8 Tips for Eating Well & Optimal Gut Health to Help You Digest, Absorb, & Thrive

Your gut lining is extremely thin and delicate, making it vulnerable to damage from chronic inflammation. When the gut lining is compromised, partially digested food particles can pass through and trigger a histamine response. With repeated exposure, the immune system can begin tagging specific foods as a threat, leading to a learned histamine reaction whenever those foods are consumed. (This is why food sensitivity tests often show foods people eat frequently, which can be a clue that the gut barrier is compromised rather than the food itself being the true problem.) This is how the body can become sensitive to even the healthiest foods, leading to symptoms such as bloating, anxiety, pain, digestive distress, fatigue, and other uncomfortable health issues.

• • • • Work with your practitioner to find the right supplements that can heal your gut lining. Common options include DGL and L-Glutamine, but muscle testing is key to finding what will work best for your body. 
      • Cut out inflammatory foods while your gut is healing.
      • Incorporate gut-supportive foods like collagen-rich bone broth and gelatin.

Food sensitivities can often be addressed with techniques like tapping, which involves stimulating specific nerve points to activate the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). Activation of the PNS calms mast cell activity, which is responsible for histamine release, and when combined with the presence of the specific food, neutralizes the histamine response. 

• • • Search for trained professionals who treat food sensitivities with terms like: NAET, energy psychology practitioner, or EFT practitioners for food sensitivities.
    • Work with a qualified practitioner to safely neutralize food sensitivities.
    • Avoid the reset foods for two weeks after treatment to allow time for full recalibration of the new neutral response. 
    • Prevent the development of new food sensitivities by continuing to support your gut lining.

Your gut microbiome is the community of microorganisms in your digestive tract that determines how well your body extracts, absorbs, and utilizes nutrients from food. A balanced gut supports healthy bacteria while keeping harmful microbes in check. Good gut health not only improves digestion and nutrient absorption but also has so many other major benefits, including healthier skin and mood enhancement. Fun fact: one reason the gut is called the “second brain” is because it’s a major site for neurotransmitter production, including serotonin, which helps regulate happiness! 🙂

• • Supply beneficial bacteria with probiotics, my favorite is OrthoBiotics. 
  • Avoid overconsumption of foods that feed harmful bacteria, such as sugar and refined carbs. 
  • Eat fiber and probiotic-rich foods to support healthy gut bacteria. 
  • If having issues, test for disruptive microbes (Candida, SIBO, H.pylori) and work with your practitioner to get on the right medication to treat.  
  • Replenish good bacteria after taking antibiotics, which kill both beneficial and harmful microbes. Without enough healthy bacteria, opportunistic microbes can overgrow, since they reproduce faster than beneficial species. This is why yeast overgrowth is extremely common after antibiotics. 
  • Avoid overusing antibiotics when possible; consider herbal antimicrobials (like oregano oil & garlic) that selectively target harmful microbes without wiping out beneficial bacteria.
  • Maintain good oral hygiene: tongue-scrape when you wake before drinking or eating, as overnight bacterial buildup on the tongue can travel to your gut. Brush and floss regularly to keep your mouth clean and prevent harmful bacteria growth.

This may seem obvious, but several commonly consumed foods can be unknowingly contaminated with toxins due to how they’re grown, processed, or stored. Toxins add to inflammation and can cause a plethora of disruptive symptoms such as headaches, brain fog, fatigue, digestive, skin, or mood issues. Since there is no way to avoid toxins in today’s environment, it is important to reduce them where you do have control, such as food choices, so your body’s natural detox systems don’t become overburdened.

• • Choose products that are third-party tested for heavy metals and provide purity certificates. Foods at higher risk of heavy metal contamination include items in powder form (like protein, greens, tea, spices), certain seafood (such as tuna sometimes high in mercury), rice, and chocolate. 
  • Be aware of mycotoxin contamination. Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by mold and are commonly found in coffee and some nuts due to storage conditions. Notable clean coffee brands: Four Sigmatic & Bulletproof.
  • Limit pesticide and glyphosate exposure. Glyphosate can disrupt beneficial bacteria and weaken the gut barrier. When possible, choose organic produce and glyphosate-free or organic grains, as crops like oats, wheat, corn, soy, and legumes are often heavily sprayed. I like the brand Farmers We Know for their glyphosate-free sprouted oats. 
  • Limit alcohol. Alcohol is toxic to the body in any amount. If you enjoy a drink occasionally, consider cleaner alternatives. (I share some of my favorite alcohol alternatives in this post on sleeping well.) 
  • Reduce microplastic exposure from food and drinks. Microplastics can leach into food from plastic containers, especially when heated. Choose glass or stainless steel when possible and avoid heating food in plastic.
  • Limit foods with added nitrates and nitrites. These preservatives are commonly found in processed meats. Notable brands that offer products that use safer, natural nitrates instead of synthetic nitrates/nitrites: Dietz & Watson, Applegate Organics, Chomps.

Chronic inflammation underlies many symptoms and diseases, and the foods you eat can either fuel or help resolve it. There are so many benefits we can reap through thoughtful food choices. Nutrient-dense foods and herbs contain antioxidants, polyphenols, and phytonutrients that reduce inflammation, support detoxification, and protect cells from oxidative stress, giving your body the tools to heal and function optimally.

• • Limit inflammatory foods like seed oils with a high omega-6:3 ratio, which can promote inflammation, and include anti-inflammatory fats such as grass-fed butter, ghee, fatty fish, walnuts, chia, flax, avocado, and olive oil. When cooking with healthy oils, check smoke points to avoid oxidation, which can also trigger inflammation.
  • Prioritize colorful plants, herbs & spices, and superfoods which naturally reduce inflammation & provide healing properties through their phytonutrients, antioxidants, polyphenols, and essential vitamins and minerals. Some of my favorites include: goji berries, arugula, functional mushrooms, cacao, acai, moringa, wild blueberries, ceylon cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, garlic, and adaptogens. 
  • Stick to natural sugar sources like fruit, honey, and maple syrup, which contain beneficial compounds like fiber, antioxidants, and minerals. When you consume sugar, blunt inflammatory glucose spikes by having fiber-rich foods, protein, healthy fats, and acidic foods like vinegar, or supplements like Glucobitters beforehand. Adding cinnamon alongside sugar can also help!
  • Use bioavailable & bioactive supplements when needed, as they can concentrate beneficial compounds and enhance their healing effects, helping to fill nutrient gaps or support specific health goals.

Using fewer and simpler ingredients per meal makes it easier for your body to digest and absorb nutrients. Synthetic sounding ingredients are often preservatives, additives, or other compounds your body may not process well, which can contribute to inflammation if consumed regularly. If you don’t recognize an ingredient in an item you consume consistently, it’s worth researching, as not all synthetics are harmful, but some can be.

• • Read ingredient labels and stick to products with simple, whole-food ingredient lists. 
  • Choose quality over quantity: Fewer, high-quality ingredients support better health and flavor.
  • Eat variety over time by rotating ingredients to ensure you get a full spectrum of nutrients.

Some nutrients are considered “essential” to get from food because your body can’t make them on its own. These include essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, and essential vitamins and minerals. Essential amino acids serve as building blocks of protein needed for nearly every structure and function in the body. Essential fats are key components of cell membranes, the brain, and the nervous system, making them fundamental to cellular processes, cognition, and nerve signaling. Essential vitamins and minerals are supportive inputs your body needs to carry out virtually every biological function.

• • Eat complete proteins & combined plant proteins to get all 9 essential amino acids. Examples include: eggs, dairy, meat, fish, soy products (like tofu, tempeh, and edamame), beans + grains, nuts or seeds + legumes. 
  • Get your essential fatty acids: Omega-3 (EPA, DHA, ALA) from sources like flax, chia, walnuts, fish, algae, and Omega-6 (LA, AA) from sources like pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, meat, and eggs. 
  • Support essential vitamin and mineral intake by eating a variety of minimally processed whole foods.

Note: if your body has trouble with healthy fats, it could indicate liver overload. Supporting liver function can help your body process fats efficiently, and you can learn more about this in our post about detox. 

For those who are struggling, healing, or focusing on specific nutrients, bioavailability matters. Not all foods or supplements provide nutrients in forms your body can easily use. Bioavailability depends on variables such as absorption cofactors, whether a nutrient is a precursor that needs to be converted, and the presence of anti-nutrient compounds that can reduce absorption. In general, animal foods contain nutrients in more bioavailable forms and naturally include absorption cofactors, while many plant sources provide precursors that require conversion and may contain anti-nutrients. If you follow a plant-based diet or are addressing deficiencies, paying attention to these considerations can make a meaningful difference. If you’re feeling healthy and symptom-free, there’s no need to stress every single nutrient intake.

• • Prioritize bioactive forms of nutrients when selecting foods and supplements that you may be struggling to get enough of.
  • Take note of absorption cofactors, for example: fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K, and pair with healthy fats for full efficacy. Other examples: D3K2, Iron+C, Magnesium+D.
  • Choose higher-quality animal products that support animal welfare: Pasture-raised, grass-fed, and regeneratively farmed animals produce more nutrient-dense, bioavailable foods due to their natural diets and healthier living conditions.
  • Choose soaked, sprouted, or fermented nuts, seeds, and legumes, or grind them to help break down protective shells, improving digestibility and nutrient absorption.