Microplastics are everywhere — but how much should we actually be worrying about them?

On this episode of Gut Talk, we’re joined by Dr. Nick Monsul, co-founder of Quorum Innovations, to break down the science behind microplastics and what we know so far about their potential impact on our health.

We’re talking about how microplastics enter our bodies, what emerging research suggests about their relationship with gut health, the microbiome, hormones, and reproductive health, and the everyday sources of exposure you might not think twice about.

Dr. Monsul also explains the role of protective biofilms and the science behind Quorum Innovations’ Qi601, including what research has shown so far and what still needs to be proven.

Plus, we’re sharing practical ways to reduce everyday exposure, which plastic-free swaps may not be worth the hype, and how to take a proactive approach to your health without becoming fearful of everything around you.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• What microplastics and nanoplastics actually are
• Where we’re exposed to microplastics every day
• How microplastics may affect the gut microbiome and intestinal barrier
• What emerging research says about microplastics, hormones, and reproductive health
• Plastic water bottles, food packaging, and heating food in plastic: what matters most?
• Protective biofilms and the science behind Qi601
• What we know — and what we still don’t know — about binding microplastics in the gut
• The most impactful ways to reduce everyday exposure
• Which plastic-free swaps may be overhyped
• How to prioritize your health without falling into fear-based wellness
• Plastic activewear?! What do we do about it

Our goal is to help you understand the science, ask better questions, and make informed decisions about your health — without the overwhelm.

As always, emerging research is not the same as proven clinical outcomes. We encourage you to stay curious, think critically, and use evidence to guide your health decisions.

GET Qi601 HERE and use code GUTTALK at checkout

Some conversations stay with you long after the microphones turn off. In this episode, we're revisiting the advice, mindset shifts, and life lessons from our favorite guests that genuinely inspired us and changed how we approach our health, relationships, and everyday lives.

From the WeNatal founders and why preconception health starts long before pregnancy, to Stephanie Criscione's approach to acne and skincare, Dr. Antonia's insights on nervous system regulation, and Mila Magnani's advice on navigating PCOS, we're sharing the health lessons that have stuck with us most.

We're also reflecting on Dave Friedberg's reminder that success isn't reserved for special people — it's built by staying curious and continuing to learn. Plus, what we took away from Ice Cream for Bears founder Tim Berg about following your ethos, and our friends Emily and Nada's powerful conversation about resilience and navigating life's challenges.

From skincare and cellulite to the importance of staying true to your values and learning how to move through hard seasons, these are the lessons we'd share with our younger selves and our closest friends.

Because sometimes, the most meaningful thing we take away from a conversation isn't just new information — it's a shift in perspective that changes how we live.

Skincare links: https://shopmy.us/shop/collections/3694234 (we mentioned acne med 2.5% and Cellure Volufilin in this episode)

Episodes Mentioned:

1. WeNatal founders — Trimester 0

Listen on Apple Podcasts — The Case for Trimester 0 and Why Men Are 50% of the Fertility Equation

2. Stephanie Criscione — Face Reality

Listen to The Clear Skin Method: Heal Acne For Good — find the episode dated February 26, 2026.

3. Dr. Antonia Denison — How to Actually Regulate Your Nervous System with Dr. Antonia Denison

4. Mila Magnani — The PCOS Advice I’d Give My Younger Self with Mila Magnani

5. Dave Friedberg — Dave Friedberg on Optimizing Your Gut Microbiome, the Power of Fiber & the Mindset for Success

6. Ice Cream for Bears — Tim Berg, The Bear-y Smart Business of Ice Cream for Bears.

7. Sara Douglas — Cellure / regenerative skincare look for Peptides for Your Skin?! Regenerative Skincare: The Skin Industry's Best-Kept Secret.

9. The Mind–Body Connection: Mental Health, Vulnerability & Navigating Alzheimer’s with Dr. Emily Matis

10. MEET OUR BESTIE with Nada

11. FIBER talk with Dr. Luther: We Asked a Gastroenterologist EVERYTHING: IBS, Bloating, Constipation, How to Prevent Colon Cancer & More with Dr. Sanjana Luther

12. Elevate Your Gut Microbiome to Unlock Better Health, Mood, Energy & Happiness with Tim Spector MD

This week on Gut Talk, we’re getting a little more personal — from our chaotic weekend and things NOT going according to plan, to the reality of building a life as a single woman in your early 30s.

We’re also talking about social media and why it’s so important to remember that what you see online is a game, a job, and often a business. Everyone is trying to sell something, so take what resonates, leave what doesn’t, and use your own discernment.

Plus: why we think we could all be a little kinder on social media, the pressure to have your life figured out by a certain age, and learning to trust your own timeline.

In this episode we chat about:

- Why we could all be a little kinder on social media

- Remembering that social media is a business

- Using your own discernment online

- Our weekend: The Chainsmokers, a nada toe, and things not going according to plan

- What it’s really like building your life as a single woman in your early 30s

- Letting go of the idea that your life has to look a certain way by a certain age

- Why your timeline doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s

This week on Gut Talk, we’re sitting down with Gastroenterologist Dr. Sanjana Luther to talk about the gut issues so many women deal with — and the symptoms we’ve been told are “normal” but might deserve a closer look.

We’re getting into IBS-C, IBS-D, constipation and bloating, including common triggers, what actually helps, and when it’s time to see a gastroenterologist. We also break down the conversation around gluten, dairy, artificial sweeteners and food sensitivities, plus what Dr. Luther thinks we’re getting wrong about gut health.

One of the biggest conversations in this episode is colorectal cancer in younger adults. We talk about why rates are rising, what symptoms to pay attention to, prevention, and what everyone should know about protecting their gut health.

Plus, Dr. Luther shares her approach to proactive gut health, including fiber, probiotics, food, lifestyle, supplements and testing.

In this episode, we cover:

- IBS-C vs. IBS-D

- Constipation & bloating

- Common gut triggers

- Gluten, celiac disease & dairy

- Artificial sweeteners & ingredients

- Why gut issues are so common

- Rising colorectal cancer rates in younger adults

- Colon cancer prevention & warning signs

- Fiber, probiotics & supplements

- Gut health testing

- Your most-asked gut health questions

If you’ve ever wondered “Is this normal?” when it comes to your gut, this episode is for you. 🤎

This episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk to your healthcare provider about your individual health concerns.

Episode Sponsor:

https://www.farmerfocus.com/

#172: Parasites have become one of the biggest conversations in wellness— but how much of it is actually legitimate, and where has the internet taken it way too far? This week we're joined by Kim Rogers, aka the Worm Queen.

We get into how common parasites actually are, what happens in the body when someone gets one, and the most common (and most surprising) ways people are exposed. Then we dig into the symptoms — bloating, fatigue, skin issues, cravings, even teeth grinding — that get blamed on parasites online, and which of those are actually legitimate versus wildly overhyped.

We also cover parasite cleanses: who actually needs one, what red flags to watch for, and the truth about "die-off" symptoms. Kim walks us through her ParaFy protocol, what was missing from the products already on the market, and how to know if an approach like this is right for you.

Finally, we get into the everyday stuff — sushi, washing produce, pets, travel — and how concerned you should actually be about each one.

Here's what we get into:

• How common parasites actually are, and what a parasite even is
• How people actually get exposed (and the myths around it)
• Symptoms that might indicate a parasite — and which ones are wildly overblown online
• How parasites are tested and confirmed
• Who actually needs a parasite cleanse, and the red flags to watch for
• Should you have sushi?
• The truth about "die-off" symptoms
• Kim's ParaFy protocol — what's in it, why, and how to know if it's right for you
• Everyday risk: sushi, produce washing, hygiene, travel, and pets
• The 3 things Kim wishes everyone would do differently after this episode

Connect with us:

GET A PARAFY PARASITE CLEANSE KIT HERE: Use code GUTTALK for 20% off your order

Follow Kim Rogers:

YouTube

Tiktok

Instagram

SPONSORS:

Farmer Focus

Kion

If this episode resonated, share it with a friend who needs to hear it.

This week's Sister Solo is a full life update. We're getting into why the lack of an AM/PM routine is genuinely messing with us right now, coming out of seasonal depression, why dating is HARD, and the very real struggle of feeling like two different people depending on whether we're at work or at home (if you know, you know).

We're also breaking down what's actually worth your attention in wellness right now — a new peanut butter ice cream for bears launch we can't stop talking about, AG1's new gummies, gluten-free Goldfish, a major acquisition in the better-for-you snack space, a beverage brand leaving the market, an electrolyte launch worth knowing about, and a wild new wearable that tracks blood flow to your head.

Plus, Practitioner's Corner — why water quality actually matters and what we look for in a filter — and our current favorites, all linked for you to shop.

Here's what we get into:

Why we desperately need an AM/PM routine

Coming out of seasonal depression

Dating is HARD

The Hannah Montana of it all: feeling like two different people at work vs. at home

Our Dancing With the Stars hot takes

ICFB's new peanut butter launch

AG1 gummies

Gluten-free Goldfish

Purely Elizabeth's acquisition

Unwell Beverages leaving the market

Truvani's new electrolytes with monk fruit sweetener

Lumia — the earrings that track blood flow to your head

Practitioner's Corner: why water quality matters (and what we use)

Current favorites — all linked on our ShopMy

Shop our current favorites: https://shopmy.us/shop/jillandjenna?tab=collections§ion_id=1016140

Connect with us:

Follow us on Instagram: @guttalkpodcast

EPSIODE SPONSOR:

FARMER FOCUS: https://www.farmerfocus.com/store-locator/

This week we're joined by Dr. Antonia — she holds a Master's in Neuroscience and a Doctorate of Chiropractic, and takes a truly holistic approach to how she treats patients. We get into why chiropractic care is about so much more than cracking your back, and spend the bulk of this conversation on the nervous system — how it connects to chiropractic care, why regulation tools don't work if your nervous system is still dysregulated, and what daily practices actually help.

We also cover the corporate-desk-job reality most of us are living in — posture, tech neck, and what to actually do about the toll of staring at a screen all day. And we get into hormones, metabolic health, and a few tools Dr. Antonia swears by, including red light therapy and cranial work.

If you've ever tried a breathing exercise or a meditation app and felt like "this isn't working for me," this episode explains why — and what actually helps.

Here's what we get into:

• Why a chiropractor is more than just someone who cracks your back
• What to actually look for when choosing a chiropractor
• The real benefits of consistent adjustments — including how it can improve sleep & anxiety
• How to protect your posture and health at a desk job
• Tech neck — what it's actually doing to your spine and what to do about it
• How the nervous system and chiropractic care are connected
• Why regulation tools don't work on a dysregulated nervous system
• Daily practices that actually help regulate your nervous system
• Tools to maintain regulation once you've gotten there
• The connection between anxiety and physical pain — and how to recognize it
• Why metabolic efficiency matters and how to support it (including how you eat and walking after meals)
• The upper cervical spine — what to know
• Red light therapy — why Dr. Antonia uses it
• Cranial work — what it is and why she uses it as a treatment

Semi Rapid Fire:

• Who Dr. Antonia follows for health inspiration
• Her one tool for nervous system regulation, if she could only pick one
• Shoe recommendations from a chiropractor's perspective
• Book recommendations for nervous system regulation
• What to look for in a pillow
• Morning and night routine additions for a healthy body and mind
• Her best purchase this year

Connect with Dr. Antonia:

Follow Dr. Antonia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.antoniadenison/

Follow Dr. Antonia on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.antoniadenison

Work with Dr. Antonia in San Diego: https://wellnesswavechiropractic.janeapp.com/#/staff_member/019fe80b-0c66-797a-a9e6-0fdbd0c4e679

If this episode resonated, share it with a friend who needs to hear it.

This week we're sitting down with Anna Rinke, Co-founder of Homebody Studios, for a conversation that covers SO much.

We get into what burnout actually felt like for her before anyone else could see it, the delusion it takes to build something from nothing, and the advice she'd give any woman who looks successful on paper but knows deep down she's unhappy. We also dig into how Homebody actually came together, what building a real brand (not just a studio) looks like, and the boundaries she's had to build for herself now that work no longer comes before everything else.

Anna has also become a real force online when it comes to AI education, so we get into what people are getting wrong about it, how to actually start using it if you're only using it like a fancier Google search, and how she uses it to level up her own life.

We close out talking about what she's reading, watching, and listening to right now — the books that changed her life, the podcasts making her smarter, and the people whose brains she's obsessed with.

Here's what we get into:

• Anna's path from corporate to founding Homebody
• What burnout looked like for her before anyone else could see it
• Advice for the woman who's successful on paper but knows she's unhappy
• The delusion it takes to build something successful
• How Homebody actually came together — and why she saw room in a saturated market
• The difference between opening a studio and building a brand
• What real community actually looks like
• Her take on the pilates vs. weightlifting debate
• The health and fitness non-negotiables she lives by now
• How she became an AI education force online — and what people are getting wrong
• Practical tips for using AI in your workplace and your personal life
• The books, podcasts, and people who've shaped how she thinks
• What she's currently obsessed with, reading, and consuming

Connect with Anna:

Follow Anna: https://www.instagram.com/annanoellerinke/?hl=en

Find Anna on Substack: https://annanoellerinke.substack.com/

Follow Homebody: https://www.instagram.com/homebody__studios/?hl=en

If this episode resonated, share it with a friend who needs to hear it. 🍒