I tried using AI to improve my health but did not expect this...

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I consider myself to be a cautious futurist.

So when AI came out, I was optimistic but skeptical about what it could do for our health. Over the past year, I've been using it on myself, and no lie, it's amazing at what it's capable of.

But...

I found some things that it's just not that good at, and a few places you have to be careful because, if you're not, it could confidently lead you down the wrong path.

There are 3 ways I use AI that all have one thing in common: each one changed my behavior.

In today's newsletter, I want to share with you the 3 ways and, at the end, I have a gift for you: Every prompt I used for these, ready to copy and paste.

You ready? Let's go 🔥

AI Use Case #1 - The Lab Translator

For years, I had all of my blood panels sitting in a folder. When I went to the doctor, he would circle a number, tell me it was fine, and we'd move on.

What was missing was the big picture. No one ever looked at all my blood panels together. Each panel got read on its own by someone who only had 15 minutes to spend with me and 40 other patients for the day.

One of the greatest skills AI has is the ability to collect large swaths of data and make sense of them. So I uploaded every panel I had and asked Claude to look at all of them.

One thing I found was a biomarker that climbed 40% over the past 4 years, which my doc didn't flag, as it was still within the reference range. It also caught an increase in my creatinine levels, but because it had the context of what supplements I was taking (creatine), it gave context on what was happening.

Before, I used to sit in front of my doctor, and he would tell me how my blood work was. Now I have context and can walk in with specific questions about specific numbers.

Now, the pitfall of this is that AI can sound confident while being wrong, so every number that matters has to get double-checked. One time, it changed my Canadian lab results into American units, and the numbers came out way off, making me do a double take. Yes, it can make mistakes just like humans can.

My rule now is that anything it finds goes to my doctor for him to give it a pass.

AI Use Case #2 - Finding The Right Exercises Coach

For most of my career, I thought the squat, bench, and deadlift were the three exercises that every human should do, but after reading the book Strength Training For All Body Types, I realized that was a lie.

I got to work: I measured my limb lengths, took photos for AI, and gave it a prompt based on that book about which lifts fit my build.

It gave me 3 swaps:

• The hack squat for the back squat
• Incline chest press machine for the bench
• A trap bar deadlift for the conventional deadlift

And guess what? Every one of them felt better right away, and I train harder now. It feels like I'm working with my frame instead of against it.

The pitfall here is that it does take some time to set up. Also, something I noticed was that I had to take multiple pictures because AI can suggest different exercises depending on the angles you use in the photo.

AI Use Case #3 - The Mind Coach

I'll be the first to admit that it's hard for me to ask for help. I know I should call my friends, and I do, but sometimes, in the moment, you need someone available to vent to.

I created an AI that I call My Mind Coach. I turn to it when I need to think through certain situations or get it to ask me questions to understand what I was going through.

Sometimes, in those strong emotional moments, you just need someone to be there in the moment to make sure you don't do something stupid. Now, I will still call my friends, and I always will. This is for the moments in between, when I can't get out of my head, and I need someone to listen.

The pitfall with this is that you have to force it to disagree with you. AI can get sycophantic and will almost validate anything you say, which feels good, but it can also keep you stuck. I also have to mention that this isn't therapy.

As stated in the beginning of the newsletter, I put all 3 prompts I used into a free guide, along with how to set them up and the follow-up prompts I use to catch AI when it’s wrong.

​Download The Full AI Prompt Stack Here​

Here's Where AI Broke (And My Solution)

After doing those 3 prompts, I tried the next obvious step because surely it could coach me on what I eat, and it worked ... for about a week.

Then I started to feel like a bookkeeper, where every meal turned into a line on my expense sheet, which is the exact reason why people don't like calorie trackers

I also had to remind it of everything, from my goals to the fact that I was traveling that week. Anytime I started a new thread, it would never notice the patterns from the previous conversations I had. I kept having to remind it of certain things, and it got annoying.

And just as a personal preference, I like to have a dashboard that shows me how many calories, macros, and protein, which it didn't provide.

As a health coach for 20 years, I've noticed the biggest thing that holds people back is taking control of their eating.

And eating healthy comes down to having structure and accountability over the 1000s of small decisions you make around food, especially during the times you're busy, tired, or stressed.

So I built one that did that.

​HeySherpa is an AI nutrition coach built on the way I have coached for over 20 years and designed for the moments a chatbot misses.

AI can be an asset for your health. You let it read your data, and it helps you see your blind spots. It can push back on you when you need it.

Beware of the pitfalls and apply your own thinking, and you have a tool to upgrade your health that fits in your pocket.

Onward and upward. 🚀

- Dan

Disclaimer: This email is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician.