Trust Your Gut: A Holistic Guide to Digestive Healing

August 4, 2025

By Tarian | The Healing Ground Collective

Why Gut Health Matters

If your belly’s been bloated more days than not, if you're running to the bathroom one minute and backed up the next… if you’ve been feeling moody, foggy, tired, anxious, or inflamed — this one’s for you.

Because here's the truth: your gut is talking to you. And most of us have been taught to ignore it.

I spent years dealing with gut issues and didn’t even know that’s what it was. I just thought I was “sensitive,” had a “nervous stomach,” or was always in my feelings for no reason. Turns out, my belly was inflamed, my digestion was off, and my body had been sounding the alarm the whole time.

Your gut is more than just your stomach. It’s your second brain. It’s where you absorb nutrients, where 70%+ of your immune system lives, and where your body decides whether to fight, flow, or shut down. It's also where your intuition whispers — the "I don't know why, but something feels off" voice that we’ve been taught to doubt.

In this guide, I want to break it all down for you. We’ll go into:

What gut health actually is
How to know if your gut is screaming for help
The deep connection between your digestion and your mental health
How to start healing — with food, herbs, rituals, and rhythm

Whether you're dealing with gas and bloating, brain fog and anxiety, or just trying to figure out why your body feels “off”… this guide will help you reconnect to one of the most powerful systems in your body — your gut.

Because the truth is: when you start healing your gut, everything else starts falling into place. Skin clears up. Mood stabilizes. Cravings fade. Confidence returns.

And you finally get to feel safe in your body again.

What Is Gut Health, Really?

Gut health isn’t just about whether you’re regular or not. It’s about how your entire internal world is operating — from digestion to immunity to mood regulation and everything in between.

Your gut is made up of your entire digestive tract — from your mouth all the way to your colon — and it houses a powerful ecosystem called your microbiome. That’s a fancy word for the trillions of bacteria, fungi, and other microscopic organisms living in your gut, doing their thing 24/7.

Now, before you go “ew,” hear me out.

These little organisms are actually your friends. When balanced, your gut microbiome helps you:

Break down food
Absorb nutrients
Fight off pathogens
Produce vitamins
Regulate hormones
And even balance your mood

The issue? Most of us are walking around with a gut that’s been beat up by processed food, antibiotics, stress, birth control, sugar, and inflammatory oils. And when that ecosystem gets thrown off, it creates an internal war — one that shows up as everything from anxiety to acne to constant fatigue.

We don’t just want digestion — we want optimal digestion. That means:
Food is broken down easily
Nutrients are absorbed properly
Waste is eliminated consistently
The microbiome stays balanced and calm

Gut health is foundational. If the gut is off, you will feel it somewhere else in your body. Maybe it’s your skin. Maybe it’s your mood. Maybe it’s your ability to focus, sleep, or handle stress. Either way — the gut always tells on itself. You just have to know what to look for.

Signs Your Gut Might Be in Trouble

Your gut won’t always send you a big, dramatic signal that something’s wrong. Sometimes it’s subtle. Sometimes it shows up in places you wouldn’t expect — like your mood, your skin, or your sleep.

But make no mistake: when your gut’s out of balance, your body will start sounding the alarm. You just have to know how to listen.

Here are some of the most common signs of gut imbalance:

Digestive Symptoms

Bloating, especially after meals
Constipation or irregular bowel movements
Excessive gas or foul-smelling stool
Loose stools or diarrhea
Heartburn, indigestion, or acid reflux
Feeling overly full too quickly or not digesting food well

Mental and Emotional Symptoms

Brain fog or feeling “mentally heavy”
Anxiety or feeling on edge without clear reason
Mood swings, irritability, or depressive episodes
Chronic fatigue even after sleeping
Trouble focusing or staying present

Skin and Immune System Clues

Acne, eczema, or rashes that come and go
Frequent colds, infections, or feeling rundown
Allergy flare-ups or increased sensitivity
Puffy face, dark under-eye circles, or inflammation

Other Subtle Red Flags

Intense cravings, especially for sugar or carbs
Bad breath even with good hygiene
Undigested food in your stool
New or increasing food sensitivities
Joint pain or general body stiffness
Hormonal imbalance or irregular cycles

If two or more of these apply to you consistently, it’s time to take a closer look at your gut.

These symptoms aren’t just random. They’re your body’s way of trying to get your attention — and now that you know what to look for, you can finally start answering the call.

Gut Health Conditions You Should Know About

You don’t need a formal diagnosis to know something’s off. But it is helpful to understand some of the more common gut-related issues that many people are walking around with — often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

Here’s a breakdown of the most common gut conditions you might be dealing with (even if no one’s ever called it by name).

Leaky Gut Syndrome

When the lining of your intestines becomes too porous or "leaky," toxins, food particles, and bacteria can slip through and enter the bloodstream. This often leads to inflammation, immune reactions, food sensitivities, and a long list of seemingly unrelated symptoms — from brain fog to skin flare-ups.

IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)

IBS is more of a catch-all label than a root cause. It’s typically diagnosed when you have chronic digestive issues like cramping, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, or all of the above. Often triggered by stress, food sensitivities, or imbalance in the gut microbiome.

SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)

This is when bacteria that should be living in the large intestine start taking over the small intestine, where they don’t belong. It can lead to bloating, pain, and gas shortly after eating — especially carbs and fiber-rich foods.

Candida Overgrowth

Candida is a type of yeast that lives in your gut — and when it overgrows, it can lead to intense sugar cravings, fatigue, brain fog, recurring yeast infections, rashes, and more. It thrives on sugar and imbalance.

GERD (Acid Reflux)

A common condition where stomach acid flows back into the esophagus, causing heartburn, throat irritation, and a bitter taste in the mouth. Often tied to poor digestion, stress, or lack of stomach acid (yes — low acid, not high, in many cases).

Food Intolerances

Many people develop sensitivities to certain foods over time — especially gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, or corn. These don’t always show up on tests, but your body knows. Reactions may include bloating, fatigue, congestion, or skin issues hours or even days after eating.

These conditions don’t just show up overnight. They’re often the result of long-term stress, poor diet, toxin exposure, antibiotic use, or just never giving your gut a real chance to rest and repair.

The good news? Your body is always trying to heal. And now that you understand what might be going on beneath the surface, you can start supporting it — instead of silencing it.

The Gut-Brain Connection

They call the gut your “second brain,” but for some of us, it’s the first one that speaks up.

Your digestive system and your nervous system are directly connected — physically, chemically, and energetically. What happens in your gut doesn't stay there. It travels up the vagus nerve, sends signals to the brain, and influences how you think, feel, and show up in the world.

So if you’ve been trying to treat your mood but ignoring your gut, you're only getting half the picture.

Here’s what you need to know:

Your gut produces over 90% of your serotonin. That’s the neurotransmitter responsible for mood, focus, calm, and overall happiness. If your gut is off, your mood will be too.
Inflammation in the gut often leads to inflammation in the brain. That can look like anxiety, brain fog, depression, irritability, or emotional reactivity.
The vagus nerve is the literal highway between your brain and your belly. When your gut is inflamed or under stress, your brain gets the message. And when you're mentally stressed, your gut takes the hit too.
Trauma and chronic stress disrupt digestion. Many of us grew up eating under pressure, holding in our emotions, or surviving on processed food. All of that shows up in the gut — tightness, tension, and dysregulation.

This is why gut healing isn’t just about what you eat. It’s also about how you live, how you breathe, how you feel, and how safe your body feels moving through the world.

If you’ve ever felt:

Nervousness as nausea
Grief as stomach knots
Fear as constipation
Anxiety as diarrhea

That’s the gut-brain connection in action.

You’re not broken. You’re biologically wired for connection — and your body is asking you to reconnect.

How to Start Healing Your Gut

Gut healing isn’t a one-size-fits-all overnight miracle. It’s a process — but it’s also powerful. Once you start showing your gut some love, your whole body begins to shift.

And the beautiful part? You don’t need a dozen supplements or a fancy retreat to get started.
You just need consistency, awareness, and a willingness to simplify.

Start here:

1. Remove what’s harming you.
Before you add in the healing, remove the stressors. That means processed foods, refined sugars, inflammatory oils, and trigger foods like dairy or gluten if they bother you. You can’t heal if you’re still feeding the fire.

2. Eat slowly and chew your food.
It sounds too simple, but it’s real. Digestion starts in the mouth. When you rush meals or swallow half-chewed bites, your gut works harder than it has to. Slow down. Breathe. Let eating be a ritual, not a rush.

3. Hydrate — but do it right.
Water is essential, but it’s more effective when it’s mineral-rich. Try adding a pinch of sea salt or trace minerals to your water, sipping herbal teas, or starting your day with a warm ginger-lemon tonic. Hydration helps move waste out and keeps digestion flowing.

4. Add in gut-friendly foods.
We’ll go deeper in the next section, but fermented foods, fiber-rich fruits and veggies, and soothing herbs like ginger or chamomile can work wonders. Think nourishment, not restriction.

5. Balance your nervous system.
Your gut can’t heal if you’re constantly in fight or flight. Practice grounding: deep breathing, journaling, gentle stretching, time outside. Less stress = better digestion.

6. Support your gut lining.
Aloe vera, L-glutamine, bone broth (or mineral broths for plant-based folks), and marshmallow root are gentle ways to rebuild and protect the gut lining over time.

7. Get in tune with your body.
Start tracking how you feel after meals, how your digestion flows (or doesn’t), and what your body might be reacting to. Your gut is always speaking — journaling helps you hear it clearly.

You don’t have to do everything at once. You just have to start.

Pick one or two changes that feel doable this week. Show your gut a little extra love. Then build from there.

Small steps. Big healing.

Gut-Healing Foods to Add In

When it comes to gut health, food can either feed the inflammation… or help rebuild the balance.

Your job isn’t to eat “perfectly.” It’s to eat in a way that supports your body’s healing — and that starts with simple, whole ingredients that your gut can actually recognize.

Here are some of the best foods to gently bring your digestive system back into alignment:

Fermented and Cultured Foods

These foods contain natural probiotics that help restore good bacteria in your gut.

Sauerkraut (raw, not cooked)
Kimchi
Coconut yogurt (unsweetened, clean ingredients)
Miso
Tempeh
Kombucha (watch the sugar content)

Start small — a tablespoon or two a day is enough to make a difference.

Prebiotic-Rich Foods

Prebiotics are like food for your good gut bacteria. They help the good guys thrive.

Garlic
Onions
Leeks
Asparagus
Green bananas or plantains
Flaxseeds
Jerusalem artichokes
Sweet potatoes

You don’t need them all. Just start rotating a few of these into your meals each week.

Soothing and Anti-Inflammatory Foods

These foods help calm the gut lining and support digestion.

Ginger
Turmeric
Fennel
Slippery elm
Marshmallow root
Chamomile tea
Peppermint tea
Cooked root vegetables (carrots, beets, squash)

Many of these can be made into teas, blended into smoothies, or added to soups and broths.

Mineral-Rich Hydration

Gut healing needs water — but not just plain water. Minerals are key for proper absorption and regular elimination.

Cucumber juice
Coconut water (unsweetened)
Ginger-lemon water
Herbal teas (dandelion, nettle, peppermint, chamomile)
Warm broths (bone broth or veggie mineral broth)

Aim to hydrate consistently throughout the day, especially between meals.

Fiber from Whole Plant Foods

Gentle fiber helps move waste out and feeds healthy bacteria — just don’t overdo it if your gut is very sensitive.

Cooked greens
Squash
Berries
Apples (with skin, if tolerated)
Chia seeds and flaxseeds (soaked)

If raw veggies hurt your belly, try steaming or roasting instead.

This isn’t about cutting everything out. It’s about adding the right things in — slowly, mindfully, and with intention.

Your gut doesn’t need restriction.
It needs nourishment, rhythm, and consistency.

Foods That Disrupt Gut Health (Especially if You’re Sensitive)

Sometimes it’s not just about what you’re adding in — it’s about what you’re willing to let go of.

Gut healing means creating less work for your digestive system. If you're constantly feeding it things that inflame, confuse, or disrupt your natural balance, you're making the healing process harder than it needs to be.

Here are some of the most common foods and ingredients that can throw off your gut — especially if you already have signs of imbalance:

Refined Sugars

Sugar feeds the bad bacteria and yeast in your gut, which crowds out the good bacteria and leads to more inflammation, more cravings, and more symptoms.
This includes:

White sugar
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetened drinks and desserts
Most packaged snacks labeled “low-fat” or “sugar-free” (they usually swap one problem for another)

Artificial Sweeteners

Even if there’s no sugar, sweeteners like sucralose, aspartame, and saccharin can disrupt your microbiome and slow digestion.
If you need a sweetener, choose small amounts of raw honey, dates, maple syrup, or coconut sugar — and use them wisely.

Processed and Packaged Foods

Most shelf-stable foods are loaded with preservatives, dyes, artificial flavors, and oils that are hard on the gut.
Think:

Chips
Frozen meals
Cereals
Protein bars
Fast food
Flavored drinks

If you can’t recognize or pronounce the ingredients, your gut probably can’t either.

Industrial Seed Oils

These oils are often highly processed, stripped of nutrients, and known to trigger inflammation:

Canola oil
Soybean oil
Corn oil
Vegetable oil
Cottonseed oil

Swap them for healthier fats like olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil.

Gluten and Dairy (for some)

Not everyone needs to cut these out forever — but if your gut is inflamed, they’re worth removing for a few weeks to see how your body responds.

Gluten and dairy can be hard to break down, especially if your gut lining is damaged or your enzyme levels are low. This might look like bloating, skin issues, sinus congestion, fatigue, or brain fog after eating.

Alcohol and Excess Caffeine

These two are often the hardest to let go of — but they can irritate the gut lining, dehydrate the body, throw off blood sugar, and slow your healing.

If you’re in an active healing phase, consider limiting or pausing both and replacing them with herbal teas, infused water, or healing tonics.

Gut healing is not about being “perfect” or obsessing over every bite.
It’s about tuning in to what feels good in your body — not just in the moment, but in the hours and days that follow.

Less inflammation. More intuition.

Holistic Add-Ons: Rituals and Remedies for Gut Healing

Food is foundational, but healing doesn’t stop in the kitchen. Your gut responds just as much to your nervous system and daily rhythm as it does to what’s on your plate.

This is where you get to anchor into small, sacred routines — the things that don’t just support your gut physically, but help your body feel safe, grounded, and in flow.

Here are some simple, powerful tools you can add into your routine to support deeper gut healing:

Herbal Teas for Digestion

Warm teas are one of the gentlest ways to soothe your gut throughout the day. Some of our favorites:

Peppermint – eases gas, bloating, and cramping
Fennel seed – supports motility and reduces digestive discomfort
Chamomile – calms the nervous system and the belly
Ginger – stimulates digestion and reduces nausea
Dandelion root – supports liver and bile production for smoother digestion

Sip slowly, ideally between meals. Let it be a moment of stillness.

Morning Healing Tonics

Start your day with intention — and hydration.

Ginger-lemon water (add cayenne or apple cider vinegar for extra kick)
Aloe vera water (1–2 tbsp in water, for gut lining support)
Mineral-rich water (pinch of sea salt + a squeeze of lemon)

This isn’t about “detoxing.” It’s about setting the tone for your digestion and energy from the moment you wake up.

Digestive Bitters or Enzyme Support

If you struggle to digest meals or feel heavy after eating, digestive bitters before meals can be a game changer. A few drops on the tongue 15–20 minutes before eating helps stimulate digestive juices and enzyme production naturally.

You can also support with plant-based digestive enzymes if needed — especially for folks healing from long-term gut imbalance.

Belly Massage & Castor Oil Packs

Gentle abdominal massage (clockwise direction) can help stimulate the colon and release stored tension. Castor oil packs over the belly or liver area can reduce inflammation and support detoxification. This is especially helpful in the evening or before bed.

Breathwork and Grounding

Your gut cannot heal in a constant state of fight-or-flight.
Even a few minutes of deep breathing, grounding your feet to the earth, or placing your hands over your belly and just being present with yourself can shift your body into rest-and-digest mode.

Journaling Your Gut Responses

Keep a food and symptom journal — but also write about what’s coming up emotionally with certain foods, people, or stressors. Gut healing is often emotional healing. The two are deeply connected.

Healing the gut isn’t just about elimination. It’s about reconnection.
To your food. To your breath. To your rhythms. To yourself.

Final Thoughts: Trust the Wisdom of Your Gut

Your gut is not broken. It’s just been trying to keep up.

Through years of stress, processed food, survival mode, medical gaslighting, and not enough time to breathe — it has done everything it could to protect you, alert you, and carry you.

Now… it’s time to return the favor.

Gut healing isn’t about being perfect. It’s about coming back to center.
It’s about listening when your body whispers, instead of waiting for it to scream.
It’s about learning to nourish instead of numb.
To regulate instead of restrict.
To feel safe in your body again — from the inside out.

At The Healing Ground Collective, we believe your gut healing journey is sacred. That’s why we’ve created resources and remedies to help you move with clarity, intention, and ease.

Explore Our Holistic Gut-Support Tools:

Food Mood Journal – A 7-day Diary for Mindful Eating, Emotional Clarity + Holistic Reset & BONUS MATERIAL INSIDE!
The Holistic Nutrition + Weight Loss Guide – 28 pages of gut-friendly meals, tips, and recipes for feeling light, strong, and in sync.
CraveCTRL – A plant-powered capsule to help reduce sugar cravings, support blood sugar, and retrain your palate.
Green Glow Gut Cleanse Elixir – A gentle gut reset with organic soursop, green papaya, & pineapple for hydration, and nourishment for lasting balance.
Sweet Red Slim Tea – Our bestselling tea blend to support regularity, reduce bloating, and get things moving naturally
Metabolistic Fire Elixir – A bold, spicy tonic to awaken digestion, rev up metabolism, and help your body eliminate waste more efficiently
The Gut Reset Method™ – 7 Days, 7 Habits to Heal Your Gut & Slim Your Waist — a free mini-program to calm bloating, crush cravings, and kickstart weight loss naturally.

All crafted with intention. All rooted in love.

Explore the full collection and find what feels aligned at:
👉🏾 www.thehealingground.co

Healing your gut is an act of liberation.
A return to self.
And you don’t have to do it alone.

You are not too far gone. You are right on time.

Let your healing begin.