Well Beyond 40

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is a functional medicine provider and expert in muscle-centric medicine. She joins JJ in today's podcast episode to talk about a topic that everyone is curious about: how to optimize your protein intake to build muscle! Listen as Dr. Lyon explains the vital roles of muscle in your body and the importance of protein, as well as the best types of exercise, for maintaining and building muscle mass. Dr. Lyon also shares how to figure out how much protein you need and the top sources of protein, including the differences in quality between plant and animal protein. Plus, find out the truth behind common myths about protein and your health! Get Dr. Gabrielle Lyon’s free Lyon Protocol https://sa1s3.patientpop.com/assets/docs/22195.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Having trouble kicking the sugar addiction, even when you're doing all the right things? You'll want to listen to this new episode of our Breakthroughs & Beginnings series, where JJ coaches community members on overcoming roadblocks on their path to better health. Before she went through The Virgin Diet, Alicia was experiencing weight loss resistance, thyroid issues, angry and anxious moods, and more. As a registered respiratory therapist working on a flight transport team, she regularly works 12- and 24-hour shifts that make it difficult to keep up a good wellness routine. After discovering some of her food intolerances, she was able to lose a total of 25 pounds, boost her energy, approach her day more calmly, and maintain a healthy thyroid. But she is still dealing with nagging sugar cravings! Listen as JJ offers advice on using a protein-first approach to kicking sugar, how to use a body composition scale and the right markers to track with it, the right exercises to improve muscle mass, suggested supplements for overcoming cravings, and small tweaks Alicia can make with her diet to avoid disrupting autophagy. Plus, you'll learn how poor sleep impacts appetite, and JJ's best tips for ensuring optimal protein intake throughout the day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The law of attraction says that if you focus on the thing you want, you will attract that thing into your life… but did you know that weight loss is the exception to that rule? Extreme dieting is never the right answer, so you can stop working out like crazy and surviving on just celery sticks just to get rid of those unwanted pounds. Instead, I want you to stop focusing on weight loss and start focusing on getting healthy—and that means building and holding onto lean body mass. In this episode, I will explain WHY lean body mass is so important and share the six simple, actionable strategies you can implement today to get to your goal weight and stay there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America is unhappy. In fact, we are the unhappiest we've been since the Great Depression, and things show no signs of getting better. Did you know that depression (the disorder, not the economic kind)—which was at epidemic levels even before the start of COVID-19—tripled in just a matter of months once the pandemic hit? Suicide rates are rising among many populations, and Americans seem to have lost hope. Now for the good news: There is a way out, and it starts in your brain. Recently, JJ spoke with her friend Dr. Daniel Amen about his new book, "You, Happy," and why he chose to write it now. Dr. Amen is one of America's leading psychiatrists, and he is on a mission to end mental illness by creating a revolution in brain health. He told JJ that there is a neuroscience to happiness and that it is a daily practice. And, he shared with her what he calls "the 7 neuroscience secrets to becoming 30% happier in just 30 days." We all want to be happier, especially nowadays. Whether we're still reeling from the fallout of a major pandemic or simply struggling to get by in our daily lives and relationships, finding happiness during tough times can be a challenge. And when we aren't working with a strong foundation of health? It can be even harder. Listen as Dr. Amen and JJ discuss the 7 things you can do starting right now to build a strong foundation of happiness—beginning with preserving the physical health of your brain by adopting positive diet and lifestyle habits. From there, Dr. Amen explains how everyone's brain is different, and you'll find out how to take a unique brain assessment quiz to determine how happy you are and how to use targeted strategies to increase your joy. Dr. Amen has been a guest on Ask the Health Expert many, many times over the years, and every time JJ talks to him she is blown away with his incredible knowledge and insight. Don't miss learning about his 7 key strategies that will help you be happier and live longer! Get Dr. Amen’s FREE You, Happier Cookbook https://jjvirgin.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/You-Happier-Cookbook.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Do you suffer from brain fog, gut issues, aches and pains, or some other type of chronic condition that limits your ability to feel healthy and happy? JJ recently spoke with Integrative and Functional Medicine Practitioner Dr. Aaron Hartman about complex ""mystery"" illnesses that are actually more common than you realize—and why our current healthcare system often overlooks the root cause of the problem. Dr. Hartman first became interested in mystery illness diagnosis when he and his wife adopted their first daughter, Anna. At two years old, Anna had cerebral palsy and countless dietary and neurological issues, and doctors told them she would never crawl, walk, or talk. They went to specialist after specialist, and many wanted to ""treat"" Anna with invasive surgical procedures that often seemed to have no benefit. It was then that Dr. Hartman and his wife started questioning the experts if something didn't feel right, which led them to functional medicine. Through their own in-depth research, they found positive strategies that worked for Anna—many of which were incredibly basic, including eating real food, exercise, and quality sleep—and today she is 16 years old, walking with crutches, loves playing chess, and ""won't stop talking”. Dr. Hartman now works with numerous patients in his practice that are suffering from complicated, chronic illnesses, and JJ speaks to him about the importance of starting with the basics (gut, stress, and sleep) to help them feel better. The bottom line: People don't just get sick overnight. Years of unhealthy eating, too much stress, and poor sleep can bring us to a point where all it takes is one triggering event to bring our health crashing down around us. In this episode, you'll learn what things precede these mystery illnesses, what triggers them, and what you can do right now to increase your health and resilience. Tune in and take the first step toward feeling better! Harness Your Body's Power to Heal by getting Dr. Aaron Hartman’s FREE eBook Building Resistance https://go.richmondfunctionalmedicine.com/brguide-pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is there a goal you still haven't reached on your health journey? Are you looking for a way to reach that next milestone? Leap over that next hurdle? If so, this episode of Beginnings & Breakthroughs is for you. In it, JJ sits down with special guest Liz Clark, who has experienced incredible breakthroughs using the Virgin Diet principles but is ready to take her health and weight goals to the next level. ""I want to maintain energy and strength, increase my definition, and stay competitive,"" said Liz, who competes in dog agility training and wants to continue feeling great and doing the things she loves. Listen as she talks to JJ about her personal journey with weight and health over the years, and learn how she discovered what worked and didn't work for her body using strategies from the Virgin Diet and Sugar Impact Diet. Then, tune in as JJ explains that it's not just about weight, but what our weight is made up of—and why focusing on lean body mass is the key to ""living longer, younger and living younger, longer."" She lays out a complete plan for Liz to follow, including what and when to eat (protein is a big one!), what tests to schedule, which supplements she recommends, and why getting great sleep is absolutely critical for maintaining wellness and a healthy weight. If you feel like you've reached a plateau on your own health and weight journey and wish you could ask JJ what to do next, you won't want to miss this episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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JJ and integrative functional dietitian, Ali Miller, discuss stress and the ways it affects the body. When our bodies are in circumstances considered stressful, whether it’s escaping a near accident or having an argument with a co-worker, they react the same way. There are ways to combat that stress, and diet is a great one. JJ and Ali discuss the best diets and their recommendations for eating clean foods. Tune in to this super informative episode! Get Ali’s free 2 Week Food as Medicine Meal Plan https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0317/3279/3483/files/2_Week_Meal_Plan_1_-compressed.pdf?v=1588992005 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices