Nutrition & Alternative Medicine for Holistic Health & Natural Healing

What if you’ve done years of personal growth, therapy, healing, and self-development—and you’re still getting triggered by the same things?In this week’s episode, I’m doing something a little different. I’m handing the microphone over to my dear friend, Empowerment Strategist, and host of the Open Heart Healing Podcast, Vesta Hurlbutt, to interview ME about the work that has become such a huge part of my life: the Core Wound Map.Vesta has been part of this journey almost from the beginning. She has experienced the Core Wound work herself, trained in the process, and watched it evolve over the years—so she was the perfect person to ask me the question:Why now? Why is it finally time for this book?The truth is, I thought I was writing a book. What I realized along the way was that I was actually creating a process—one that could help people identify the core wounds underneath their triggers, recognize the patterns those wounds created, and begin changing the way they respond.Because identifying your wounds is only the beginning.In this conversation, we talk about:How the Core Wound Map evolved from my own experience with Imago work into the process I use todayWhy understanding your patterns can change the way you look at your triggers, relationships, and pastThe difference between identifying a core wound and actually rewiring the patternWhy you can intellectually understand where your reactions come from and still continue having themWhy our relationships can become powerful opportunities for healing old woundsThe role of support, stretching, and practice in creating new responsesWhy this book has taken me years to complete—and why I finally know it’s readyLearning to trust your intuition even when other people don’t understand the timingWhy I’m especially interested in helping people who have already done a LOT of work on themselves and are wondering, “Why am I still getting triggered?”YOUR CORE WOUND MAP — PRE-LAUNCHYour Core Wound Map: Why You’re Still Getting Triggered After All the Work You’ve Done—and What Will Finally Change It is officially in pre-launch.And this isn’t simply about pre-ordering a book.During the pre-launch, there are opportunities to go deeper, experience the Core Wound Map process, access special bonuses, and even help me test and refine some of the newest pieces of the work before the final book is published.If you’ve been doing the work but know there’s another layer you haven’t uncovered yet, I created this for you.Learn more and join the pre-launch here:https://www.jjflizanes.com/mapABOUT VESTA HURLBUTTVesta is the host of the Open Heart Healing Podcast, where she explores emotional healing, nutrition, menopause, personal growth, and the everyday trigger moments that can become opportunities to understand and heal ourselves more deeply.Search for Open Heart Healing Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.And remember:Healing is when you are different in the same situation.

What if the problem isn’t that you haven’t found the right diet yet?For decades, we’ve been taught to measure health by weight, clothing size, calories and the number on the scale. But what happens when the pursuit of weight loss actually pulls us further away from our health—and from ourselves?In this episode, JJ welcomes back nutritionist, behavior specialist and author Carrie Lupoli for a powerful conversation about diet culture, body image, GLP-1s, self-worth and the beliefs that drive so many of our choices around food and our bodies.Carrie shares the philosophy behind her new book, From Corset to Crown, and the difference between making health decisions from the “corset”—restriction, fear, self-sacrifice and the need for outside approval—and making those same decisions from the “crown” of self-worth, self-love and self-leadership.Because losing weight and becoming healthier are not necessarily the same goal.JJ and Carrie explore why reaching a “goal weight” doesn’t automatically create confidence, happiness or self-worth; why our culture is so quick to compliment weight loss without asking what is happening underneath it; and why changing your relationship with your body may be just as important as changing what you eat.They also discuss GLP-1 medications and the current obsession with weight loss, blood sugar stabilization, diet mentality, emotional eating, body image, cultural conditioning and the deeper question we rarely stop to ask:Why do I want to lose weight—and what do I believe will finally be different about me when I do?In this episode, you’ll hear more about:The difference between weight loss and true healthHow diet culture connects body size to self-worthWhy getting to your “goal weight” may not make you happierGLP-1s and our cultural obsession with getting smallerBlood sugar stabilization and sustainable nutritionWhy the motivation underneath your health choices mattersHow childhood messages can shape body image and self-worthThe connection between self-sacrifice, stress and abandoning your own needsWhy meal plans and diets alone rarely address the deeper issueHow to identify whether a choice is coming from your “corset” or your “crown”Why self-awareness, self-love and self-leadership belong in the health conversationA different definition of what it means for a diet or health strategy to actually “work”Carrie asks three powerful questions that can begin changing your relationship with food and your body: What do you want? Why do you want it? And what is your definition of “working”?Because if “working” means having peace around food, understanding how to fuel your body, feeling healthy and knowing your worth, the number on the scale can’t be the only measurement that matters.ABOUT CARRIE LUPOLICarrie Lupoli is a nutritionist, behavior specialist, educator, speaker and author whose work challenges traditional diet culture and helps women create a healthier relationship with food, their bodies and themselves. Her new book, From Corset to Crown, explores how women can move away from restriction, self-sacrifice and external validation and toward self-worth, self-awareness and empowered health choices.GET CARRIE'S BOOK + RESOURCESLearn more about Carrie Lupoli and From Corset to Crown:https://CarrieLupoli.comAt the time of this episode’s release, pre-orders of From Corset to Crown before October 6, 2026 include special bonuses such as immediate access to the e-book, a 10-episode companion podcast, a discussion guide and access to Carrie’s pre-order community. Additional resources connected to the book are also available through her website.https://CarrieLupoli.com

What if some of the health advice you’ve been following is actually keeping you stuck?In this episode, JJ Flizanes sits down with New York Times bestselling author Dr. William Davis to challenge some of the long-standing rules we’ve been taught about weight loss, health and healing.From the century-old “eat less, move more” mentality to the growing understanding of the microbiome, inflammation, nervous system and emotional health, JJ and Dr. Davis explore why restoring health requires looking beyond symptoms—and sometimes questioning the very advice we’ve been told to follow.Dr. Davis shares why calorie restriction and conventional weight-loss thinking can fail people long-term, and how the microbiome may influence far more than digestion—including mood, behavior, metabolism and overall health.JJ expands the conversation beyond the physical body, exploring the relationship between our emotional state, nervous system and physical health. Healing isn’t always an outside-in process or an inside-out process—it may require understanding both.In this episode, you’ll discover:Why it may be time to question some of the health “rules” we’ve accepted as factWhy eating less isn’t necessarily the answer to sustainable weight lossHow your microbiome can influence your health in unexpected waysThe connection between emotions, the nervous system and physical symptomsWhy addressing only the physical—or only the emotional—can leave important pieces of the puzzle untouchedHow becoming more informed and curious about your body can help you take a more active role in your healthWhy personalization, community and understanding the whole person matter when creating lasting changeJoin JJ & Dr. William Davis on the New Body Blueprint CruiseTake these conversations much deeper in person with JJ Flizanes and Dr. William Davis aboard the New Body Blueprint Cruise, February 27–March 7, 2027.Spend 8 days in the Caribbean combining vacation, community and an immersive exploration of the body, microbiome, health and healing. The educational programming takes place primarily during the days at sea, leaving plenty of time to enjoy the ports and the experience of being together in person.Learn more and reserve your cabin:https://www.thenewbodyblueprint.com5 Levels to Restore Health — November 6–8, 2026Join JJ Flizanes in Redondo Beach, California for an intimate transformational weekend exploring the 5 Levels to Restore Health: Physical, Emotional, Mental, Relational & Environmental, and Spiritual.Dr. William Davis will join JJ to teach the physical level as the weekend explores how the different pieces of your health interact—and what may be missing when you’ve been working hard on your health but still feel stuck.November 6–8, 2026 | Redondo Beach, CaliforniaLearn more and register:https://www.jjflizanes.com/restoreSPECIAL PODCAST DISCOUNT:Use code 5LEVELS50 for 50% off your ticket.Space is intentionally limited to create more opportunity for interaction, personalization and deeper transformation.

What if the discomfort you’re experiencing isn’t a sign that something has gone wrong—but an indication that something is ready to change?Most of us want to get rid of discomfort as quickly as possible. We distract ourselves, numb it, push through it, treat the symptom, blame the circumstances, or retreat back into familiar patterns. But whether your discomfort is physical, emotional, relational, or simply a feeling that you’re stuck, frustrated, anxious, or disconnected, it may be trying to get your attention.In this episode, JJ Flizanes explores why discomfort can become the catalyst for some of our greatest breakthroughs—and why we often don’t make meaningful changes until staying where we are becomes more uncomfortable than moving forward.JJ shares examples from her own recent healing journey and relationships to illustrate how an uncomfortable experience can expose deeper beliefs, fears, core wounds, and patterns we may not have realized were running our lives.Because when fear is making your decisions, fear has the power. But when you become willing to examine what’s underneath the fear, you have the opportunity to choose something different.In this episode, you’ll discover:Why physical and emotional discomfort can be valuable informationHow fear, resistance, and control can keep you repeating old patternsWhy treating the symptom may not address what’s happening underneath itHow your subconscious beliefs and core wounds influence what you allow yourself to receiveWhy vulnerability can require more strength than staying in controlHow discomfort can create the opening for new awareness and new neural pathwaysWhy feeling stuck, frustrated, anxious, or “off” may actually mean you’re ready for changeHow leaning into discomfort instead of running from it can become the beginning of your breakthroughJJ also connects this conversation to the Core Wound Map and the importance of identifying the beliefs underneath our habitual reactions. You can’t change a pattern you don’t know is there—and understanding the root gives you a place to begin.Your discomfort doesn’t have to be something you fear or immediately try to escape.It may be an invitation.You may not be falling apart. You may be standing at the edge of your next breakthrough.https://jjflizanes.com/restore

What if simply allowing yourself to imagine something different could change the energy of your relationship—and your life—before you ever actually did anything?In this episode, JJ Flizanes is joined once again by Doug Sandler for a candid continuation of their conversation about sexual chemistry, intimacy, desire, manifestation, and what has shifted dramatically in their relationship over the last 30 days.And here's the surprising part: the biggest transformation didn't begin with an action. It began with an idea.A sexual fantasy opened the door to conversations, anticipation, vulnerability, excitement, fear, and an entirely different energy between JJ and Doug. That experience became a real-life example of something JJ has taught for years through the Law of Attraction: if you want to experience a new reality, you have to begin accessing the thoughts, emotions, and energy of that reality before you have physical evidence that it exists.JJ and Doug also explore a question most of us rarely stop to consider:Who actually taught you how to have sex?Most people receive very little education about sexual pleasure, communication, desire, or understanding their own bodies. Yet somehow, we're expected to enter relationships knowing what we want—and knowing how to give our partner what they want.Doug shares openly about the male perspective, including performance anxiety, the pressure to know how to please your partner, and what happens when your partner doesn't necessarily know how to tell you what they want either.JJ also explores the connection between sexual energy, creativity, relationships, manifestation, the nervous system, and physical health—and why sexual expression may be an important part of the bigger conversation about whole-person health.This episode isn't simply about having more sex. It's about becoming curious about the parts of yourself you may never have explored, creating enough safety in a relationship to communicate honestly, and allowing yourself to try on a new possibility.Because sometimes you don't have to know exactly where something is going. Giving yourself permission to imagine, explore, and try something new may be enough to shift your energy—and begin creating a completely different experience.In This Episode:How one fantasy changed the energy of JJ and Doug's relationshipWhy anticipation and imagination can be incredibly powerfulHow to use Law of Attraction to access a reality that doesn't exist yetWhy trying something new can change the way you think, feel, and behaveWhy most adults were never actually taught how to have good sexSexual exploration and discovering what turns you onWhy your partner may not know how to tell you what they needThe pressure men can experience around sexual performanceHow sexual dissatisfaction can affect the rest of a relationshipThe connection between sexual energy, creativity, vitality, and healthCreating safety for honest conversations with your partnerWhy these same principles can apply to sex, money, health, career, and other areas of your lifeResources Mentioned:Download JJ's Feelings & Needs List:https://jjflizanes.com/feelingslistLearn more about The Five Levels to Restore Health:https://jjflizanes.com/restoreReady to work with JJ? Apply here:https://jjflizanes.com/apply