with Dr. Jonny Bowden

In this eye-opening conversation, JJ reconnects with renowned nutrition expert and bestselling author Dr. Jonny Bowden to unpack one of the most misunderstood topics in modern medicine: cholesterol.

Dr. Bowden, co-author of The Great Cholesterol Myth, explains why the conventional cholesterol narrative is outdated, why total cholesterol tells us almost nothing about heart disease risk, and why inflammation and insulin resistance may be far more important predictors of long-term health.

Together, JJ and Dr. Bowden discuss the evolution of cholesterol science, the overprescription of statins, and why people must become advocates for their own health instead of blindly outsourcing decisions to conventional medicine.

• Why total cholesterol is an outdated marker for heart disease risk
• The difference between LDL cholesterol and LDL particles
• Why “good” and “bad” cholesterol is an oversimplified concept
• What ApoB and LDL particle testing actually reveal about cardiovascular risk
• The role of inflammation in chronic disease and heart disease
• How insulin resistance predicts disease years before symptoms appear
• Why stress, processed foods, poor sleep, and sedentary living fuel metabolic dysfunction
• The connection between blood sugar regulation and cardiovascular health
• Why many conventional cholesterol tests are “1963 medicine”
• What lifestyle changes can help reduce inflammation naturally
• Why questioning medical dogma matters for your long-term health

Dr. Bowden explains that cholesterol itself is not the enemy. Instead, the real issue is the condition of the particles carrying cholesterol through the bloodstream and the inflammation damaging artery walls. He uses powerful analogies — including boats crashing in a marina and golf balls burning through a tennis net — to explain how small, dense LDL particles create more cardiovascular risk than large LDL particles.

JJ and Dr. Bowden also explore how insulin resistance quietly drives many chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease — often decades before diagnosis.

This episode is a reminder that true health requires curiosity, critical thinking, and personal responsibility.

• The Great Cholesterol Myth by Dr. Jonny Bowden & Dr. Stephen Sinatra
• ApoB testing
• LDL particle testing
• Function Health
• PubMed.gov

• Website: DrJonnyBowden.com
• Book: The Great Cholesterol Myth

• JJ Flizanes Official Website
• Feelings & Needs List

If you’ve ever thought, “I know better… so why do I keep doing this?”—this episode is for you.

In this powerful conversation, I break down the real reason we stay stuck in emotional, behavioral, and even physical patterns—and why traditional approaches to healing often don’t create lasting change.

We’re not just talking about mindset.

We’re going deeper—to the subconscious beliefs formed before age 7 that still shape your reactions, your habits, and your identity today.

This is the foundation of my Core Wound Map™, and once you see it… you can’t unsee it.

• What a core wound really is (and why you didn’t choose it)
• How your brain created beliefs to keep you safe—but now keeps you stuck
• The hidden pattern loop: Trigger → Feeling → Reaction
• Why awareness alone doesn’t change behavior
• The difference between coping vs. actual healing
• Why most therapy and personal development miss the root
• How your patterns show up in:
• Relationships
• Food & body image
• Self-sabotage
• Emotional triggers

Healing is when you are different in the same situation.

Not when you avoid it.

Not when you leave it.

When the trigger is the same…

but your response is different.

That’s real change.

When you’re triggered, ask yourself:

1. What am I feeling?
2. What need is not being met?
3. How can I meet that need—without requiring anyone else to change?

👉 This is how you interrupt the pattern in real time.

Download the Feelings & Needs List to start practicing this today:

👉 jjflizanes.com/feelingslist (or your preferred link)

Print it. Keep it with you. Use it.

If this resonates, it means you’re ready to go deeper.

This is exactly the work we do inside:

• The Roadmap to Emotional Healing
• Rewiring Your Core Wound Patterns
• The Empowering Minds Network

Because this isn’t about more information…

It’s about becoming someone different in the same situation.

JJ sits down with nutritionist and behavior specialist Carrie Lupoli to break down why traditional dieting fails—and what actually creates lasting health and transformation.

From generational conditioning and disordered eating to blood sugar regulation and belief systems, this episode reveals why most people stay stuck… and how to finally shift your relationship with food, body, and self.

• Why the diet industry keeps you stuck in cycles
• The difference between calories vs. blood sugar regulation
• Why weight loss is a symptom—not the goal
• How your beliefs and identity drive your behaviors
• Why “I know what to do, I just don’t do it” keeps happening
• How to shift into the healthiest version of yourself

• Diets Don’t Address the Root
• Restriction and willpower ignore the real issue—your metabolism, mindset, and patterns.

• Blood Sugar Drives Everything
• Energy, cravings, weight gain, inflammation, and even chronic disease are tied to metabolic health.

• You Can’t Outperform Your Beliefs
• You can have the perfect plan—but without rewiring your mindset, it won’t stick.

• Identity > Goals
• Stop chasing a number on the scale.
• Start asking: What does the healthiest version of me do, say, think, and believe?
• You Are Always Modeling
• Your beliefs show up in your actions—and impact your family and environment.

• From Corset to Crown
• Let go of restriction, shame, and shrinking yourself…
• and step into self-worth, health, and empowerment.

You don’t need another diet.

You need to shift your identity, regulate your body, and align your beliefs.

That’s where real, lasting change happens.

Connect with JJ Flizanes:

• Website: https://jjflizanes.com
• Free resources & programs: https://jjflizanes.com/mm
• Podcast Network: https://empoweringmindsnetwork.com

Connect with Carrie Lupoli:

• Book (Pre-Order): From Corset to Crown
• 👉 https://carrielupoli.com/corset-to-crown
• Website: https://carrielupoli.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/carrielupoli

• Women tired of dieting and starting over
• Those who feel stuck despite “doing everything right”
• Anyone ready to move from restriction → empowerment
• Listeners wanting a deeper, sustainable approach to health