How Do I Improve My Gut Health?

The answer might surprise you...

Welcome to the Gut Honest Truth blog where a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner gives you digestible information to tackle your chronic health concerns.

That's me, Katie Morra; and in this blog I'm going to break down what gut health actually means, what the research says, and the most impactful things you can do to support yours.

Side note — If you want an even deeper dive into understanding and resolving gut symptoms, check out my How to Get Rid of Your IBS e-book. It covers food sensitivities, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and how to get to the root of gut dysfunction.

And as always, working one-on-one for your specific needs is always our top recommendation, check out our appointment options to get started with one of our licensed health care professionals today.

What Is the Gut Microbiome?

The microbiome is the vast community of bacteria, yeast, parasites, and viruses that live within the gastrointestinal tract — harmoniously, or not so harmoniously. It is the most studied and most diverse biome humans have.

The idea that all bacteria is "bad" is outdated. Research increasingly shows a deeply symbiotic relationship between the commensal bacteria in your gut and virtually every system in your body. Your gut microbiota influence digestion and nutrient absorption, immune function, cognitive health, mood, and even the development of conditions like eczema, asthma, and allergies.

Your microbiome is sensitive to diet, lifestyle, stress, and exercise — which means you have meaningful influence over it.

Gut Health 101: Some Facts Worth Knowing

• The digestive tract is roughly 15 feet long from mouth to anus, involving the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, rectum, and anus — plus the accessory organs: liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and salivary glands

• The gut microbiome contains approximately 100 trillion microorganisms

• About 70% of the immune system lives in the gut

• The enteric nervous system (ENS) — a specialized branch of the nervous system specific to the digestive tract — communicates bidirectionally with the brain. This is the gut-brain axis, and it explains why gut dysfunction and mental health are so often intertwined

• Peristalsis — the wave-like contractions that move food through the GI tract — is directly affected by stress, thyroid function, hydration, and gut infections

• Your stool and digestive symptoms give us a real-time snapshot of your hydration, diet, and overall health — which is exactly why we take them seriously at GHT

What "Gut Health" Actually Means

The microbiome refers specifically to the microorganisms living in your GI tract. "Gut health" is a broader term for how well that system is functioning for you as a whole — proper digestion, nutrient absorption and synthesis, defense against pathogens, and maintenance of the intestinal lining.

Optimal gut health means your body can adapt to stressors, absorb what it needs, keep out what it doesn't, and support metabolic and immune function efficiently. A lot of that depends on the symbiotic relationship between you and your gut bacteria — and it's influenced by your diet, movement, sleep, and stress load every single day.

What the Research Says

The microbiome field is still in its relative infancy, but a few things are consistently supported in the literature:

Fiber is the single most impactful dietary lever for gut health. It serves as the fuel source for beneficial gut bacteria, influences microbiome diversity, and supports blood sugar control, cholesterol, cardiac health, and bowel regularity.

Most people don't get nearly enough of it.

Types of fiber:

• Soluble fiber (dissolves in water) — forms a gel that slows digestion, lowers blood cholesterol and glucose. Found in oats, peas, beans, apples, carrots, barley, and psyllium husk.

• Insoluble fiber (doesn't dissolve in water) — adds bulk to stool and promotes movement through the digestive tract. Found in whole grains, wheat bran, nuts, beans, and vegetables.

The current recommendation is 15g of fiber per 1,000 calories consumed. Most Americans get far less than this.

Two important rules for increasing fiber:

1. Increase fluids first — fiber without adequate water can worsen constipation

2. Increase slowly — add only 2-3g per day per week to avoid GI discomfort

Do You Need Supplements for Gut Health?

There's no shortage of supplements promising to fix your gut. Probiotics are the most common example — and in theory, adding beneficial bacteria makes sense. But the research on generalized probiotic use is actually fairly limited. Most of the evidence is condition-specific, meaning a probiotic that helps one person may not help another — and some people actually feel worse on them.

The same goes for most gut health supplements. There's a time and place for targeted supplementation, but it should be based on what's actually going on in your gut — not just added in the hope it helps.

If you're dealing with persistent symptoms, the question isn't which supplement to add. It's what's actually driving the dysfunction. That requires testing — not guessing.

5 Foundational Gut Health Habits

Before any supplement protocol, these are the habits that move the needle most:

1. Eating hygiene Chew slowly. Don't eat in the car, under stress, or while scrolling your phone. Your body cannot properly digest food in a sympathetic (fight-or-flight) state — blood flow literally diverts away from your gut when you're stressed. Even 5-10 minutes of calm before a meal makes a measurable difference.

2. Eat the rainbow Different colored foods have different nutrient profiles and feed different strains of gut bacteria. The more variety, the more diverse your microbiome. Aim for as many different colors per week as possible — not just more of the same few vegetables.

3. Manage stress actively Chronic stress is one of the most underaddressed drivers of gut dysfunction. Deep breathing, vagal nerve toning, and intentional parasympathetic practices (even walking, journaling, or sitting in silence) directly affect gut motility, stomach acid production, and microbiome balance.

4. Move your body daily Physical movement supports gut motility and microbiome diversity. Find something you can commit to consistently — it doesn't have to be intense.

5. Prioritize fiber Aim for 25-35g of fiber per day, increasing slowly and alongside adequate fluid intake.

When the Basics Aren't Enough

If you've spent real time on all of the above and still aren't symptom-free, the issue is almost certainly something that lifestyle changes alone can't address — a gut infection like H. pylori, SIBO, candida, or parasites; low digestive output; food sensitivities; or a combination of several of these together.

This is where functional testing becomes invaluable. A GI-MAP stool test can reveal what's actually present in your gut — pathogens, bacterial imbalances, digestive markers, and inflammatory signals — so that any protocol is targeted to what you actually need, not what sounds good on paper.

Schedule a free discovery call with our team here.