAD+ and peptides should only be considered with a qualified doctor, and the rules differ between Australia and the US.

Lesson 1: Healthcare is reactive, so advocate for yourself

Insight: Daniel says much of healthcare relies on subjective information and pattern matching: "I've seen this many times, so this is how it must be." In his fiancée's case, the logic was that she didn't scream when they pressed on her stomach, so it couldn't be her appendix. They were wrong.

The bigger problem, he says, is that we treat health reactively. I'm sick, here's a pill. I'm hurt, here's a band-aid. Nobody asks why you got sick or what you can do to stay well. I could relate. Doctors didn't start looking at my heart until something happened.

His fiancée learned that you have to stand up for yourself in the system. "No one else is going to fight that fight for you," Daniel said.

Action: If something feels wrong and you're not getting answers, ask for clear reasons, ask what else it could be, and get a second opinion if you need one.

Outcome: You become an active partner in your care rather than a passive patient.

Lesson 2: Longevity is about healthspan

Insight: Daniel once had someone tell him they wanted to live to 130. His response was that it isn't his view of longevity. Being tied to a ventilator from 110 to 130 isn't living. What matters is healthspan: being cognitively sharp, happy, mobile and functional for as long as possible.

When he looks at Blue Zones, places where people live long healthy lives, he sees a few common threads. Food is less processed, with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. And community is strong. Daniel can't stress enough how important real community is for longevity. Phones, he says, work against that, replacing human interaction with 10-second videos and constant comparison.

He was also honest that he couldn't have built his business without his partner and co-founders. Being an entrepreneur can be lonely, and the people around you keep you going.

Action: Pick one relationship you want to invest in this week, and spend time with that person in real life, without your phone out.

Outcome: You build the kind of connection that supports a long, healthy life.

Lesson 3: GLP-1s are a tool, not a shortcut

Insight: Daniel shared that he's had a food addiction his whole life. While eating one meal, he'd already be planning the next. He tried intermittent fasting and had the discipline, but his brain kept telling him food, food, food. GLP-1 therapy helped him regain focus and quieten the constant cravings. As he put it, food manufacturers engineer products to be addictive, so willpower alone is a tough fight.

But he was clear that a GLP-1 isn't the whole plan. It's a tool to tell your brain you don't need to eat a plate that big, not permission to starve yourself or eat poorly. Lose weight that way and you'll also lose muscle, which he called "horrific", especially as muscle naturally declines with age.

His non-negotiables if you're on a GLP-1:

• Keep training, even if it's only 5 to 10 minutes a day.
• Prioritise protein, from foods like cottage cheese, eggs and protein shakes.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Sleep well.

He also doesn't believe you must keep moving up doses. In his view, the right dose depends on how your body responds. That matches what I see with my own clients who use them.

Action: If you're on a GLP-1 or considering one, talk to your doctor and build a plan around strength training and protein intake from day one.

Outcome: You get the benefits while protecting your muscle and long-term health.

Lesson 4: You can't improve what you don't track

Insight: I told Daniel about a time I was eating well and training, but I was highly stressed and couldn't see it. So how do you know what to work on? His answer started with routine lab work, to pick up deficiencies and abnormalities early. Then look honestly at your behaviour, especially sleep and food.

He's also a big fan of wearables. Some smart rings and watches now include ECG features that can flag heart rhythm issues. When Daniel wore a continuous glucose monitor, he was surprised by what spiked his glucose, including a certain type of oatmeal he'd assumed was healthy. He also saw how certain conversations and habits pushed up his heart rate. That gave him data to make better decisions, even about how he communicates.

His view is that we're moving towards hyper-personalised health, where your labs, device data and how you feel all sit in one place. Even if the tools aren't perfect yet, the data you collect now helps your future health.

Action: Book a routine check-up and blood test with your GP, and pick one metric to track consistently, such as sleep, resting heart rate or daily steps.

Outcome: You make decisions based on your own data rather than guesswork.

Lesson 5: NAD+ and supplements depend on consistency

Insight: Daniel explained NAD+ as a co-enzyme that helps your mitochondria turn food into energy. He says levels naturally decline with age, to about half by around 40, and that this decline is linked to what we think of as ageing. Supplementing aims to offset what your body no longer produces as well.

A few points stood out:

• In Daniel's view, NAD+ itself can't be absorbed orally because the molecule is too large. Oral products are usually precursors, such as NR and NMN, that may help your body make more.
• Injections and IVs deliver NAD+ directly, which is why people report feeling it more. Daniel says he wakes up before his alarm when he's on it.
• None of it works as a one-off. "It's not something that you can take for a week and say I've done an NAD therapy," he said. Consistency is everything.

He also shared why ReadyRx started. He and his co-founders were paying around US$1,200 for a single IV session at wellness clinics, with no doctor involved and no information about where the ingredients came from. So they built access to doctor-prescribed therapies from regulated compounding pharmacies.

Action: Before buying any supplement, ask how well it's absorbed, where it's sourced from and whether you can take it consistently. Talk to your doctor before starting anything injectable.

Outcome: You stop wasting money on products your body can't use and make safer choices.

Lesson 6: Peptides are no excuse to skip the basics

Insight: Peptides are short chains of protein that occur naturally in the body, each with a targeted purpose. Daniel is a supporter of peptide therapies for specific purposes, but he's worried about people buying products online labelled "not for human use" with no idea where they come from. In Australia, I've noticed the same wild-west attitude.

He used BPC-157 as an example. He says animal studies suggest it helps repair injury, but the US FDA restricted it, with concerns that it could also speed up the growth of an undetected tumour. ReadyRx doesn't offer banned peptides, and Daniel would rather see better regulation than people turning to the black market.

Above all, dosing and response are very individual. Daniel felt the lowest GLP-1 dose working well, while others he knows felt nothing until they moved up. So be wary of anyone telling you to take exactly what they take. As we both agreed, people are creatures of immediacy, which is why shortcuts sell. But you still need to do everything right. Supplements and peptides can only act as a catalyst.

Action: If you're tempted by a peptide you saw on social media, stop and ask what problem you're actually trying to solve, and whether training, food and sleep have been sorted first.

Outcome: You protect your health and avoid chasing results from unknown products.

Lesson 7: Health compounds like investing

Insight: I said to Daniel that you can watch money compound, but you can't see the compounding interest on your health. He agreed it works exactly like investing. In the early years, it feels like you're only earning a few dollars of interest. Keep reinvesting and 10 years later it starts to accelerate. Health is the same, and eventually you notice it when your peers start to decline and you still feel good.

Action: Choose one healthy habit you'll keep for the next 12 months, even on days you don't see results.

Outcome: Small daily deposits add up to a much healthier future you.

Quick wins

• Put your phone in another room 30 minutes before bed.
• Eat your last meal three to four hours before sleep.
• Add protein to every meal, especially if you're losing weight.
• Book a routine blood test if you haven't had one in a while.
• Set a reminder on your phone for the habit that matters most to you.

Closing insight

When I asked Daniel for the one thing he'd get everyone to do, he didn't name a peptide or a supplement. He said sleep at least seven and a half hours.

He also explained how to set yourself up for it: no work on a screen or social media scrolling right before bed, and finish eating at least three to four hours before you sleep so your body can digest and your resting heart rate can settle. Sleep well, he says, and you reduce stress on your mind and body and quieten the hunger hormones that drive cravings.

After a whole conversation about cutting-edge therapies, that's the message I want you to take away. The basics still do the heavy lifting. "That's your biohack," Daniel said. "That's the one thing."

Connect with Daniel

Learn more about ReadyRx at readyrx.com, or find ReadyRx on Instagram and TikTok.

Listen to the full episode

The full conversation is on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, or press play at the top of this page.

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