Unlocking Superhuman Potential: The Ultimate Guide to Peak Health and Wellness with Spencer Coppin

Have you ever wondered what sets superhumans apart from the rest of us?

Spencer Coppin joins me in unraveling the secrets behind extraordinary performance and how the lessons he's learned from a lifetime in a health-focused family can help us all.

He's not just talking theory; Spencer embodies the essence of peak health. His history is deeply rooted in wellness, thanks to his mother, a fitness instructor, and his father, a dedicated physician.

As we reminisce about the Superhuman Summit's influence, we also hint at what's next for those eager to join the superhuman ranks.

Navigating the maze of personal health can be daunting, but imagine having a precise 'wellness GPS' to guide you. That's exactly what a comprehensive health assessment can be, and I share how mine opened the doors to a world of tailored health strategies.

We discuss the power of understanding our biological blueprints and how this knowledge can steer us away from our genetic predispositions and towards a state of thriving health.

This episode isn't just about the why but the how—how regular health checkups and a community like Opscotch can be the support system we all need to survive and flourish.

In our journey to optimal health, the road can be much smoother with the right company and clarity on what we're putting into our bodies. I peel back the curtain on my experience with the often confusing world of supplements and how transparency and quality can make all the difference.

We also touch on the importance of hydration—not just sipping water but ensuring it's packed with the essential minerals our bodies crave.

From the stimulating effects of proper nutrient levels to the quest for 'podium-level' health, this episode is a commitment to sharing the life-changing benefits of enhanced mood and vitality. Join us, and let's elevate our health together.

Connect with Spencer:

• Opscotch.com
• Instagram

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:08

Welcome back to another thrilling episode of the 2% Solution, and today we will explore the process of turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. We're joined by Spencer Copping, a visionary in peak performance, to guide us on this exploration. Spencer is not just any health expert. He's known for engineering superhumans. Imagine waking up like a champion. Daily, spencer makes that a reality, from setting a world record with his groundbreaking breathing techniques to revolutionizing health through innovation. Spencer is here to show us how we can unlock our superhuman potential. Get ready to be inspired by a journey from professional athleticism to mastering the art of functional health right here on the 2% Solution. Welcome back to the 2% Solution podcast.

Speaker 1: 1:05

As you heard in the intro, I've got a very special guest here today. He's actually a really good friend of mine. We became good friends based on an event that we both came together. It was actually his event, but I got to be a part of it called the superhuman summit. I wish I was wearing my supreme wizard today. If you guys follow me on social, you know I wear that t-shirt a lot. I changed it the other day. Actually, the video I posted me doing cleans I was wearing that shirt again and I still get comments on it, spencer, on that t-shirt You're like where do you get that? So we need to have a new version of that shirt, I think.

Speaker 2: 1:37

But welcome to the podcast. Hey, thanks here, Good to be here. You're looking good, dude. You're looking good you too. Hey, we both got new flow.

Speaker 1: 1:46

Oh yeah, watch this, watch this yeah.

Speaker 2: 1:51

I love it.

Speaker 1: 1:51

I love it, I'm looking like a shaggy dog, but but that's okay, it's all good. Um, listen, I you know the superhuman summit was an amazing event and I'm very honored and I'm very honored I got to participate from the two years that ran. I know COVID sort of put a damper on events, but there was so much cool stuff that came from that event and I know you've got a great YouTube channel where people can go watch that content. I'll be sure to share that in the show notes because I also know that there's probably going to be some other version or update of that in the future. We don't need to talk about that today, but selfishly, I'm like, I'm excited for it.

Speaker 1: 2:29

But could you start by sharing a bit about your journey and what led you to focus on health and basically becoming the superhuman engineer? Because this is what I tend to refer to Spencer as, because I swear, without his support and his father's support many, many years ago, I don't know if I'd be here today being able to do what I do. You know, my health completely did a, and that was directly because of you, Spencer, and your dad, and so I don't know. I've expressed my gratitude enough, but I want to say it again right now. So it's here forever and perfect to it. Thank you, Thank you, but we're also going to talk a bit about what we did to get me on the right path, and I know a lot of that's around this idea of a wellness GPS, and I know we'll get to that in a bit. But let's start with your story. I'd like you to give the background to the audience how you came to do what you're doing and how did you become known as a superhuman engineer?

Speaker 2: 3:15

Yeah, well, I mean, I think it's a really really great way of thinking about health and wellness and just the human body in general, and the fact that we actually can re-engineer how we function, we can take control of our health. It's not some, you know, predetermined outcome that we're just kind of along for the ride, right? So the fact that we can maybe change how we feel think perform is is is unique, um, and so you know, I I love the word engineering superhumans. It actually gets me excited when I say it and it's like that's, that's, yeah, let's do it. We need more superhumans, right? Like, hey, if we ever needed them, now it's it's, it's, it's today, right. So, exactly. So you know, I probably being predestined to do something. This is probably something I just was doing out of the womb, I didn't have a choice, and it starts with family, right. And so, you know, I grew up in a very health-focused home. My mom was the classic Jane Fonda 1980s aerobic instructor leotards, the colors, the hair, the whole bit, right I've met his mom.

Speaker 1: 4:30

I I can see it she's also got the bubbly energy to her right like she really is just a wonderful, solid earth person that makes you feel good. She reminds me a lot of my own wife, christy, to be honest, with that same sort of personality you know.

Speaker 2: 4:42

So sorry, uh go ahead, no, and and the personality fit the fit the profile. So, um, you know, and so you know, my brother and I we kind of grew up around like these health environments, active, healthy things. You know, mom was stay at home mom but she was working every single day so she dragged us to all her classes, that she taught and stuff that was just kind of normal. My father was a family physician, so I grew up around a family practice and just all the things that that entailed. You know, running around in the hospital with dad when he did his rounds he was old school so he did his house calls. We sat in the car and waited for him in our soccer uniforms and all the things you do is your parents are running around living their lives right, doing their thing.

Speaker 1: 5:28

Can I ask you a question about that real quick?

Speaker 2: 5:30

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 5:30

So I I've had a full disclosure. So your dad, his, like I remember our very first sit down. It was like four hours. Okay, Like it was not your typical go deep on your health sort of conversation with a GP, so how long did he leave you in the car?

Speaker 2: 5:51

Lucky this is back in the day, that's probably safe to do so. Yeah, and and and normal you just leave your kid in the car. Um, we had no phones, no, nothing, nothing to entertain us. You know, we're just staring out the window, probably wrestling in the backseat. But yeah, that was just normal, that's just how we did it.

Speaker 2: 6:12

And so my brother and I were athletes growing up Again. Right out of the womb we were running, playing and soccer was our game. We were multi-sport athletes as we grew up, but soccer was the main thing and we were both very lucky, very fortunate, to have phenomenal sporting experiences in high performance environments, some of them being local here in Vancouver, canada, at the highest levels possible. And then we got to go and travel around Europe, australia, through our teens and just being in these, in these world-class environments, world-class coaches, world-class players and world-class tournaments, and it's just like you just lived and breathed it. It just became kind of normal. My peer group was very much in the same mindset. So even when you're not in it, you're still kind of surrounded by it. So I think if you wonder, like, how did I get to where I am, I think that is, those factors are the big driving factors, you know. And then you got to grow up and get a job right Eventually, eventually, then. And then you got to grow up and get a job right, um, and eventually, eventually.

Speaker 2: 7:27

And and I was a funny thing is that you know, I tell everybody this thing I I told my dad in my teens I'm like I don't want to be a doctor. Yeah, I don't want to do that. And I saw how hard he was working and grinding and and you know, I do the rounds of the hospital with him and you know the smell of the hospital. I still get it when I walk in, I'm like, don't like this, this doesn't smell good. Um, and you know it was always a little timid around, you know his sick patients and stuff, and this is the environment, didn't, didn't? I didn't love it? Um, I told him, dad, I'm gonna work with healthy people, and he's, he laughed at me Good luck, good luck with that.

Speaker 2: 8:04

And here we are, you know, 25, 30 years later. This is what we're doing. So, whether I, you know, manifested it or not, it's just what's happened. So, yeah, dad and I and my brother, we also collaborate and engineer superhumans together in our own sort of unique way and engineer superhumans together in our own sort of unique way. You know, my father now is sort of in the the anti-aging longevity hormone replacement mode, where he is, you know, extending health spans and and and lifespans, reversing chronic diseases, et cetera. That's his, that's his gig, that's where he he loves to spend his time Mine more so in the functional medicine realm. So functional medicine is now this sort of really trendy term. Everybody's talking about it.

Speaker 1: 8:45

Can you go into that actually? Can you discuss what that means actually, because I know it is a newer term. It's a bit of a buzz term. I've referenced it many, many times based on my experience with you, but I know you're going to explain it much better than I can, so go ahead.

Speaker 2: 9:01

What is?

Speaker 1: 9:01

functional medicine.

Speaker 2: 9:02

It's actually really simple and we get this drilled into us when you're in the mode of recovering from others. It's a joke I'm a recovering acupuncturist. There's a lot of recovering physicians and recovering naturopaths. We're all having a new paradigm shift. We need to break out of the mold that we were in and shift over. And functional medicine really means, you know, we don't really care what you have, we want to know why you have it. So the key is asking why. And then, once you've got that paradigm and that mantra in your head, now you can start to understand where diagnostics fit in, where testing fits in, where lifestyle fits in. You know where other modifications of diet, nutrition testing fits in, where lifestyle fits in. You know where other modifications of diet, nutrition, et cetera exercise, physical movement, genetics they all play a role into why. And so when we say functional, it's because we're actually looking at the nuts and bolts, the moving pieces, which is where the whole engineering piece came from. Right, like, so, functionally, how are you doing? And once we've hit that sort of disease state where now we have a label, or we have a thing, or or now we're chasing something, the, we know the functionality has shifted.

Speaker 2: 10:19

We know, um, but I'm I'm big into prevention. I love the prevention stuff. Obviously, there's things that we just can't avoid, um, but you know, from from prevention, it really is like why I started doing all of this, right, which is why I didn't want to work with sick people. Um, unfortunately, fortunately, and unfortunately, that's still the case you still have to have to deal with chronic disease. It's everywhere, it's everywhere. It's everywhere. But I really love the conversations that we're now having with younger folks, younger people who are much more health conscious. They're into lifestyle changes, they're into health optimization, optimization and that's just the exciting part, like the next sort of five to 10 years of of functional medicine and the health, the health industry in general.

Speaker 1: 11:12

Well, to speak to this also, just to echo a lot of what you just shared and those listening watching it Cause you, you shifted my paradigm. You know cause I also found myself at that time. I was newly diagnosed with that chronic autoimmune condition autoimmune uterpenia and all the hematologists that I was seeing and other experts so-called experts you know, it was really all about just managing symptoms. And when we started to discuss this idea of, well, why do I even have this condition? Why is my immune system so good at killing my own immunity, like, what's the deal with that and I'd ask these questions very specifically to the hematologist and their answers we don't know. And okay, I appreciate you don't know, but does anybody know? Can we actually get to the root cause of why this is even happening?

Speaker 1: 12:06

But that was something that was outside their scope and rather they'd rather just give me certain medications to try to control or at least keep things in check.

Speaker 1: 12:16

And so I can honestly say, after being in that world, it was a breath of fresh air when we connected that world. It was a breath of fresh air when we connected, you know, because for once they was like, well, yeah, okay, that's great that you're taking that stuff and it's managing things, okay, but we don't want you to have to continuously use this stuff forever. If you don't have to, let's, let's, let's start digging down and and so maybe. Well, you know we get into it too much here, but the superhuman engineer approach that you take and I know it didn't happen overnight it's been sort of this process that you and your family have developed over years and by working with a lot of people. What is that sort of process that gets people started with this? Because I think this is sort of the testing conversation, right, because I remember when we got started, man, the battery of tests that you guys had me do, I was like whoa, but it was great, because I know it painted a really nice picture of where I was at at that moment um.

Speaker 2: 13:10

Can you sort of?

Speaker 1: 13:11

speak to that because I guess that's sort of. The first step was just having an understanding. Where are you at health-wise right?

Speaker 2: 13:17

absolutely 100, 100. Well, we are, I, I, you know, um, I get so many questions and and and and asks of you know, friends and community people, and, and they ask all these, these very wonderful questions, but they're very nuanced because immediately I go into my brain and I go well, where are you at? Right, and this is, this is the wave that's coming, this, this hyper personalization. Right, we can personalize everything now, right, you can personalize your Netflix, you can personalize your YouTube, you can personalize your Spotify. But can you personalize your health? Right, and I think that there's going to be an opportunity.

Speaker 2: 14:00

The gap in the health industry is how do we take personalization to a larger scale? Right, and if you're an individual walking around and you don't know where you are on the wellness map, I call it your wellness GPS. If you haven't put that pin, if you haven't dropped that pin, see how close you are to lions, tigers and bears. Are you inching over towards the cliff, the edge of the cliff? Are you going to go over the cliff? Or how far away? Are you inching over towards the cliff, the edge of the cliff? Are you going to go over the cliff? Or how far away are you? 10 steps, five steps away from the cliff.

Speaker 2: 14:28

We need to know and this is what's wonderful about functional medicine is is the testing? People are afraid of testing. It's like, ooh, I don't want to know. Maybe, maybe with functional medicine you do want to know. Because it's functional, you can change it. I get that question all the time. I think you probably asked the same questions like well gee, well, thanks for telling me I have all these things wrong with me, but can we fix it?

Speaker 1: 14:52

it was ridiculous, all the stuff you guys told me. I was like wait, I thought I was here for my immune condition, but what I didn't realize is how systemically it was affecting all other areas of life and I and I know you guys were the first ones that introduced me to the term epigenetics. You know, and understanding that, yeah, I might have a disposition to some of these things Doesn't mean I have to have them or I'm going to be a victim of one of those things, but there's potential if we don't do the right things. You know, and I just remember so many tests like vitamin D testing, omega testing, all my hormone testing, immune system. It was crazy.

Speaker 1: 15:31

And so what is the typical process that someone comes in? How do you establish the GPS I guess this wellness GPS to begin with, because I know this is a great topic and I know this is really on. We're seeing this a lot more now. I know that you're really one of the forefronts that's been doing this the longest, at least in my awareness, uh, especially in Canada and Western Canada. We're both based in Vancouver, um, can you just speak to this process? And how? How is it serving people that you're helping right now? Do you know what I mean Like cause it, you know, I just think it's phenomenal. I is it serving people that you're helping right now? Do you know what I mean like because it, you know, I just think it's phenomenal. I want everybody to know about this, you know. I know that this is what you do, because I just it changed my life. You know it changed my life. So, uh, go ahead, spencer, just don't sit on this. This wellness gps sure.

Speaker 2: 16:15

Well, with this, with this personalization, by putting yourself on that map and doing the testing that that um outlines where your critical systems are your inflammatory system, your immune system, your hormonal system, your metabolic system, your energetic system we have all of these systems that can be measured, should be measured and then can be managed. We know where things are at and that allows us to make these really precise wellness decisions. We don't have to guess anymore, and that's where I find people putting a lot of time and effort into the wrong things. So, love the 2%. Love it, because sometimes that's all it takes. Is that little bit right?

Speaker 2: 17:02

That little 2% shift in your daily process of like supplementation, diet, lifestyle, what am I really focusing on? And so now, where you know where you are on that map, okay, and constantly, I think you know, probably quarterly or at least every six months, re-dropping that pin when am I? Did I move, did I not? And reassessing constantly where I'm at. We do this in so many other aspects of our life, but with our health we kind of wait till we have something, wait till we feel something. So why is that?

Speaker 1: 17:37

though, why is that like? Do you think it's a systemic problem with just the way that the system has been set up? Like to be on and I know again, I don't want to make this a political soapbox to talk about the issues and Canada health systems and the U S health systems, but I mean, it's apparent, it's a real conversation and it's worth mentioning. You know, I know you have a very specific opinion about this, you and your dad especially, but your dad was someone that worked in that system for decades, you know. So I know he's speaking from someone on the inside that says we got an issue here, you know, and this thing's going to implode if we don't do something about it. So, because I I honestly feel what you're doing is so much more proactive, you know, rather than being reactive and symptom-based, right, we're trying to get to the root cause.

Speaker 1: 18:20

So you know what take. We have this.

Speaker 2: 18:22

We have this yeah, we have these classic models and these classic environments and, to be honest, they haven't really changed in almost 30 years, 40 years, right? I mean the health food store that you and I went into when we were our teens. They're the same now. They don't look any different. Yet the medical knowledge is like it's doubling every couple years, years.

Speaker 2: 18:42

But I think these institutions, or these environments who we hang out with a health mindset whether it's a clinician's office, it doesn't matter, whether it's conventional or naturopathic or some kind of alternative medicine, it still has that call me when you need me, type mentality, right. Pharmacies, they're the same. You know, they sell vitamins, drugs and walkers and canes, you know. So it's a very mixed bag.

Speaker 2: 19:21

And then you know the big thing I think we need to really move the needle here is, once you leave these institutions, these, these environments, you know you're all alone, you're all by yourself. You bought your supplements, you've got your workout stuff, you got your new running shoes and it's like I'm solo, right, um. So I think the big piece that's going to move the needle here is having these environments, changing the way you engage with these environments, right, and then having something attached to them that is community-driven, community-based right. So when you leave the pharmacy, when you leave the health food store, you're not detached. You're still connected to people who are on the same wavelength and are on the same path. All know where they are on the map. Right, that's how I think we're going to move the needle.

Speaker 1: 20:10

Well, and I actually know that you know we're not just talking about the problem here without bringing a solution, and I know that you and you've co-founded and I know it's startup mode. Hopefully you can talk a little bit about it, because I know I've seen it on Facebook, so, or Instagram, so I think we can talk about it, right. I mean, nothing's real until it ends up on Instagram. It ends up on Instagram, but I know that you've co-founded a company called Opscotch and I know it's trying to address the problem that you and I have just identified straight on.

Speaker 1: 20:45

And I know, with any sort of shift in paradigms, it's an uphill battle until you get to a pinnacle turning point Usually that tipping point, as Malcolm Gladwell will often refer to it as right, it's like we're just, we get that critical mass. Now it becomes the new way of doing things and I'm really optimistic it's going to get there and I know, with guys like you at the helm, we got a much better chance of getting there. So can you speak to this new startup and how is it dealing with exactly what you just shared?

Speaker 2: 21:08

Yeah, I'm very fortunate and humbled to be one of the co-founders of op scotch. Let's clarify the name here first. Right, let's talk about optimization. Optimization of the game. The game is op scotch, the game is optimizing um and it's it's a sequential fun game. Everybody knows what the game is right. It's very simple, very simple to play. Anyone can play it, right. But it becomes about just changing your mindset around why I'm playing the game. And so we created Opscotch really to take these institutional models that I talked about, these health food stores and pharmacies and clinical environments. Take those and flip them upside down. Take the old snow globe and shake it up, disrupt it all. And why I think this whole community-driven approach to wellness is impactful is because it creates consistency, it creates compliance, and doing something for 30 days isn't going to revolutionize your health. It's not going to change things right. 30-day challenges are great. I love them. The 75 hards.

Speaker 2: 22:20

We've all heard them right, yeah, I know, here we are in the middle of January going. Oh okay, we're all doing something.

Speaker 1: 22:26

By today it's January 16th, everybody no-transcript you know, and like-minded individuals and and so, as much as you turn this upside down, it's community driven. What is the specific model like? How do you like, let's just say, I join the op scotch community like? What's the process like? Because I know there's people wondering about this right now. You know and don't worry, links are all in the show notes. Everybody, don't worry about that.

Speaker 2: 23:17

Yeah, so. So step one is is testing right. Yeah, yeah, drop that pin, find out where you're at, locate yourself right. That's step one. Right, because now we've got some traction, now we've got some things, some really juicy information to move forward with.

Speaker 1: 23:34

Yes, can you give an example? What's coming up for a lot of like, what you're seeing? A lot of Like, just so we like, especially myself, just so I can understand where people started. In general, you know, like I mean, we can't help it. We're a human species. We, we're human species. We tend to compare things. That's what we learn. We learn through contrast. So, understanding what it's like to be in optimal health versus just healthy, versus I'm barely hanging on, you know, if you have personal experience in those areas, but you don't have the experience in the optimal side, you really just don't know what you're missing. And so I I don't know if the awareness is there, because if people think they're healthy, well, I only go to the doctor when I'm sick. You know, know it's like. Why would I do this? You know, like, what's the point? Is it just a waste, like? And so I think what are you learning through this first step of the, the, the health wellness GPS? You know the testing.

Speaker 2: 24:21

Yeah, Well, I think the first thing is is we need to redefine what health is.

Speaker 1: 24:25

Oh good.

Speaker 2: 24:34

Right, like, because you know, social media, the internet, internet, oh my goodness, like health, health is health, is the six-pack health, is the bikini body, right? And I can tell you it is so far from the truth. I have measured these folks. I mean, if anyone looks at, uh, mr manuel here with his shirt off in the gym, I mean looks like the picture of hell, right, but it's. It's been so vulnerable with sharing the fact that, hey, yeah, looks good, but how's it working?

Speaker 1: 24:59

right.

Speaker 2: 25:00

And once you marry the two, it's phenomenal, right. So if we redefine what health means and we start looking at these biomarkers, the big ones that I see chronically are our immune system markers. Okay, yeah, Especially up here in the north right where we deal with a lot of seasonal changes, it's a big big deal, Okay. And then the second one, which is you know, all the buzzword, all the trend is around hormones.

Speaker 1: 25:30

Okay.

Speaker 2: 25:31

Typically, the big ones are gonna be your stress hormones, like who's not stressed? Uh. The other trendy one is is is around recovery. So how stressed am I and I? Am I able to come back and fight the fight? What's happening within my chemistry? Um, and I think those are. Those are the two big areas that I see. Whether you're a high performer entrepreneur, ceo, executive type, or whether you're the soccer mom or the mom of the soccer mom, it doesn't matter. We all need to understand where our weak spots are and what we've done to ourselves to land in the little place that we are on the map. That's right. So, yeah, I think those are the two big areas that I see are the stress markers, the recovery markers, and then getting those immune system markers dialed in.

Speaker 1: 26:27

Okay. So we've got the first step. We do the testing. We now have a good foundation. We know where our foundation's at Now it might be. Oh boy, we've dug three stories down and we've got to get back up to ground zero. Or maybe we are at ground zero and we want to be on the penthouse, and so I guess what's that next step, now that you have that awareness and I have the awareness because I've done this testing so now I've got self-awareness.

Speaker 1: 26:53

But, to be honest with you, I remember getting all those results and being like googly goop, because I know this is what you and your dad do. You guys read these reports and can actually understand what a lot of those numbers. And what I found most interesting and just I'd like you to speak to this as well, spencer is I know some of the numbers that came back would be considered healthy range, but those don't mean optimal range and I know that you educated me on that especially around my testosterone levels, my cortisol levels, my vitamin D3 levels and my omega levels. I know those are all ones that we've worked really hard to get to an optimal state and when we did, oh man, it was like night and day man, it was like I was like someone turned the light on you know. I was like, wow, they turned the furnace on and I'm running now, man and um, so please go ahead. And I don't know if that was a long winded question, but did you get what I was?

Speaker 2: 27:47

asking. So, um, you know, the next step is is engaging with the group in a group environment. Um, and what's what I think is amazing about the group reveal with these blood biomarkers is one we're not diagnosing anything, okay, so there's no shame involved in oh geez, what do I got? We're not divulging that kind of information, but it really does help other people. You can help other people by saying, hey, yeah, I'm cool with this, let me see yours. Let's share and collaborate because we're all on the same path, we've all dropped our pin on the map and we're all at different locations. Well, we got to get to the same destination health, right.

Speaker 2: 28:38

So if you're doing this solo, all on your own, I really think that it's just going to be the sort of beat your head against the wall, confusion, mass confusion, if you don't have anyone to share the data with and obviously know we, we at obstetric, are going to facilitate all of the explanation, all of the understandings, the learnings behind these biomarkers, what you can do, what they mean, what, what next steps can you take.

Speaker 2: 29:06

And then, as a group, you've kind of got this like foundation piece and whether it's just like the group can be your family, the group can be you and five friends. It can be whatever the group looks like, right, um. So I think that's, that's a really key piece. And then, once you've gone through that process, now it's time to engage, right, it's time to pull the trigger. Let's go, let's make it happen, and that's what the community piece, by staying involved with these people and testing, dropping that pin on a regular basis, and if you can all meet at that same place. I think that's, that's, that's what it's all about and that's sort of the process.

Speaker 1: 29:44

Okay, I love that because I think the community piece and also the fact that you're removing any shame, blame, guilt, those negative emotions around the reveal, because I mean, let's be honest, I I remember, before we met, I had a couple bone marrow biopsies, as you remember to, to test my bone marrow, to to try to get an idea of what's going on with my immune system, and I remember the doctor you know you're acting as if this could be a form of leukemia now, you know, and we got to wait to get the test back and I'm like you know just the amount of fear that created, you know, and I know they're trying to be, you know, optimistic and they're trying to make me also aware of what the possibilities are. I just know that those couple of weeks waiting was really stressful, you know, really stressful, and it would have been wonderful to have a community of other people to be around that had already been through that kind of a process or I could have connected with you know to, because at the time I didn't have someone like you in my life to talk me off the ledge, right, like I'm just, oh my gosh, like early mid thirties, you know, and I'm like like this is, this is this is a big problem, a problem potentially, and uh, but I know that after we did the testing, when you and I met and and of course, yes, right, I didn't finish that story he came back. I'm okay. So, uh, but we figured out we have this immune condition that's chronic, yeah, thank you. And then we met and then you and your dad and your brother really went to work on. I often equate you guys sort of like, uh, I was Humpty, dumpty, I fell off the wall and I needed all the King's men and everybody else moving back together, uh, back together again.

Speaker 1: 31:22

Unfortunately, community health was the one that did that, but so, as much as there was sort of the community component, especially with what you're doing as OpsCatch, now it's much more intentional, much more diverse and also it still involves testing. But can you speak to how we actually move those markers the right direction? Because I know there's a couple of different approaches that you always encourage the community. But also, this is where supplementation, with very clear intention, comes into play. I mean, how many of us and hey, this is not a rhetorical question If you're driving in your car right now, I just want you to answer yourself. Do you take supplements just because you've seen a good ad and you think I should really take that? I want some more energy. I'm going to take that. I mean, most of us are sold supplements just based on a possibility that it might do something for us. But that it might do something for us but never actually know if it does what it's supposed to. And yet we take it blindly.

Speaker 1: 32:13

And I was that person before I met you. I was I was like, oh, that sounds like a good product. I was like I'm taking it, it's going to make me healthier, you know. And I remember coming to you and telling you all the laundry lists and all the supplements and you were like, you know what you got? Percent of this crap. I was like, whoa, that's a lot of money I spent on that. But also, at the same time, it was very freeing, it was spencer. It was so freeing because I had this belief that I needed all this stuff and if I take it away, oh, I'm not gonna get any healthy, I'm not gonna get sick, you know, I'll probably get sicker and in fact, it was the opposite and uh, so can you speak to that, because I know it's a big part of op sccotch as well.

Speaker 2: 32:51

Yeah, there's a lot of misconceptions around supplementation, right? Especially when we get bombarded with all these ads and these sexy sales pitches about what this unique miracle molecule can do for you. The problem is that if you haven't got your foundation set, your ladder leaned against the right wall, no miracle molecule is going to do anything, right. So the premise behind Opscotch and the testing and the supplementation and the community-based support is removing that paralysis from you know, walking up and down the health food store aisle, the vitamin section, and going whoa, do I, do I not? And and and half the time we don't even know what we're taking, right, we don't know if it's good or not. Um, so we ended up going to the ad, the sexy ad or whatever.

Speaker 2: 33:45

Um, but with OpsCouch, you know, we really wanted to make the whole supplementation experience completely transparent. Okay, so you know there are our products are not called like mutant or grenade or any of these, like, we've all tried them. But you know these, these proprietary blends of nonsense that we don't actually really know what's going on when we take it all. So transparency with with ingredients, yeah, so on the label, that's what's inside. No, no monkeying around. Uh, two, we wanted to have, um, you know the whole uh, organic, gluten-free, dairy-free, you know, tick all the boxes Um, and then the last what is it and is that what's?

Speaker 1: 34:38

that's the standard for sports supplementation, right yeah?

Speaker 2: 34:42

Informed sport is what they call it, and with informed sport, you know, if you're a competitive athlete, fantastic. I like to know that if, if I'm putting something in my body, that is good enough for an Olympic athlete, right, yes, so yeah, that's just some some comfort that I know that there's no funny stuff going on with manufacturing or facilities and cause it happens. It happened, unfortunately, um, and there's been athletes who have been bitten by this. So we're going to tick all the boxes with the, with the supplementation piece and, and you know we don't have 35 products because you don't need 35 product, right, it's actually really really simple. You need like 2% of that 35 products. That's right. Plug for you, thank you, that's, but that's it. It can be really really simple. Okay.

Speaker 2: 35:36

Now, if you want more and all these wonderful unique molecules that can do some really interesting things for the body, that's your prerogative, that's on you. But from an Opscotch perspective, you know it's about being able to do this consistently with compliance over time. We're in there for a long game. Yes, right, yeah, and that's kind of yeah. That's been our motto from the beginning. Is this isn't a, this isn't a? Uh, a quick fix? Um, we're not. We're not here to solve problems. We're just here to create some solutions so that you can kind of get momentum and start to feel like you've got control or re-engineered your body right and thank you for that and for op scotch, like if people want to get involved with it or want to learn more.

Speaker 1: 36:26

What's the best way to start that? Because I also know right now it's startup and so you are controlled rollout because you also you know, yeah, I know you're refining a lot of the processes but also just setting a wonderful foundation with the community. So I I realize that doors aren't open 24 7 um, but what's the best way for people to at least get in the know or keep up to date with what's going on with off scotch?

Speaker 2: 36:49

yeah, well, there's the classic, classic places you can stop in instagram. Yeah right, we all kinds of cool stuff and you can stay up to date. Probably the probably the best way to be honest right now is through instagram, um, and then our website, opscotchcom.

Speaker 1: 37:04

Beautiful, I'm going to share those e-notes for sure.

Speaker 2: 37:07

Yeah, they're being updated and refined all the time. That's what websites do and, yeah, you can engage with the process.

Speaker 1: 37:17

That's great. I know people are probably like man that is really hammering this. I'm like you have no idea what it's like to be in a place where you think you're going to be dealing with something that's chronic forever, and especially when I have a doctor telling me I might have to live in a bubble, quite literally. I saw my quality of life changing in the blink of an eye and what you gave me back was not only quality of life but a future I could look forward to, even in spite of living and thriving with a chronic autoimmune condition. And so it's life change and and for people that can relate to my story, it listen, don't wait to get to the place where you got a hematologist telling you got to live in a bubble like. Be more proactive. And I'm much more proactive now, especially with my whole family. You know.

Speaker 1: 38:04

I know that we've engaged you and your dad to support them as well, and you know my eldest daughter. You know juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and dealing with autoimmune condition, which passed on somehow. But you know, regardless, you know she's in a wonderful place now because of a lot of the work that we did. So I really want to speak to the effectiveness of this, but also how important it is and I got to thank you, spencer, for, you know, just just putting yourself out there and uh, and, and doing this, you know, and creating this and, um, you know, before we go today cause I didn't realize how quickly time went I'm, I'm, I know I'm going to get a lot of questions from the listeners about you, specifically on different topics, so I'm going to tie you down right now and ask it but will you come back? Yeah, okay, we're going to get them back in like six, seven weeks guys and we're definitely going to get them back and we're going to dive into.

Speaker 1: 38:54

I had a whole pile of questions. Whole pile of questions like to at least deliver something of value that people can. Based on today's conversation, one is go to Opswatch, get engaged. At least start to hang around that community so you can be learning and kept in the know about some of the different ways that we can prioritize and be proactive with our health. But for yourself because, spencer, I know you have a great amount of knowledge on this what are your top tips for everyday mental and physical health self-care? So this is all about you know, empowering those to do the right things for the right reasons to produce the right results, and I know you have some great tips and tricks you can share with us in a few minutes. Sure, yeah, I know, right, the list can be long, I know, I know.

Speaker 2: 39:38

But you know the list could be long, I know, but you know, hey, we've all heard these before, so this isn't like reinventing the wheel, but I'll just speak to you. Know what I've seen over the last 15, 20 years and what actually works and why people find themselves in sticky spots. So number one is move, like you got to move right, and it's either walking, running, cycling, standing right, like, stop sitting, stop the sedentary lifestyle Killing us. It's killing us, you and I, both standing right now. Exactly, man, you got to do it, you got to do it. It's just, it's a non-negotiable. You got to move right.

Speaker 2: 40:24

The next one's a little nuanced. This is and thank you, yeah, cheers, right, hydration. Ah, there we go. Okay, yeah, but it's not just about chugging water. That's not what it's about, right? So it's it's removing the toxins from our water. That's a big one. We have chemicals and things you don't want to know about that are in your drinking water. I don't care where you live, you can live in the mountains, it doesn't matter, it's everywhere. Our environment is polluted. So removing the toxins from your water, number one and remineralizing it. So I'm a big fan of adding sea salts or other minerals back into my drinking water on a regular basis. That is really true hydration and it almost makes our water organic, right, cool.

Speaker 2: 41:06

And then the last one is don't be deficient and deficient in nutrients, deficient in omega-3s, deficient in vitamin D don't run deficient. There are very, very. I'm going to go make a bold statement there's almost nothing negative about having a little extra right, especially in today's world where we're high stress on the go. We all want to be high performers and super dad, super mom and super wife and super husband. We're trying to be it all right. So running with a little extra in the tank is always a good idea. Where you don't want to operate from is a deficient level.

Speaker 2: 41:52

So I think that really the basics of supplementation is a really high potency multivitamin okay, to cover your base. Just don't be deficient in zinc and magnesium and boron and molybdenum and all the things that we know. We need manganese, we need these things. We're all deficient, I guarantee you, okay. So don't run deficient in any of those key nutrients. Don't run deficient with omega-3 fatty acids. They build our cell membranes, they build our brains, our nervous systems, our eyes. They're critical for whole body function. Yes, and the last one's really simple as well, especially for us up here in Vancouver and North America in general, is don't be deficient in vitamin D, please, right? I mean Dianite is sitting here waiting for the sun to come out. It ain't happening. It ain't happening For another four or five months.

Speaker 1: 42:41

I look at the forecast. It's like we might get a little peak in a week or so, but that's not it.

Speaker 2: 42:47

Yeah, right, and unless you're going down to Mexico, costa Rica, you're going somewhere hot and spicy, fine, beautiful, love it. But for most of us, like I, can't tell you the impact that changing these, these little things has had. That those are my don't talk about my 2% supplements, those are them.

Speaker 1: 43:05

That is epic. I thank you for that because you just confirmed exactly the protocol that you had me started with and it was a few other products as well in there for specifically for me. I do have an article on my website If everybody's curious about what that looked like. I've got it documented from when, spencer, when I started working together and you even helped me understand my dna profile, which is wonderful, thank you. I know it's a service that you guys also provide with your clients. Um, and you know I just I gotta say thank you because those supplements are so accessible and I remember looking at sort of oh d3 recommended daily dose if you go by what the health can standards are, even in in the US. It's a little bit more forgiving there, but in Canada it's like a thousand, right, a thousand, is it? Micrograms a day?

Speaker 2: 43:50

or milligrams, I use international units, I use international units.

Speaker 1: 43:53

Sorry, thank you, a thousand international units, but you had me doing 10X that and because I was super depleted in that, and because I was super depleted in that, and it was crazy, within two weeks I felt like someone had put in a couple supercharged batteries in me and also my mood was so much better, like I felt lighter, and it was incredible. I had no idea how deficient I was in vitamin d and uh yeah, and so I think that's a huge one, but it's also very inexpensive. It is a cheap uh product to buy. It's probably also why we don't see it advertised a ton, you know it's like no, they're not setting me, you know they're not sexy supplements.

Speaker 2: 44:32

They're just not but but they, they're game changers they are um, yeah, and you, you asked me earlier about and I'll touch this before we uh, we end off here.

Speaker 2: 44:41

But, yeah, you asked me about like reference ranges, or like what is optimal, and you talk about taking, you know, 10 times the dose that was recommended in vitamin D, and that's really important with a lot of these other supplements, or even just your hydration, and your movement is to get all these pieces into what I call the podium, podium level, uh, reference ranges. It's like we're not here to participate, okay, we're here to win medals. We're here to win bronze, silver and gold. So let's get on the podium, right, and and and if, if you're just going through the motions or you're, or you're, you're out there, you're taking a thousand IUs of vitamin D, you're participating, you're just participating, which you know. Not everybody wants to be on the podium, but I'm sure most of the two percenters do oh, yeah, right, and most people I hang around with they sure do yeah, cause that's where results happen, that's where, that's where that's where we make things happen. So, when you talk about those reference ranges, we got to put you on the podium.

Speaker 1: 45:40

Yes, and and I know everyone's probably wondering well, what are those ranges? Well, that's another reason to get to the OpsCosh community, because there's a lot of content that Spencer and his partners put out there Uh, it's remarkable content as well. But also checking out the super superhuman uh summit YouTube channel, which I'll also include the links to, because and you have no idea that some of the amazing information that Spencer brings to the world until you start following them online, please do. And also thanks for being here today, spencer. I know that a lot of what we talked about we basically just scratched the surface of what I wanted to cover today, so I'm going to get you back here and we're going to go a little bit deeper. But thank you for showing up and for doing what you do in the world, because it's not only impacting us here locally in Vancouver, I also know globally.

Speaker 1: 46:24

You're shifting people's paradise and that's what it takes to see big change. It's the small, little individual changes that compound, as everyone knows or I keep talking about this 2%. Well, that's where it starts. You know is where it starts. So you know, before we go today, I'd like to give you the opportunity to have last word. Anything you'd like to say to anybody in the audience right now that might be on the edge of wanting to make a big health change.

Speaker 2: 46:50

Yeah, well, I'm actually. I'm actually gonna put this back on you because, um, you know what you do. You've been pumping my tires, time to pump some of your tires, what you do with the podcast and sharing your story, um, and coming on and pumping my tires, which always makes me feel good, um, and, and just the fact that I got to help you, and, and the small little way, and then, and now, here we are, yeah, right, and it's just, it's just, it's going, it's going wild. So, hey, man, you, just you just keep, keep, keep that that energy going, it's infectious. Yeah, man, I'm just really excited to be here and thank you for having me on. I'll be back, yes, you will. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 47:30

And I got to say thanks too, because I wouldn't be able to do what I do without your support, spencer, both literally and figuratively. It's wonderful, and I also know I'm due for the next round of testing, so we'll have to reconnect for that, so I got to replace my GPS pin, figure out where I'm at, and I think actually this will be a lot of fun. We can even do an episode and we'll talk about the whole process, and if you're interested in this and you think that'd be something fun to check out and something you'd like to see Spencer and I do, please comment, send us a DM, either on Instagram or through the email which is in the show notes. But I look forward to continuing this conversation with everybody there, but also giving you more insights into the cool, creative ways that functional medicine and individuals, practitioners like Spencer, are literally changing the face of healthcare, because we're getting into a place where we prioritize healthspan, no longer prioritizing lifespan, and so thank you for that, spencer. It's been just an honor having you here today.

Speaker 2: 48:29

Yeah, buddy, Anytime man Been a pleasure.

Speaker 1: 48:34

I told you. I told you it was going to be a great episode. What an incredible journey we traveled with Spencer. Thank you, spencer, for sharing your profound insights, but also those transformative health strategies, and for everyone listening.

Speaker 1: 48:46

This episode isn't just a conversation. It's a call to action towards becoming the best version of yourself. Imagine engineering your life to survive, thrive and transform into a superhuman version of you. If you're inspired to take that first step or want to continue your journey, connect with Spencer through his social media and learn more about his unique methods and innovations through the Superhuman Summit. I've included the links to all that goodness in the show notes, so be sure just to hit expand.

Speaker 1: 49:18

Wherever you're listening to this, it's like one click away. Go, check out, especially some of the videos from those past Superhuman Summits. I think you'll learn a ton Again. Reminding you, it's like a TED format, typically less than 20 minutes, but, man, you're going to hear from some of the coolest people with some of the most innovative breakthroughs in the biohacking, the human optimization, but also on that path to making us all a little bit more superhuman. Remember the small changes. The 2% shifts is what bring about the monumental transformations that we all experience. Don't forget to share this episode with someone who might need that little push towards their superhuman journey. And thank you, as always, for tuning in Until next time. Keep pushing that 2% further towards your extraordinary life. See you next time.