We hear about gut health all the time — but most of the conversation stops at digestion or probiotics. The truth is, your gut is doing far more behind the scenes than you probably realize.

“The truth is, your gut is doing far more behind the scenes than you probably realize.”

It’s one of the most powerful systems in your body, influencing everything from your immune response to your mood, metabolism, hormones, and even how clearly you think. And when your gut is out of balance, it doesn’t always show up as bloating or bathroom issues. It might feel more like anxiety, brain fog, skin flare-ups, or just feeling off in a way that’s hard to explain.

Let’s break down what your gut actually does, why it matters, and the small shifts that can create a big impact.

The gut does more than digest food

You’ve probably heard phrases like “gut-brain connection” or “second brain.” These aren’t just metaphors. Your gut houses its own nervous system (the enteric nervous system), with over 100 million neurons, and communicates directly with your brain via the vagus nerve. It’s constantly sending signals that influence your mood, energy, focus, and even motivation.

But that’s just the beginning. Your gut also:

  • Regulates up to 70% of your immune system
  • Produces key neurotransmitters (like serotonin — 90% of which is made in the gut)
  • Helps metabolize and eliminate hormones like estrogen
  • Influences inflammation, blood sugar, and metabolic health
  • Supports detoxification and nutrient absorption
  • Affects your skin, energy, sleep, and more

In short? Gut health is whole-body health. When your gut is thriving, everything else becomes easier to support.

Gut issues aren’t always obvious. Sometimes they show up in ways that seem totally unrelated to digestion:

  • Fatigue, especially after meals
  • Brain fog or memory lapses
  • Skin flare-ups (acne, eczema, rosacea)
  • Anxiety, irritability, or mood swings
  • PMS or other hormonal symptoms
  • Joint pain or muscle aches
  • Sleep disruptions
  • Food sensitivities
  • Constipation, diarrhea, or changes in bowel habits

If any of these sound familiar, it might be time to take a closer look at what’s happening in your gut.

So, how does the gut microbiome become disrupted?

At the center of gut health is your microbiome — the trillions of bacteria, fungi, and other microbes living in your digestive tract. Think of it like a rainforest: When diverse and balanced, it supports harmony and health. When overrun by certain species or depleted by external factors, imbalance (or dysbiosis) occurs.

Disruption to your gut microbiome can come from:

  • Poor diet (especially low fiber or high-sugar/processed foods)
  • Eating too fast or eating late at night
  • Chronic stress or trauma
  • Lack of sleep
  • Environmental toxins
  • Hormonal shifts (like during perimenopause or postpartum)
  • Certain medications (like antibiotics, NSAIDs, or hormonal birth control)

We often overlook these contributors — but they matter. Your microbiome responds to how you live, not just what you eat.

A functional medicine approach to gut health

In functional medicine, we treat the gut as a command center — because that’s exactly what it is. When something is off in the gut, it often causes ripple effects throughout the entire body.

Here’s what we look for that traditional medicine might miss:

  • Subclinical dysfunction: You can have gut inflammation, permeability (“leaky gut”), or dysbiosis even if standard testing looks “normal.”
  • Root causes: We ask why the gut became imbalanced. Was it unresolved stress, hormone shifts, medication, a past infection, or restrictive dieting?
  • Systemic effects: We explore how gut health is impacting your hormones, immune system, detoxification, and mental health — not just your digestion.
  • Functional labs: Tools like stool testing give us deeper insight into microbial diversity, digestion, inflammation, and the presence of pathogens or yeast.

Bottom line: We don’t just chase symptoms. We start with the gut because it often holds the key to whole-body healing.

Where to begin with transforming your gut health

A good portion of gut health happens above the shoulders. Your oral microbiome (what’s happening in your mouth, teeth, and tongue) plays a direct role in your overall gut health. In fact, poor oral hygiene or imbalances in your mouth’s microbiome can impact the entire digestive tract.

But I’d argue it starts even earlier — in the brain.

Before you even take a bite, your brain is already influencing digestion. Just thinking about food triggers a cascade of signals that prep your body to digest: Your salivary glands activate, your stomach produces acid, your pancreas gets ready to release enzymes. This is why slowing down and mentally arriving before a meal — what I call “activating your meal” — matters more than we think.

“Before you even take a bite, your brain is already influencing digestion.”

Taking a moment to check in with yourself before eating isn’t just mindfulness fluff. It’s a physiologic signal to your body: We’re safe, we can digest, we can receive this nourishment.

That’s the real starting point of gut health. Not just what you eat, but how you approach eating.

Simple ways to support your gut today

Everyone’s gut-healing journey is different — but there are a few universal habits that lay a solid foundation:

  • Intention improves digestion. Your digestive process begins before the first bite. Taking a moment to slow down, breathe, and activate a calm state before eating can dramatically improve digestion.
  • Fiber is your friend. It’s your gut microbiome’s favorite food group. Aim for variety — different colors, textures, and types — because different fibers can feed different beneficial bacteria.
  • Diversify your meals. Eating a wide variety of nutrient dense foods – and eating what’s in season – helps feed different strains of beneficial bacteria in your gut, supporting a more resilient and balanced microbiome.
  • Chew more than you think you need to. It’s the first step in digestion and helps reduce bloating. Don’t rush your meals. Shoveling food in quickly can stress your system and lead to gas and bloating.
  • Eat and sleep on a rhythm. Your gut has its own circadian rhythm. Eating during daylight hours and going to bed at a consistent time helps keep everything in sync.
  • Take a short walk after meals when possible. This simple practice helps regulate blood sugar and reduce bloating.
  • Hydrate consistently. Your digestive system needs water to move waste efficiently.
  • Minimize unnecessary medications. Talk to your healthcare team about what’s essential and ask how to support your gut if you do need them.
  • Spend time in nature. Exposure to natural microbes through soil, fresh air, and green spaces can boost microbial diversity.
  • Eat more probiotic and prebiotic foods. Fermented foods, fruits, vegetables, and more nourish your gut ecosystem.
  • Enjoy a good source of protein with every meal. This might look different for everyone, but consistency is key. 

Let these tips be gentle invitations, not rigid rules. Every small shift you make adds up.

If you’ve tried all the basics and still feel off — especially if you’re dealing with IBS, chronic constipation, anxiety, immune, or hormonal symptoms — it might be time to work with your health care team to find some answers.

Gut issues aren’t just something to manage or push through. They’re your body’s way of asking for deeper attention. And even if your main concern isn’t digestive, don’t count the gut out. Your microbiome influences your hormones, your immune system, your metabolism, and your mind. Sometimes the answers start in places you’d least expect.

“Gut issues aren’t just something to manage or push through. They’re your body’s way of asking for deeper attention.”

With my patient care, we take a root-cause, whole-person approach to gut health — one that starts with deep listening and real data, and builds a sustainable path forward. 

Your gut is a living, intelligent system — one that’s digesting more than just food. It’s constantly processing stress, emotion, environment, and experience. And when you support it with care, presence, and intention? The ripple effects are powerful.

You don’t have to get it perfect. One mindful meal, a few extra chews, and a little less rush is a beautiful place to start.

Dr. Jaclyn Tolentino is a Board-Certified Family Physician and the Lead Functional Medicine Physician at Love.Life. Specializing in women’s health and hormone optimization, she has been featured in Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, and Women’s Health. As a functional practitioner and a breast cancer survivor, Dr. Tolentino is dedicated to uncovering the root causes of health challenges, employing a holistic, whole-person approach to empower lasting wellbeing. Follow her on Instagram here for more insights.