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Shot, Stonewalled, Still Standing: The Inventor Who Turned His Diagnosis Into a Mission
Sam Sheperd survived a shooting. He went toe to toe with government agencies. He fought years of legal battles over his own inventions. None of that was the hardest problem he ever faced. The hardest one showed up in his own bloodwork. Sam is an engineer, and for decades he solved problems most of us never think about. He is the named inventor on numerous U.S. patents, spanning natural gas processing, wastewater and sludge treatment, algae cultivation and harvesting, and astaxanthin compositions. Then a diagnosis of polycythemia vera, a rare blood disorder, turned all of that brilliance inward. The question was no longer how to fix a system. It was how to understand his own. Sam says his doctors told him his disease was terminal and that there was nothing more they could do. He found himself in the darkest corner of his life, and he is honest that he thought about ending it. Instead, he did what a brilliant engineer and physicist does. He pointed everything he knew at the one problem he couldn't walk away from. So he did what engineers do. He started researching. That question led him to astaxanthin, a deep-red carotenoid made by the microalga Haematococcus pluvialis and one of the most widely researched antioxidant compounds in nature. It also led to ValAsta, the astaxanthin product he went on to invent and develop. In this conversation, Danielle Howley sits down with Sam to hear the whole story, in his own words: the engineering career, the diagnosis, the years of research, how he describes the thinking behind his formulation, and his views on oxidative stress, free radicals and inflammation. Sam also opens up about the harder chapters, including the patent battles, his dealings with government agencies, the 2019 shooting, and a chance meeting with a cardiologist, and about the faith that kept him putting one foot in front of the other. It is a story about curiosity, stubbornness and what one person will do when the answers aren't handed to him. Deeper Healing now carries ValAsta. Ask your Deeper Healing provider whether it may be a fit for you, or find it in our ONLINE STORE. EPISODE DISCLOSURE Sam Sheperd is an inventor and engineer and the founder of ValAsta. The views, experiences and product descriptions he shares in this episode are his own. Sam was not compensated for appearing. Deeper Healing™ carries ValAsta in our clinic and online store and may earn revenue from its sale. This episode is educational and is not medical advice. Sam's personal health story reflects his own experience; individual experiences vary, and one person's experience is not evidence that a product works for anyone else. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. ValAsta, astaxanthin and the other products discussed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. A patent is a legal grant for an invention; it is not FDA approval or clinical evidence of safety or effectiveness. If you are living with cancer, polycythemia vera or any other medical condition, please do not start, stop or change any treatment based on this episode. Talk with your own qualified medical provider before adding any supplement, especially if you take prescription medication. This episode includes a brief mention of suicidal thoughts. If you or someone you love is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.), available 24/7.
Can Nutrition, Emotions & Spirituality Shape Your Health?
Your Health Is More Than Physical Kristine Genovese and Jamie Dorley discuss looking at health through the lens of the body, mind, emotions, and spirit. They explore how nutrition, emotional patterns, mindset, faith, and personal experiences can all be part of a person's broader health journey. Nutrition Quality Matters Jamie explains why the quality and form of nutrients matter, discussing protein, amino acids, healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals, magnesium, and other nutritional support. He also shares how he uses tools such as continuous glucose monitoring to better understand individual responses to food and lifestyle choices. Self-Care Is Part of the Healing Journey Kristine emphasizes the importance of understanding emotional patterns, childhood experiences, and nervous-system responses. She shares her message that “self-care isn’t selfish, it’s sacred,” encouraging people to make space for their physical, mental, and emotional well-being through practices such as prayer, meditation, journaling, gratitude, and reflection.
If running is part of your routine, make time for stretching and mobility, too.
If running is part of your routine, make time for stretching and mobility, too. A thoughtful movement routine can help you stay prepared for the activities you enjoy. If you’re dealing with pain or recurring injuries, talk with a qualified professional. #RunningHealth #Mobility
3 Pricing Mistakes Doctors Make
When every visit carries its own charge, the patient files your program in the same mental bucket as their health plan and starts wondering why it isn't covered. One program at one price puts it in a different bucket, and they stay with it longer. Most doctors set a cash price by asking colleagues what they charge, and very few of those colleagues have studied pricing. A patient who gives up two or more hours for every appointment rarely has the time to shop five clinics to save fifty dollars. Insurance trained a generation of doctors to assume nobody will spend a dollar out of pocket. The people in your exam room are tired of being sick and fed up with their plans, and a confident price tells them how seriously you take the problem.
Think about the last time you decided to get back into a healthy routine
Think about the last time you decided to get back into a healthy routine. Maybe you planned your meals, stocked the fridge, committed to working out, and decided you were finally going to get eight hours of sleep. And for a few days, everything went great. Then work got busy. Someone got sick. You didn’t have time to cook. Suddenly, the routine you’d planned felt impossible to maintain. Sound familiar? A plan that requires everything to go perfectly is going to be difficult to sustain. So what if you started with just one or two changes you could realistically maintain, even during a busy week? Maybe that’s adding protein to breakfast, walking for ten minutes after dinner, or having two easy meals you can make when you don’t feel like cooking. Once those changes become part of your routine, you can build on them. The habits that support your health need to work on an ordinary Tuesday, not just when you have a free weekend and a fully stocked fridge. What’s one healthy habit you’ve been able to maintain even during your busiest weeks? Let’s help each other out with ideas below👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
The Yin and Yang of Desire
Elsbeth and Freddy teach that the partner with yang, or masculine, energy usually feels the urge to connect first in the sexual center, while the partner with yin, or feminine, energy feels it first in the heart. When the yang partner brings that energy up into the heart, the other partner's heart opens, and the two can meet in one circuit. In tantra, men learn to separate ejaculation from orgasm, using breath, attention, and some muscle practices. Freddy says the real change is presence: once men learn it, they become more emotionally open and available in every part of life. Women often notice hormonal changes right away, while men's decline is gradual and subtle. Freddy, who has done testosterone therapy, says many men overlook it because the signs are scattered: irritability, lower energy, and fewer morning erections.
Calories are a Construct
Where Did My Sex Drive Go?
Discover why low libido can involve more than testosterone, including estrogen, progesterone, thyroid hormones, and cortisol. Understand how stress, mental load, and everyday demands can make desire harder to access. Learn how medications, vaginal dryness, and discomfort can also affect libido and sexual satisfaction.
The Migraine Trigger You Might Be Missing
What can trigger a migraine or chronic pain flare-up? Dr. Xavier Jimenez discusses research suggesting that pain episodes may be linked less to one specific habit and more to sudden changes in a person’s normal routine, including sleep, diet, caffeine intake, mood, and daily schedule. Understanding these patterns may help people identify potential migraine triggers and better manage chronic headaches and pain. #MigraineTriggers #ChronicPain #HeadacheRelief #PainManagement #MindingMedicine #science #neuroscience #anatomy
Positive change – evolving mental ad emotional health #shorts
Positive change – evolving mental and emotional health #consciousevolution #spiritualawakening #quantumphysics #emotionalhealth #mentalhealth #wellnessontap #leadership #empathy #neardeathexperience #mindbodyconnection
What happens when Lyme disease and mold exposure overlap?
Understand how Lyme disease, tick-borne coinfections, and mold exposure can produce overlapping symptoms, including fatigue, cognitive difficulties, joint pain, and neurological complaints, making it important to investigate multiple possible contributors to chronic illness. Discover why Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections can be difficult to diagnose, especially when a tick bite goes unnoticed, a characteristic rash is absent, or antibody testing is performed too early. Learn why medical history, symptom patterns, appropriate testing, and clinical evaluation all matter. Learn why addressing immune health and environmental exposures may be important when Lyme disease and mold-related concerns coexist. Explore Dr. Hinchey's approach to supporting immune function and considering both conditions together rather than focusing exclusively on an infection.