The New Peptide Science: Reversing Skin Aging, Senescent “Zombie” Cells, Collagen Breakdown & Inflammation — Dr. Alessandra Zonari
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
Release Date: 12/20/2025
Secrets of Popular Diets: Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) — Calories, Macros & the High-Protein Advantage for Fat Loss & Muscle
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
In this episode, Vanessa breaks down the fasting mimicking diet (FMD) — including the exact calories, macros, and protein intake used in the research — and compares it to higher-protein fat loss approaches like protein-sparing modified fasting (PSMF) days. 📩 Join the waitlist for Vanessa’s upcoming Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library and receive the special LAUNCH DISCOUNT! You’ll learn what the science actually shows about fat loss, lean mass preservation, and autophagy, and why emerging human data suggests that energy restriction — not protein suppression — may be the...
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Special AMA #22: Fat Loss, Protein & PSMF: Answering Your Top Questions (Part 1 of 2)
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
In this AMA episode, Vanessa answers your questions on fat loss, protein intake, PSMF, keto, pregnancy nutrition, and muscle preservation. Topics include perimenopause fat loss, protein timing, ketosis myths, GLP-1 considerations, and how to structure high-protein days for body recomposition. 📩 Join the waitlist for Vanessa’s upcoming Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library and receive the special LAUNCH DISCOUNT! If you’ve been struggling with fat loss — especially during perimenopause — or wondering how to structure your protein intake for better results, this episode breaks...
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New Study Changes Everything About Carbs, Fat Loss & Performance (Explained, Dr. Andrew Koutnik Recap)
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
Vanessa breaks down a groundbreaking new study on carbs, fat loss, metabolism, and performance — and what it means for high protein, low carb, and ketogenic approaches. 📩 Join the waitlist for Vanessa’s upcoming Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library and receive the special LAUNCH DISCOUNT! Vanessa breaks down one of the most important conversations on fat loss, metabolism, and performance with Dr. Andrew Koutnik. In this episode, she unpacks why fat loss isn’t about eating less — it’s about controlling hunger — and how the combination of high protein and ketosis can make fat...
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Groundbreaking New Study Changes Everything About Carbs, Fat Loss & Performance | Dr. Andrew Koutnik
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
Why protein + ketones reduce hunger, how fat-adapted athletes perform without carbs, and what this new study reveals. Timeline Mitopure Gummies — The #1 Urolithin A supplement for energy and healthy aging, now in delicious strawberry gummies. Get 20% off at In this episode, Vanessa breaks down one of the most controversial and important new papers in metabolism and sports nutrition with Dr. Andrew Koutnik. From fat loss to performance, this conversation challenges long-held beliefs about protein, carbohydrates, ketosis, and metabolic flexibility—and what actually drives results. If...
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Can You Lose Fat Eating MORE Calories? Shocking Protein Studies Explained (Dr. Jose Antonio Recap)
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
📩 Join the waitlist for Vanessa’s upcoming Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library and receive the special LAUNCH DISCOUNT! What if eating more protein — even more calories — didn’t cause fat gain? What if it did the opposite instead? In this episode, Vanessa recaps her conversation with sports nutrition researcher Dr. Jose Antonio, whose groundbreaking studies on protein overfeeding found that people consuming extremely high protein diets did not gain fat — and in some cases lost more body fat. Vanessa breaks down the science behind why protein behaves differently...
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More Protein, More Fat Loss? | Dr. Jose Antonio
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
In this episode of the Optimal Protein Podcast, Vanessa sits down with sports nutrition scientist Dr. Jose Antonio, one of the world’s leading researchers on protein metabolism and body composition. Dr. Antonio is widely known for his groundbreaking protein overfeeding studies, which found that participants consuming extremely high protein diets did not gain body fat — and in some cases actually lost more fat — even while eating more calories. In this conversation, Vanessa and Dr. Antonio explore the fascinating metabolic reasons why protein behaves differently in the body, including its...
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Hormones, Fasting & Fat Loss: Dr. Jason Fung Recap
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
📩 Join the waitlist for Vanessa’s upcoming Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library and receive the special LAUNCH DISCOUNT! In this episode, Vanessa Spina breaks down the biggest insights from her recent conversation with Dr. Jason Fung, one of the leading voices in fasting and metabolic health. The episode also covers fasting strategies, emerging research on protein-supported fasting approaches like protein-sparing modified fasting (PSMF), the benefits and limitations of GLP-1 medications, and why women often experience increased fat gain during perimenopause. Vanessa explains the...
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The NEW Era of Fasting: PSMF vs Water Fasting & The 3 Types of Hunger | Dr. Jason Fung
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
In this episode, Vanessa is joined by Dr. Jason Fung, author of , to unpack the hormonal science behind fat loss — and how fasting may be entering a new era. They start with the three types of hunger and why obesity is not simply about willpower, but disrupted hormonal signaling. We break down insulin’s role in fat storage, obesity, and how ultra-processed foods blunt satiety hormones. Vanessa and Dr. Fung also discuss how protein, fiber, and fat affect hunger very differently than refined carbohydrates — and why a calorie is not metabolically neutral. Then they shift to fasting. Dr....
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6 Fat Loss Secrets from Elite Athletes: Why They Don’t Diet, Eat More Protein & Time Carbs
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
What do elite athletes do differently when it comes to fat loss? In this episode, Vanessa breaks down the most surprising takeaways from her conversation with sports dietitian Emily Mitchell, who has worked with professional teams including UCLA Athletics, the LA Galaxy, the Clippers, and the Buccaneers. While many people think getting lean requires constant dieting, eliminating carbohydrates, and pushing through hunger, elite athletes often take a completely different approach. Vanessa explores six of the most powerful fat loss strategies used by elite performers — including why many...
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The Elite Fat Loss Formula: Nutrition Secrets of Elite Athletes
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
What do elite athletes do differently when it comes to fat loss and body composition? In this episode, Vanessa sits down with Emily Mitchell, RD, CSSD, CDCES — former Director of Sports Nutrition at UCLA Athletics, Sports Performance Dietitian for the LA Galaxy, and current Registered Dietitian at Love.Life — to unpack the real nutrition strategies used at the highest levels of sport. You’ll learn: The core principles elite athletes use to stay lean while maximizing performance How protein intake supports fat loss and lean muscle retention Why recovery nutrition is a hidden driver...
info_outlineTimeline Mitopure Gummies — The #1 Urolithin A supplement for energy and healthy aging, now in delicious strawberry gummies. Get 20% off at timeline.com/vanessa
What if the real driver of skin aging isn’t wrinkles or sun damage — but “zombie” senescent cells hiding in your skin?
In this episode of the Optimal Protein Podcast, Vanessa sits down with Dr. Alessandra Zonari, PhD — a stem cell biologist and longevity scientist — for a fascinating deep dive into the new peptide science behind skin aging, inflammation, and biological age.
BOOST YOUR COLLAGEN & ELASTIN with RED LIGHT THERAPY! Save 25% on all Tone Lux Red Light therapy with the code HOLIDAY25! Learn more about the TONE LUX Crystal red light therapy mask and the brand new accessory the TONE LUX CONTOUR for the neck and décollete
You’ll discover:
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What senescent “zombie” skin cells actually are — and why they don’t just age themselves, but affect the surrounding tissue
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How inflammation in the skin can quietly accelerate collagen breakdown and visible aging
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Why skin aging speeds up during fat loss, perimenopause, and menopause
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How scientists are now measuring the biological age of skin, not just how it looks
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The surprising role of peptides in signaling skin cells to behave more youthfully
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Why some common “anti-aging” approaches may miss the real drivers of aging
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What makes lip skin biologically different — and why it tends to age faster than the rest of the face
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Why nighttime repair, autophagy, and even red light therapy may matter more than you think
This conversation goes far beyond skincare routines. It explores the mechanisms of aging at the cellular level, how lifestyle choices influence skin health, and why skin may be one of the most overlooked markers of longevity.
If you’re interested in skin health, peptides, collagen, inflammation, fat loss, or aging well, this episode will completely change how you think about your skin.
Mentioned in this episode:
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Vanessa discusses how red light therapy supports mitochondrial health, muscle recovery, circulation, and skin health as part of an evidence-based approach to fat loss and metabolic optimization. Explore the Tone LUX red light therapy collection at 👉 Use code HOLIDAY25 for 25% off HERE
Get my free NEW high-protein keto guide: The Keto Reset eBook
Free high-protein keto guide: The Keto Reset eBook
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🎙 The content in this podcast is for informational purposes only and not nutritional or medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making major dietary or lifestyle changes.