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Well Beyond 40

JJ Virgin

Well Beyond 40 with JJ Virgin is the podcast for women who want to age powerfully and enjoy the best chapter of their lives. It’s YOUR turn now to focus on nutrition, wellness, fitness, mindfulness, and beauty. Refuel your body. Reignite your wellness. Renew your passion. Fall (back) in love with your life, and discover what it means to age powerfully. Every information-packed episode combines cutting-edge science, pearls of wisdom from JJ’s four decades as a health and wellness leader and the world’s leading experts on weight loss, metabolism, menopause, life transitions and much more. We dive deep into topics like cultivating mindfulness, building strong relationships and setting boundaries, and choosing health…in a nutshell, how we can AGE POWERFULLY into this second half of our lives. At Well Beyond 40, we empower women in their 40s, 50s, 60, 70s (and beyond!) to defy stereotypes and say, “It's my time now. It's my turn now. It’s my opportunity to step into my best life!” For four decades, JJ Virgin has helped people lose weight and stop weight regain by eliminating hidden food intolerances and lowering their sugar impact. As a triple-board certified nutrition expert and Fitness Hall of Famer, JJ helps you stay fired up and focused on being your healthiest rockstar self. In addition to hosting Well Beyond 40, JJ is a prominent TV and media personality. She was co-host of TLC’s Freaky Eaters and the on-camera nutritionist for Weight Loss Challenges on Dr. Phil. Over the years, JJ has made numerous appearances on PBS, Dr. Oz, Rachael Ray, Access Hollywood, and the TODAY Show. She also speaks regularly and has shared the stage with notables including Seth Godin, Lisa Nichols, Gary Vaynerchuk, Mark Hyman, Dan Buettner, and Mary Morrissey. JJ is the author of 4 New York Times bestsellers: The Virgin Diet, The Virgin Diet Cookbook, The Sugar Impact Diet, and The Sugar Impact Diet Cookbook. JJ is also the author of Warrior Mom: 7 Secrets to Bold, Brave Resilience. She regularly writes for major blogs and other publications including mindbodygreen and Medium. Visit jjvirgin.com for hundreds of free recipes and resources, plus state-of-the-art programs, products, and plenty of support to help you rev up your metabolism, reignite your wellness, and step powerfully into the second half of your life. Love the Podcast? Here’s what to do: Make My Day & Share Your Thoughts! - Subscribe to the podcast & leave me a review - Text a screenshot to 813-565-2627 - Expect a personal reply because your voice is so important to me. Join 55,000+ followers who make this podcast thrive.

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    The Real Longevity Secrets Hidden in Blue Zones with Dan Buettner

    What do the world’s longest-lived populations eat differently? In this episode, my guest and I unpack what the world’s longest-lived people actually do to stay healthy well into old age. Dan Buettner and I also explore why longevity isn’t about biohacking or supplements, but about designing your environment, your food, and your daily routines to work for you. Dan Buettner is a National Geographic explorer and bestselling author who’s spent decades studying the world’s longest-lived people in the Blue Zones. He’s known for turning cutting-edge longevity research into practical, real-life strategies that actually stick. What you’ll learn: (04:07) Why Dan says longevity isn’t about discipline or biohacking, but long-term environment design. (04:51) What centenarians across Blue Zones have eaten consistently over decades. (07:36) Why the belief in a “quick fix” is the biggest misconception about longevity. (10:13) How daily walking and natural movement add years of life expectancy. (12:25) Why getting up and down from the floor may be one of the best forms of exercise as you age. (16:42) How living in hilly or steep environments is linked to longer life spans. (19:16) How flavor science was used to make healthy Blue Zones food irresistibly delicious. (27:01) Why Blue Zones cultures avoid snacking and eat most of their calories earlier in the day. Love the podcast? Here’s what to do: Subscribe to the podcast. Leave a review. Text a screenshot to me at 813-565-2627 and wait for a personal reply because your voice is so important to me. Want to listen to the show completely ad-free? Go to http://subscribetojj.com Click “TRY FREE” and start your ad-free journey today! When you’re ready, enjoy the VIP experience for just $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year (save 17%!) Full show notes (including all links mentioned): http://jjvirgin.com/bluezone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    45 min
  2. 6 DAYS AGO • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    The Food Pyramid is a Scam (And What to Do Instead)

    Are you following a "healthy" diet that was actually designed by marketing experts instead of food experts and medical researchers? In this episode, I expose the ugly truth about the Food Guide Pyramid and how this "pyramid-shaped lie" was built on marketing and sponsorships rather than actual science. We’ve been told for decades to build our meals around grains and fear fat, a strategy that has contributed to the explosion of obesity and metabolic disease. Today, I’m sharing my "JJ’s Plate Method" to help you reclaim your metabolism by prioritizing protein, healthy fats, and fiber-rich vegetables. What you’ll learn: (00:05) Why the Food Guide Pyramid was marketing, not nutrition science. (02:28) How USDA priorities favored agriculture and industry over public health. (03:10) What recent research says about dietary guidelines and rising metabolic disease. (04:45) Why MyPlate failed to fix the problems of the original pyramid. (05:04) How low-fat, high-carb eating drove insulin resistance and weight gain. (06:36) Why protein intake is critical for muscle, metabolism, and aging well. (08:16) How to build JJ’s Plate using protein, healthy fats, vegetables, and fiber. (12:22) Why building muscle matters more than following outdated food rules. Love the podcast? Here’s what to do: Subscribe to the podcast. Leave a review. Text a screenshot to me at 813-565-2627 and wait for a personal reply because your voice is so important to me. Want to listen to the show completely ad-free? Go to http://subscribetojj.com Click “TRY FREE” and start your ad-free journey today! When you’re ready, enjoy the VIP experience for just $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year (save 17%!) Full show notes (including all links mentioned): https://jjvirgin.com/foodpyramid

    15 min
  3. 6 DAYS AGO

    The Food Pyramid is a Scam (And What to Do Instead)

    Are you following a "healthy" diet that was actually designed by marketing experts instead of food experts and medical researchers? In this episode, I expose the ugly truth about the Food Guide Pyramid and how this "pyramid-shaped lie" was built on marketing and sponsorships rather than actual science. We’ve been told for decades to build our meals around grains and fear fat, a strategy that has contributed to the explosion of obesity and metabolic disease. Today, I’m sharing my "JJ’s Plate Method" to help you reclaim your metabolism by prioritizing protein, healthy fats, and fiber-rich vegetables. What you’ll learn: (00:05) Why the Food Guide Pyramid was marketing, not nutrition science. (02:28) How USDA priorities favored agriculture and industry over public health. (03:10) What recent research says about dietary guidelines and rising metabolic disease. (04:45) Why MyPlate failed to fix the problems of the original pyramid. (05:04) How low-fat, high-carb eating drove insulin resistance and weight gain. (06:36) Why protein intake is critical for muscle, metabolism, and aging well. (08:16) How to build JJ’s Plate using protein, healthy fats, vegetables, and fiber. (12:22) Why building muscle matters more than following outdated food rules. Love the podcast? Here’s what to do: Subscribe to the podcast. Leave a review. Text a screenshot to me at 813-565-2627 and wait for a personal reply because your voice is so important to me. Want to listen to the show completely ad-free? Go to http://subscribetojj.com Click “TRY FREE” and start your ad-free journey today! When you’re ready, enjoy the VIP experience for just $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year (save 17%!) Full show notes (including all links mentioned): https://jjvirgin.com/foodpyramid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    19 min
  4. 22/12/2025

    Stress and Poor Sleep Are Blocking Your Weight Loss Goals

    How do stress and sleep disruption stop fat loss? And what can you do to get your body working with you, not against you? I hear it all the time: you’re eating right, lifting weights, and doing cardio, yet the weight scale won’t budge. In this episode, I break down how chronic stress and poor sleep quietly sabotage fat loss by disrupting cortisol, insulin, hunger hormones, and metabolism. I also share the exact strategies I use to protect my sleep, calm stress, and keep my metabolism working with me instead of against me. What you’ll learn: (02:42) Why chronically elevated cortisol drives insulin resistance, belly fat, and steady weight gain over time. (04:32) How stress hormones increase cravings and rewire appetite toward sugary foods. (06:59) How short sleep disrupts leptin, ghrelin, and blood sugar control. (07:46) Why even one night of poor sleep can increase insulin resistance and slow metabolism. (09:22) How poor sleep disrupts growth hormone release and muscle repair. (11:27) Why eating protein first and pairing it with fiber stabilizes blood sugar and supports fat loss. (14:57) How meal timing and caffeine cutoffs directly impact cortisol and sleep quality. Love the podcast? Here’s what to do: Subscribe to the podcast. Leave a review. Text a screenshot to me at 813-565-2627 and wait for a personal reply because your voice is so important to me. Want to listen to the show completely ad-free? Go to http://subscribetojj.com Click “TRY FREE” and start your ad-free journey today! When you’re ready, enjoy the VIP experience for just $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year (save 17%!) Full show notes (including all links mentioned): https://jjvirgin.com/poorsleep Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    26 min
  5. 15/12/2025

    Foods I Eat EVERY DAY As a Nutrition Expert

    How can the foods you choose each day shape your long-term health and vitality? Also, what simple nutrition principles do I rely on that can help you feel stronger and more energized? In this episode, I break down the exact foods I eat every day, and why the old ideas of “good days,” “bad days,” or “cheating” set you up for failure. I walk you through my personal food rules, including why protein comes first, why fiber is a non-negotiable, and how healthy fats and hydration shape your hormones, metabolism, and energy. What you’ll learn: (02:42) Protein’s role in muscle maintenance, metabolism, and blood sugar stability. (05:04) Why animal proteins have a superior amino acid profile. (10:50) How fiber regulates hunger, blood sugar, gut health, and metabolic function, and why most women need far more. (15:26) Daily non-starchy vegetables, slow-low carbs, and the phytonutrients that I prioritize for optimal energy. (17:46) Why healthy fats don’t make you fat and how to choose anti-inflammatory everyday fats. (20:33) How omega-3s support muscle, brain function, hormone balance, and long-term metabolic health. (28:52) The importance of electrolytes, hydration, and key micronutrients like magnesium and taurine for cellular health. Love the podcast? Here’s what to do: Subscribe to the podcast. Leave a review. Text a screenshot to me at 813-565-2627 and wait for a personal reply because your voice is so important to me. Want to listen to the show completely ad-free? Go to http://subscribetojj.com Click “TRY FREE” and start your ad-free journey today! When you’re ready, enjoy the VIP experience for just $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year (save 17%!) Full show notes (including all links mentioned): https://jjvirgin.com/nutritionexpert Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    37 min
  6. 17/12/2025 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Lose the Weight Loss Meds with Dr. James Hill

    When coming off weight loss medications, how can you prevent your appetite from surging? Also, how can you keep the weight off? In this episode, I explore with Dr. James Hill what really keeps weight off for good. We break down why the strategies that help you lose weight are not the same strategies that help you maintain it, especially in the era of GLP-1 medications. Together, we uncover the science-backed habits and mindset shifts that can help you create a lifestyle that supports your healthiest, happiest self for life. Dr. James Hill is a world-renowned obesity researcher who’s spent over 40 years studying how people lose weight, and more importantly, how they keep it off. He’s the co-founder of the National Weight Control Registry and author of a new book that helps people transition off GLP-1 medications without regaining weight, all delivered with his signature clarity, compassion, and common sense. What you’ll learn: (05:01) Why only about 20% of people keep weight off long-term and why this number may be even lower. (08:19) Why weight loss and weight maintenance require completely different strategies. (11:22) How GLP-1 medications have changed the landscape by helping more people finally reach their goal weight. (12:17) The three pillars of long-term weight maintenance: appetite management, physical activity, and mind state. (14:38) Why pairing high protein intake with resistance training helps protect muscle and improves metabolic health. (22:22) How “mind state” influences your ability to overcome setbacks. (31:26) Why successful maintainers average around 12,000 steps a day and schedule one hour of planned exercise daily. (35:30) The early signs of weight regain. Love the podcast? Here’s what to do: Subscribe to the podcast. Leave a review. Text a screenshot to me at 813-565-2627 and wait for a personal reply because your voice is so important to me. Want to listen to the show completely ad-free? Go to http://subscribetojj.com Click “TRY FREE” and start your ad-free journey today! When you’re ready, enjoy the VIP experience for just $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year (save 17%!) Full show notes (including all links mentioned): https://jjvirgin.com/hill

    48 min
  7. 10/12/2025

    Why Heart Disease Is the Number One Killer of Women with Dr. Jayne Morgan

    Are you overlooking early symptoms of heart disease because they don’t look “typical”? In this episode, I chat with Dr. Jayne Morgan—one of the world’s leading voices in women’s cardiology—about the number one killer of women: heart disease. She explains how pregnancy complications, hormonal transitions, and overlooked symptoms silently raise risk long before most women ever get screened. Together, we break down what tests matter, what symptoms never to ignore, and how every woman can take charge of her cardiovascular health starting now. Dr. Jayne Morgan is a powerhouse cardiologist on a mission to revolutionize women’s heart health with clarity and honesty. She’s also a Pilates instructor, a fierce educator, and one of the few women boldly challenging the blind spots in traditional cardiology training. What you’ll learn: (01:52) Why heart disease—not breast cancer—is the number one killer of women and why most women never see it coming. (04:29) How Dr. Morgan realized women’s symptoms were dismissed as “atypical,” leading to delayed care and missed diagnoses. (07:26) The subtle early symptoms women experience—fatigue, jaw pain, nausea, shortness of breath—that are often confused for anxiety. (13:38) How pregnancy complications can sometimes predict future heart disease risk. (15:21) Why combining cardiology and obstetrics is essential. (26:39) What happens to heart disease risk during perimenopause and menopause. (37:11) Why movement—not formal “exercise”—is one of the most impactful daily habits for reducing heart disease risk. (45:08) Which tests every woman should ask for, including calcium scoring, thyroid panels, and cholesterol markers. Love the podcast? Here’s what to do: Subscribe to the podcast. Leave a review. Text a screenshot to me at 813-565-2627 and wait for a personal reply because your voice is so important to me. Want to listen to the show completely ad-free? Go to http://subscribetojj.com Click “TRY FREE” and start your ad-free journey today! When you’re ready, enjoy the VIP experience for just $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year (save 17%!) Full show notes (including all links mentioned): https://jjvirgin.com/jayne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 13m
  8. 08/12/2025

    Is Olive Oil Making You Gain Fat?

    Should you toss out your extra virgin olive oil and ditch the Mediterranean diet? In this episode, I break down the new study that sparked headlines claiming olive oil makes you gain fat—and explain what the science actually found. I walk you through the difference between healthy extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and the high-oleic industrial seed oils used in the research, and why lifestyle and total diet matter far more than a drizzle of olive oil on your salad. What you’ll learn: (02:00) What the 2025 Yale Cell Reports study actually tested and why oleic acid triggered fat-cell hyperplasia under very specific high-fat, high-processed-food conditions. (03:25) Why the issue isn’t olive oil itself but the stacking of multiple high-oleic, ultra-processed oils common in the Western diet. (05:00) How caloric surplus, processed foods, and sedentary behavior—not moderate EVOO intake—drive fat gain. (06:36) How the polyphenols and antioxidants in EVOO reduce inflammation, support heart health, and protect cells. (07:29) Why choosing high-quality oils, avoiding industrial seed oils, and using small dark bottles preserves nutrient integrity. (09:01) How to balance fats—from omega-3s to saturated fats to monounsaturated fats—to optimize metabolic health and inflammation. (11:06) Why creating more fat cells isn’t necessarily harmful, and why overfilled fat cells drive metabolic disease. Love the podcast? Here’s what to do: Subscribe to the podcast. Leave a review. Text a screenshot to me at 813-565-2627 and wait for a personal reply because your voice is so important to me. Want to listen to the show completely ad-free? Go to http://subscribetojj.com Click “TRY FREE” and start your ad-free journey today! When you’re ready, enjoy the VIP experience for just $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year (save 17%!) Full show notes (including all links mentioned): https://jjvirgin.com/oliveoil Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    19 min

About

Well Beyond 40 with JJ Virgin is the podcast for women who want to age powerfully and enjoy the best chapter of their lives. It’s YOUR turn now to focus on nutrition, wellness, fitness, mindfulness, and beauty. Refuel your body. Reignite your wellness. Renew your passion. Fall (back) in love with your life, and discover what it means to age powerfully. Every information-packed episode combines cutting-edge science, pearls of wisdom from JJ’s four decades as a health and wellness leader and the world’s leading experts on weight loss, metabolism, menopause, life transitions and much more. We dive deep into topics like cultivating mindfulness, building strong relationships and setting boundaries, and choosing health…in a nutshell, how we can AGE POWERFULLY into this second half of our lives. At Well Beyond 40, we empower women in their 40s, 50s, 60, 70s (and beyond!) to defy stereotypes and say, “It's my time now. It's my turn now. It’s my opportunity to step into my best life!” For four decades, JJ Virgin has helped people lose weight and stop weight regain by eliminating hidden food intolerances and lowering their sugar impact. As a triple-board certified nutrition expert and Fitness Hall of Famer, JJ helps you stay fired up and focused on being your healthiest rockstar self. In addition to hosting Well Beyond 40, JJ is a prominent TV and media personality. She was co-host of TLC’s Freaky Eaters and the on-camera nutritionist for Weight Loss Challenges on Dr. Phil. Over the years, JJ has made numerous appearances on PBS, Dr. Oz, Rachael Ray, Access Hollywood, and the TODAY Show. She also speaks regularly and has shared the stage with notables including Seth Godin, Lisa Nichols, Gary Vaynerchuk, Mark Hyman, Dan Buettner, and Mary Morrissey. JJ is the author of 4 New York Times bestsellers: The Virgin Diet, The Virgin Diet Cookbook, The Sugar Impact Diet, and The Sugar Impact Diet Cookbook. JJ is also the author of Warrior Mom: 7 Secrets to Bold, Brave Resilience. She regularly writes for major blogs and other publications including mindbodygreen and Medium. Visit jjvirgin.com for hundreds of free recipes and resources, plus state-of-the-art programs, products, and plenty of support to help you rev up your metabolism, reignite your wellness, and step powerfully into the second half of your life. Love the Podcast? Here’s what to do: Make My Day & Share Your Thoughts! - Subscribe to the podcast & leave me a review - Text a screenshot to 813-565-2627 - Expect a personal reply because your voice is so important to me. Join 55,000+ followers who make this podcast thrive.

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