Heal Your Gut: Repair, Rebalance, Restore

In this lesson, we’ll dive into the most common foods, lifestyle factors, and hidden triggers that disrupt gut health — and why they matter for digestion, inflammation, and overall well-being.

You’ll learn how:

• Foods that hurt your gut — like processed foods, sugar, alcohol, and inflammatory oils — can trigger inflammation, create imbalances in your gut microbiome, weaken your intestinal barrier, and even lead to leaky gut.

• Lifestyle stressors — including chronic stress, poor sleep, or over-exercising — release cortisol and disrupt the brain-gut axis, increasing gut permeability and negatively altering your microbiome.

• Hidden triggers — such as food sensitivities, antibiotics, and artificial sweeteners — can kill beneficial bacteria, allow harmful bacteria to flourish, and contribute to metabolic and digestive issues.

  • Studies show sweeteners like sucralose may decrease beneficial bacteria, while others, like aspartame, may increase potentially harmful bacteria, depending on dose and individual microbiome.

We’ll also introduce the 4-step framework for gut repair, which you’ll use throughout the course:

1. Identify the issue in your gut using self-assessment surveys

2. Test foods to determine your personal sensitivities

3. Rest & Repair your digestive system

4. Rebalance the gut microbiome for long-term health

? Student Takeaway:
By the end of this lecture, you’ll understand the hidden disruptors in your diet and lifestyle, how they affect your gut health, and how to start addressing them using a simple, step-by-step approach.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use elimination strategies to pinpoint the foods that trigger digestive discomfort, bloating, or other gut issues. We’ll cover step-by-step how to plan, implement, and benefit from an elimination diet safely and effectively.

What you’ll learn:

• Top food irritants to watch for

• How to scale your elimination plan depending on your gut symptoms:

  • Option 1: Remove top 3 trigger foods

  • Option 2: Top 3 foods + alcohol & coffee

  • Option 3: Top 6 foods

• Low-FODMAP and Paleo principles for people with more severe digestive issues, including IBS or bacterial overgrowth

• How to plan your elimination diet:

  • Prep your pantry and fridge with safe foods

  • Meal planning tips and healthy substitutions

  • Reduce high-risk foods gradually to avoid withdrawal or cravings

• How long elimination phases typically last (3–8 weeks) and what signs indicate you’re ready to reintroduce foods

Included Resources:

• Printable elimination diet plan (PN Elimination Diet)

• Paleo + Low-FODMAP food guide and planning sheet

? Student Takeaway:
By the end of this lecture, you’ll be able to confidently design an elimination diet tailored to your gut, understand what to remove and why, and have practical tools to implement it successfully — setting the stage for gut repair, reduced inflammation, and better digestion.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to give your gut the rest and support it needs to heal. This phase focuses on using the right foods, digestive support, and lifestyle practices to restore digestive balance, improve bowel motility, and reduce inflammation.

What you’ll learn:

• Healing foods for digestion: High-fiber fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes that add bulk and water to stools, making them softer and easier to pass and supporting regular bowel movements

• Digestive enzymes & liver support: How small habits, like diluted apple cider vinegar before meals or fermented foods, can help improve digestion and optimize stomach acid levels

• Managing stomach acid: Foods and drinks that help neutralize excess acid, including alkaline fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and watery foods

• Lifestyle practices for repair: Smaller, well-chewed meals, stress management, and quality sleep to give your digestive system time to recover

• Practical resources included:

  • Gut-Friendly, Anti-inflammatory  Food List

  • Benefits of Lemon Water & Apple Cider Vinegar handout

? Student Takeaway:
By the end of this lecture, you’ll understand how to create a gut-friendly environment that promotes healing, reduces discomfort, and supports long-term digestive health — setting the foundation for the final step of rebalancing your gut.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to repopulate your gut with beneficial bacteria and rebalance your microbiome using prebiotics, probiotics, and fermented foods. This step is essential for improving digestion, supporting immunity, and promoting overall gut health.

What you’ll learn:

• Prebiotics: Indigestible fibers found in plant foods that feed beneficial gut bacteria in the large intestine. You’ll learn how prebiotics:

  • Support nutrient absorption

  • Reduce inflammation

  • Improve immune function

  • Promote satiety and help manage blood sugar

  • Support healthy lipid metabolism and weight management

• Resistant starches: How these special fibers promote gut health, feed beneficial bacteria, and may reduce risk factors for conditions like type 2 diabetes and colon cancer.

• Probiotics: Four key types of probiotics and how they help restore balance in your gut microbiome.

• Fermented foods: Practical ways to include probiotic-rich foods such as yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut to support healthy digestion and microbiome diversity.

? Student Takeaway:
By the end of this lecture, you’ll understand how to nourish your gut with the right foods and bacteria, support digestive health, reduce inflammation, and create a balanced microbiome that promotes overall wellness.

In this lesson, you’ll learn advanced strategies to support and maintain gut health, including the best supplements, meal timing, and when to seek professional help. This lecture is designed for students who want to go beyond the basics and optimize their digestive system for long-term wellness.

What you’ll learn:

• Best supplements for gut health: How probiotics, omega-3s, and magnesium can support digestion, reduce inflammation, and improve microbiome balance

• When to see a professional: Red flags for serious gut issues and when additional testing or medical support may be necessary

• Meal timing & fasting:

  • How fasting can increase microbiome diversity and promote beneficial gut bacteria

  • The role of the Migrating Motor Complex (MMC) — the gut’s “housekeeping” system — in preventing bacterial overgrowth, including SIBO

  • How intermittent fasting may reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the intestines

? Student Takeaway:
By the end of this lecture, you’ll know which supplements can truly support gut repair, how to use fasting strategically to optimize digestion, and when to seek professional help to address persistent gut issues. You’ll be empowered to apply these advanced tips safely and effectively for long-term gut health.

In this lesson, you’ll learn the essential daily habits and lifestyle practices that support long-term gut health, digestion, and overall wellness. Beyond food and supplements, consistent routines, stress management, movement, and sleep are critical for maintaining a healthy gut and preventing recurring digestive issues.

What you’ll learn:

• Prioritize whole foods and plant diversity: Aim for 20–30 different plant foods per week to feed beneficial gut bacteria

• Avoid problem foods: Limit highly processed or fatty foods that are harder to digest and provide less nutritional value

• Mindful eating: Chew food 10–30 times per bite, eat smaller portions, and slow down to improve digestion

• Manage stress: Understand the gut-brain connection and learn practical techniques like breathing exercises, mindful breaks, limiting stressful media exposure, and positive social interactions

• Exercise for digestion and motility: Walking, yoga, and strength training support gut motility, balance, and overall health

• Prioritize sleep: Learn strategies for 7–9 hours of quality sleep, including blue-light management, routines, dark/cool rooms, and limiting stimulants like coffee later in the day

• Toxin management: Support your gut and liver by reducing alcohol, avoiding smoking, drinking plenty of water, limiting plastics/BPA, and using natural products

• When and how to retest foods: After 3–6 months of gut healing, you may be able to tolerate foods that once caused issues. Guidance on reintroduction for best results

• Red flags — when to seek professional help:

  • Persistent symptoms despite reintroduction

  • Emotional or physical stress from too much restriction

  • Unintended weight loss, nutrient deficiencies, or confusing symptoms

• Working with professionals: How a dietitian, nutritionist, or functional medicine practitioner can guide you through complex cases and provide extra support

• Practical resources included:

  • “Eating Slowly” PDF guide

  • “Improve Shut Eye” guide

  • Link to “Box Breathing” guide

? Student Takeaway:
By the end of this lecture, you’ll have a toolkit of daily habits to nurture your gut, reduce inflammation, and maintain digestive health long-term, giving you the foundation to feel better, digest more efficiently, and prevent gut issues from returning.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to create a balanced, gut-friendly plate that supports digestion, microbiome health, and overall wellness. You’ll discover how to combine colorful vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, healthy fats, and probiotics for optimal gut function.

What you’ll learn:

• Vegetables & fruits: Fill half your plate with diverse, colorful, non-starchy options like berries, bananas, apples, broccoli, asparagus, leafy greens, and bell peppers

• Whole grains: Include a quarter of your plate with whole, intact grains such as brown rice, quinoa, oats, and whole-wheat pasta

• Lean proteins: Fill a quarter of your plate with fish, poultry, or plant-based protein like beans

• Healthy fats: Use in moderation from olive oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds

• Probiotic foods: Incorporate fermented foods like yogurt or kimchi to introduce beneficial bacteria

• Foods to limit: Reduce processed foods, excessive sugar, and red meat to support a healthy gut microbiome

? Student Takeaway:
By the end of this lecture, you’ll be able to plan and build meals that balance macros, fiber, and diversity, while supporting digestion, gut bacteria, and long-term gut health.

Included Resource:

• “Building a Balanced Plate” guide

In this lesson, you’ll learn where to find delicious, gut-friendly recipes that support digestion, gut microbiome health, and long-term wellness. Having go-to recipe resources makes it easier to follow your elimination plan, build balanced meals, and maintain variety without stress.

What you’ll learn:

• Reliable recipe sources: Website that focus on gut-friendly, low-inflammatory meals

• Meal ideas for every phase: Recipes suitable for elimination, repair, and reintroduction phases

? Student Takeaway:
By the end of this lecture, you’ll have a curated list of recipe resources and meal ideas to make eating for gut health easy, enjoyable, and sustainable — so you can maintain your gut-friendly lifestyle without feeling restricted or overwhelmed.

Included Resource:

• Gut-Friendly Recipe Resource List (downloadable guide)

In this closing lesson, I’ll thank you for completing the course and guide you on how to apply everything you’ve learned to maintain a healthy gut long-term. This is your roadmap to turning knowledge into action and sustaining the results you’ve worked for.

What you’ll learn:

• Next steps for ongoing success: How to continue testing foods, practicing gut-friendly habits, and building balanced meals

• When to seek additional support: Understanding red flags, and when working with a coach, nutritionist, or healthcare professional is beneficial

• Empowerment mindset: How to approach your gut health journey with confidence, knowledge, and flexibility

? Student Takeaway:
By the end of this lecture, you’ll feel confident moving forward with your gut health journey, equipped with practical strategies, resources, and a mindset to sustain your progress and enjoy lasting results.