Week 21: A Doctor's 52 Week Journey to an Unprocessed Life

GO UNPRO · WEEK 21 / 52 Health & Wellness Podcast   **Five Pillars, Twenty-Five Practices**   Dr. Brent W. Laartz delineates every one of his five longevity pillars — diet, movement, sleep, connection, plastic-free living — now branches into five practices of its own. Week 21's focus lands squarely on a probiotic push paired with fermented meal prep, two-a-day workouts, and a wardrobe swap toward natural fibers.   **1Diet**   Whole food first   Mostly plant-based   Fish & beans as protein   Calorie restriction   No processed / fast food / alcohol   **2Movement**   Cardiovascular   Resistance training   Flexibility   Balance   Muscular endurance (12–24 reps)   **3Sleep**   Dark after 8 pm   Bright morning sunlight   Purpose & activity-driven day   Cool room + supportive diet   No alcohol / late food   **4Connection**   Family & friends   Creativity (art, music, writing)   Community & charity   Travel (not tour-resort)   Culture & history   **5Plastic-Free**   Cookware & storage   Work & electronics   Personal care items   Laundry & detergents   Clothes & fibers   5 pillars × 5 practices = 25 concrete levers reviewed each week for successes and failures.05:40   02   **Week 21 — The Probiotic Push**   The centerpiece this week is a coordinated microbiome experiment: powdered probiotic strains added to home-made oat-milk yogurt, layered on top of an ongoing fermentation push and a new two-a-day training pattern.   Diet   **Probiotic Powders in Yogurt**   Multiple strains stirred into homemade oat-milk yogurt for a daily microbial hit.   Movement   **Two-a-Days, 1×/week**   Training for a 5K in 2 weeks; buffers against forced rest days from work travel.   Plastics   **Athletic Shirts Swap**   Move toward linen, hemp, bamboo, Pima cotton — researching each fiber's real processing.   **Inside the Probiotic Cascade**   Why these strains, and why paired with fiber. Yogurt bacteria die in stomach acid and rarely colonize the gut — so the point is aconstant feedingthat reaches the colon and feeds the cells that feed you back.   The strain cascade — from lactose to fuel     L. plantarum   L. salivarius   L. acidophilus   L. rhamnosus   Bifidobacterium longum   Veillonella   Akkermansia   Feeds colonocytes   Short-chain fatty acids to muscle   Handles exercise-derived lactate   → colon & muscle fuel   The fiber rule.Because probiotics don't stick in the intestines, pair yogurt with oats, granola, or another fiber source so the bacteria and their fuel actually make it through.03:14   "Eat food, mostly plants, not too much."— Michael Pollan, quoted as the diet-pillar backbone09:04     Ferment chickpeasfirst, then cook & blend (cooking after fermenting kills the bacteria).       Bean · onion · tomato · pepper · cucumber · olives + fermented pickles.     Home oat-milk yogurt paired with oats or granola so probiotics reach the gut.   Rule:fermented + hummus + beans + yogurt-with-fiber— always in the same week.02:38     **The Daily Operating System**   Beneath the weekly push sits a stable rhythm — the daily defaults Dr. Lartz recaps each episode.   Hydration   25 oz water on the drive to work; another 25 oz at 11 am with psyllium-husk fiber.   Time-Restricted Feeding   Eating window closes 8–10 pm, opens noon–4 pm. Target 14–16 hours fasted daily.   Weekly Water Fast   One 36–48 hour water-only fast per week.   Daily Non-Negotiables   Berries, fermented foods, beans, leafy greens; 3+ fully vegan days per week.   Supplements   Acarbose, Ca + Vit D, B12, testosterone, vegan omega-3.   Sleep sits on the same rails: dark room after 8 pm, morning sunlight, cool bedroom, peppermint tea, lavender essential oil, 4-7-8 breath work, phone in another room, and screens set to amber and greyscale when they must be used.28:55   06   **Connection & Culture, This Week**   Connection isn't optional infrastructure — travel run clubs, a jazz club with family tonight, and cultural travel are all scheduled inputs.   1   Jazz club tonight with his daughter — a deliberate creativity + family + culture combo.   2   Travel run clubs wherever he lands; last week's example was Scottsdale, Arizona.   3   Purposeful travel ahead: potentially New Zealand this winter and Charleston, SC "in the books."   **Travel-day survival tips**   Steal the apple, orange, or nuts from the Marriott gym or Admirals Club — occasional jelly beans allowed. "It can't be all 100% draconian or monk life."   Hotel-room reality: tiny fridge, no stove — accept that whole-food prep will be harder and plan meals out at whole-food restaurants (last night: Lebanese).   Yesterday's travel day still delivered 8,000–9,000 steps. Small failures aren't the end — get back up.   07   **The Wardrobe Swap**   Week 21's plastic-free lever is athletic shirts. The broader pattern: replace plasticized fibers and cookware surfaces with natural materials — gradually, across all 52 weeks.     Plasticized athletic shirts & underwear   Fabric softeners & scented detergents   Non-stick pans, microwave cooking   Plastic phone cases & keyboards   Linen, hemp, bamboo, 100% Pima cotton   Minimal, unscented laundry care   Glass, steel, wood, copper cookware & storage   Wooden mouse, keyboard, phone case   Caveat: some "natural" fibers are actually processed into plastic — research each one before buying   **What's Next**   The upcoming Sunday Science, the training calendar, and the second-half format shift.   **Scheduled next steps from this episode**   Halfway through the 52-week experiment, the format shifts toward more field trips — kitchen, gym, home podcast studio, and travel destinations including a possible New Zealand winter trip and Charleston, SC.   The information herein is not intended as medical care, diagnosis, or treatment of any medical condition. No component of this content, including discussion or comments, shall be construed or implied as establishing a doctor-patient relationship. Before you translate or copy any of the information, diet, exercise, or products utilized herein to your own practice, consult your own research, physician, therapist, or nutritionist for your own health. Research any treatments, diet, exercise, or products thoroughly before trying for yourself.