In this episode, I sit down with author and creator Kaila Yu to explore what it takes to move from external validation to authentic self worth. We talk about the harm of fetishization, the healing power of sobriety and community, Internal Family Systems therapy, and simple practices like meditation and gratitude that actually shift your biology and your story. If you have ever felt invisible or not enough, this one is for you.

Content advisory: mentions of addiction and sexual assault.

Read more at kienvuu.com

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Get the 2nd edition of Thrive State at thrivestatebook.com
Download the free Longevity and Performance Starter Kit at thrivestatestarter.com

References: IFS evidence and randomized trials, meditation and gratitude research, and reporting on anti Asian violence. Taylor & Francis Onlineifstherapy.orgSpringerLinkJAMA NetworkPBS

Episode Highlights:

• UCSD connection
• Five to Thrive: self love, rest, and power
• Why Kaila wrote Fetishized and the TikTok pivot
• Hollywood stereotypes and narrow roles for Asian women
• Sobriety and the start of real inner work
• Depression, chaos, and chasing validation
• Parents, achievement, and the missing words of affirmation
• What 12 step work opens up
• Naming the assault and why secrets make us sick
• IFS therapy and befriending your parts
• First steps that actually help
• Meditation and gratitude in practice
• Why fetishization is not harmless
• Book details and where to find Kaila
  

Longevity is not just living longer. It is living fully alive. In this Thrive State conversation, Dr. Kien Vuu joins David Meltzer to unpack how meaning, gratitude, and your biology work together to shape health, performance, and legacy. We cover the science of stress, mitochondria, and the default mode network, plus practical shifts that move you from dis-ease to ease.

Listen to more episodes: kienvuu.com/podcast

Follow @doctorvmd

Grab the Thrive State Starter Kit: thrivestatestarter.com

Get the Thrive State book: thrivestatebook.com

Episode Highlights:

• Intro at SoFi Stadium and what longevity really means today
• Doctor, lawyer, or failure: Dr. V’s immigrant story and the trap of “not enough”
• Ease vs dis-ease: identity, energy, and the signals we send our DNA
• Stress biology in real life: mitochondria, inflammation, and meaning reframe
• Longevity mindset: “live well” vs “do not die” and why fear backfires
• Feeling alive daily: freedom, service, and the energy others can feel
• Lessons and blessings: using pressure to grow

What if the anxiety, burnout, or exhaustion you feel isn’t just emotional—but energetic?

In this transformative episode of the Thrive State Podcast, Doctor V sits down with healer and intuitive guide Victoria Pippo to explore how energy affects our biology, relationships, and purpose. From grounding and shielding to energetic cleansing, you’ll learn how to shift your frequency and regain control of your inner world.

Start reclaiming your energy:
📘 Get the free Thrive State Starter Guide: https://thrivestatestarter.com
🧠 Order Thrive State Book: https://thrivestatebook.com
📲 Follow @doctorvmd

Episode Highlights:

• Why “Energy Is Medicine”

• Victoria’s Story: From Disney Performer to Healer

• What Energetic Sovereignty Really Means

• Reincarnation, Soul Contracts & Free Will

• Trauma, Tension & Energetic Blocks in the Body

• Meditation Hacks for Busy Brains

• Grounding Techniques That Actually Work

• Energetic Shielding vs. Emotional Numbing

• Cleansing Practices You Can Start Today

• Tuning into Your Intuition & Inner Guidance

• Victoria’s Final Message: Energy as Medicine
  

What if your fatigue, mood swings, low libido, brain fog, and stubborn weight gain weren’t “just aging” or “just stress”—but signals your hormones are out of balance? In this episode of the Thrive State Podcast, Dr. Kien Vuu sits down with Dr. Sarah Daccarett to uncover the real story behind women's hormone health.

They dive into the truth about peri menopause, the myths surrounding hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and why conventional medicine often fails women. If you're feeling off and don’t know why, this conversation could change your life.

Watch now and discover how to take back control of your health.

Start your journey here:

INNER BALANCE COUPON

Download the free Thrive Starter Guide: https://thrivestatestarter.com
Get the #1 bestselling book Thrive State: https://thrivestatebook.com
Follow Doctor V: @doctorvmd

Episode Highlights:

• Meet Dr. Sarah Daccarett

• Why Women Feel "Off": The Missing Hormone Conversation

• Are Symptoms Happening Earlier in Life Now?

• The Overlooked Symptoms of Hormone Imbalance

• Misdiagnosis and Misinformation in Women’s Health

• The Truth About Estrogen, Cancer, and Clot Risk

• Addressing the Fear of Taking Hormones for Life

• HRT and Fertility: What Women Should Know

• How to Choose the Right Provider for HRT

What if one molecule could help you live longer, think clearer, and recover faster — and it’s backed by a Nobel Prize?

In this episode of the Thrive State Podcast, Dr. Kien Vuu (Doctor V) sits down with Chris Burres, research scientist and founder of MyVitalC, to unpack the science behind Carbon 60 (C60) — a molecule so powerful it increased the lifespan of test rats by 90% in a peer-reviewed study.

Chris breaks down the connection between oxidative stress, aging, and how ESS60 (a purified version of C60) could be the key to unlocking greater human performance, mental clarity, and cellular longevity.

🧪 The science is real. The potential is massive. Tune in to learn why the longevity world is buzzing about this molecule.

📘 Buy Doctor V’s #1 Amazon Bestseller Thrive State: https://thrivestatebook.com
📥 Download the FREE Longevity & Human Potential Starter Guide: https://thrivestatestarter.com
📲 Follow @doctorvmd for the latest health optimization tools

Episode Highlights:

• Why the longevity world is obsessed with C60
• Meet Chris Burres: From rocket scientist to longevity disruptor
• The Nobel Prize connection and what C60 actually is
• The rat study that changed everything
• Oxidative stress, inflammation, and cellular aging
• What is ESS60 and how does it work in the human body?
• C60 myths, safety, and real-world usage
• Chris’s daily protocol and performance hacks

In this electrifying episode of the Thrive State Podcast, I sit down with former U.S. Marine, polar explorer, and founder of Fearvana, Akshay Nanavati, to unpack how fear, suffering, and self-transcendence can unlock the life you were meant to live.

Akshay has faced war, addiction, and darkness—literally. He’s spent 17 days in pitch black stillness. Dragged a 420-pound sled across Antarctica. And lived to teach us what it means to truly transform fear into fuel.

🎧 Download the free Longevity & Human Potential Starter Guide → https://thrivestatestarter.com
📘 Get the #1 Bestselling Book Thrive State (2nd Edition) → https://thrivestatebook.com
👨‍⚕️ Follow @doctorvmd on Instagram → https://instagram.com/doctorvmd

Episode Highlights:

• Catching up post-CHS & setting the tone
• Five to Thrive: rapid-fire questions on fear, purpose, music, and legacy
• Akshay’s top 3 fear-facing moments: war, Antarctica, darkness
• The “Paradox of Oneness”: why struggle and joy are inseparable
• Military mindset, brotherhood, and service as a spiritual path
• PTSD, addiction, and the pivotal moment that changed everything
• Inside the Antarctica expedition: solo suffering and surrender
• Finding purpose through service and self-transcendence
• Relationships, alignment, and saying yes to yourself
• How we come alive through worthy struggle

In this heartfelt, unscripted birthday episode of the Thrive State Podcast, Dr. V shares a simple but life-changing mindset shift: “We Get To.” Discover how this single phrase can reset your nervous system, boost your longevity, and unlock your peak performance. Dr. V opens up about his personal growth journey, the power of energy, the role of conventional medicine, and why remembering who we truly are is the best medicine.

What You’ll Learn:

• How your energetic state impacts your DNA

• The hidden dangers of stress and limiting beliefs

• Why conventional and energetic medicine must work together

• The power of gratitude and presence

Free Longevity Resources: thrivestatestarter.com
Grab the #1 Amazon Bestseller Thrive State (2nd Edition): thrivestatebook.com
Chat with Dr. V’s AI: mythrivestate.com/biohack
Support your longevity with myvitalc.com/thrivestate
Follow Dr. V: Instagram @doctorvmd

Episode Highlights:

• The Birthday Special
• Why Energy is the Foundation of Health and Longevity
• Dr. V’s Journey from Chronic Disease to Thriving
• The Power of Energetic Alignment and Human Potential
• How Stress and Limiting Beliefs Create Disease
• Dr. V’s Breakthroughs in Career, Relationships, and Self-Love
• Epigenetics: The Energetic Signals You Send to Your DNA
• The Role of Conventional Medicine in Saving Lives
• Understanding Your Body Like an Ecosystem
• Introducing the “We Get To” Mindset Hack
• The Sacredness of Breath and Life
• The True Medicine: Remembering Who You Are

In this special Biohacking Conference edition of the Thrive State Podcast, Dr. Kien Vuu interviews Ukrainian psychologist, media personality, and global inspiration Natalia Kholodenko. From a childhood in a rural Soviet village to becoming a household name in Ukraine, Natalia’s journey is a masterclass in resilience, embodiment, and playful manifestation.

Natalia shares the power of visualization, how she used “walking interviews” to manifest a career in media, and why dreaming bigger than your trauma is the key to healing. Her insights blend science, storytelling, and soul — and her presence alone is medicine.

🔹 Visualization + movement to rewire your brain
🔹 The neuroscience of imagination and play
🔹 How trauma can ignite transformation
🔹 Healing through art, color, and embodied emotion

🎁 Get your free Longevity + Performance Starter Kit at thrivestatestarter.com
🎙 Follow Doctor V @doctorvmd
📘 Buy "Thrive State" at thrivestatebook.com

• Childhood dreams, Napoleon Hill, and inner worlds

• Natalia’s rise to media stardom in Ukraine

• Motivation from poverty and rewriting family patterns

• First exposure to online work and global community

• Overcoming fear, judgment, and perfectionism

• “Walking interviews” as a brain training technique

• Embodied visualization, play, and neuroplasticity

• Dreaming bigger than trauma and coaching displaced women

• Group dream exercises and the power of new people

• Resilience after loss, stress, and war

• Drawing, color, and somatic healing tools