Uncommon Living: A Dialogue in Human Resilience

In this episode of the Uncommon Living podcast, Thomas P Seager, PhD, interviews Bob Messerschmidt, the founder of COR Health, about the importance of self-monitoring health through innovative technology.
Messerschimdt explains the significance of inflammation as a marker for chronic diseases, the limitations of traditional medical practices, and the potential of at-home health monitoring devices to empower patients to be in charge of their own health. He shares insights into the science behind his device that measures inflammation via erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) -- i.e., the rate at which red blood cells coagulate.
The COR Health devices provides immediate data to drive lifestyle changes. Messerschmidt and Seager describe several habits and foods that can help resolve chronic inflammation, including ice baths.
Summary:
Self-monitoring health is becoming increasingly accessible.
Inflammation is a key factor in chronic diseases.
Traditional medicine often lacks effective solutions for chronic illnesses.
Immediate data feedback can drive better health decisions.
The COR device offers a new way to measure inflammation at home.
ESR is a reliable indicator of systemic inflammation.
Lifestyle changes can significantly impact inflammation levels.
Healthy foods can be more effective than supplements for reducing inflammation.
Cultural practices have proven benefits for health.
Regulatory challenges exist in the health tech industry.

Seth Hendrickson DC, is a California a chiropractor who found an instatiable appetite for reading when he regained his eyesight after an acid-scarring accident. In his functional integrative medicine practice, he often recommends cold plunge therapy -- especially for his perimenopausal and menopausal women.In this episode of the Uncommon Living podcast, Hendrickson asks several questions of Thomas Seager, author of Uncommon Cold, about the science of cold therapy, and Seager hints about revising his book to create a 2nd edition.Hendrickson says the extensive references in Uncommon Cold reduce his research time and help him with his own health. His enthusiasm for the book and its impact on his chiropractic medicine practice is evident, making it one of his top book recommendations for health professionals.

This compilation of short lectures from the ice bath covers topics related to health, mitochondria, ketones, hormones, weight loss, autism, and protocols for cold plunging.

According to the creator of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) psychologist Marsha Linehan, PhD, cold water immersion therapy rebalances the sympathetic and the parasympathetic divisions of the central nervous system and can be used to treat mood and personality disorders. Mindy Pelz DC said that 11 seconds of cold plunge immersion works for treating her PTSD.How can this happen?In this episode of the Uncommon Living podcast, Doctor of Behavioral Therapy Jason Buck describes how the Wim Hof breathing and cold plunge method helps him manage anxiety and maintain mental health.

When faced with an abnormal prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, Thomas Seager, PhD decided to eschew the normal medical advice and opted to practice daily ice baths instead. Four months later he'd reduced his PSA from 5 to 1.8 ng/dL, indicating no elevated risk of prostate cancer.Along the way, he discovered that his total testosterone had shot up to 1180 ng/dL. In this lecture, Seager explains the mechanism of sex hormone synthesis in the mitochondria that likely explains his spectacular results, and answers questions from the CryoCon 2025 audience about deliberate cold exposure, prostate health, and the importance of total testosterone for mental health.In this powerful presentation from the CryoCon Convention 2025, Seager shares a personal and emotional story excerpted from his book "Uncommon Testosterone." He discusses how cold plunge therapy, specifically ice bath practices, can play a role in optimizing sexual health and overall well-being, touching on aspects of stress management. Thomas P Seager, PhD deep dives into the relationships between cold exposure and testosterone.Timestamps:0:00 PSA from 7.1 down to 1.8 with keto and ice baths.5:50 Sakamoto study: exercise BEFORE cold exposure.7:33 High testosterone doesn't cause prostate cancer, it protects against it.8:22 Ice bath testosterone and women.9:30 Testosterone is synthesized in cholesterol/sex health.11:30 Ice baths suppress hypertrophy? Only when done after exercise.12:50 Vitamin D boosts testosterone? Instead try magnesium, zinc, and boron.13:40 The problem with testosterone research.15:15 People are starting to listen.17:10 Make yourself healthy again.17:45 Question: cold plunge vs cryotherapy.19:01 Question: Ice baths and HRT21:40 Question: Importance of total testosterone vs free testosterone as a biomarker.Cold Exposure and Testosterone: https://www.morozkoforge.com/ice-bath-science/categories/testosterone-sex-health