Well Beyond 40

What happens to collagen, elastin, and hydration as you move through menopause?
I’m talking with longevity scientist and OneSkin co-founder Carolina Reis Oliveira about what is really happening to your skin as you age, especially through perimenopause and menopause. We unpack why dryness and wrinkles are only surface symptoms, how senescent cells, collagen loss, and barrier damage drive deeper changes, and why piling on more products may not be the answer. You’ll learn how to build a simpler, science-backed routine that supports healthier, stronger, more resilient skin from the cellular level up.
What you’ll learn:
(05:41) Menopause accelerates the decline of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid while weakening the skin's natural moisture barrier.
(08:25) Testing legacy skincare products on lab-grown human skin tissues revealed that many items mask aging symptoms rather than treating root causes.
(10:38) Utilizing artificial intelligence allowed researchers to discover the OS-1 peptide capable of reducing senescent cells in skin models by up to 40%.
(17:12) The density shift causes skin to lose its firmness and bounciness, a process that begins in your 20s and rapidly accelerates after menopause.
(25:48) Senescent zombie cells secrete harmful inflammatory molecules that degrade surrounding collagen and accelerate overall tissue deterioration.
(28:36) Maintaining a simple daily skincare routine focused on gentle cleansing and targeted peptides delivers better longevity results than complex multi-step regimens.
(34:28) Delicate lip tissue is five times thinner than facial skin and lacks sebaceous glands, making it particularly vulnerable to volume loss and sun damage.
(37:34) Choosing effective peptide formulations requires verifying that the ingredients remain stable and can actually penetrate deep into the skin layers.
Full show notes (including all links mentioned): https://jjvirgin.com/carolina
Go to Oneskin.co/JJ and use code JJ to get 15% off.

I’m talking with intimacy expert and sexual biohacker Susan Bratton about why your sexuality doesn’t have an expiration date and how pleasure can actually become richer as you get older. We unpack what women really need for arousal, why stress and changing physiology can interfere with desire, and how giving yourself more time, better communication, and permission to explore can completely change your experience. I also love Susan’s practical strategies for creating more connection and novelty, from learning to listen to your body to building your own sex life bucket list.

What you’ll learn:

(08:30) Extending your sex span can actively lengthen your healthspan and improve your quality of life.

(11:20) Orgasms are learned physical skills that deliver significant cardiovascular and brain health benefits.

(14:17) Experiencing orgasms increases oxytocin and activates natural killer cells to support immune function.

(20:23) Female erectile tissue requires twenty to thirty minutes of relaxed stimulation to achieve full engorgement.

(25:19) Declining nitric oxide and thinning vaginal tissue can be targeted through supplementation and targeted therapies.

(31:14) Slowing down to transition from stress into mindfulness allows your body to catch up for deeper turn-on.

(38:37) Adopting a sexual soulmate pact establishes essential rules of engagement for constructive bedroom feedback.

(43:18) Exploring a sex life bucket list brings novelty, variety, and excitement into long-term relationships.

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

FULL EPISODE: https://youtu.be/Ayf6b1PdOpg?si=c7fQH8NO6aAU4aHw 

Greg Mongeon is a health practitioner who loves asking a question that doesn't get asked nearly enough: why is the body responding this way in the first place? His approach connects the dots between hormones, immune health, environmental stressors, and the nervous system to help people look beyond symptoms and toward the bigger picture.

(00:00) Why hormone symptoms can be connected to infection, toxicity, stress, and other underlying pressures on the body.

(00:45) How Greg's classroom analogy explains what can happen when the immune system becomes overwhelmed by too many competing stressors.

(01:27) Why underlying infection and toxicity may contribute to hormonal shifts and create a cycle involving the nervous and immune systems.

(03:24) How carrying multiple responsibilities can keep women in a hypervigilant fight-or-flight state that affects overall health.

(04:04) Why Greg questions the traditional idea that autoimmunity means the immune system simply goes rogue and attacks the body.

(06:02) Why sleep, movement, and other basic health behaviors may matter more than expensive biohacking tools and complicated interventions.

(06:35) How to advocate for yourself when you feel something is wrong even though your lab results fall inside the normal range.

(08:39) Why hormone health cannot be separated from liver function, gut health, nervous system regulation, and the foundations that support the body.

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

What happens to your brain when ultra-processed foods disrupt your gut microbiome?

I’m sitting down with Harvard-trained psychiatrist, nutritional psychiatrist, professional chef, and bestselling author Dr. Uma Naidoo to explore the powerful connection between what you eat and how you feel. We unpack how ultra-processed foods, sugar, artificial sweeteners, hydration, gut health, and nutrient-rich foods can influence anxiety, sleep, cravings, focus, and mood. Most importantly, we share simple swaps and realistic strategies you can start using today to build a healthier gut, a calmer brain, and a way of eating you can actually sustain.

 

What you’ll learn:

(04:34) Ultra-processed foods drive gut inflammation, which can trigger neuroinflammation and increase anxiety symptoms.

(08:53) Tracking your food and implementing a simple swap, add, and walk framework helps eliminate hidden culprits driving poor mental health.

(09:58) Artificial sweeteners may cause gut microbiome disruptions and trigger sugar cravings despite conflicting study claims.

(15:47) The gut microbiome can show noticeable shifts in health and reduce anxiety in as little as seven to twenty-one days.

(18:59) Cruciferous vegetables contain powerful antioxidants like sulforaphane that protect cellular health and lower anxiety.

(19:35) The CALMS mnemonic offers an easy grocery framework focused on choline, antioxidants, liquid, magnesium, and spices.

(22:34) Cooking with unique spices and herbs boosts your meal flavor while delivering anti-inflammatory and brain-boosting benefits.

(29:53) Avoiding trends like protein maxing ensures you balance your macros with essential fiber and gut-nourishing polyphenols.

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

Carbs are STILL the most misunderstood macronutrient out there. 

I want you to stop thinking of carbohydrates as automatically good or bad and start looking at the type of carbs you eat, how much you eat, and what your body needs. In this episode, I explain how fiber-rich, minimally processed carbs can support your workouts, muscles, brain, hormones, gut health, and metabolism, especially as you get older. I also share the carbohydrate foods I prioritize, how I pair them with protein, and how you can experiment to find the amount that helps you feel and perform your best.

 

What you’ll learn:

(03:23) Why eliminating carbohydrates may actually work against your metabolism, muscle health, and longevity as you get older.

(04:15) How calorie balance and the metabolic effects of protein, carbohydrates, and fat work together to influence weight gain.

(06:32) Why carbohydrates can be especially useful for active or stressed women by replenishing muscle glycogen and supporting exercise performance.

(07:18) How fiber-rich carbohydrates may help regulate blood sugar, cortisol, hunger hormones, and your physiological stress response.

(08:57) What changes after age 60 can make preserving muscle even more important and how carbohydrates can support that goal alongside protein.

(10:28) Which nutrient-dense carbohydrates, including leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, legumes, berries, and resistant starches, JJ recommends prioritizing.

(12:49) Why dramatically reducing carbohydrates can contribute to temporary brain fog, fatigue, mood changes, and problems with mental focus.

(15:10) How to personalize your carbohydrate intake, choose minimally processed sources, time them around activity, and combine them with protein for better satiety and blood sugar control.

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/carbs