[Bonus Episode] Weight Loss Starts In Your Brain with Veronique Cardon

Hey, it's J.J. here. You know, I've been talking about environmental toxins forever, and laundry detergent is a sneaky one. A lot of them contain harsh chemicals like dyes, preservatives, and even UV brighteners. Those brighteners don't actually clean anything. They just coat fabric so your eyes think things look whiter or brighter. That's more chemicals I don't want on my family's sheets or skin. And if you've got sensitive skin or allergies around the house, this can be a big problem. That's what got my attention about Earth Breeze. It looks like a dryer sheet, but it's actually laundry detergent. You toss one in the washer and that's it. No pouring, no mess, and no heavy plastic jug. Their packaging is lightweight cardboard, which helps reduce plastic waste. And if you choose the fragrance free option, it's gentle, hypoallergenic, non irritating, and non sensitizing. I really like how simple it is and how fresh and clean everything comes out without those unnecessary chemicals. Right now you can try Earth Breeze for up to 40% off with free gifts@earthbreeze.com virgin that's earthbreeze.com virgin for up to 40% off plus free gifts on your first order. Hey, JJ here. Can you believe how fast the holidays are knocking at the door this year? One minute it's pumpkin spice season, the next you're getting your guest room ready and wondering where their wrapping paper went. And that's when I turned to Wayfair. From bedding and towels to holiday decor and last minute stocking stuffers, Wayfair has everything you need to get your home and holidays together fast. And for way less. With Wayfair, I know I can refresh my guest room in no time. Maybe I'll add a soft new comforter or a few holiday throw pillows. With Wayfair, it's so easy and everything arrives super fast. Plus, there's free shipping for any order over $35 easy and total peace of mind. So whether you're hosting, gifting, or just adding those final festive touches, Wayfair has your back. And when the holidays wind down, Wayfair has everything you need to tuck it all neatly away. Smart storage solutions for every room from the kitchen to the closet. Get organized, refreshed and ready for the holidays. For way less, head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Wayfair. Every style, every home that's W a y F A I R.com the holidays are Almost here.

But there's still time to score great gifts at Dick's Sporting Goods. Find everyone's must have gifts from Nike, FP movement, Adidas, and more. Need your gifts fast? Stop by your local Dick's or shop Dick's.com for fast shipping, curbside pickup, or same day delivery. Every holiday starts at Dick's.

She hate this, jj because you absolutely right. I didn't go the easy way because, you know, it's not easy to lose weight once you get older, but it's possible. And to tell you the truth, the women who lost the most on my trial were in their 70s.

Love it. Hey, it's JJ and welcome. Welcome to Ask the Health Expert. But this isn't just any old Ask the Health Expert session.

This is your bonus session.

Yes, it's the weekend.

And because it's the weekend, we are.

Gonna take some time with an amazing expert. So be on the lookout for these.

Saturday Ask the Health Expert bonus sessions where we're gonna go deep into an.

Amazing subject with an incredible expert to give you actionable items that you can.

Put into your life.

Hey, it's JJ and welcome to today's show. And you know what? I am really kind of realizing that I, you know, as you, as, you know, I interview some of the coolest people. First off, I have the most amazing community of health experts, docs, influencers, and I get the opportunity to interview some just amazing people. And they've got one thing besides just being awesome humans and generous and high integrity. They've got one other thing in common, and it is their, what I call hero's journey. It is that generally what I've noticed is the people who are really doing cool things in health, it always seems to start with their own story. And Naveen Jain, my buddy Naveen says that quite often challenges will be solved by people outside of an industry because they have a different perspective. And so this is a perfect example of this. Today I have Veronique Cardone on what a beautiful name. You know, just makes me want to be like Jaeger virgin. Anyway, so she started out as an engineer and then she became a high level corporate pharma exec. Okay, well, we forgive her for that because she's transitioned and she was under so much stress, it like just nearly.

Killed her, nearly took her down.

And she gained all this weight, like 40 pounds. And she was just a mess. And so she went out to try to fix herself. And in the process of that, she thought, well, I might as well get a degree in nutrition. And you know. So she ends up getting her master's degree in holistic nutrition and she really started to decide she was going to focus on helping other women in their 50s lose weight. Which is great because most people shy away from women 40 plus with weight loss because they think that it's just like that ship has sailed. Which, by the way, no, it hasn't. And do not let anybody ever tell you that if you're 40 plus, I'm in my 50s, I'm in better shape now than I was in my twenties. And do not believe that. And ask yourself instead, how do I get to be in the best shape in my 40s, in my 50s, in my 60s, in my 70s? And you're going to hear that she had amazing results with women in their 70s. So I just love that. So she again decided to focus on helping other women in their 50s and she did a clinical trial on this and created something called the Cogni Diet. You're going to hear all about this today and you'll be able to get really cool training that she's done for free@jjvirgin.com Cogny Diet spelled C O G N I D I E T and before we dive into this super cool interview, I want to share one of my favorites with you.

Hey jj Virgin here. Okay, real talk. So often the holidays sneak up on me, travel, gifts, hosting, you know, all the things. And suddenly it's like, wait, who spent what and where? And I know I'm not the only one who's looked at a bill in January and thought, wow, that escalated quickly. If you want to keep your finances under control this holiday season, you need to be using Monarch. It's rated the Wall Street Journal's best budgeting app of 2025. Monarch is the all in one personal finance tool that brings your entire financial life together in one clean on your laptop or on your phone. Monarch lets you link everything and gives you real time visibility so you're not shocked later. Right now, I've been checking the holiday spending category so I don't accidentally start the new year with that dreaded debt hangover. And honestly, just seeing everything laid out is already helping me stay more aware. This season, Monarch does the heavy lifting. It links your accounts in minutes, gives you smart categorization and super clear visuals. Yes, that end of year reset could be a real goal this time. Don't let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use the code virgin@monarch.com in your browser for half off your first year. That's 50% off your first year@monarch.com with the code Virgin.

The holidays are all about family. But at the Chrysler wrap of the year sales event, it's all about you. Enjoy every mile in the most awarded minivan in America, the Chrysler Pacifica. With the most standard safety features in its class, Available stow n go seating and the available stow and back built in vacuum. Make the most of the holidays with a great deal at the Chrysler Pacifica wrap up the year sales event based on Ward's small van segment. Based upon the latest available competitor information, Chrysler is a registered trademark of FCA US llc.

Okay. Veronique Cardone, welcome to the show. I'm so excited to have you here. And I'm excited. I pronounced your name right, did I?

Yes, you did.

I did.

Okay. I feel. I feel more international just by saying it. I think I might say it a couple times throughout. It's so beautiful. All right, so you're obviously not from the United States originally, right?

Yes, I came from Belgium, but I've been here for more than 20 years, so I have been Americanized.

But you still have that beautiful accent.

Yay.

Never going to go away.

Yes, yes, definitely. Keep that.

Vegetables names or fruit names with a French accent.

Absolutely. You make Brussels sprouts and broccoli sound good. So you just. You just keep that on over there. We are going to be digging into some interesting stuff today. And what I'd love to know before we dig into the Cogni diet is, you know, how did you get interested in health? Like, how did this all start for you?

Yeah, very good question. Well, you know, I came in the US And I was a rather healthy person and I landed in Atlanta and I began to lead a rather unhealthy life. You know, I gained 40 pounds in a few years. I started to eat things I had never eaten before, like processed foods.

So you came from Belgium to. To the. To the southern US Everything fried.

Gigantic portions. The snacking culture, which is something we didn't have in Europe. Foods in meetings, something we didn't have in Europe.

I hope everybody heard that. See, they do not snack in Europe. I remember walking down the street, Veronique, holding onto a loaf of bread, which everyone was buying these baguettes to take them home. I'm buying the baguette and eating it, walking down the street. And I was. Everyone was looking at me like I was like. Had horns, you know, so, yeah, so.

After a while, yeah, I was. I was diagnosed with a fatty liver. I was pre diabetic. I mean, this was terrible.

Wow. You really did Yourself in.

Ah, totally. And it, it went very quickly. And I, you know, that's something to remember also. It goes very quickly. So finally I got out of all this and I decided, veronic, you have to become the old Veronica. And I got a degree in nutrition. I'm an engineer by training, but I was like, you know, if I have to educate myself, I may as well get a nutrition degree. And then two things happened to me. I got ovarian cancer in 2001 and it's another story, but I'm a miracle survivor. And then depression and a complete burnout got me into severe depression a few years later. And I was working at that time in New York. I had a very high level job. I was an executive. And then I knew I had to change my lifestyle. And stress was a very big factor in the way I was not really taking care of myself the way I should. And that's very important in the cognitive diet. So I came back to my roots, I started to eat naturally again, I exercised more and I lost those 30, 40 pounds. And what's important is that I've kept them at bay for the past 10 years. So lifestyle is very important in how you can keep your weight at a healthy level. And I decided to help other women, busy women like me, because I'm a breadwinner, I was a commuter, I had a big job, and I'm a go getter and very ambitious person. So you know what, if you don't take care of yourself, nobody will take care of you. And women have a tendency sometimes, very often in fact, to let everything else come before them. The kids, the partner, the this, the that, the parents. And what I learned in my change process, because to get out of this depression, I had really to rewire my brain. I decided to use it because I felt you go to a nutritionist. I mean, some of them are pretty, pretty, you know, pretty good at using a lot of techniques to make you more motivated and so forth. But we're not really digging into a lot of other aspects about nutrition. And I felt if you do cognitive behavioral therapy, those guys don't know how to speak about nutrition. So I decided to combine all this and I tested it and that's how the cognitive was born.

Very cool. I love, you know, so often you get someone from outside the field who has a health challenge and comes in and they their previous life, like you being an engineer and super analytical, I would assume probably contributed to being able to put this whole thing together. So let's come, let's like dig into this Cogni diet. First of all, I love the name, but what exactly is it?

Well, it, it came from the fact that everything comes from your brain. Every decision, every move, thought. So if you don't deal with your mind first, how are you going to deal with your body? They also, you know, I have been a yo yo dieter for many years and. But diets don't work because in fact you already giving yourself permission that it's not going to continue. So your brain thinks, oh, it's only for a while until I lose my £30 or whatever. But you haven't changed. You're the same. I mean, some people change, but in general people don't change. It's because you're too busy counting calories, counting and looking at your food or doing things like that. Whereas if you start from the brain, you start to really take a step back and you become more observant and more attuned to your behaviors. And the brain, in fact is plastic. It's called the science. And you write I'm a nerd.

We love nerds. We love them. We celebrate geeks on this show.

Neuroplasticity. So it's all about the ability of your brain to change. And your brain can learn things for a very long time. You can learn new things when you are in your 90s. There is no limitation. So also your brain wants to be happy. And when your brain is not happy, it's going to go into finding some pleasure. And pleasure can come from food and especially from sugar. So if you. So I took this concept that you can rewire your brain and you can create new pathways. You know, we have all those old habits in your brain, in our brain, they're like old ropes, thick ropes. So I help you to unravel them and at the same time create new pathways. But it's a lot of work. It's a lot of work, but it works. So in order to change, I said, okay. I looked at, you know, mindfulness based stress reduction, I looked at emotional brain training, I looked at cognitive behavioral therapy and I read all those books and I found them boring and very complicated. They said, how am I going to put all this together? So it becomes a program where women who are very busy are learning something interesting. They become more, they feel like they're more in control because they know what they put in their body. But they also know, oh geez, this is going on in my head when I see this sugar. So that's what I did. And I help people changing their minds so they start to change their behaviors and. Yeah. And I think you wanted me to have a couple of tricks, right? So we.

I would love tricks. Yes.

So for instance, and it's very brainy, you know, when you have a sugar craving, what you can do is you can put your brain into a state of shock. So your brain wants sugar. Your brain is in that mode and is expecting it. So what you do is you put something in your mouth that's going to be either very bitter, I recommend use of bitter sprays. Or you are going to chew in a lemon, which is very sour.

Yes, that's one. I actually have a product, a drink I make that I recommend to everybody called my lemonade. Because sour is a way to take your sweet tooth away. So I love that. That little sweet craving hack. That's a great one.

Yeah. Or a peppermint tea. Peppermint. Also not a chewing on them. A very strong peppermint tea. So this is gonna. So this is gonna put your brain into a state of shock because it's not getting what it wants us. So another one is in cognitive behavioral therapy. You have to write a lot and you have to read a lot and you have to repeat a lot. You're positive or automatic thoughts. And, you know, there is a link between the hand and the brain. So the more you write and the more you internalize what you want. But I have a story about a client who was always going for the cookie in meetings and so forth. And her way of dealing with it is she wrote on her hand, I don't need this id. And t was not easy because she had to write in with your left hand on your right hand. But this was each time she was going for the cookie. She saw this and she started, she started. She stopped eating them. In fact, she was doing a, you know, she was retraining her brain.

We just, we need to create a little tattoo, a little hand tattoo. Put the cookie down.

Yes. Another one, which I like is we don't count our bites. So I do this exercise or ask my clients to do this a lot. And I say, unless you're eating vegetables, something super healthy, your bites are usually going to be maybe not a small bite, but an average bite, between 30 and 50 calories. They go, next time you go to a party, are you somewhere, count your bites. And each one is 40 calories. And that, that has started to change some behaviors because the brain, in fact, does not count the bites. The brain only focuses on one bite at a time. So by the time you are to your 15th bite. You have forgotten. Not if you count them. And then you say, Geez, I had 10 bites already. I, you know, I shoved 400 calories in my mouth in one hour.

This episode is brought to you by Pacifico. Here's a story you've probably never heard. Legend has it, decades ago, a couple surfers went down to Mexico in search of epic swells. But they found something unexpected instead. It was still crisp, lively and smooth. But it had nothing to do with waves. It was Pacifico, a delicious Mexican lager. It's like it was brewed to be discovered. Pacifico. Find your own way 21+discover responsibly Pacifico Clara Beer imported by Crown Import, Chicago, IL.

So I have lots of little things like this, you know, so those are great.

And for everyone listening, you're going to get, I know you put together, we have a three part training series you're going to get and you're going to get a lot more of those. And I love, I love these, I look at these as like little pattern interrupts that you can just put into play to help people break the cycle. And they're so powerful. So I just love that you have these things now. You've also, with your cogni a diet, you did a clinical trial on it.

Yeah.

You know, so what came out of that?

Okay, so, so as I said, I'm a nerd. But I also worked in pharma in pharmaceutical industry for many years. So I, I was in commercial roles but I know about clinical trial. And I was like, I'm, I'm new on the market, nobody knows me. Who is this Veronic Cardone? She's a good marketer in pharma, but hello, all of a sudden she's a nutritionist. So I felt like, you know what, I'm going to test my program and I'm going to prove to the world it works. So I did a clinical trial. I like very serious, you know, with collecting the data every week on my special scales. And I had some doctors as advisors. I work also with a psychologist and another nutritionist and we did the cognitive curriculum for 12 weeks. So we see. So I work 99% with women and this clinical trial was only for women and also women. The average age was 56. So these are women who are menopause.

And yeah, that's a whole different. I'm just turning 55. And I love that you did a study for women at that age because it seems like they're all done on men first off. And you Know, as women start to. Right. As from 45 on, it's a whole different world for all of us. So.

Yeah.

And it wasn't like you took the easy, the easy way out here, Veronique.

I appreciate this, jj, because you absolutely right. I didn't go the easy way because, you know, it's, it's not easy to lose weight once you get older, but it's possible. And to tell you the truth, the women who lost the most on my trial were in their 70s, so.

Love it.

It's.

Love it. You can. I. I was in a gerontology graduate program or doctoral program at USC and we had women in their 70s or in 80s who are, were amazing. Amazing. So. And I'm, I'm my fittest, leanest ever in my 50s. So this can all be possible. I never want someone to go, oh, well, you know, I'm getting older. It's like, no, you're getting better. Right? So.

So the very maximum weight loss we've seen so far is 45 pounds in 12 weeks. And on the program, they lost 12 pounds average. And 80 to 90% of that weight loss was fat, which is excellent. And the maximum was 33 pounds in the trial. But more importantly, six months after the trial, which is then almost nine months, months, they've lost another two pounds average. So the 14 pounds.

So that's the key thing because. And again, I look at diets very therapeutically to create some initial, initial response. And then what do you do to shift? Because what got you there won't keep you there so that you can maintain and continue to improve. So the fact that you could show that is so significant. I want to underline that.

Yeah. And thank you. And I'm very proud of this because I've published an abstract and I presented my study first results at the American College of Nutrition in November 2017, and I have been invited to present my six months data at the American Society of Nutrition in Boston in June. So this is serious.

So what are a couple of the key pieces of your program that you think have, you know, are part of the big reason it's so successful?

I think that women, I can say women, because that's 99% right. Of my clients, instead of focusing on the diet, they focus on themselves. So I ask them, for instance, to say, what do you like about yourself? What do you love about yourself? And you say, what. What does that have to do with a diet? I say, yes, it has to do. Because when you focus on what you love about yourself and you make Your brain happy, you put yourself on a path of success. Women, very often all they're going to do is oh, you know, I'm old, my hair doesn't look good today, my boobs are sagging. We are very self critical. So you have to take what you have right now, that is your assets and make it your foundation for success. I think also that's again, must be my training, but I pay great attention at educating my client on the whys. Why is sugar bad for you? Why do you have to always have preferably fat and a protein with your carbs? What is happening to this sugar in your body? And I don't get into too technical or too scientific, but you are empowered then because you know when you make a decision, you know exactly what goes on. And there's so much misinformation around us right now. You start to really observe yourself and you become more self aware. So once you become more self aware, you start to pay attention. The trick is for people to learn to stop a few seconds just before they are going to put this piece of cake or whatever in their mouth and then you become more attuned to what your body needs to eat naturally. And because I'm really supporting a very natural, healthy way of living, they said the minute you give good food to your body, you are going to start losing weight because your body is happy and your brain is happy. And I think that's why they continue to lose weight after the program because they have adopted a healthier way of eating and their body thanks them. You know, they get rid of the inflammation. In fact all that processed food, the sugar, fat is creation, creating a state of inflammation in your body and you get rid of it and it prevents you from, from losing weight. You get rid of it once you start to eat more naturally.

Well, and I'm, I'm a fellow comrade in figuring out where sugar is sneaking in and getting rid of it. And I just want to let everyone know that you've done a deep dive into what really sugar really is, which I think so many people are confused. Sugar is sneaking into so many things and what it can do to you and then how you can deal with these cravings. So for everybody listening, you've got a three part training series that everyone is going to get for free by going over to jjvirgin.com cognidiet I thank you so much for that. Let me spell Cogni diet. It's C O G N I D I E T cog one word Cogni diet and that is Fabulous. And I really appreciate your generosity on that one, Veronique. Thank you.

My pleasure.

And now, you know, I'd love to just like shift gears and throw one more little thing at you and it's this. I'd love to know what you do every day, Veronique, that you feel like makes the biggest difference in your life.

Well, first of all, you know, I had to rewire my brain to get out of this depression 10 years ago. And it's not that I did not love myself, but I have learned to be a happy person. And every morning when I wake up, in 99% of the cases, I embrace what's going to happen that day. And when I look at myself in the mirror, I always say to myself, something nice, like, nice eyes today, Veronic, good makeup, or I like what I'm wearing. So I start my day with my little boost, boosting, boosting support. And I have a very hectic life with this nutrition and, you know, because I have a practice. And I also started this whole online program, so I have found a way to squeeze in my exercise and not use excuses. So I am a runner. When I can, I go run my four or six miles so that I do at least once or twice a week. But when I can't, I don't use it as an excuse. And I go to the gym next door and I do my 20 minutes high intensity interval training. And my husband and CERN, my husband and I are amazing cooks and we love to cook and we only eat fresh food that we cook at home. So we pay very great attention to what we eat. And in fact, we taught this to our two girls because my girls in their 20s now are both very healthy and excellent cooks. So they learn by example. So cooking healthy, running, going to the gym and loving myself and absolutely amen.

Walk in your talk. I love it when people are the real deal, Veronique. So thank you for that. I want to remind everybody. Jjvirgin.com cognidiet if sugar is a struggle for you, she's got you dialed here. And Veronique, thank you so much for taking time out with me today. I super appreciate it.

My pleasure. Jj.

There was your deep dive bonus episode of Ask the Health Expert. We will be dropping these bonus episodes as amazing experts and incredible titles come to us. You don't want to miss out on this, do ya? Stay in the know, be the first to know. Go to subscribetoj.com and I'll hook you up.

Hello listeners, this is Anne Bogle, author, blogger, and creator of the podcast what Should I Read next? Since 2016, I've been helping readers bring more joy and delight into their reading lives. Every week I tag all things Books and Reading with a guest and guide them in discovering their next read. They share three books they love, one book they don't, and what they've been reading lately, and I recommend three titles they may enjoy reading Next. Guests have said our conversations are like therapy, troubleshooting issues that have plagued their reading lives for years and possibly the rest of their lives as well. And of course, recommending books that meet the moment. Whether they are looking for deep introspection to spur or encourage a life change or a frothy page turner to help them escape the stresses of work, school, everything, you'll learn something about yourself as a reader and you'll definitely walk away confident to choose your next read, with a whole list of new books and authors to try. So join us each Tuesday for what Should I Read Next? Subscribe now wherever you're listening to this podcast and Visit our website whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com to find out more.