How 7 Foods & 2 Everyday Habits Helped Repair My Gut
For years, I had no idea just how much my gut health was affecting the rest of my body.
I struggled daily with bloating, brain fog, low energy, anxiety, cravings, inflammation, and ongoing digestive issues. What I later discovered was that my gut wasn’t just influencing digestion — it was influencing almost everything.
After more than 20 years dealing with colitis, IBS, inflammation, and chronic gut problems, I completely transformed my health naturally through nutrition and lifestyle changes. And now, as a nutritional advisor, these are some of the foods and habits I consistently come back to and recommend most often to people trying to support their own gut health journey.
Why Gut Health Matters So Much
Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria collectively known as the gut microbiome. These bacteria help influence:
Digestion and nutrient absorption
Immune function
Inflammation levels
Hormone balance
Mental clarity and mood
Energy production
What fascinated me most was discovering the connection between the gut and the brain.
Many beneficial gut bacteria help produce compounds linked to neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine — chemicals heavily involved in mood, calmness, focus, and motivation. In fact, around 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut.
When I started improving my gut health, I didn’t just notice physical changes. My anxiety reduced, my mental clarity improved, and years of panic attacks and brain fog slowly started fading away.
Fermented Foods
Fermented foods became one of the biggest game changers for me.
Foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and fermented vegetables naturally contain beneficial bacteria that help support a healthier microbiome.
A stronger microbiome is linked to:
Better digestion
Improved immune communication
Reduced inflammation
Stronger gut barrier function
Fermented foods also help produce short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate, which acts as fuel for the cells lining the colon. This is incredibly important for maintaining a strong gut lining and supporting overall gut integrity.
I now try to include some form of fermented food almost every single day.
Dark Berries
Blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are some of my favourite gut-supportive foods.
These darker berries are rich in polyphenols — natural compounds that help beneficial gut bacteria thrive while also helping protect the gut lining against oxidative stress and inflammation.
They’re also generally lower in sugar than many other fruits, making them easier on blood sugar balance.
Whenever possible, I try to buy seasonal berries or frozen organic berries to keep in the freezer for smoothies, yogurt bowls, or homemade sauces.
Kefir & Greek Yogurt
This combination became a daily staple for me.
Kefir can contain significantly more microbial diversity than standard yogurt depending on how it’s made, while thick Greek yogurt provides protein, calcium, beneficial fats, and probiotics.
Combined with berries, it creates a simple, nutrient-dense meal that supports:
Gut bacteria diversity
Protein intake
Blood sugar stability
Reduced cravings
The protein and fats also help keep me fuller for much longer, which reduced constant snacking throughout the day.
Bone Broth
Bone broth became one of my favourite low-cost healing foods.
It naturally contains amino acids like glutamine and glycine alongside collagen-building compounds that help support the gut lining.
Glutamine is particularly interesting because it’s used as a fuel source for the cells lining the digestive tract.
I now batch cook bone broth weekly and store it in jars or ice cube trays to add into soups, stews, and sauces throughout the week.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Good quality extra virgin olive oil is one of the healthiest fats I regularly use.
It contains powerful polyphenols and anti-inflammatory compounds that may help support both the gut lining and beneficial bacteria.
Healthy fats also play an important role in supporting cell membrane integrity throughout the body — including the digestive tract itself.
I use olive oil daily over salads, vegetables, and simple whole-food meals.
Eggs
Eggs are one of the most nutrient-dense foods available.
They contain:
Choline
High-quality protein
B vitamins
Selenium
Healthy fats
They’re also incredibly filling, which helped massively reduce cravings and unnecessary snacking for me.
Simple foods often work best.
Oily Fish
Sardines, salmon, and mackerel became another key part of my routine.
These fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids like EPA and DHA, which are heavily linked to:
Brain health
Inflammation regulation
Immune balance
Gut-brain communication
Omega-3 fats may also help reduce inflammatory signalling throughout the body.
Remove Ultra-Processed Foods
This was one of the biggest shifts I made.
Many ultra-processed foods contain emulsifiers, preservatives, gums, artificial flavourings, stabilisers, and refined sugars that may negatively affect the gut microbiome and gut lining.
The body adapts surprisingly quickly when you start removing some of these products and replacing them with more whole-food options.
Some simple swaps that helped me included:
Olives instead of crisps
Greek yogurt and berries instead of boxed desserts
Walnuts instead of gummy sweets
Homemade popcorn instead of processed snacks
Simplify Your Meals
One of the biggest problems today is food chaos.
Constant snacking.
Highly processed foods.
Sugar spikes.
Eating all day long.
I simplified everything down to:
Protein
Healthy fats
Simple whole foods
And my digestion improved massively.
Simple meals reduce digestive stress while giving your body the nutrients it actually needs to repair and function properly.
Focus On What You Add First
One thing I’ve learned throughout this journey is that healing often starts by adding more nourishing foods before obsessing over what to remove.
When you consistently include nutrient-dense whole foods and begin reducing major gut disruptors, there’s a very good chance your energy, digestion, cravings, inflammation, and mental clarity can improve too.
This completely changed my life.
And if you’re trying to support your own gut health naturally, that’s exactly what Eat to Heal Guide is all about.