Go Unpro Podcast: Week 13 Progress Report

Speaker Contributions

**Dr. Brent Laartz**: Provided a comprehensive update on his 52-week "unprocessed life" journey, detailing his transition to a new home, dietary modifications, and lifestyle habits centered on longevity.

Key Points and Decisions

**Dietary Shifts**: Dr. Laartz decided to completely eliminate beef and pork from his diet, focusing instead on poultry, seafood, beans, and fermented foods to support microbiome health.

**Movement and Environment**: The host emphasized the importance of "forest bathing" to reduce cortisol and committed to a structured routine of resistance training and cardiovascular exercise.

**Sleep Optimization**: To improve deep sleep metrics, the host identified light pollution as a primary obstacle and decided to invest in blackout curtains and motorized window treatments.

**Plastic Reduction**: A decision was made to systematically replace all plastic kitchenware; the host successfully replaced plastic cutting boards with stainless steel alternatives, reaching approximately 60% plastic-free status in the kitchen.

**Lifestyle Pillars**: The discussion reinforced the five pillars of longevity: diet, movement, sleep, connection/creativity, and purpose, with a specific focus on reducing screen time to improve mental well-being.

Commitments and Action Items

**Dr. Brent Laartz**:
* Install motorized blackout curtains to mitigate light interference and improve sleep quality.
* Establish a weekly tech-free board game night to foster family connection.
* Maintain a Sunday meal-prep schedule for beans, hummus, and fermented foods.
* Implement a one-hour "no electronics" rule before bedtime to enhance meditation and sleep hygiene.
* Continue the transition toward a 99% plastic-free household over the remaining 39 weeks of the year.
* Write down ten non-tech activities to pursue for personal creativity and connection.

Week 12: A Doctor's 52 Week Journey to an Unprocessed Life

Spectacular Speaker-Focused Summary: Go Unpro Podcast Week 12 – Proof of Life, Microbiome Mastery & Unprocessed Progress

**Dr. Brent Laartz**
A candid weekly update on personal setbacks (illness, house move) while celebrating small victories. He reinforced the centrality of microbiome health, outlined specific Week 12 targets across diet, movement, sleep, creativity, and plastics reduction, and reviewed cumulative progress from Weeks 1–12. The host emphasized accountability, whole-food preparation, and gradual lifestyle upgrades toward a 90–95% unprocessed life by Week 52.

Key Points and Decisions

**Microbiome focus**: Daily movement + increased fermented foods remain foundational; microbiome influences hormones, immunity, mood, and performance.

**Diet upgrades**: Increase Sunday prep of dairy-free yogurts, beans, and vegetables; move from 2–3 to 3–4 vegan days/week; reduce alcohol to 8 drinks/month; favor low-sugar NA drinks for social settings.

**Movement**: Target 7–8 combined cardio/resistance sessions weekly (including double-activity days); add one group class (Pilates/yoga); prioritize morning exercise when possible; schedule post-move tennis.

**Sleep optimization**: Install automatic blackout curtains in new home; enforce no food after 8 p.m., no exercise/hot tub after 7 p.m.; maintain cool, dark bedroom.

**Creativity & connection**: Begin weekly social painting/art sessions; continue journaling, affirmations, and reconnecting with friends/family.

**Plastics reduction**: Replace parchment paper with vegetable-based Patapar paper; maintain ongoing elimination of plastic kitchenware and household products.

**Cumulative habits retained**: 40+ whole foods weekly, daily greens/berries/fermented foods/fiber, time-restricted eating, meditation, gratitude, language learning, and community volunteering.

Next Steps

Implement increased food prep and vegan-day targets immediately.

Test Patapar paper in cooking and report results.

Install blackout curtains and automation in new residence post-move.

Schedule recurring social painting session and one weekly vegan restaurant outing.

Continue daily accountability tracking and morning sunlight exposure.

Maintain all prior 12-week habits while layering on Week 12 enhancements toward the 52-week unprocessed goal.

Spectacular Speaker-Centric Summary: Unlocking Microbiome Power for Endurance and Strength in Sunday Science

Summary of Each Speaker

**Dr. Brent Laartz**: Hosted the discussion on the bidirectional microbiome-exercise relationship, covering mechanisms like lactate clearance and short-chain fatty acid production, citing studies on Veillonella, Lactobacillus salivarius, and Lactobacillus plantarum, and outlining practical takeaways for enhancing performance.

Key Points and Decisions

Exercise improves microbiome diversity and gut health overall, though excessive intensity may temporarily increase permeability; elite athletes show enriched beneficial bacteria like Veillonella due to lactate-rich environments.

Key bacteria (Veillonella, L. salivarius, L. plantarum) clear lactate, boost short-chain fatty acids (propionic, acetic, butyric acids) for muscle energy and glycogen sparing, and support intestinal barrier integrity via tight junctions.

Mouse and human studies (e.g., Scheiman 2019 in Nature Medicine; Lee 2020 in Microorganisms; triathlete trial with L. plantarum PS128) demonstrated 2-3x increases in endurance and grip strength without altering VO2 max.

Decision: Prioritize natural approaches like exercise and diet over unproven supplements; Veillonella products exist but require further evaluation.

Next Steps

Incorporate exercise to foster lactate-utilizing bacteria and consume prebiotic fibers (inulin, chicory root, garlic) to support their growth.

Explore targeted Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains via diet or supplements while ensuring adequate fiber for colonization; consider homemade yogurt with verified lactate-utilizing species.

Follow Sunday Science episodes on social platforms, podcasts, YouTube, and GoOnPro.com for ongoing science-based wellness insights.