Glyphosate, Food Systems & Your Gut-Hormone Health

In modern wellness discussions, we often focus on macronutrients, exercise, sleep—but we rarely dig into the soil, food supply chain, and hidden chemicals that influence our gut, hormones and long-term health. In this episode, Parker Brook, Founder & CEO of Lovebird Cereal, uncovers how the industrial food system—glyphosate use, refinery of cereals, marketing of “junk” foods—connects directly to gut health, metabolic burden, and hormone function.

Unpacking the Problem: Glyphosate & Industrial Grain Systems

Parker Brook points out a cascade of effects stemming from conventional grain production:

• Widespread use of the herbicide glyphosate in grain crops affects soil health, microbial diversity and the nutrient profile of the resulting food.

• When those grains become processed foods (cereals, snack bars, etc.), they carry higher chemical load, lower micronutrient density, and challenge gut/hormone systems more than minimally processed foods.

• The cost of “cheap food” isn’t just monetary—it’s metabolic and physiological: greater inflammation, digestive stress, hormone dysregulation.

Gut & Hormone Impact: Why It Matters for You

Even if you don’t think about the farm, here’s how the upstream food system ripples into your biology:

• Lower-nutrient foods (even if they “look healthy”) force your gut to work harder, and may promote microbial imbalances.

• Chronic low-grade chemical exposure and poor food quality raise inflammation, which interferes with hormone signaling, clearance and metabolic regulation.

• Hormones don’t operate in a vacuum—they require adequate nutrient status, healthy digestion, and minimal chemical burden to function optimally.

Food Choices as Levers for Gut & Hormone Health

From the conversation, actionable themes emerge:

• Choose foods with traceability: know where they come from, how the grains were produced, whether chemicals like glyphosate were likely used.

• Prioritize whole, minimally processed foods—especially grains and cereals. Avoid products that mask ultra-processing and chemical load behind “healthy” labels.

• Recognize that cheap, ultra-refined grain foods often carry a hidden cost to your gut and hormone health—even if they appear convenient.

Practical Steps You Can Use Today

• At your next shopping trip: compare two cereals or grain-based foods. Look for labels that indicate regenerative practices, transparency about crop production, or fewer additives.

• Track your digestion this week: if you consume a processed grain snack or cereal, note how your gut feels afterwards (bloating, energy shift, digestion).

• Upgrade one grain-based product: swap a conventional snack for a minimally processed alternative with better ingredients and sourcing. Note any changes in mood, energy, digestion over the next few days.

• Reflect on your food environment: What percentage of your diet comes from highly-processed grain-based items? Consider reducing by one product this week and replacing it with a whole-food alternative.

Why This Episode is Especially Relevant for Hormone & Gut Health

• Food systems shape metabolic load—the accumulated burden your body carries via digestion, detoxification, inflammation and hormone clearance.

• Women’s hormone systems are particularly sensitive to nutrient and chemical load, and gut health plays a major role in hormone breakdown and recycling.

• By shifting from “just eat healthy” to “eat in alignment with your body’s systems (gut, detox, hormone)”, you’re building resilience rather than just symptom-management.

📺 Watch the full episode here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbgdgv79LHg&feature=youtu.be