“How do I boost my gut health without taking a bunch of supplements?”

Sound familiar? It’s a question I frequently get asked.

Here’s 3 quick tips to address that question-> 

• Fermented foods
• A diverse diet - rich in high quality fruits & veggies
• Run a GI Map test and discover what supplements your unique gut will respond best too 

Fermented foods have been around for thousands of years and are slowly making a comeback. Kombucha seems to be leading the charge with the fizz stacked in rows in grocery stores, gas stations, and even bars. Believe it or not, kombucha is extremely easy to brew. I’ve been brewing for almost a year and have created flavors ranging from earthly herb to fruity pebbles. 

Tempeh is another fermented food I enjoy because it’s so versatile. Traditional tempeh is fermented soybeans. During the fermentation process acids are processed which control gut compromising pathogens like salmonella. (Hutchins 1995)...

Years of painful skin dermatitis on my hands was one of my first signs of poor gut health. Years of over the counter and prescription steroid creams never worked and left me feeling like my raw, irritated hands was something I’d have to deal with for life. Little did I know my dermatitis would disappear after I balanced my gut bacteria and rebuilt my gut lining. 

Before I was certified I didn’t realize the strong connection between the gut and skin. Now I understand that skin can be negatively impacted by poor gut health, chemicals, makeup, junk foods, stress, and more. These variables can cause many side effects, including acne, dryness, red marks, and even wrinkles.  

The skincare industry has us by every “wrinkle, cellulite bump, pimple, and dark spot.” It is a multi billion dollar industry with new potions coming on the market faster than my kids can run to the ice cream truck. The probiotic-packed skincare position even started cropping up...

Oops! You received an email from me earlier this week welcoming you to my Gut Revival program. This was an accident. I was trying to multitask at 6:35am and my brain wasn’t working yet!

So I thought I would send you one of my favorite gut friendly protein bar recipes from the Gut Revival Recipe book. This recipe is perfect for summer as it contains the aromatic zesty punch of lemon and may help to relieve you from the burger & beer belly bloat.

Lemon is a potent antioxidant which helps to reduce gut inflammation and boost the immune system. Lemon is also a natural antimicrobial which helps to balance gut bacteria reducing the chances of wearing spanx under your swimsuit.  

Lemon Sesame Cacao Bars

Makes about 10 bars

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

½ cup raw cacao nibs

3 tablespoons sunbutter

1 tablespoon melted coconut oil

1 cup sesame seeds

1 tablespoon lemon zest

8 pitted Medjool dates (soak for about 30 min if hard)

cup shredded...

The gut-skin connection. 

How much attention do you give your skin?

The money you pour into ageless potions and lotions adds up. I get it, I used to have a cabinet dedicated to my fountain of youth potions. 

It wasn’t until I focused on reviving my poor gut health did I start reducing the amount of products I lathered on my body. 

One key element I’ve learned in my gut health research is it’s not only about what you eat, but rather what you absorb. This comes to both skin and digestion. When you have a healthy gut you will obtain the skin-supporting nutrients vitamins A, C, E, K2, B3, B5 along with the minerals selenium, zinc, silica and sulfur and omega-3 fats.

The products you absorb through your skin also directly affect your microbiome. Personal care product effects last for weeks and produce highly individualized responses, including alterations in steroid and pheromone levels and in bacterial and archaeal ecosystem structure and dynamics. (1)

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If you’re tired of dealing with your gut health conditions - gas, bloat, stomach pain, food sensitivities, brain fog, low immunity, aches & pains….the list is lengthy my friend and you’re feeling really confused on where to start here my top 4 places to focus. 

1. Get Your Gut Moving!

Your GI tract is the primary way your body gets rid of metabolic wastes and dangerous chemicals. If you are constipated, you are essentially poisoning yourself as the toxins are recirculating back into your body. Studies show that being constipated changes what microbes are dominant in your gut. (1) The microbes associated with pathogenic diseases take over your GI tract and release toxins. Get this drainage pathway moving regularly. This might even help you lose a few of those stubborn pounds!

2. Make Sure Your Liver Bile Duct Is Open

The liver bile duct is another drainage pathway you should keep flowing. One function of healthy gut bacteria is to take your bile salts and...

Salad - if you follow me on Instagram you know I’m a fan of #bigasssalads. A bowl full of leafy greens, a simple protein, and healthy fat makes for a balanced lunch. But, when it comes to feeding your healthy gut bacteria, diversity is crucial in your diet. 

There are different species of gut bacteria and each have different functions. If you continue to only feed one type of species your gut may become overpopulated with a certain species. Overpopulation of any species can lead to gut dysbiosis. Getting a variety of different types of fiber into the diet increases the growth of healthy bacteria species and increases production of beneficial byproducts. 

Roots like carrots, sweet potatoes, and turnips, are a rich source of nutritious complex carbohydrates. Instead of upsetting blood sugar levels like refined sweet foods do, they help regulate them. They are especially rich in soluble and insoluble fibre, which helps to boost the health of gut bacteria (1)

Why Eat...

In 2012 I started my gut restoration process and since 2019, I’ve helped countless of clients balance their gut health so they can reduce their chronic symptoms and feel “normal.” Because I get it, eating “different,” running to the bathroom in inappropriate times, or hiding the stomach bloat makes you feel embarrassed and like an outcast.    

To support your self-care efforts here are 3 steps in reviving your gut health naturally:

1) Chisel away your hidden stressors

Chronic stress on the gut is catabolic, it breaks the body down. Mental stress can promote consumption of highly palatable foods, influencing which gut bacteria thrive. Additionally, stress can reshape the gut bacteria’s composition through stress hormones, inflammation, and autonomic alterations. [1] Stress can also inflame or damage the microvilli which causes malabsorption.

Most often your current lifestyle activities are the root cause of poor gut health. By...

Reset, Detox, Elimination, Fastening, Cleanse, Diet, 

Depending on your state of health a “detox” can be helpful or harmful.

In our modern world of bleach wipes, whole foods genetically grown to resemble supersize, and convenient process food laced with chemicals to support our 100 mph face paced lifestyle, you are exposed to harmful toxins which can clog the body.

Your body was built to naturally detox harmful toxins. Unless you’re living in a secluded area and eating off a soil rich land your body is overexposed to levels of toxins. Things like chemicals, heavy metals, mold mycotoxins, environmental pollutants, pesticides, and more sneak into your life like a toddler at 2am

Your detoxification organs – the liver, kidneys, digestive system, skin, and lungs were designed to suck up toxic waste. Think of them like a vacuum cleaner. When your vacuum is clogged with potato chip crumbs and breakfast leftovers its efficiency rate is extremely low. 

When...

With warmer weather comes the annoyance of lathering up your squirmy kid with sunscreen. As a parent you understand the sunscreen battle is worth the fight vs. a sunburnt crying kid.

The skin is the largest organ of the body. One of the main functions of the skin is protection. It protects the body from external factors such as bacteria, chemicals, and temperature. (1) The gut lining is similar to the skin expect it’s the body’s internal layer of skin – aka 2^nd skin.

As you consume items like whole food, processed crap (PC), chemicals, additives, medication, etc. it takes a journey along the digestive system and ends up in your gut. Once in your gut these items encounter your gut barrier (aka 2^nd skin). The gut barrier consists of one cell layer between the gut content, and your immune system and bloodstream. A healthy gut should be permeable enough to absorb nutrients, while keeping the food, bacteria, other microbes, and their components inside the gut. (2)

Do you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up because you finally fell asleep?!

As a stressed out Super WoMOM, it’s difficult to shut down the brain. All you want to do is sleep, but your body refuses to get into the Zen Zone. You toss and turn, annoy the hell out of your spouse, or sometimes rack 3,000 steps while under the covers!

Most of us rely on over-the-counter melatonin to catch our Zzzz’s, so much that our society is immune to its effectiveness.

Melatonin is a hormone in your body that is responsible for regulating your sleep cycles and helping your sleep wake cycle. Your pineal gland and gut are responsible for producing that melatonin. The gut contains at least 400 times more melatonin than the pineal gland. (1) When I see low melatonin levels on a client’s stress hormone panel test it’s an immediate clue about their gut health as deficiency in melatonin have been linked to increase permeability of the gut.  

Fun fact: You...