6 SIGNS YOU MAY HAVE AN UNHEALTHY GUT
Do You Have an Unhealthy Gut? 6 Common Signs to
Watch For
Your gut health plays a crucial role in overall well-being, from digestion to hormone balance and even mental health. When gut function is compromised, it can lead to symptoms throughout the body and mind.
As a Functional Nutritionist, I help clients heal their gut to achieve optimal wellness, especially women with endometriosis and adenomyosis. In this blog, I’ll walk you through six common signs of an unhealthy gut and how to restore balance.
Sign #1: Digestive Troubles
One of the most obvious signs of poor gut health is ongoing digestive issues, such as:
✔ Bloating, gas, and abdominal cramps
✔ Constipation and/or diarrhea
✔ Nausea and vomiting
✔ Heartburn and acid reflux
✔ Undigested food in stool
If you regularly experience these symptoms, it likely indicates inflammation, infection, or an imbalance in your gut. Pay attention to changes in stool consistency, pain levels, or nausea, as they can signal underlying issues.
Keeping a symptom journal can help identify triggers and patterns in your digestive health.
Sign #2: Food Intolerances
Have you developed sensitivities to foods you once ate without a problem? This could be a sign of leaky gut, where increased intestinal permeability allows food particles to enter the bloodstream and trigger immune reactions.
Common intolerances include:
❌ Dairy
❌ Gluten
❌ Eggs, soy, corn, and nuts
❌ Nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, etc.)
Symptoms of food intolerances may include:
✔ Bloating and digestive discomfort
✔ Fatigue and brain fog
✔ Joint pain and skin reactions
Eliminating trigger foods and supporting gut healing can restore tolerance over time.
Sign #3: Skin Conditions
Many chronic skin issues originate from gut imbalances. Conditions like:
✔ Acne
✔ Eczema
✔ Psoriasis
✔ Rosacea
...can be driven by inflammation and toxins in the gut. The gut-skin axis means that poor digestion, food intolerances, and microbial imbalances can reflect directly on your skin.
To improve skin from the inside out:
✔ Avoid inflammatory foods
✔ Eat gut-healing foods like collagen, slippery elm, and colostrum
✔ Lower stress – high cortisol can weaken the gut barrier
A healthy gut equals clear, glowing skin!
Sign #4: Nutritional Deficiencies
Poor gut health reduces your ability to digest and absorb essential nutrients, leading to:
⚠ Chronic fatigue
⚠ Brain fog
⚠ Frequent illnesses
⚠ Hair loss or brittle nails
Deficiencies in B vitamins, magnesium, iron, and omega-3s are common. A compromised gut can also impact protein and fatty acid absorption, affecting hormonal balance and immune function.
To restore nutrient absorption:
✔ Support digestion with gut-healing foods
✔ Take targeted supplements as needed
✔ Get tested for deficiencies and correct them through diet
Sign #5: Mental Health Struggles
Your gut and brain are intimately connected through the gut-brain axis. An imbalanced gut can contribute to:
❌ Anxiety and depression
❌ Mood swings and irritability
❌ Brain fog and trouble concentrating
❌ Poor sleep quality
To improve mental well-being through gut health:
✔ Reduce stress through relaxation practices
✔ Avoid inflammatory foods that disrupt neurotransmitters
✔ Address nutritional deficiencies impacting brain function
Healing the gut can dramatically improve mental clarity, mood stability, and overall well-being.
Sign #6: Autoimmune Conditions
A leaky gut can allow harmful substances to escape into the bloodstream, triggering immune reactions that lead to autoimmune diseases like:
⚠ Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
⚠ Rheumatoid arthritis
⚠ Lupus
Gut dysfunction is a major contributor to systemic inflammation. Research shows that over 90% of women with endometriosis experience IBS-like symptoms, highlighting the gut’s role in inflammation and immune response.
Since over 70% of the immune system resides in the gut, healing the gut is the first step toward reducing inflammation and improving immune function.
Take the Next Step to Heal Your Gut
If you are experiencing any of these signs, don’t wait to take action. Restoring gut health can dramatically improve digestion, energy, mood, skin, and immunity.
Here’s how to start:
✅ Eat an anti-inflammatory, gut-friendly diet
✅ Manage stress with relaxation techniques
✅ Use targeted supplements to restore balance
✅ Incorporate gut-healing foods like collagen and probiotics
To develop a customized gut-healing protocol tailored to your needs, book a FREE 15-minute consultation with me today.
I look forward to helping you reclaim your health from the inside out!