Did you know that your mood, energy, and even your skin can be tied directly to your gut health? Improving your gut health isn’t complicated but many people don’t know where to begin. By adding microbiome-friendly foods and mindful habits, you can boost digestion, immunity, and overall wellness.

From start to finish, everything that happens in the gastrointestinal tract has a tremendous impact on your physical, mental, and emotional health. By understanding and improving gut health, you can enhance nutrient absorption, boost immune function, and achieve better overall health.

Why Gut Health Matters for Your Immune System and Well-Being

Studies mapping the diversity of the microbiome, often referred to as the second brain, demonstrate that imbalances in the trillions of bacteria that line the GI tract impact nutrient absorption, appetite, blood sugar regulation, clear thinking, and the ability to maintain a healthy weight.

“Your gut bacteria can play a key role in deciding your appetite, allergies, metabolism, and neurological function.” -Dana Bosselmann, Lifescape’s Functional Dietitian

Additionally, we know that 70 to 80 percent of our immune system lies within our gut. When pathogenic organisms enter the body, the immune system and gut coordinate to quickly eradicate the offending invader and maintain a healthy environment. If the gut is compromised from a poor diet, unhealthy lifestyle choices, or a high toxic load, our immune system cannot operate optimally to keep us healthy and thriving.

Supporting a robust and diversified ecosystem in the gut is a top priority for me with all my patients. Read on to learn more about how you too can adopt the same strategies I start with on the road to optimizing gut health.

Top Practices to Boost Gut Health Naturally

Best Foods for Gut Health and a Balanced Microbiome

“Food is truly the foundation of health. It brings us together during the best & most challenging of times. When prepared with intention, it feeds our mind, body & soul.” - Dana, Lifescape’s Functional Dietitian

Remove inflammatory foods as the first step in building a resilient gut.   

• Ultra-processed foods – can you identify what plant/animal the ingredients came from? If not, its highly processed and most likely contains excess sodium, added sugars and industrial seed oils – all gut disruptors
• Artificial sugar, flavors, and colors – these change hormone satiety signals and disrupt the balance of bacterial species in the gut microbiome
• Damaged fats – fried food, hydrogenated vegetable oil and even healthy oils like olive oil heated past their smoke point (think grilling) contribute to the inflammatory load
• Added sugar – found in the healthiest of foods: salsa, soup, hummus, spaghetti sauce, dressings/marinades and even spice mixes, can lead to inflammation and a disruption of the bacteria balance in the gut

Gut Health & Alcohol

Every individual is different and determining how much and how often to have a drink depends on each person’s current state of health.

In healthy individuals, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends no more than one alcoholic beverage for women and 2 glasses for men in a day.

From strictly a nutrition perspective, for those with digestive problems, skin issues, brain fog, fatigue, slow recovery from illness, and disrupted sleep it may be wise to rethink alcohol use in the immediate future and reintroduce once these factors have improved. 

Small daily choices can help feed and support the good bacteria in your gut. Here are a few ideas to get started:

1. Boost Your Fiber Intake

Aim for 25–30 grams of fiber per day from food, not supplements. Fiber keeps your digestion track moving and working properly, and helps nourish beneficial bacteria.

2. Eat More Prebiotic-Rich Plant Foods

Try to get at least two colors of fruits or veggies at every meal. If you’re watching blood sugar, go heavier on the veggies.

Example meals:

• Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, spinach, tomato, avocado
• Lunch: Spring greens, clementine pieces, shredded purple beets, protein (like chicken, salmon, shrimp, turkey, beans, tofu/tempeh), dressed with olive oil and balsamic
• Dinner: Bison or turkey burger, mashed cauliflower, asparagus, red raspberries
  
  

3. Choose Soluble Fiber Over Refined Grains

Swap out processed foods like white bread, pasta, or corn-based snacks for whole, fiber-rich options.

Simple swaps:

• Orange sweet potatoes instead of toast at breakfast
• Sautéed plantain in coconut oil and sea salt instead of tortilla chips
• Mashed root veggies (like parsnips or rutabaga) instead of a dinner roll
  
  

4. Try Resistant Starch Foods

Resistant starch helps feed your gut bacteria and supports a healthier microbiome.

Easy ways to add them:

• Bob’s Red Mill potato starch (not potato flour!) — start with ¼ tsp daily in water or a smoothie, then slowly build up to 1–3 Tbsp.
• Cook and cool starches like white rice, lentils, beans, oats, potatoes, purple potatoes, or yams and eat them chilled

Does stress really affect gut health?

Chronic stress can disrupt digestion and gut bacteria balance, leading to bloating, discomfort, or other digestive issues. Simple habits like deep breathing and mindful eating can help. 

Everyday rushing, eating on the go, eating in a distracted way (e.g., on the computer or in front of the TV) keep us in fight or flight mode. This means our sympathetic nervous system is in charge, disrupting the signals to secrete adequate stomach acid and digestive enzymes from the pancreas. 

Partially digested food reaches the small intestines and can lead to poor absorption and assimilation of essential nutrients as well as digestive discomfort such as gas, bloating and burping.

Consider integrating the following into your day around mealtime:

• Put away electronic devices while eating
• Take a few deep breaths before taking your first bite to slow down and become present
• Allow for at least 15 to 20 minutes to enjoy your food
• Play calming music while eating
• Sit down while eating – set the table with a placemat, a vase of flowers nearby, or light a candle to create your own ‘resort’ setting at home
• If weather allows, try eating outside to soak up some natural light that can help with sleep later in the day

By adopting these practices, you can significantly improve your gut health and overall well-being.

Are probiotics necessary for gut health?

They can be helpful for some people, but it’s often better to focus first on a diet rich in naturally probiotic and prebiotic foods to feed your existing good bacteria.

Adopt a few new habits at once. Give yourself a chance to realize how good, good feels! Let others know you are on a journey to improve your health so they can support and/or join you!

Key Takeaways

• Gut health goes way beyond digestion. It can shape your mood, energy, skin, immunity, and even your ability to keep a healthy weight.
  
  
• “You are what you absorb,” as Dana Bosselmann, Functional Dietitian puts it, so the focus isn’t just what you eat but how well your body can use it.
  
  
• Simple daily habits can make a big difference. Think colorful fruits and veggies, more fiber, resistant starches, and cutting back on processed and inflammatory foods.
  
  
• Stress really can mess with your gut. Slowing down, eating mindfully, and creating a calm mealtime routine can help your digestion work better.
  
  
• Probiotics may help some people, but starting with whole foods that naturally support your microbiome is usually the best first move.

And, if you want personalized guidance and nutrition tips tailored to your unique lifestyle, don’t hesitate to request a nutrition info session. Together, we’ll create a plan to help you improve your gut health and overall wellbeing.

Originally Published July 23, 2023 - Updated July 27, 2025