249. Mental Inflammation: The Hidden Tax on Energy, Focus & High Performance with Dr Shivani Gupta
Release Date: 01/12/2026
260. How Burnout, Stress & Chronic Inflammation Are Signals, Not Symptoms | Dr. Kien Vuu & Dr. Ann Maria Heston
Thrive State Podcast
What if your fatigue, burnout, and chronic inflammation aren’t problems to fix, but signals asking you to change the way you live? In this episode of the Thrive State Podcast, I sit down with double board-certified physician Dr. Ann Maria Hester to explore a powerful shift in how we understand health, disease, and healing. After years in traditional internal medicine, Dr. Hester recognized a deeper truth: many of the conditions we struggle with today are not inevitable. They are the result of how we live, think, and relate to the world around us. My conversation with her goes beyond...
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259. The Doctor Who Healed Herself: Reversing Cancer, Autoimmune Disease & Obesity Through Identity Work | Dr. Marianne Pinkston
Thrive State Podcast
Dr. Marianne Pinkston is a board-certified family and functional medicine physician with nearly 30 years in solo practice, based in San Antonio, Texas. After personally overcoming rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, diabetes, and obesity, she transformed her practice and launched New Bloom, a personalized functional medicine platform focused on helping women reclaim their health, identity, and vitality. She is also the host of the Dr. P Better Life podcast, now in its fourth year. - New Bloom: - Podcast: - Instagram: Key Takeaways: Chronic stress and adverse childhood events (ACEs) create...
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258. 1-Day Brain Reset for Depression, Anxiety & Burnout with Dr. Georgine Nanos and Dr. Judson Brandeis
Thrive State Podcast
Dr. Georgine Nanos is a board-certified family physician based in Encinitas, California, and the North American Medical Director for Exo Mind — the world's most advanced TMS device. She has been practicing medicine for 24 years and pioneered the world's first single-day TMS protocol, publishing the landmark study in 2024. Her clinic, Kind Minds TMS, offers the full spectrum of TMS treatments from performance optimization to treatment-resistant depression. - Website: - Instagram: @drgeorginenanos Dr. Judson Brandeis is a board-certified urologist, men's health specialist, and author...
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257. The Hidden Psychology Behind Burnout and Resilience with Alli Covington
Thrive State Podcast
In this episode of the Thrive State Podcast, Alli Covington shares how she blends fitness, psychology, and technology to help individuals and organizations truly thrive. She unpacks why most corporate wellness programs miss the mark, how identity and mindset drive lasting behavior change, and why daily gratitude and simple mantras can literally rewire your brain. Alli also reveals her ambitious vision for global workplace health, the story behind her career pivot, and how her role as a mom fuels her mission. Key Highlights: Why “training the head” makes training the body easier The hidden...
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256. The Small Habit That Changes Everything with Light Watkins
Thrive State Podcast
Why do most people quit their resolutions by February? Because they sprint. In this episode of the Thrive State Podcast, I sit down with Light Watkins, author of The Year You Transform, to explore the tortoise approach to lasting transformation. Light shares a practical framework for change that actually sticks: Why 7-day experiments outperform long-term resolutions How infant steps beat heroic leaps Gratitude as a biological anchor The power of forgiveness sequencing Why awareness is more powerful than willpower The difference between being anti-something and...
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255. Bringing the Aloha Energy to Life and Business | Wing Lam on Conscious Leadership
Thrive State Podcast
What if the real edge in life and business is not strategy… but energy? In this episode of the Thrive State Podcast, I sit down with Wing Lam, founder and CEO of Wahoo’s Fish Taco, to explore what it truly means to bring the Aloha energy into how we live and lead. Aloha is not just a greeting. It is presence. It is a shared breath. It is generosity and grounded leadership. And from a biological perspective, it matters more than most people realize. We explore: • Why energy is biological, not just philosophical • How identity shapes health, leadership, and longevity...
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254. The Dark Side of Success (No One Talks About This) | Marshall Faulk
Thrive State Podcast
Success looks powerful from the outside. But what happens after you reach the top? In this episode of the Thrive State Podcast, I sit down with NFL Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk to explore something rarely discussed publicly: The identity crisis that follows peak performance. We discuss: The hidden biological cost of hustle culture Why achievement can create chronic stress What happens when your primary identity disappears Reinventing yourself after success How your energetic state influences your DNA and mitochondria Your identity is not just psychological. It is biological. Every...
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253. Heal Chronic Illness by Changing Your “Signal” (Not Just Diet) | Dr. Kien Vuu
Thrive State Podcast
Is chronic illness really about food alone? What if the real root cause is the signal your body is receiving every day? In this episode of the Thrive State Podcast, Dr. Kien Vuu explores a powerful concept in longevity science: chronic disease is often driven not just by diet, but by the biological signals we send through stress, sleep, relationships, mindset, and environment. Drawing from functional medicine, neuroscience, and emerging longevity research, Dr. V explains how your body is constantly listening. Every thought, every interaction, every stress response sends a biochemical signal...
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252. From Collapse to Control: Steve White on Healing the Brain, Taking Ownership of Health, and Living On Purpose
Thrive State Podcast
What if healing is not something that happens to you but something you actively participate in every single day? In this episode of the Thrive State Podcast, I sit down with Steve White, founder of Brae 100 and HomeTeams, to explore what real healing actually looks like beyond the clinic walls. Steve shares the moment in nature that changed the trajectory of his life, why forgiveness may be one of the most powerful biological interventions we have, and how discipline outperforms motivation when it comes to lasting transformation. We break down the science behind agency, community, and...
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251. From KetoCon to Hack Your Health: How Robin Switzer Bet on Herself to Build a Health Movement
Thrive State Podcast
What happens when you stop playing it safe and trust your inner knowing? In this episode of the Thrive State Podcast, Dr. Kien Vuu sits down with Robin Switzer, founder and CEO of Hack Your Health, to explore what it really means to bet on yourself and turn personal healing into a global movement. Robin shares her deeply personal journey from metabolic dysfunction, emotional eating, and identity patterns that no longer served her, to becoming a trusted leader in the health optimization space. Along the way, she reveals the hidden tax of disconnection, the courage required to follow intuition...
info_outlineAre you tired of the mental fog that slows down your decision making and drains your drive? Most high performers treat fatigue as a cost of doing business, but it is actually a sign of chronic, low grade inflammation. In this episode of the Thrive State Podcast, I sit down with Ayurvedic expert Dr. Shivani Gupta to discuss her new book, The Inflammation Code.
We explore how to identify your unique Elemental Design (Vata, Pitta, or Kapha) and why matching your lifestyle to your biology is the ultimate hack for focus and energy. From the detox window of the circadian clock to the clinical power of turmeric, this episode provides the blueprint to reclaim your peak performance.
In this episode, you will learn:
- The Hidden Tax: How low grade inflammation mimics aging and robs you of your vitality.
- Elemental Design: How to use your body type to optimize your leadership and productivity.
- Circadian Performance: Why fighting nature’s clock causes mental burnout.
Resources:
- Get the #1 Bestseller: Download the 2nd edition of Thrive State at thrivestatebook.com.
- Free Longevity Guide: Download your resource guide at thrivestatestarter.com.
- Follow Me: @doctorvmd
Episode Highlight:
- The Five to Thrive: Shivani’s journey and why Vitality is the theme for 2026.
- Ancient Wisdom for Modern Stress: The 5,000 year old science of Ayurveda and gut health.
- Elemental Design (Doshas): Identifying Vata, Pitta, and Kapha types to personalize your health.
- Circadian Biology: Using nature’s rhythm to flow downstream with your energy.
- PhD Insights on Turmeric: Clinical rituals and the Tea Time is Me Time habit