10 Ways to Reset your Gut Health

In this article, we will explore in detail 10 Ways to Reset your Gut Health. Ever feel puffed up after meals or feel low in energy? Your gut might be yelling at you. As a health writer who’s interviewed many nutritionists (and struggled in silence from IBS for 10 years, I confess) I’ve discovered resetting your gut isn’t about trend fixes about ditching bad and embracing good. So, let’s dive into 10 actionable ways to reboot your gut health, from the foods to avoid to the good sips.

Ditch the Worst Foods for Gut Health

Your gut microbiota are a finicky garden healthy and balanced if nourished and starved if subjected to toxins. Process foods, junk foods, and manmade additives put the good and bad bacteria in chaos, leading to discomfort, energy, and in the worst case, inflammation. A research by Nature (2023) sets the record straight in the sense that poor diet could annihilate microbial diversity by 40% and make your gut weaker to disease.

The key to removing the most offending foods first. It's the same principle you use to pull the weeds so the flowers can grow. I see dramatic digestive improvement in weeks in the clients I see by simply cutting the worst foods from the list below. Ready to clean the pantry and the rest of the kitchen, too?

1. Processed Snacks & Sugary Treats 

Processed snacks, including cookies, candy, and chips, are the archenemies of gut health. Full of refined sugars, detrimental fats, and additives, they fuel bad bacteria, including the inflammation- and leaky gut-inducing bacteria, harmful bacteria Clostridia. A 2023 Cell Reports research found that eating foods high in sugar reduces the counts of Bifidobacteria, the keystone bacteria linked to gut barrier function.

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But it’s not only about sugar processed foods are also low in fiber, the fuel source for good gut bacteria. Without the fuel, your good bacteria are starved, and the bad bacteria are fed. I had a client who substituted her daily candy bar at lunchtime with a handful of nuts and some blueberries. Within a month, her bloating stopped, and her energy improved.

What to Do Instead

• Choose whole food snack foods, including apple slices and almond butter.
• Craving crunch? Opt for roasted chickpeas or kale chips.
• Read labels: Avoid anything marked "hydrogenated oils" or "high-fructose corn syrup."

2. Artificial Sweeteners

That diet soda may be harmless, but the artificial sweeteners, including aspartame and sucralose, are toxic to your microbiome. A 2022 landmark paper in the journal Gut discovered the additives to alter gut bacteria in ways to cause glucose intolerance, a stepping-stone to developing diabetes. 

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I’ve seen others experience years of inexplicable bloating and gas, only to finally discover the offending party to be the “sugar-free” gum and the protein bars. A woman went off the foods containing the aspartame and found her IBS improved by 70% in only two weeks.

What to Do Instead

• Sweeten drinks by adding a splash of honey in the raw (in moderation)
• Opt for stevia or monk fruit those are kinder to the gut.
• Train your palate: Gradually remove sweetness to reset taste.

3. Fried & Greasy Foods 

Fried chicken, french fries, and other greasy foods are bad for the waist, and worse, bad for the gut. The foods are also loaded in saturated fats, and Harvard Health correlates them to decreased Bifidobacteria and inflammation. The cooking also yields toxic chemicals like acrylamide, which kills the gut lining.

A client I had adored his regular fast food diet but complained about having frequent heartburn. After he switched to air-fried sweet potato fries and grilled chicken, his digestive function returned to normal in a month.

What to Do Instead

• Bake or air-cool foods in olive or avocado oil.
• Add anti-inflammatory foods, including turmeric, to meals.
• Swap fries for roasted Brussels sprouts or zucchini.

4. Processed Meats

Bacon, sausages, and deli meat are convenient foods, but the effect they have on gut health is anything other than wholesome. The foods are stuffed with nitrates, nitrites, and preservatives such as sodium benzoate, and research in the Journal of Gastroenterology (2021) connects them to the overgrowth in the gut of harmful bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. Processed meat also comes loaded with heme iron, which encourages oxidative damage in the gut lining.

One client, a working mother, relied on turkey sandwiches to carry her through lunch. After switching to chicken or chickpea salad, her cramps decreased in frequency and her regularity improved. “I didn’t pay any attention to how the deli slices were affecting me until I eliminated them,”

What to Do Instead

• Choose fresh, whole foods like chicken, fish, and tofu.
• Make DIY vegetable burgers from quinoa and black beans.
• If you crave smoky flavors, try nitrate-free turkey bacon (sparingly).

5. Excessive Alcohol

A glass of wine during dinner, possibly, but regular heavy drinking, less so. Heavy drinking upsets the gut, allowing toxins to move through into the bloodstream a condition so termed “leaky gut." A 2020 study by Alcohol Research suggests long-term drinking reduces the counts of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium and encourages pro-inflammatory bacteria.

I’ve worked with clients who went from nightly drinking to 1–2 nights a week and found considerable improvement. A man who replaced his after-work beer with sparkling water and a splash of lime found less acid reflux in just a few days.

What to Do Instead

• Limit alcohol to 1–2 alcoholic drinks a week.
• Try gut-friendly mocktails created from fresh mint, muddled berries, and kombucha.
• Hydrate with herbal teas, including chamomile and peppermint.

Sip These Gut Health Drinks Daily 

Your gut isn't just about what you are consuming your gut also relies on what you are drinking. The right beverages hydrate, repair, and repopulate your microbiome with healthful bacteria. From anti-inflammatory teas to fermented tonics, the below are three gut health drinks to incorporate into your life.

6. Kombucha or Kefir 

Kombucha (fermented tea) and kefir (fermented milk) are probiotic superfoods. A 2021 study in the journal Nutrients found consuming kefir daily added 25% to gut microbial diversity in just four weeks. The drinks contain strains like Lactobacillus kefiri, which are anti-microbial and support the gut lining.

I recommend starting slow too much initially can cause you to become bloated. A colleague at the office started at ¼ cup a day and worked her up to a whole glass. Her long-term constipation improved in a month.

How to Use

• Drink 4–6 ounces kefir or kombucha in the morning.
• Opt for the low-sugar varieties (below 5g per serving).
• DIY tip: Brew your own kombucha at home to gain the most probiotic benefit.

7. Bone Broth 

Grandma was onto something, because bone broth is brimming in collagen, gelatin, and the amino acid glutamine all of them repair the gut lining. A 2017 clinical study in Clinical Nutrition determined glutamine supplementation decreased the gut's permeability in IBS sufferers.

One of my patients consumed bone broth daily throughout antibiotic use. "It felt like a hug in the tummy," she stated. Her diarrhea stopped in 10 days.

How to Use

• Simmer bones (beef, chicken, or fish) in apple cider vinegar 24–12 hours.
• Add a pinch of sea salt and turmeric to offer some added anti-inflammatory support.
• Drink 1 cup warm, if available, before meals.

8. Ginger Turmeric Tea

Ginger and turmeric are pantry heroes, and also gut-healers. Ginger gets the digestive juices going and fights off nausea, and the active compound in turmeric, curcumin, stimulates Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus. A 2022 trial in Phytotherapy Research discovered that drinking daily turmeric tea eliminated 80% of participants' bloating.

I start every morning with a mug of this golden brew. After a month, my post-meal discomfort dropped significantly.

How to Do It

• Steep 1 teaspoon ground ginger and ½ teaspoon ground turmeric in warm water for 5 minutes.
• Add a sprinkle of black pepper to increase the absorption of curcumin.
• Sweeten with a spoonful of honey if required.

Habits That Transform Your Gut

Gut health isn't just about diet its about a lifestyle. Small, everyday habits are what build and sustain the microbiome. This is how to make gut-friendly choices into second nature.

9. Eat 30+ Plant Foods Weekly 

Diversity is the spice of life and the key to a resilient gut. A 2018 American Gut Project research study found individuals who ate 30+ varieties a week had significantly diverse microbiomes than individuals who ate 10 and less. Plants provide you polyphenols, fiber, and prebiotics to fuel good bacteria.

Don’t overcomplicate. Herbs, nuts, and spices, and seeds are all covered. A client I worked with tracked her foods and discovered she already ate 25 plants a week adding a handful a day of mixed nuts and mixing up her greens put her at 35.

How to start:

• Mix 3+ vegetables into meals (e.g., into grain bowls or into stir-fries).
• Snack on nuts, seed, and dried fruit.
• Experiment with new fresh herbs, including cilantro and dill.

10. Manage Stress

Your gut and brain are communicating through the gut-brain axis. Stress episodes continually flood cortisol into your body, slowing the digestive tract and annihilating good bacteria. A 2019 Psychosomatic Medicine study linked frequent meditation to higher levels of Akkermansia, a bacterium linked to gut integrity.

I advise them to start off by starting micro-practices. A stressed-out dad did 2 minutes' breathing at traffic lights and his acid reflux improved in just 2 weeks.

How to start:

• Practice 4-7-8 breathing: Breathe in 4, hold 7, and breathe out 8.
• Try yoga nidra (guided "sleep meditation") at night.
• Laugh more! Laughter stimulates gut-friendly serotonin.

FAQs 

Q: Can I ever resume eating the junk food I love?

 A: Occasional indulgences are okay. The 80/20 rule emphasis on whole foods most of the day. 

Q: Do I require costly supplements? 

A: Not necessarily. Prioritize whole foods first. Supplements of probiotics are okay, but see a dietitian. 

Q: Is apple vinegar good for the gut health 

A: Yes! Take 1 tbsp in water before meals to support digestive function. Avoid if you suffer from acid reflux. 

Conclusion: 

Resetting your gut isn't something you rush, it's something you undertake. Start by eliminating the worst gut-killer foods, sipping restorative drinks like bone broth, and incorporating practices to soothe your nervous system. Don't forget, small changes like swapping soda for kombucha add up.