The Surprising Science of Beneficial Stress with Dr. Sharon Bergquist

Well Beyond 40

JJ Virgin

Nutrition, Health & Fitness, Beauty, Weightloss, Exercise, Metabolism, Fitness, Losingweight, Diet, Inspiration, Jjvirgin, Selfcare, Womenshealth, Menopause, Longevity, Women

4.6 • 909 Ratings

🗓️ 26 March 2025

⏱️ 68 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

"The leading cause of disability in this country is disuse. Most people think it's arthritis. It is actually disuse, which is so profound because we can control the leading cause that is leading to so many people being handicapped." - Dr. Sharon Bergquist

I sat down with Dr. Sharon Bergquist to explore the revolutionary concept of "good stress" and how it might be the missing key to longevity we've been searching for. Dr. Bergquist, an award-winning physician who graduated from Yale and Harvard Medical School, reveals how specific types of stress actually strengthen our cells' ability to resist damage, repair DNA, and recharge mitochondria. Her research shows that high-intensity exercise, plant phytochemicals, time-restricted eating, temperature variation, and challenging mental activities all create a beneficial hormetic response - triggering our body's natural resilience mechanisms that slow the nine hallmarks of aging. With 75% of Americans now overweight or obese and only one in ten consuming enough fruits and vegetables, her accessible approach to optimizing stress (rather than eliminating it) offers a transformative path for women seeking vibrant health beyond midlife.

What you'll learn:

Why we need the right kinds of stress to build resilience against harmful stress
How high-intensity interval training activates unique cellular adaptations that moderate exercise can't provide
The truth about plant "toxins" and why they actually boost our body's antioxidant defenses
Why restricting eating to 12 hours or less allows critical cellular repair processes to occur
How cold and heat exposure trigger profound metabolic and cognitive benefits
The difference between harmful and beneficial mental challenges
Simple, accessible ways to measure your progress with at-home and basic lab tests

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

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	I'm all about staying sharp and keeping my mental edges I age, and I'm betting you are too.
0:07.0	It's frustrating to not remember where you put something, and it's embarrassing when you can't recall a friend's name.
0:14.6	Fitness and nutrition truly lay the foundation for your brain health, but they just aren't enough if you want to stay at the top of your
0:21.7	mental A-game. Let me introduce you to my secret weapon, Qualia Mind. It makes it easy to get
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0:58.6	Or they'll refund the bottle up to 100 days after purchase no questions asked.
1:03.7	I feel clearer, more inspired, and effortlessly productive every day when I use it.
1:10.6	You're going to notice the difference too,
1:12.4	and your brain health will thank you.
1:15.3	Head to qualiaLife.com forward slash virgin wellness
1:18.5	to try qualia mine risk-free with a 100-day money-back guarantee
1:22.9	and be sure to use promo code Virgin Wellness to save 15%.
1:28.3	I'm JJ Virgin.
1:33.3	PhD dropout, sorry mom, turned four-time New York Times best-selling author.
1:40.3	I'm a certified nutrition specialist, Fitness Hall of famer, and I speak at health
1:45.5	conferences and trainings around the globe, but I'm driven most of all by my insatiable curiosity
1:52.5	and love of science to keep asking questions, digging for answers, and sharing the information
1:58.8	that I uncover with as many people as I can.
2:02.5	And that's where you come in. That's why I created the Well Beyond 40 podcasts to synthesize
	...

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