Microplastics and forever chemicals from ultra-processed foods and plastic packaging actively disrupt hormone health heading into perimenopause and menopause. Dr. Laartz cited a documentary in which ten couples who had been trying to conceive for years changed their diet and removed plastics — and nearly all became pregnant within a few months, illustrating how profoundly these chemicals interfere with the endocrine system. He also noted that many supplements marketed to menopausal women are sold in or alongside plastic packaging, meaning the products promising relief may be contributing to the hormone disruption in the first place. Start by swapping plastic food storage for glass or stainless steel and cutting ultra-processed packaged foods — even “mostly vegan” ones — as your first concrete step.

Dr. Brent Laartz is an infectious disease physician and Affiliate Associate Professor at the University of South Florida whose clinical specialty puts the microbiome at the center of his practice. His credibility is sharpened by personal experience: despite being a physician and regular exerciser, he discovered his hemoglobin A1C was 5.6 — one point below the pre-diabetic threshold — which pushed him to research longevity and gut health seriously. He now documents his own 52-week journey to an unprocessed life on his podcast, Go Unpro (gounpro.com). Hear him describe his own health wake-up call in the early portion of the episode.

A bad microbiome footprint means your gut is colonized by bacteria fed by sugar and processed food, and those bacteria send signals directly to the brain’s addiction centers telling you to eat more of the same. Dr. Laartz explained that even a few days of junk food shifts the bacterial population enough to trigger those cravings — Heather confirmed it firsthand after three nights of ice cream left her eyeing a brownie she wouldn’t normally want. The flip side is equally powerful: a healthy microbiome actively signals your brain to choose better foods, making clean eating easier over time. Adding a few spoonfuls of raw fermented sauerkraut daily is the low-barrier entry point both Heather and Dr. Laartz recommend to start shifting that footprint.

Researchers gave world-class triathletes specific strains of Lactobacillus and Veillonella bacteria and found the athletes could run nearly twice as long at an all-out sprint on a treadmill compared to baseline. Dr. Laartz explained the mechanism: these bacteria convert lactic acid buildup in muscles into short-chain fatty acids, which the muscles then use as fuel when they’ve exhausted their glucose supply. The same short-chain fatty acids also feed colonocytes and support overall gut integrity — benefits relevant to any midlife body, not just elite athletes. If you want to target these strains specifically, Dr. Laartz mentioned finding a product called Vnella on Amazon as a potential source of Veillonella.

You do not need a physician referral — microbiome testing is available directly to consumers through several companies, though insurance rarely covers it and you’ll typically pay out of pocket (HSA funds can often be used). Dr. Laartz cautioned that many testing companies also sell the supplements to “fix” your results, so he recommended getting more than one test from independent sources before acting on the findings. Neither Dr. Laartz nor Heather could endorse a single definitive company, though Zoe (joinzoe.com) was mentioned as one option worth investigating. The practical takeaway: treat your first test as directional data, cross-reference with a second provider, and focus any intervention on diet and fiber — not just probiotic pills.