Well Beyond 40

Are you taking the right form of vitamin C, or is most of it going to waste?
In this episode, I sit down again with Dr. Dan Pardi to unpack a brand-new study revealing "ferroaging" — a mechanism where iron builds up in our tissues and quietly accelerates how we age. Dan, a researcher and health-behavior expert who helps develop products at Qualia, walks me through why vitamin C turned out to be the single most powerful compound for slowing and even reversing this process. We get into the forms, doses, and timing that actually make vitamin C work, so you can move it from an afterthought to a true foundation of your longevity stack.
What you’ll learn:
06:08 Why vitamin C matters far beyond fighting off colds and flus.
06:57 What the brand-new Cell Metabolism study revealed about a new aging mechanism called ferroaging.
08:22 How ferroptosis differs from normal cell death — and why iron makes cells "explode".
13:01 Why vitamin C beat every other compound at blocking this iron-driven aging process.
16:52 What happened when monkeys drank vitamin C for 40 months, including younger brains and tissues.
22:03 How liposomal, buffered, and ascorbic-acid forms of vitamin C differ in absorption.
27:07 How to time your vitamin C so it doesn't blunt your workout gains.
47:19 Which foundational supplements Dan builds his own longevity stack around.
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.
Full show notes (including all links mentioned): https://jjvirgin.com/danpardi
Episode Sponsor: Try Qualia (http://qualialife.com/VIRGINWELLNESS) risk-free for up to 100 days and use code VIRGINWELLNESS for 15% off 
If your routine or eating habits have changed recently head to BodyBio.com/JJVIRGIN to start supporting your gut. 
Mitopure supports the cellular energy that allows your muscles to actually respond and adapt. Mitopure gummies make it simple. Visit https://timeline.com/jjvirgin for 20% off your order.

Did you know that women naturally have 70% to 80% lower tissue stores of creatine than men?

Creatine has evolved from a “bodybuilding” supplement into a practical tool for energy, recovery, strength, and even brain support, with especially compelling benefits for women who may have lower creatine stores and notice more fatigue, brain fog, or slower recovery. It works by helping replenish ATP, the body’s quick-access energy supply, which can translate into harder workouts, better performance, stronger muscles, and longer-term support for bone and metabolic health; while creatine monohydrate is the most studied form, many people also look at alternative forms for better tolerance and dosing convenience. My perspective is that creatine is particularly valuable for women—not just “gym bros”—especially during cycling, perimenopause, and menopause, when energy, mood, muscle, and cognition can all be challenged.

What you’ll learn:
(00:00) Why creatine is essential for women, not just bodybuilders
(01:55) Why women have lower baseline creatine stores than men
(03:22) How menopause increases your need for creatine
(04:06) Why creatine monohydrate causes bloating and gas
(05:31) Why creatine HCl absorbs better with no digestive side effects
(06:51) How muscle mass boosts your resting fat burn
(08:55) Debunking myths on bulkiness and kidney damage
(09:41) How to dose creatine HCl with magnesium and taurine

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.

Full show notes (including all links mentioned): https://jjvirgin.com/creatineplaybook

Why do some people look amazing after procedures while others look strange, swollen and are frankly regretful? 

In this episode, I’m sitting down again with Dr. Rady Rahban, a Beverly Hills board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, to get brutally honest about what women need to know before plastic surgery. We talk about the procedures that can look beautiful when done well, the ones that are overdone or misunderstood, and the red flags that should make you walk away from a surgeon. My goal is to help you feel informed, empowered, and clear-eyed so you can make decisions from confidence instead of fear, pressure, or hype.

What you’ll learn:

(07:13) Modern plastic surgery techniques and anesthesia make procedures safer than ever, but marketing hype can still cloud patient judgment.

(08:49) Brazilian Butt Lifts involve highly aggressive liposuction and carry a deadly risk of fat embolisms if injected incorrectly into the muscle.

(14:24) A revolutionary donor product called Aliclay allows lean, fit individuals to add cosmetic volume without needing their own harvestable fat.

(19:52) The phenomenon known as "Ozempic face" is primarily the natural result of rapid weight loss rather than a specific drug side effect.

(24:55) A natural-looking facelift relies entirely on a skilled surgeon knowing exactly how much to adjust the tissue dial without over-pulling.

(32:13) Extensive body contouring after massive weight loss requires a highly detailed prioritization plan and realistic economic budgeting.

(35:23) Many body contouring surgeons utilize unvetted assistant teams to perform extensive suturing while the primary surgeon exits the room.

(38:01) Finding a reputable surgeon requires identifying specific red flags, such as high-pressure sales tactics or a disorganized office environment.

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.

Full show notes (including all links mentioned): https://jjvirgin.com/drrady

Episode Sponsor: Try Qualia (http://qualialife.com/VIRGINWELLNESS) risk-free for up to 100 days and use code VIRGINWELLNESS for 15% off 

If your routine or eating habits have changed recently head to BodyBio.com/JJVIRGIN to start supporting your gut. 

Mitopure supports the cellular energy that allows your muscles to actually respond and adapt. Mitopure gummies make it simple. Visit https://timeline.com/jjvirgin for 20% off your order.

Could your bloating, burping, or reflux actually be a sign of low stomach acid?

In this empowering episode, I sit down with Dr. Kiran Sachdev, a prominent integrative gastroenterologist and microbiome longevity specialist, to uncover how your digestive system serves as ground zero for overall wellness and powerful aging. We dive deep into the specific biological shifts that occur during menopause, including the common loss of stomach acid and the development of a leaky gut barrier, while outlining tactical solutions to slow down and reverse this decline. From customizing your individual protein-to-fiber ratio to exploiting the cutting-edge science of postbiotics and exercise diversity, this conversation provides the ultimate roadmap to help you refuel your body, renew your passions, and look and feel your absolute best.

What you’ll learn:
(07:24) How menopause can make the gut more vulnerable, reduce keystone bacteria, and contribute to leaky gut, inflammation, brain fog, bone loss, and muscle decline.
(09:39) Why next-generation probiotics like Akkermansia, Veillonella, and Clostridium butyricum may play a role in metabolism, gut-barrier strength, exercise performance, and immune regulation.
(12:04) Why low hydrochloric acid becomes more common after 50 and how poor protein digestion can show up as bloating, burping, reflux, and foul-smelling gas.
(15:03) How the baking soda test may offer clues about low stomach acid and why Dr. Sachdev recommends pairing protein with fiber or polyphenols.
(18:28) Why fiber is essential for gut health, why some people react poorly to it at first, and how polyphenols and fermented foods can act as a bridge.
(29:26) What the Stanford fermented-foods study found about microbiome diversity and inflammatory markers compared with a high-fiber diet.
(37:17) Why Dr. Sachdev likes the fasting-mimicking diet for autophagy, mitochondrial repair, and gut stem-cell renewal.
(40:27) How different types of exercise may shape different gut bacteria and why combining walking, HIIT, resistance training, and mobility work supports microbiome diversity.

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.

Full show notes (including all links mentioned): https://jjvirgin.com/drkiran

Episode Sponsor: Try Qualia risk-free for up to 100 days and use code VIRGINWELLNESS for 15% off

If your routine or eating habits have changed recently head to BodyBio.com/JJVIRGIN to start supporting your gut.

Mitopure supports the cellular energy that allows your muscles to actually respond and adapt. Mitopure gummies make it simple. Visit https://timeline.com/jjvirgin for 20% off your order.

Are you tired of letting minor daily inconveniences trigger an oversized, reactive emotional response that drains your daily energy?
In this episode, I catch up with my long-time friend Dave Asprey to dive deep into the science behind his groundbreaking book, Heavily Meditated. We break down why traditional meditation practices can fall short for modern brains and introduce a highly efficient "Reset Process" designed to erase emotional triggers and past trauma forever. By learning how to optimize your physical energy and master your biological operating system, you can stop reacting from a place of fear and step into a life of genuine peace, wisdom, and vitality.
What you’ll learn:
(03:06) Why JJ calls Dave Asprey the father of biohacking and credits him with introducing her to a different kind of meditation.
(06:24) How Dave’s own struggles with weight, brain fog, stress, and unhappiness led him into meditation, biohacking, and altered-state research.
(09:03) Why Dave explored ayahuasca, Tibetan monasteries, and ancient wisdom traditions to understand how people change their state.
(12:51) Why traditional meditation may not work for every modern brain and why Dave compares meditation to choosing the right diet or exercise tool.
(16:06) How the reset process helps turn off emotional triggers instead of simply managing them.
(18:14) Why fear, food, and fertility drive many of the body’s automatic reactions before the conscious brain can respond.
(26:29) How forgiveness can help disentangle you from old grudges without pretending that what happened was okay.
(33:50) Why releasing trauma, supporting hormones, and restoring energy can help women become powerful elders instead of reactive adults.
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.
Full show notes (including all links mentioned): https://jjvirgin.com/heavilymeditated