Posted by Tia Miers
on May 24, 2026
Why do you keep getting sick, even when you're doing everything right? Why does your skin flare up the moment life gets busy? Why is your energy so unpredictable- good one week, completely flat the next?
If you've been asking yourself any of these questions, I want you to consider something you might not have looked at yet: your gut. Over 80% of your immune system is located in your gut. Which means that everything from how often you get sick, to how clear your skin is, to how stable your mood feels day to day, has a direct connection to what's happening in your gut health.
In this blog, I'm breaking down exactly what that means, how to tell if your gut is out of balance, and the steps you can take to start supporting it because when your gut is thriving, you genuinely feel the difference.
Your Gut Microbiome: The Ecosystem Running the Show Inside your digestive tract lives a vast, complex ecosystem of trillions of microorganisms, bacteria, fungi, viruses, and more collectively known as your gut microbiome. This isn't something to be alarmed by. These microorganisms are meant to be there, and when they're in balance, they are some of the hardest-working allies your body has.
A healthy, diverse microbiome:
- Trains and regulates your immune cells, teaching them what to attack and what to leave alone
- Produces short-chain fatty acids that reduce inflammation and strengthen the gut lining
- Acts as a physical barrier, preventing harmful pathogens from crossing into the bloodstream
- Communicates directly with your brain via the gut-brain axis (more on this below)
The problem is that modern life is incredibly hard on the microbiome. Stress, processed food, alcohol, antibiotics, poor sleep, and low fibre intake can all disrupt this delicate ecosystem and when the balance tips, the effects are felt far beyond the digestive system.
Signs Your Gut Might Be Out of Balance
One of the most important things I do in clinic is help women connect the dots between symptoms they've been dismissing and what's actually happening in their gut. So many of these feel 'normal' because they're so common, but common doesn't mean optimal.
Here are some of the most telling signs that your gut microbiome needs support:
- Frequent illness or slow recovery: if you're the first person to catch every bug going around, or you take weeks to bounce back, your gut-immune connection may be compromised.
Bloating, gas, or irregular digestion: these are the most obvious gut signals, but they're often brushed off as 'just how my body works.' They're worth paying attention to. - Skin concerns: acne, eczema, rosacea, and persistent breakouts are strongly linked to gut inflammation and microbiome imbalance. The gut-skin axis is very real.
- Persistent fatigue: your gut microbiome plays a role in nutrient absorption and energy production. When it's disrupted, fatigue often follows.
- Mood changes, anxiety, or low motivation: given that 90% of your serotonin is produced in the gut, a dysbiotic microbiome can directly affect how you feel mentally and emotionally.
- Sugar and carb cravings: certain opportunistic bacteria in the gut thrive on sugar and can literally drive cravings to feed themselves.
- Reactions to foods you used to tolerate well: this can be a sign of increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut), where the gut lining has become compromised.
The Gut-Brain Connection
Your Second Brain The gut-brain connection, known as the gut-brain axis, is one of the most exciting areas of health research right now, and it fundamentally changes the way we think about mental health. Your gut contains over 500 million neurons and is in constant two-way communication with your brain via the vagus nerve. It's often called the 'second brain' - not as a metaphor, but as a literal description of its neurological complexity.
- Here's what that means in practice:
- Approximately 90% of your serotonin- the neurotransmitter responsible for mood, calm, and wellbeing — is produced in the gut, not the brain
- Gut inflammation can cross the blood-brain barrier and contribute to brain fog, low mood, anxiety, and depression
- Stress and anxiety directly affect gut motility, permeability, and microbiome diversity (hence the phrase 'gut feeling')
- A disrupted microbiome is increasingly linked to conditions like anxiety, depression, and even burnout
This is why gut health isn't just about digestion. If you've been struggling with mood, focus, motivation, or that persistent low-grade anxiety that never quite goes away- looking at your gut is one of the first places I'd start.
How to Support Your Gut Health
The gut microbiome is dynamic, it responds quickly to the inputs you give it. Here are the foundations I always come back to:
Feed Your Good Bacteria
- Your microbiome thrives on diversity and fibre. Aim to eat 30 different plant foods per week: this sounds like a lot, but herbs, spices, nuts, seeds, and legumes all count. The more variety, the more diverse your microbiome.
- Prebiotic foods: garlic, onion, leeks, asparagus, oats, green bananas, and Jerusalem artichokes feed and fuel beneficial bacteria
- Probiotic (fermented) foods: yoghurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, and kombucha introduce beneficial live cultures
- Polyphenol-rich foods: berries, dark chocolate, green tea, and olive oil act as fuel for good gut bacteria
Protect Your Gut Lining
- Bone broth : rich in collagen and glutamine, which directly support the integrity of the gut lining
- Reduce alcohol and ultra-processed foods: these are among the most damaging to both the microbiome and gut lining
- Manage stress actively: elevated cortisol increases intestinal permeability and disrupts microbiome balance
- Prioritise sleep: the microbiome has its own circadian rhythm and thrives with consistent, quality sleep
The Bottom Line
Your gut is the foundation of your immune system, your mental health, your energy, and your resilience. When it's thriving, you feel it- in how rarely you get sick, how clear your mind feels, how stable your mood is, how good your skin looks.