5 signs your gut is imbalanced and how to fix it

Your gut does more than just digest food—it plays a key role in regulating your immune system, mood, energy levels, and even skin health. When your gut is imbalanced, the ripple effects can show up in unexpected and frustrating ways. Your gut isn't Las Vegas. 

If you're dealing with persistent symptoms like bloating, fatigue, or mood swings, it's time to consider whether your gut might be the underlying issue. In this post, I’ll break down five common signs of gut imbalance, the potential causes, and practical steps to start healing.

1. Persistent Bloating

Bloating isn’t just uncomfortable—it’s a clear sign that your digestive system isn’t functioning optimally. This can be caused by dysbiosis (an imbalance of good and bad gut bacteria), low stomach acid, food sensitivities, or Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO).

When your gut microbiome is out of balance, food may not break down properly, leading to gas, bloating, and even pain.

How to Address It:

• Functional Testing: Tests like the GI-MAP or SIBO breath test can pinpoint the cause of bloating.
• Support Digestion: Add digestive aids like ginger tea or digestive bitters before meals.
• Gut-Friendly Foods: Focus on cooked vegetables, fermented foods, and lean protein to soothe your gut.

Example: If SIBO is the issue, a low-FODMAP diet combined with antimicrobial treatment may be necessary. Functional lab testing can guide this approach.

👉 Schedule a complimentary call to find out if testing could help uncover the cause of your bloating.

2. Irregular Digestion (Constipation or Diarrhea)

Do you feel "off" when it comes to your bowel movements? Chronic constipation or diarrhea can signal deeper gut health issues like motility problems, inflammation, or enzyme deficiencies. A balanced gut microbiome plays a key role in regulating digestion, so when it's disrupted, your entire digestive system can falter.

How to Address It:

• Hydration and Fiber: Ensure you're drinking plenty of water and eating high-fiber foods like flaxseeds and leafy greens. You need both soluble and insoluble fiber - one helps to bulk stool up and the other helps to pass it along. You should aim for at least 35g of fiber per day - start slow when you're introducing it to keep from having more bloating or constipation.
• Probiotics: Introduce probiotics (from supplements or fermented foods) to balance gut bacteria.
• Nervous System Support: Stress impacts digestion significantly. Try mindfulness techniques, yoga, or breathwork.

Functional Medicine Insight: Testing for parasites, dysbiosis, or inflammatory markers can help uncover what’s driving these symptoms.

3. Low Energy Levels and Brain Fog

Your gut is responsible for absorbing the nutrients that fuel your body and brain. If your gut lining is inflamed or "leaky," you might not be absorbing nutrients like iron, B12, or magnesium effectively. This can leave you feeling constantly tired or struggling with brain fog.

How to Address It:

• Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Focus on whole foods like wild-caught salmon, turmeric, avocados, and berries to reduce inflammation.
• Check Nutrient Levels: Testing for deficiencies can identify where support is needed.
• Repair Gut Lining: Include gut-healing nutrients like L-glutamine, collagen, and zinc carnosine.

Pro Tip: Chronic gut issues can also impact mitochondrial health—the "energy factories" of your cells—leading to fatigue. Addressing gut health can restore your energy.

4. Anxiety and Mood Swings

Did you know that your gut produces around 90% of your body's serotonin? This neurotransmitter helps regulate mood, and when your gut is out of balance, your mood can suffer. Gut issues like dysbiosis or inflammation can disrupt the gut-brain axis, leading to symptoms of anxiety, mood swings, or even depression.

How to Address It:

• Support Your Nervous System: Try daily practices like meditation, vagus nerve stimulation, or journaling.
• Feed Your Gut Microbiome: Prebiotic-rich foods (asparagus, onions, garlic) and probiotic supplements can help.
• Lower Inflammation: Avoid processed foods and sugars, which can worsen gut and brain inflammation.

Why It Matters: Chronic stress also feeds into this cycle, as it negatively impacts gut motility and microbiome diversity. Reducing stress is critical for gut-brain balance.

👉 Explore how a personalized gut-brain protocol can improve your mood—schedule your call today.

5. Frequent Food Sensitivities

If you suddenly can’t tolerate foods you used to enjoy, your gut may be struggling with leaky gut syndrome. This occurs when the lining of the intestines becomes permeable, allowing food particles to escape into the bloodstream and triggering immune responses. Over time, this can lead to more sensitivities and systemic inflammation and autoimmune issues.

How to Address It:

• Start an Elimination Diet: Remove common triggers like gluten, dairy, soy, and sugar to see if symptoms improve.
• Heal the Gut Lining: Use targeted nutrients like L-glutamine, slippery elm, and aloe vera to repair damage.
• Reduce Inflammatory Foods: Swap processed and fried foods for whole, nutrient-dense options.

Long-Term Solution: Once your gut is healed, food sensitivities often decrease or disappear entirely. Functional lab testing can help confirm triggers and guide the healing process.

Why Gut Health Matters

An imbalanced gut isn’t just a minor inconvenience—it’s often the root cause of chronic health issues that can affect your quality of life. From energy levels and mood to digestion and immune function, your gut is the foundation of your well-being.

What’s Next?

You don’t have to continue feeling this way. With functional lab testing, personalized protocols, and expert guidance, you can get to the root of your gut health struggles and find real solutions.

👉 Schedule a complimentary call today to uncover the root of your symptoms and take the first step toward lasting health.

Together, we’ll create a plan tailored to your needs, so you can reclaim your energy, calm your mind, and feel like yourself again. You deserve answers—and I’m here to help you find them. 🌿