Chief Life Podcast

Dan Plews is an Applied Sports Scientist, Researcher, coach and educator. As a Sports Scientist,  Dan has worked closely with athletes who have won more than 25 world and Olympic titles in the sports of rowing, kayak, and triathlon. More importantly, Dan is a world-renowned HRV expert who has published 54 papers on heart rate variability, functional resistance training, the impact of ketogenic diets, and much more.

Dan is also an absolute weapon in endurance sports. He is the current Ironman Kona Age Group record holder with an incredible time of 8 hours and 24 minutes. He was also the first age grouper ever to break the 8-hour mark in an Ironman, clocking an unbelievable 7:56. And if that’s not enough, he also holds the HYROX Asia-Pacific Age Group record.

LINKS:

https://www.instagram.com/theplews/

https://www.endureiq.com/

Scientific publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ahdFjGMAAAAJ&hl=en

Dr Kien Vuu, widely celebrated as 'Doctor V,' is a beacon of resilience and human potential. His journey from an infant boat refugee to a renowned medical expert and speaker is a story of remarkable triumph. With tenure at UCLA and the National Institutes of Health as an Interventional and Diagnostic Radiologist, Dr V has expanded his expertise to include longevity medicine, human potential, and spirituality. He is the founder of VuuMD Performance and Longevity, advising a diverse clientele including top athletes and Fortune 500 companies. His book, Thrive State, is a guide on how to live a long, healthy life. Dr V appeared in several documentaries on NBC and Netflix and became renowned for his TED Talk, 'You are your best medicine,' which is also the main reason we invited him on the Chief Life podcast.

WE DISCUSS:

• Regenerative medicine
• What's the Thrive State and how to achieve it
• Individualised nutrition training based on our phenotype
• How the power of the mind and visualisation affect our physical health and healing

This is one of the most raw and inspirational episodes so far. Dr Vuu speaks openly about his struggles and how he overcame hardships in life to become healthy and happy. He outlines the main areas of life to address in order to live in the Thrive State.

Phil Gore is an ultra-marathon runner, a full-time firefighter, a father of four, and a next-level beast from Western Australia. He is a two-time world record holder for the Backyard Ultra, with a previous record of 102 yards in 2023 and currently holding a world record of 119 yards, set in June 2025. That means 119 laps, 6.7km per lap, 791.1 km total distance, run over 4 days and 23 hours!!!!! There's not much time for rest as a new lap starts every hour! Phil has competed in 14 backyard ultras and was the last one standing in 12 of them. Other achievements include: IAU Oceanic Best Performance in the 24-hour ultra - 270.826km achieved in 2024AUTRA Male Ultra Runner of the year in 2022 and 2024AUTRA Bryan Smith Award (Best performance by a male under 60) in 2021 and 2023Links:Instagram: phil.gore.ultrarunnerWe cover:What's the backyard ultra, and how to train for itWhat happens during the race, including physical and mental challengesPushing through limits and overcoming mental barriers Nutrition, sleep, mindset and other winning practices If you struggle with your mindset and motivation, this episode will provide you with tons of mindset tips and inspiration to push through discomfort and achieve epic things.

Dr Joshua Chou specialises in regenerative medicine and space biology. Dr Chou trained at the University of Tokyo and Harvard Medical School and is currently working with the Australian Space Agency to translate cutting-edge technologies such as stem cells, exosomes and bio-manufacturing into real-world health solutions, especially in the area of aging and aging-related disease. His work bridges research and clinical application across the Asia-Pacific region. Gain a firsthand look at how cell and exosome therapies are being applied in Japan’s aging population and the pathways for their introduction in Australia to support brain, immune, and tissue regeneration.

In this episode:

• How can findings about astronaut health be applied in regenerative medicine and anti-aging
• Stem cell and exosome therapies explained
• How and where can we measure biological age
• The future of anti-aging therapies, including NAD +

Whether you are interested in space technologies or trying to age backwards, this episode reveals lots of interesting facts and innovative ideas.

Links:

Www.xelgen.bio 

Sarah Grynberg is a keynote speaker, author, and mindset coach who empowers professional athletes, executives, and business owners to overcome unhelpful thinking and achieve greatness.

She is the creator and host of the podcast A Life of Greatness, where she has interviewed global icons including Matthew McConaughey, Andrew Huberman, Daniel Ricciardo, Geena Davis, Mel Robbins and Esther Perel. Sarah also has a podcast series called Sarah’s Thoughts, a companion program where she speaks about trending, real-world topics, from burnout and boundary-setting to success, self-worth, and the power of perspective. Sarah published a book this year, Living a Life of Greatness: Steps to a Fulfilling Existence, which is full of simple advice on mindset and living a good life.

We cover:

• What is mental burnout, what are the signs and the best practices to deal with it
• Negativity bias and how negative thinking and speaking affect our body and mind
• What's a mental diet, and how can it help us to think and feel better
• The best techniques for motivation
• Mindset techniques for children

LINKS:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahgrynberg/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sarah.grynberg

Website: https://sarahgrynberg.com/

Charley is a Chief Nutrition ambassador and a health coach with a degree in Sport and Exercise Science, specialising in functional blood analysis and gut health. He takes a holistic approach and is passionate about making gut health accessible and easy to understand. His Instagram page, The Gut Health Coach, is a wealth of free knowledge about gut health, nutrition and healthy living. We at Chief HQ love everything Charley stands for.

We cover:

• How gut health affects weight, skin and hormones and what to do about it
• Ozempic and how to get GLP-1 naturally
• Four stages of healing the gut
• The best and worst gut health foods and supplements
• Why eating meat makes you motivated, and what are the other benefits

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/holisticguthealth/

Dr Anthony Chaffee is famous for his statements such as “We don’t need fibre” and “Plants are trying to kill us”. In this episode, we are putting some of the controversial claims about the carnivore diet to the test.

Dr Chaffee, a medical doctor and former professional rugby player, has spent over two decades researching the link between diet and chronic disease. He believes that many so-called “essential” foods might actually be harming us and that a strict animal-based diet is the key to better health.

We try to clarify some of the biggest controversies:

• Is fibre unnecessary, or does it have real benefits?
• Do plants contain harmful compounds?
• Does eating only meat provide all essential nutrients?
• What about cholesterol and heart disease risk?

Plus, we cover practical tips for those considering a carnivore diet, including whether coffee is allowed, how to balance fat and protein, and whether fasting is necessary.

If you're curious about the science and scepticism behind the carnivore diet, this episode is for you!

https://www.instagram.com/anthonychaffeemd/

www.howtocarnivore.com

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-plant-free-md-with-dr-anthony-chaffee/id1614546790

Natalie is an Integrative Psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience at the intersection of mental and metabolic health. She is recognised for speaking out about the effects of nutrition on mental health, especially the ketogenic and carnivore diets.

Natalie is not afraid to call out the big pharma politics and bring awareness to the healing powers of natural living. Her expertise in understanding the conscious and unconscious mind, nervous system regulation, and mind-body connection allows her to teach her clients how to create lasting change by combining psychotherapy methods with lifestyle and nutrition changes.

• How nutrition impacts mental health, and what's the best diet for our psychological wellbeing
• Whether the carnivore diet is beneficial for everyone
• The myth of chemical imbalance in the brain and the connection between metabolic health and mental illness
• How certain anti-depressants deplete nutrients in the body, and what can we do about it
• Emotional eating and strategies to overcome it

We’ve heard Natalie speak at several events, including the Regenerate and Carnivore Live, and because we always learn so much from her, we invited her today to share the best brain health tips with you. We chat about:

Efrem is an APA Titled Sports & Exercise Physiotherapist, member of the Australian College of Physiotherapists and the founder of Power Potential. Efrem has over 30 years of experience in private practice and professional sports, including National Teams in both Rugby League and Football. He held head Physiotherapist positions in both NRL and A-League competitions. Efrem's main areas of expertise are in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of sports injuries, movement analysis and exercise prescription.

Power Potential stands for Physiotherapy, Orthopaedics, Wellness, Exercise, and Recovery (P.O.W.E.R.). But this is no ordinary clinic. It's a purpose-built facility and a one-stop shop for Physiotherapy, Exercise Physiology, Recovery, Biohacking and Wellness.

In this episode, we cover

• Most common injuries in novice and seasoned runners, and how they can be prevented
• Why should everyone get their running assessed
• Detailed training and recovery program including practical tips
• What running shoes are the best
• What biohacking tools can help prevent and heal running injuries, and how

powerpotential.com.au

Ashley is a national representative ice hockey athlete, certified performance nutrition coach and personal trainer who specialises in helping high-performers over 40. With a background in Psychology (BSc, MSc), Ashley combines science-backed strategies with a holistic, sustainable approach to health. She designed an online program, the High Performance Human, to help busy professionals optimise their metabolism, body composition, and mental clarity while still living a demanding life.

• In this episode, full of practical advice, we cover:
• The science behind the High Performance Human program
• A 9-step system to keep you lean all year round
• 5 ways to reduce visceral fat and why it matters
• Why the calories-in-calories-out method is not always efficient when trying to lose fat
• The best training/exercise strategy to get fit and lean

This is our most practical episode to date. If you struggle to get fit and lean because you are too busy with your career, you must listen for straightforward advice and a step-by-step guide on how to achieve your goals.