Gabriel's Experience with Meric Health Telemedicine Clinic

Gabriel appreciates Meric Health's holistic approach to hormone treatment, prioritizing root causes over quick fixes like TRT.

### My Experience with Meric Health: A Journey of Hormonal and Metabolic Optimization
* 👋 Hi, my name is Gabriel, and today I'll share my experience with Meric Health, a telemedicine clinic co-owned by Derek from More Plates More Dates, focusing on **hormonal health** and **telemedicine services**.
* 💰 My journey began on September 22nd with a comprehensive consultation that included a **$450 blood panel**, which was essential for **understanding my health status** and determining my **treatment plan**.
* 🩸 After undergoing a physical examination and extensive blood work, I discovered that my testosterone levels were **significantly low for my age**, prompting further discussions about treatment options.
* 📋 My treatment plan, which I received on October 21st, consisted of **60 pages detailing lifestyle recommendations and protocols** aimed at addressing my metabolic markers to **naturally improve my hormonal levels**.
* 📈 The initial focus of my treatment is on **lowering insulin, glucose, and cholesterol levels**, with the hope that this will lead to a **natural recovery of my testosterone production**.
* 💊 Currently, I am following a treatment regimen that includes three compounds aimed at **enhancing hormone production and receptor density**, all while being monitored closely by **Meric Health professionals**.
* 💵 The total cost of my treatment is around **$670 for 90 days**, which I find worthwhile given the potential improvements in my **quality of life and overall well-being**.
* 🤝 I wholeheartedly recommend Meric Health for anyone seeking a **thorough and personalized approach** to hormonal health, especially given their commitment to **identifying root causes** rather than just prescribing **long-term solutions**.

how's it going? My name is Gabriel, and today we are going to non-scientifically dismantle my experience with Meric Health, which for those of you who don't know, is a telemedicine clinic that is run, at least as a co-owner, from Derek from More Plates More Dates. So, I do know that this could seem controversial to have online, like, you know, hormone clinics or testosterone, you know, clinics, as well as telemedicine in today's day and age, just because it sounds like a lot of what they're going to be pushing is going to be stuff like TRT, other hormones, or stuff to help make them a profit. But if you've watched any of the videos from Derek, it is them pushing telemedicine as more of a premium, and a lot of the stuff through their consultations, their blood work, and other items is how they're actually making their profit, not necessarily through prescriptions or anything else that is pushed out. But with that being said, I just want to take you guys through someone that is not affiliated with Mer Health but has

used them, paid for everything out of pocket as just a regular customer, so you could kind of see the experience that you might get, as well as just my situation and why I really respect what mer did, and how I don't think that certain other T tella Health, you know, online health clinics or other clinics, would do so for me. This all started in around the middle to the end of September. If you do see me referencing something or looking at something, it's probably this iPad, just to get and make sure that I have a correct timeline of everything while I'm scientifically dismantling it. But for me, it started on September 22nd, which is where I had my first consultation scheduled with one of my current providers from mer Health, who is my point of contact, the one that I can contact if I have questions about anything I'm taking in my treatment plan, my treatment plan, if there's something I want to add, something I want to change, anything like that. And from that one, we just kind of talked about my current life, right?

now my goals, everything like that, so they could get kind of a holistic picture of what's going on, what you're experiencing, any symptoms that you're experiencing, because throughout this conversation, it kind of dictates how the blood work is going to go or what they might want to add into the blood work, what seems like they want to search for in the blood work. So for that one, we can actually bring up just probably my invoice for the blood work, which it was very expensive, but I did a comprehensive male panel, which we can flash it on the screen here or here. That was $450, and in addition to that, we did B12 full8, which is folic acid serum test, and doing both of those was only $20 in addition. So you can take from that what you will, but then we can just jump ahead a little bit of time to me actually going through getting my blood taken, as well as there are additional items that mer as a whole does require you to do, which is one, once you're going into

the process of getting your blood works or getting your blood work. They're not just looking at your endocrinology, but you do have to go into like an NP, an MD, a DO, a PA, and get a physical. You can do it through your PCP, you can do it through a local urgent care. So that one is going to be mainly for blood pressure, just to get other metrics and markers, as well as an examination from a medical professional, just to kind of get more of a holistic picture of your health and you as a being. And then, yeah, so you do your physical. Their physical form is not super extensive, but it's like blood pressure, pulse, temp, respiration, vision, then just a pretty standard physical examination. It has to be signed off and sent in prior to being able to undergo treatment or anything like that, just to make sure that there are no underlying health issues prior to, you know, proceeding forward, or something that is worth being talked about or discussed about. And then following this, I did have

a fairly comprehensive blood panel done, of which just my lab report results is 35 pages long, and that is including a great breakdown of what my scores were, as well as some of the recommendations that they had in terms of lifestyle changes and potential treatment options for it. Of which, just to briefly skim over my blood work, because I'm not sure how much of it I do want to share, but I did have low testosterone. Total was low. I am in the mid to high 200s, which for a 22-year-old male, that is extremely suboptimal. Then look at my free test. My free test was low, 8.13 n per decil. That's also pretty bad. My hormone profile showed SHBG as being low, but it is a 17.2 nanomoles per liter, with their optimal range being about 20 to 40 nanom per liter, so slightly below it. Then looking at my DHA EA, that one was slightly below the reference range. Everything else was metabolically pretty fine. My free T4.

that one was slightly below where we would want it, but the rest of my testosterone markers were lower than expected. Then it also went into stuff like metabolic, where my glucose was high, my HbA1c was slightly high, my insulin was high, my triglycerides were high, you know, 143 mg per dL, with the optimal range being below 99 mg per dL. My LDL was high, 139 mg per dL, optimal being 30 to 90 mg per dL, and just a few other metrics and markers that were like slightly off, slightly not ideal. And the reason that I wanted to share this with you guys, or at least like some of my blood tests, and it is worth noting we also did a urine test, but I want you guys to see this from the point of being a 22-year-old male with below lower than average testosterone levels, where you're going through telemedicine, and it would be extremely easy for them just to say, Hey, you need TRT, or You need other things. But after you get your blood tests and

lab results back. What you do is for me. I had a meeting with my POC for meric health, and we kind of sat down on a call. We discussed my test results, we discussed possible treatment, and then you actually move into a second meeting, which in this case was with a patient intake or with a patient exam through one of the actual medical professionals or like the doctor through mer in of itself. And that one, we really sat down and actually talked about my treatment plan, of which my treatment plan or total recommendations was, let me pull this up really quick. This one I got October 21st, 2023. It was 60 pages long, and it's not just discussing like any medicines that they want to put me on or that would be suggested, but there's also a lot of information on here that is just a lot of lifestyle recommendations at the start, talking about like making sure your sleep is dialed in, what you can do to increase your sleep, a lot of stuff regarding that, other lifestyle protocols that you

should do like getting sunlight, breath work, you know, hot and cold exposure, cardiovascular exercise that you should be getting, training recommendations, mental health recommendations, and a lot of different items, as well as additional education pieces that you might want to look into regarding diet and sleep, as well as other podcasts and informational items that might be beneficial for you. Because their goal is not necessarily just writing you a ton of scripts and getting your money that way, but actually making sure that you are becoming a super-physiological being by maximizing the quality and quantity of your life. So, there's neuroplasticity-like items and stuff like that, there's nutrition guidelines that they recommend that you should follow in order to maximize your items. We're talking digestive health and stuff like that, a lot of foundational nutrients that they think you should be getting, and then we get into just kind of what they recommend that you should do, as well as what the protocol would be if it is something that you want to choose to do, and a lot of the background

information on it, so I'm not going to dive into my full treatment plan necessarily at this instance. But what I can say is talking with both of my POC's for Meric Health. The determination for this one was a lot of my metabolic markers might be creating a suppression of my hormonal system, AKA causing my lower testosterone. So our first round for the first 3 to 6 months of treatment is going to be attacking the metabolic markers to see if as we decrease those, if it's going to cause for an upregulation of my hormonal system. In other words, we're going to try and lower my insulin levels, my glucose levels, as well as my cholesterol levels and triglycerides. And we're going to hope that this actually causes a natural recovery of my hormone systems. So my testosterone is not below 300 ng/dL, 'cause I'm going to be honest, I felt terrible. And right now, I am taking three items of treatment, of which a lot of them are for upregulation. Okay, so let's cover this one.

one of them is to help upregulate my hormone system and help my body hopefully produce more testosterone as a goal. However, it is not a large dose, and it is a very safe dose, and we're only going to do this for about 90 days tops. Following this one, we're looking at [Applause] a Aroma taste expression item to just reduce Aroma taste expression. And then we're also looking at upregulating my Androgen receptor density on this one just to kind of help maximize the amount of testosterone that is in my body. And then the final compound that I am taking is actually an amino acid called l-carnitine. This one is injectable to help oxidize my or to help with the oxidation of fatty acid, as well as aiding in the reduction of body fat, and just helping upregulate my Androgen density receptors as well. So, whatever testosterone my body is producing can be maximized and utilized to the fullest extent, so I can hopefully just feel better in general. And one again, we're

looking at 990 days for all of these, and then we're probably going to be running another round of Bloods after that one just to see what the status of my body is. Prior to starting any of this treatment plan, I actually did hop on another call with my P, and we just kind of discussed everything, any questions I had about my treatment, the frequency of which I should be doing anything, timing for my dosages and stuff like that. Should I be taking it in the morning, in the afternoon, before workouts, anything like that? One just to make sure that what I'm doing is well-planned and is going to work for me. And then we get into the processing for all of that as well as kits, everything like that. One of which they're going through a fantastic compounding pharmacy, but that one was around $670 for 90 days of treatment, which is definitely expensive, but it is okay, and it is a cost that I worth spending because prior to this Suare with meric health, I was honestly not sleeping.

well, I constantly felt down and deprived when I was working. When I was working out, my recovery was never there. For someone who's just starting to enter the prime of their lives, necessarily as a 20-something that is making good money as an engineer, that should be just having a vibrant and exuberant life. It just absolutely was not there. So, if we're looking at probably total cost in, it's about a grand. If this increases the quality of my life by 20 to 50%, that is exponential gains. If you just look at the fiduciary responsibility that could be increased and maximized through this one, just through my ability to be more present for work every single day, to hit more overtime strides just to pay it off, or to be in the gym and be able to push myself harder for cardio, for lifts, and stuff like that, and have an exponentially higher ceiling of potential for both genetically, where I'm feeling the recovery and components of my body, as well as just, you know, mental health and

everything tied with my hormones and other items. If you look at all of the potential benefits that come with doing your blood work and pursuing treatment for everything, as well as maximizing the quality of your life, even if you're spending a little bit of money for this to be achieved, the potential upside to this is 10x probably of what it would be if you just kind of kept slugging it through and trying to thug it out. I think mentally it was good to make it through college knowing h hly nothing and having nothing hold me back, but now it was to the point where I graduated college and I was like wow I should feel better at this point because I'm not stressed 24/7. I'm able to sleep. I have a regular routine, but I still feel like crap and this is just not okay honestly at this point. So it's something that I'm looking to correct and right going into my 20s, going into my later portion of my 20s now, now that I am.

graduating, so I think my plans with this is going to be to release a little bit more of the background history of my blood work and go to a more scientific breakdown with a video, probably showing my blood work or at least good sections of it, discussing how I feel, as well as probably discussing how my metrics changed after my 90-day blood work and how my treatment plan actually affected myself to assess the accuracy of it prior to the completion of it. But for this portion, what I can say is Merrick health and Derek from more plates more dates. I cannot thank you guys enough for the quality of information that you guys have provided me throughout the years following mpmd and just the amount of education that I could get into endocrinology, into hormone optimization, into just everything in life to be able to create the highest quality life for myself and then for Merrick health for not just seeing that I had low testosterone, offering to put me on TRT for life, but instead helping me to pursue a path.

where we're trying to get to the root cause of what's causing everything. Wow, that was terrible, but we're pretty much doing RCCA, which is root cause corrective action, to just try and identify what is happening with my metabolic and hormonal system so I don't have to be on something for life. But I think that is refreshing to see because a lot of places nowadays would just look at the numbers and say, Hey, we're putting you on something, or You're just going to stay that way. So just because of reasons like that one, as of right now, this moment in November 2nd, 2023, I would absolutely recommend Marel to any and everyone that is looking to do it. However, I do see that there is a fiscal barrier that could be, you know, potentially a cause for people just due to the pricing of it. And if you do want to go through your PCP or medical insurance and stuff like that, I don't see an issue with it, but just remember it's a lot harder to find.

endocrinologists and experts in the field, and that is kind of what mer is focused around. So, because of that, it is why I went with mer over going through a different route like that one, just because they're more specialized in the field. But with that being said, I hope you guys have a fantastic day. Feel free to check out the video that's probably here or here. Like, comment, and subscribe. Drop any questions that you have down below regarding mer Health, regarding my overall medical status, honestly, if you really want to do it, or if you want updates, anything like that. But with that being said, have a great day.

Unlocking the Truth About Marek Health | More Plates More Dates Scientifically Dismantled

Gabriel Picato

Gabriel shares his non-scientific experience with Meric Health, a telemedicine clinic co-owned by Derek from More Plates More Dates.

He emphasizes that the clinic's profit comes from consultations and blood work, rather than pushing prescriptions.

Gabriel's journey began with a consultation on September 22nd, followed by an expensive comprehensive male panel and additional tests, totaling $450 and $20, respectively.

Blood work requires a physical examination from a medical professional, which can be done through a PCP or urgent care.

A comprehensive blood panel is usually conducted, with results providing insights into various health markers, including hormone levels and metabolic indicators.

The author's blood work revealed low testosterone, high glucose, and other slightly off metrics, highlighting the importance of thorough testing before determining treatment options.

My Experience with Meric Health's Treatment Plan

I had a meeting with my POC at Meric Health to discuss my lab results and treatment options, followed by a patient exam with a medical professional.

My treatment plan, received on October 21st, 2023, was 60 pages long and included lifestyle recommendations, neuroplasticity items, and nutrition guidelines.

The focus of the treatment is to address my metabolic markers and hormonal system, with the goal of lowering insulin, glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels to naturally recover my hormone levels.

Upregulating Hormones and Maximizing Testosterone

The treatment plan aims to upregulate the hormone system and increase testosterone production over 90 days with a safe, low dose.

Key components include an aroma taste expression item, androgen receptor density upregulation, and injectable L-carnitine for fat oxidation and body fat reduction.

The total cost for the 90-day treatment is around $670, with the potential for significant improvements in quality of life and overall well-being.

The Importance of Hormone Treatment and Blood Work

Pursuing blood work and hormone treatment can significantly improve one's quality of life, potentially offering a 10x return on investment.

Despite graduating college and having a regular routine, the author still felt unwell and is now looking to correct this as they enter their 20s.

The author plans to share their blood work history and treatment progress through a video, expressing gratitude to Merrick Health and Derek from More Plates More Dates for their valuable information and support.

Seeking Root Cause Solutions for Metabolic and Hormonal Issues

The speaker is undergoing Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) to address their metabolic and hormonal system, aiming for a long-term solution.

They recommend Marel for its specialized focus on endocrinology, despite acknowledging the potential fiscal barrier for some individuals.

The speaker encourages viewers to ask questions and seek updates regarding their medical journey with Marel.