JJ Virgin

Miracles, fish oil, forgiveness and mindset, with JJ Virgin, author of Miracle Mindset!

February 17, 2017 By Trudy Scott 14 Comments

I had the pleasure of interviewing JJ Virgin for her new book called Miracle Mindset: A Mother, Her Son, and Life’s Hardest Lessons. It launches next week February 21. This book is very different from her other bestsellers, The Virgin Diet and Sugar Impact Diet which were all focused on diet and nutrition.

The Miracle Mindset is about the 7 powerful lessons JJ learned after her 16-year-old son Grant was in a brutal hit-and-run accident and left for dead.

Fighting for your son’s life inspired a new focus on mindset and the power of courage, strength, and resilience to help you not just survive, but thrive during life’s hardest moments.

You can watch our interview here:

This accident happened when her first book The Virgin Diet was about to come out and she was the financial support for her family, so she did everything for her son AND had to make sure the book got finished!

After the fact people kept asking her: “How did you do it?!”

Because I had gone through challenges my whole life and was used to leaning in when I was scared about something. Your comfort zone expands and you can take on more. We are stronger than you think!

When there seemed to be no hope JJ shares it was:

My mindset where I expected to see miracles, where I expect a better outcome, you see only possibility

She discovered other colleagues had also gone through hard times and had gotten through them, playing bigger and full out.

And the next step was to teach what she had learned as lessons to help others. She shares:

The book takes you through the story, and it’s inspiring, but I wanted it to be a memoir with muscle where you could actually do something with it. You can see the possibility I created in my life. It’s a very specific story but it’s a universal message that you are stronger than you think and you’re never better than when you’re challenged. When you feel afraid you’re playing a big game and that’s where you should be.

For Grant, the things that pulled him through dark times was knowing he had a bigger purpose – even when he couldn’t see it.

These lessons apply to your health challenges, your business, your relationships, your money mindset.

JJ asked her community if you’re not where you want to be with your health right now, why is it? You would have thought it would be “I can’t give up sugar” or “I can’t give up cheese” – but no, the overarching themes were a mindset limitation:

I don’t feel good enough
I’m not worth it

We talk about the imposter syndrome and not feeling good enough. JJ shares this:

I don’t think you ever overcome it if you’re doing it right. I never even knew it was a thing. I just thought it was my thing …I’m going to get found out…I’m the fraud in this room

Instead of feeling “who am I to do this” it should be “who am I not to”

I think we need to share the struggle and show the vulnerability

When you feel like you have imposter syndrome, lean into it, step up, get courage and you’ll get more capable, more confident and stronger

We discuss asking how important it is to ask for help!

Grant was saved by a village!

We discuss brain injuries and how they can cause mood swings, depression, anxiety, dementia; how they affect the HPA axis and can contribute to insulin resistance, Hashimoto’s and more. JJ wants to get everything they did for Grant out to the world and that’s her next project!

Knowing JJ, she would always include fitness and nutrition I asked how she cared for herself during all this: 8 hours of sleep, exercise, perfect eating, and lots of water. She did allow herself coffee!

Her goal for Grant was to get him to 110% and do everything they could. The first thing they did was essential oils – peppermint, lavender, frankincense – and then progesterone cream. He was on 5g of fish oil before the accident but the doctors would only allow 2g right after the accident. Once the feeding tube was out she fed him fish oil pudding and shakes with fish oil, liquid vitamin D, probiotics and amino acids (because he was catabolic). Then she got his fish oil up to 20g and within a matter of days he called JJ speaking full sentences. He was also given curcumin, acetyl-l-carnitine, GPC, bacopa, P5P, CBD oil, intrathecal stem cell treatments, pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, hyperbaric treatments, and neurofeedback.

The CBD oil they used was from hemp and Dr. Michael Lewis advised on this. He also helped them with the fish oil doses and is the author of When Brains Collide: What Every Athlete and Parent Should Know About the Prevention and Treatment of Concussions and Head Injuries (an excellent book on concussions and omega-3s).

It was the fish oil that was most beneficial and yet the doctors said “all we can do is wait – there is nothing we can do.” The doctors were great for what they did with the surgery but after that they didn’t have answers.

She was fortunate in that she had some of the brightest minds helping – Dr. Daniel Amen, Tana Amen, Dr. Hyla Cass, and Dr. Barry Sears and many others.

JJ shares stories of two people hitting their heads – one was depressed and suicidal. How much of mental illness could be due to a brain injury? We know there is a high incidence of anxiety and depression a few weeks after a TBI.

She shares this about fish oils and brain injuries:

You need to start with fish oil and these other nutrients as soon as possible. Even if you had an injury years prior it’s not too late – the brain can heal at any point. A concussion is a TBI and they are additive.

I end by asking this of JJ: “I’d love to hear what lesson in the Miracle Mindset really surprised you the most?”

You’re going to have to listen to this section (starting from the 31 min mark) – it’s incredible! (hint: you have to actively go through the process and find the gift from this)

JJ shares this about her documentary You Are Stronger Than You Think. It was really hard for her to re-live everything. But it was so important for her to do because it brings the lessons in the book to life and makes them so much more memorable!

The program that she took a core group through was the Miracle Mindset Academy and it was an amazing group of people who saw wonderful results

You never know when you’re going to be faced with life’s biggest challenges – get suited up now (and be prepared). And pass it on and pay it forward.

She’ll be offering this Miracle Mindset Academy program again in a few weeks so stay tuned for more on this. Before this starts, JJ will be offering a no-cost Live Training event on February 25.

In the meantime…

Get a copy of the book Miracle Mindset: A Mother, Her Son, and Life’s Hardest Lessons (it launches Feb 21). I read it in 2 sittings cover to cover and never do that with a book! (stay tuned for a book review next week)

And watch the documentary You Are Stronger Than You Think online at no charge (for a few more days only). It’s incredible, heartbreaking, heartwarming and inspiring. JJ has been sharing how both her boys have been reading the comments as folks watch it and are touched.

I love that JJ experiences something, learns from it and then wants to share it to help others! I’ve seen her do this over and over again through the years that I’ve known her

If you’re moved and inspired please share and pay it forward! This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime stories. The documentary and book offer so much hope and inspiration and we can all do with more of that!

Please share your thoughts, feedback and questions below in the comments.

“You Are Stronger Than You Think” – join me for the premiere?

February 9, 2017 By Trudy Scott 3 Comments

I’d love to invite you to join me for the premiere of my friend and colleague, JJ Virgin’s, movie You Are Stronger Than You Think.

It just opened, and it truly is such a powerful conversation about miracles and mindset!

JJ shares this about miracles:

The world’s leading minds debate that miracles are even possible.

But this movie has created a powerful idea to consider: not only are miracles possible, they come from you, not happen to you.

Here are some of the facts (both heart-breaking and heart-warming!)

JJ’s 16-year-old son was in a near-tragic hit-and-run accident and left for dead
He was given a VERY low chance of survival
This story – and what happened next – are life-altering (for her son, for JJ and now everyone she shares this powerful story with)

Click here to register for the premiere.

This movie (and the book that launched it) create a powerful invitation… that any situation can be a turning point.

This is how JJ proved what a strong, positive mindset can achieve. This story is an empowering example of what’s possible for all of us!

P.S. I know you’re going to be moved, inspired and motivated by this experience! JJ’s memoir, The Miracle Mindset launches soon, so stay tuned for my review of this (I read it cover to cover in 2 sittings – I could not put it down!) and the interview we did.

PPS. This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime stories. The movie (available to watch from February 8-17) offers hope and inspiration, is uplifting and life-altering. Feel free to share this email and the invitation with your family and friends and communities. Here is the registration link again.

JJ Virgin inspires on The Unleash Your Greatness Summit

November 10, 2015 By Trudy Scott Leave a Comment

JJ Virgin, author of The Virgin Diet, The Sugar Impact Diet and the forthcoming book The Miracle Mindset inspires and motivates and changes lives. She is one incredibly gutsy woman, a true leader in the nutrition world and her interview on the upcoming Unleash your Greatness Summit being hosted by Lewis Howes, is not to be missed!

Here are some snippets from her inspiring and heart-warming interview where she talks about her son’s awful hit and run accident, his brain and heart surgery, coma and long recovery – and how she was able to finish and launch her book in the midst of all this!

She shares so much wisdom during this interview. The first one is asking for help:

one of the important lessons that I learned early on…I have always disliked asking for help. And I don’t think I am alone. I think most of us don’t like to ask for help, right. But the morning of the accident, standing in the ICU, I realized that most of my friends in the world are doctors, and not just any doctors, the biggest, best doctors around. And if they weren’t my direct friend, then they were friends with the ones. So I was like first off, if I don’t know them directly, I know their closest friends who do. So I’m going to work my network big time. I go, but I need help. There’s no way I can do this one on my own, especially with this book launch

Another one is pulling from everything that you have learned:

I think too much we play it safe. And then when something like this happens, you have no clue how to handle it. I looked at this whole thing, and I was like all right. I’m going to pull in from all of my lessons learned. And I’m going to go for it and do it. And I think it’s one thing if you lose your job, but when it’s your kid? It’s your kid. You’re going to do it. You’re going to do whatever it takes to save your child.

And this one – celebrating every small win:

I would look for any small win I could celebrate. His eyelash fluttered, or his pinkie. The first day in the hospital when they told me, “Oh, he’s in a deep coma. And we don’t know if he’ll ever come out,” I was holding his hand. And I said something about his girlfriend loving him. And he grabbed my fingers, squeezed them, lifted my hand up. And I’m like he’s in there. He’s so in there. So you find those things. There is a gift in every single thing that happens out there. It all depends on how you look at something, right. It’s all perspective. I think we’re never better than when we’re challenged.

She also shares many of the practical aspects of how she helped her son Grant recover from this traumatic brain injury (with the help and advice of trusted friends and colleagues) :

very high doses of fish oil (10g and then 20g/day)
no Ensure but salmon and kale instead
progesterone cream (for reducing inflammation and healing the brain)
essential oils and acupressure
probiotics and probiotic yogurt
amino acid therapy to help with muscle loss
vitamin D and much more

He is now doing incredibly well considering what he went through!

JJ also shared how she got her sleep, ate well and continued to exercise so she could be the best she could be. This is such an important point for care-givers!

Catch this and other inspiring interviews on The Unleash Your Greatness Summit! which runs from November 16-23, 2015

Discover the 8 secret principles of greatness to transform your life! The 28 expert speakers will reveal how to overcome adversity, find success and chart a new life path!

Each day will focus on one of the eight following principles of greatness:

Create a Vision
Turn Adversity Into Advantage
Cultivate a Champion’s Mindset
Develop Hustle, Master Your Body
Practice Positive Habits
Build a Winning Team
Be of Service to Others

The Unleash Your Greatness Summit was created to bring to life the eight principles of greatness that Lewis Howes reveals in his book, The School of Greatness: A Real-World Guide to Living Bigger, Loving Deeper, and Leaving a Legacy.

Anyone who is looking to change their life for the better will benefit from this summit, as the principles apply across all facets of life – from career to family to health and beyond – and we all have the capacity within us to be great.

Although this summit is a little different from some of the other summit’s I share, many of topics intrigue me so I figure they’ll intrigue you too!

I’m really looking to some of the interviews on how to turn adversity into advantage (JJ Virgin’s story is such an inspiring one and I can’t wait for her new book) and the principle of being of service to others.

Registration details here https://xh265.isrefer.com/go/summitreg/tlsug/

The Anxiety Summit – Sugar Impact Diet with JJ Virgin

November 3, 2014 By Trudy Scott 12 Comments

JJ Virgin, CNS Celebrity Nutrition & Fitness Expert, author The Virgin Diet and the new Sugar Impact Diet was interviewed on the Anxiety Summit by host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.

“The Sugar Impact Diet” and stress/anxiety
– The role stress and anxiety play in sugar addiction
– Why sugar is a drug and what it’s doing to our health and mood
– Why all sugar is not created equal and where it hides
– Why fructose is worse than glucose
– Can we eat natural sugars, fruit, honey and agave
– The dangers of artificial sweeteners
– Signs of high sugar impact and how the sugar impact diet works
– Why snacking may not be a good thing

Here is a snippet from our interview:

When you look at it, sugar is as addictive as cocaine. It’s more addictive than morphine. Connecticut College did a study where they looked at morphine and Oreos with rats and they both lit up the same pleasure centers/reward centers in the brain. The only difference was when the rats were given a choice between morphine and Oreos; they picked the Oreos because they were more pleasurable. Maybe it’s because with the Oreos you got a little trifecta because when you look at it what’s the worst thing? So sugar lights up the reward center and then you’ve got gluten and dairy, opiates, you know, caseomorphins and gluteomorphins and so just an opiate load to you when you look at something like cereal and milk, right, with all the sugar, gluten and dairy. So clearly you’ve got a drug and the more of it you eat the more of it you want.

stress and anxiety make you crave more sugar, you’re hungrier overall and then tired so you want things that are quick, energetic pick-me-ups and have unstable blood sugar. It’s like this trifecta of bad for setting you up for going after sugar

Here is one of the sugar-is-like-a-drug studies from 2013 – Sugar addiction: pushing the drug-sugar analogy to the limit.

research has revealed that sugar and sweet reward can not only substitute to addictive drugs, like cocaine, but can even be more rewarding and attractive.

The biological robustness in the neural substrates of sugar and sweet reward may be sufficient to explain why many people can have difficultly to control the consumption of foods high in sugar when continuously exposed to them.

And the rat oreo study/faculty research concluded with this:

Even though we associate significant health hazards in taking drugs like cocaine and morphine, high-fat/ high-sugar foods may present even more of a danger because of their accessibility and affordability

JJ’s new book Sugar Impact Diet launches November 4th – be sure to grab your copy to learn how you can lower your sugar impact today!

If you are not already registered for the Anxiety Summit you can get live access to the speakers of the day here www.theAnxietySummit.com

The Virgin Diet by JJ Virgin: book review and webinar

February 12, 2014 By Trudy Scott 15 Comments

virgin-diet-book-NYT

Food intolerance is a big factor and something I look at with all my clients. Other than weight gain it can cause a host of other issues ranging from inflammation to aches and pains to fatigue and even anxiety and depression. In fact, over 80% of my anxious clients do better mood-wise on a gluten-free diet.

I’m a little behind the times because JJ Virgin wrote this NY Times bestseller book late in 2012: The Virgin Diet: Drop 7 Foods, Lose 7 Pounds, Just 7 Days (Why Food Intolerance is the Real Cause of Weight Gain).

With her new recipe book coming out I decided it’s time to do a review!

These are the 7 foods JJ wants you to drop: corn, eggs, peanuts, dairy, gluten, soy, and sugar (including artificial sweeteners).

I have to admit I was skeptical about eggs because they are such a wonderful protein source, such a great start to the day and so handy for a snack. I used to eat a lot of eggs until I recently discovered that I have an egg intolerance! I’m hoping it’s going to be a short-term problem and that I can eventually reintroduce them because I LOVE my soft-boiled pastured eggs. [UPDATE 2015: I am now able to eat eggs again!] The message is this: even a healthy food like eggs may be an issue for you.

You eliminate the above 7 foods and see how you do and then add them back and see how they affect you (sugar and artificial sweeteners stay out for good, and possibly gluten too). There are 3 cycles that the book walks you through:

Cycle 1: Elimination
Cycle 2: Reintroduction
Cycle 3: The Virgin Diet for Life

The book goes into a great more detail about the following:

what food intolerances are
insulin resistance – a condition in which the body produces insulin but does not use it effectively leading to weight-gain and blood sugar issues
leptin resistance – leptin is the hormone that signals satiety or fullness and when you have resistance you feel hungrier and have more cravings
zonulin – a protein that is affected by gluten and loosens the tight junctions in the gut contributing to leaky gut and more food intolerances
the dangers of GMOs and soy
the autoimmune connection – and much more

The book has great sections on healthy proteins and fats, quality produce, sugar and artificial sweeteners, exercising, meal planning, eating out and recipes. I’m looking forward to her follow-up book which launches on Feb 18^th – her recipe book The Virgin Diet Cookbook: 150 Easy and Delicious Recipes to Lose Weight and Feel Better Fast

We do have a few differences of opinion. 🙂

I’m not a big fan of coffee and JJ admits that she fights her fellow-nutritionists on this one!
I find that my clients with adrenal issues need to eat more frequently than every 4 to 6 hours
Pea-rice protein is the protein powder recommended and would not be suitable if you need to eat grain free or have issues with peas so adjust accordingly
I’m not terribly fond of the 3-bite rule where you get to splurge on desserts. JJ has a great sense of humor and says “share your dessert with someone who has a faster fork!” But I think you can get to the point where you no longer have a sweet tooth.

I’d also like to add that these 7 food intolerances are obviously not the only factor when it comes to weight-loss resistance – it’s one of many factors, including thyroid health, environmental toxins, dysbiosis, brain chemical imbalances, poor eating choices, stress (this is a big one!), lack of sleep and not exercising enough or incorrectly. JJ is the pro when it comes to exercise and she is a big proponent of restorative sleep. There are also many other foods that could potentially be an issue for you.

I do love that this book has brought the concept of food intolerances to the masses, bringing awareness of something that had not even been considered before. I commend JJ for this and her big mission to help millions of people lose weight and get healthy! So many people have had such incredible results with her program!

PS. In preparation of the new book launch JJ is hosting a webinar on what you need to know about The Virgin Diet. You can sign up here to get the most up-to-date information. Sign up and get to hear her share her words of wisdom.