Your gut isn’t just about digestion - it’s connected to everything.

Functional testingSIBOIBSChronic fatigueAcneGut health

May 22

Listening to what your gut is telling you could be the most important first step in improving your overall health.

I often work with clients who come in feeling overwhelmed by a long list of symptoms — fatigue, skin issues, mood changes, hormonal imbalances, and more. While each concern matters, we almost always start with the gut.

Why? Because the gut influences nearly every system in the body — from your immune response to your mental clarity. Without a healthy foundation here, it’s incredibly difficult to see lasting progress elsewhere.

The gut is deeply interconnected with many systems in the body, here are a few I’d like to highlight:

1. Immune System

Around 70–80% of the immune system resides in the gut. A healthy microbiome helps regulate immune responses and inflammation.

2. Nervous System (Gut-Brain Axis)

The gut and brain communicate via the vagus nerve and through chemical messengers like serotonin (90% of which is made in the gut). Microbiome imbalances can impact mood, anxiety, brain fog, and even cognitive function.

3. Endocrine System

Gut bacteria influence hormone production and regulation, including stress hormones (like cortisol), sex hormones (estrogen metabolism), and insulin sensitivity.

4. Integumentary System (Skin)

The health of the gut is often reflected in the skin. Seeming as most of our immune system resides in the gut, conditions like acne, eczema, and rosacea are often heavily linked with impaired gut function.

5. Cardiovascular System

Some gut bacteria can influence blood pressure, lipid metabolism, and inflammatory markers related to cardiovascular risk.

6. Detoxification Systems (Liver & Kidneys)

The gut is one of the body’s main detoxification pathways. The gut and liver are also strongly connected and the health of one often impacts the other.

7. Metabolic System

Gut microbes influence metabolism, weight regulation and appetite.

8. Musculoskeletal System

Chronic gut inflammation can influence systemic inflammation, potentially contributing to joint pain, muscle aches, and autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

Don’t know where to start with your health?

The Complete Microbiome Mapping test screens for pathogenic bacteria, opportunistic pathogens, viruses, fungi, parasites and yeast. It assess food breakdown, gut permeability and inflammation. This test can indicate whether SIBO is present and help understand why food sensitivities and intolerances are occurring.

Even if you don’t suffer from daily gut symptoms, this test can still uncover interesting insights into your health!

Supporting gut health isn’t just a trend — it’s essential.