GLP-1 Studio Podcast

GLP-1 Sharps Disposal: One Easiest Thing You Can Do for the Earth

Episode Summary For Earth Day, I had Cheyenne Parish and Omar Al-Midani back on the show from PureWay Compliance. We talked about the same thing we talked about last year (safe sharps disposal for GLP-1 patients) except this time I had data to back up everything that surprised me the first time around. I've been on a GLP-1 for 18 months and stacked weekly NAD+ injections on top for six of those months. The container is still only three-quarters full. The math is wild. We talked about how PureWay's microwave-based recycling process actually works. We also covered what's new at the company since last year, including their redesigned consumer site for at-home users. The biggest thing I keep coming back to: most GLP-1 patients are never told their manufacturer offers a free sharps container as part of patient support. Plus we have an Earth Month discount and a free container giveaway for three Studio listeners. Guest Bios Cheyenne Parish is the marketing specialist at PureWay Compliance, leading the company's consumer outreach and influencer partnerships. Omar Al-Midani is co-founder and president of PureWay, which uses a proprietary microwave-based sterilization process to recycle plastic from used sharps containers. PureWay is the exclusive partner of PPSWG, a consortium representing more than 365 pharmaceutical producers focused on safety and sustainability. In This Episode [00:00] Earth Day reunion with Cheyenne and Omar from PureWay [02:25] Easy ways to get a free sharps container [03:44] How PureWay's proprietary recycling process actually works [04:46] Why safe sharps disposal matters for sanitation workers and the planet [06:42] What's new at PureWay over the past year [08:49] How they simplified waste management for at-home consumers [10:42] PureWay's AI integration into operations [14:04] Why corporate sustainability gatekeeping misses the bigger picture [18:22] What actually happens when sharps go in the household trash [21:22] Practical steps for safe sharps disposal at home [23:53] What NAD+ actually is and why I take NR instead [26:34] Why doctors don't always know about preventative supplements [33:39] How patient communities reshape what companies offer [36:55] The exclusive PureWay × PPSWG partnership with 365+ pharma companies [44:20] The microwave technology that recycles the plastic [50:12] How to enter the Earth Month giveaway [53:10] The water and energy cost of AI and modern waste systems [54:43] Closing thoughts on small habits that scale Resources & Links PureWay Compliance: Consumer site (the one you want for at-home use): purewayathome.com [http://purewayathome.com] Main corporate site: pureway.com [http://pureway.com] Instagram: @purewaycompliance [https://instagram.com/purewaycompliance] LinkedIn: PureWay Compliance [https://linkedin.com/company/pureway-compliance/] Earth Month discount code: Use EARTH20 at purewayathome.com [http://purewayathome.com] for 20% off, good through 5/13/2026. 💉💖 Giveaway entry: Three GLP-1 Studio listeners win a free 1.4-quart mail-back disposal system. To enter: 1. Follow @purewaycompliance [https://instagram.com/purewaycompliance] and @amanda.bonell0 [https://instagram.com/amanda.bonell0] on Instagram2. Repost the giveaway post and tag someone who could use a safer disposal option Get full access to GLP-1 Studio at glp1studio.substack.com/subscribe [https://glp1studio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Your Employer Can Cover Your GLP-1 Without Insurance

EPISODE SUMMARY Have you lost GLP-1 coverage through your employer? Or maybe you never had it to begin with? In this episode, Amanda sits down with Jay Bregman, founder and CEO of Andel, to break down a real solution that exists right now. Andel is one of more than 18 vetted partners inside Eli Lilly's Employer Connect program, and it is built differently from every other option on that list. No PMPM fees. No administrative overhead. No prior authorization. A membership fee under $10 per fill and a direct-to-employer price already lower than Lilly's own cash pay option. Amanda shares the data on why employers dropped coverage in the first place, what it is actually costing them not to cover it, and what the research says about productivity, morale, and talent retention when employees have access or lose it. Plus exactly how to refer your own employer to the program in five minutes without waiting for HR to figure it out. GUEST BIO Jay Bregman is the founder and CEO of Andel, a healthcare technology platform enabling high-cost medications including GLP-1s to be accessible through employer benefits. A serial entrepreneur with 20-plus years of experience, he previously co-founded Hailo, the first pan-European ride-hailing company later acquired as Lyft Europe, and founded Thimble, acquired by S&P 500 insurer Arch Insurance. Website: andel.org [http://andel.org] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jaybregman Company: linkedin.com/company/joinandel IN THIS EPISODE [0:00] Jay's background and how watching Senate drug pricing hearings sparked the idea [3:30] What the word "andel" means and why the cooperative model is the foundation [6:40] The Lilly Zepbound KwikPen direct-to-employer partnership explained [13:00] The full confirmed pricing breakdown and what an employee actually pays [17:00] Why the platform fee is the same for small and large employers [19:00] How the employee experience works from app download to next-day delivery [24:00] Employer ROI, productivity gains, and the business case [29:00] The research on employees who lost GLP-1 coverage and what it showed [33:00] Why Andel is expanding beyond GLP-1s to all high-cost employer drugs [51:00] Nonprofit partnerships and the 5% profit fund for underserved patients RESOURCES MENTIONED Refer your employer now: andel.org/referral Andel main site: andel.org [http://andel.org] Andel on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/joinandel Jay Bregman on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jaybregman Lilly Employer Connect launch announcement: fiercehealthcare.com/payers/eli-lilly-launches-its-direct-employer-platform-obesity-drugs Lilly Direct cash pay pricing: lillydirect.com [http://lillydirect.com] Aon GLP-1 multi-year study: aon.com/en/insights/articles/workforce-focused-analysis-on-glp-1s Kristi Turner episode — Lost GLP-1 Coverage Through Employer: glp1studio.substack.com/p/lost-glp1-coverage-through-employer Jennifer Sansabrino episode — GLP-1 Coverage for Teens: glp1studio.substack.com/p/glp1-coverage-for-teens-one-moms-fight GLP-1 Access and Contact Congress: glp1studio.substack.com/p/contact-congress-for-glp1-access Obesity Action Coalition: obesityaction.org [http://obesityaction.org] STRONG Framework white paper: glp1strong.com [http://glp1strong.com] RELATED EPISODES Lost GLP-1 Coverage Through Your Employer — Kristi Turner glp1studio.substack.com/p/lost-glp1-coverage-through-employer GLP-1 Coverage for Teens — Jennifer Sansabrino glp1studio.substack.com/p/glp1-coverage-for-teens-one-moms-fight Get full access to GLP-1 Studio at glp1studio.substack.com/subscribe [https://glp1studio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Bariatric Surgery vs GLP-1 Medication: Treating Obesity as a Disease

Episode Title: Bariatric Surgery and GLP-1s Are the Same Treatment — with Stephanie Wagner, MS RDN | The Bariatric Food Coach Episode Description: If you've ever felt like you failed after bariatric surgery — or after stopping a GLP-1 — this episode is for you. Registered dietitian and Bariatric Food Coach Stephanie Wagner, MS RDN joins Amanda Bonello to break down exactly how bariatric surgery works, why it boosts your body's own GLP-1 production, and what actually happens when weight comes back. Spoiler: it's not a character flaw. It's biology. They cover every type of bariatric surgery (sleeve, bypass, lap band, duodenal switch, SADI-S), the hormonal science behind each one, and why adding a GLP-1 medication after surgery isn't starting over — it's continuing your treatment. Plus the insurance code that might be unlocking free dietitian visits you didn't know you had. In This Episode: Why bariatric nutrition and GLP-1 nutrition are almost identical — same disease, different tools A plain-English breakdown of gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, lap band, duodenal switch, and SADI-S How bariatric surgery hijacks your hormones (in the best way) — and why that effect fades over time Weight regain after bariatric surgery: the biology behind it and why you never failed your treatment Motivational interviewing and why the counseling side of obesity care matters as much as the clinical side The insurance code 97802 — call your insurer and ask if you have Medical Nutrition Therapy benefits. Many private plans cover unlimited dietitian visits at zero out-of-pocket cost Hydration tips that actually stick, straight from Atomic Habits Quote of the Episode: "If we truly viewed obesity as a chronic disease… then bariatric surgery and GLP-1 medications are treatments, not tests you pass or fail." — Stephanie Wagner, MS RDN About Steph Wagner Stephanie Wagner, MS RDN is a registered dietitian nutritionist specializing in bariatric surgery patients since 2009 and the founder of Bariatric Food Coach. She is the author of Best Fork Forward: Everyday Dinners After Weight Loss Surgery — 60 high-protein recipes, 30 minutes or less, with a photo for every single one. 🌐 bariatricfoodcoach.com [http://bariatricfoodcoach.com] 📸 Instagram: @bariatricfoodcoach [https://www.instagram.com/bariatricfoodcoach] 📘 Facebook | 🎥 YouTube | 📌 Pinterest: Bariatric Food Coach 📖 Best Fork Forward [https://www.amazon.com] on Amazon [https://www.amazon.com] [💰 AFFILIATE LINK] Premier Access Membership from $19/month — HSA/FSA eligible. Nearly 700 recipes, GLP-1 video course, AI meal planner, and an active community running since 2015. Resources Mentioned Best Fork Forward [https://www.amazon.com] by Steph Wagner [https://www.amazon.com] — Amazon [💰 AFFILIATE] Atomic Habits [https://www.amazon.com] by James Clear [https://www.amazon.com] — habit science behind the hydration tips [💰 AFFILIATE] Insurance code 97802 — Medical Nutrition Therapy. Call your insurer and ask. doTERRA food-grade essential oils — one drop in your water bottle, lasts forever, costs almost nothing [BACKLINK: Dr. Lindsay Ogle episode — she introduced Amanda to Steph] Timestamps 00:00 — What is a Bariatric Food Coach? 02:25 — Dietitian vs. nutritionist vs. health coach: what actually matters 07:27 — Steph's own weight loss journey and the stigma inside the profession 10:07 — Why nutrition counseling fails people — and what motivational interviewing fixes 16:28 — Amanda's family member: GLP-1, then surgery, no support throughout 22:22 — Every type of bariatric surgery explained in plain English 29:28 — The shame of weight regain and why you never failed your treatment 30:05 — How bariatric surgery boosts natural GLP-1 — and what happens when that fades 33:48 — "You never fail chemotherapy." The analogy that changes everything 39:11 — Insurance code 97802 and free dietitian access 44:54 — Best Fork Forward, the AI meal planner, and the online community 51:05 — Hydration tips that actually work Subscribe to GLP-1 Studio on Substack for the full written companion piece to this episode — with the science sourced and linked. glp1studio.substack.com [http://glp1studio.substack.com] When you advocate for yourself, you advocate for all of us. Disclosure: GLP-1 Studio is a for-profit media company founded by Amanda Bonello. The GLP-1 Collective is a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit, also founded by Amanda Bonello. These are two distinct legal entities. GLP-1 Studio does not receive funding from the GLP-1 Collective, and the Collective does not direct or fund the editorial content produced by GLP-1 Studio. This content was not sponsored or commissioned by any pharmaceutical company, telehealth provider, or clinical organization. Steph Wagner did not pay for her appearance. This content contains affiliate links. If you purchase through those links, GLP-1 Studio may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Get full access to GLP-1 Studio at glp1studio.substack.com/subscribe [https://glp1studio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Safe Drugs Act & State Bills Threaten Compounded GLP-1 Access

Here’s a clean, professional Show Notes section you can use: Show Notes In this episode, I’m joined by Sabina Hemmi, founder of GLP Winner, to break down the growing wave of federal and state legislation targeting compounded GLP-1 medications. We discuss: Why transparent GLP-1 pricing matters How GLP Winner helps patients compare clinics without deceptive funnels The federal Safe Drugs Act and emerging state bills How some legislation could impact all compounding, not just GLP-1s What this means for hospice care, pediatrics, veterinary medicine, and more Why patient advocacy at the state level matters right now The real-life side effects and lived experience behind the policy debate If you live in a state where legislation is moving, contact your representative and share your story. Patient voices are making a difference. Connect with Sabina TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawliepop [https://www.tiktok.com/@lawliepop]Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawliepops/ [https://www.instagram.com/lawliepops/]YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lawliepop [https://www.youtube.com/@lawliepop]X/Twitter: https://x.com/lawliepop [https://x.com/lawliepop]Substack: https://substack.com/@lawliepop [https://substack.com/@lawliepop]LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabina-hemmi/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabina-hemmi/] Resources Visit GLP-1 Studio for the latest bill updates and advocacy tools. Get full access to GLP-1 Studio at glp1studio.substack.com/subscribe [https://glp1studio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

The Shotsy App: A GLP-1 Tool For Self-Advocacy

In this episode of the GLP-1 Studio Podcast, host Amanda Bonello sits down with Aja Beckett, founder of Shotsy, to talk about GLP-1 self-advocacy, personalized dosing, and the moment everything changes when food noise finally goes quiet. Aja shares her personal GLP-1 journey, including navigating insurance barriers, prior authorizations, and paying hundreds of dollars a month just to access care. Together, Amanda and Aja unpack why obesity is a chronic disease, not a willpower problem, and why “eat less, move more” has failed so many people. They also explore how tracking symptoms, side effects, and dosing patterns can empower patients to have better conversations with their doctors, especially when standard titration schedules don’t fit real bodies or real lives. This conversation is about more than an app. It’s about dignity, access, and finally understanding that it’s not your fault. Follow Aja: - 🌐 Website [https://www.shotsy.com]- 📱 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/shotsyhealth]- 💻LinkedIn (Aja) [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajabeckett/]- 💻LinkedIn (Shotsy) [https://www.linkedin.com/company/shotsy]- 📱 TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@shotsyhealth] In This Episode, We Cover: - Aja’s experience living with obesity, Hashimoto’s, and chronic inflammation- The reality of GLP-1 access, insurance denials, and high out-of-pocket costs- What “food noise” really is and what it feels like when it turns off- Why one-size-fits-all dosing doesn’t work for most patients- How tracking data can support self-advocacy with doctors and insurers- Navigating maintenance when there is little to no clinical guidance- Letting go of shame and reclaiming your right to care Disclaimer: This episode is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding your health and treatment decisions.Learn more and listen here: - 🎙️ GLP-1 Studio Podcast [https://glp1studio.substack.com/podcast?source=user_about----------------------4ca4f86ad1c6----------------------]- 🎧 Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1iXcycXSKBkl4VaVz2Zx3u?si=e9b8fd6724094547&source=user_about----------------------4ca4f86ad1c6----------------------]- 📱 Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/glp-1-studio-podcast/id1790090097?source=user_about----------------------4ca4f86ad1c6----------------------]- 📖 SubStack [http://glp1studio.com/?source=user_about----------------------4ca4f86ad1c6----------------------]- 💻 YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@glp1studio?source=user_about----------------------4ca4f86ad1c6----------------------] Get full access to GLP-1 Studio at glp1studio.substack.com/subscribe [https://glp1studio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]