GUT HEALTH

Your gut is more than digestion—it plays an important role in immune function, nutrient absorption, inflammation, and the gut-brain connection. When your digestive system is out of balance, it can affect how you feel throughout your entire body.

A healthy foundation starts with real, minimally processed foods, adequate fiber, hydration, and a diverse range of nutrients. Probiotics can also help support a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria, especially when diet, illness, medications, or other factors have disrupted the microbiome.

Sometimes, however, diet and probiotics aren't enough. Parasites and other pathogens may need to be considered based on your individual history, including travel, exposure to animals, contaminated food or water, environmental factors, and ongoing digestive symptoms. 

I've worked with a wide range of complex gut cases, including persistent SIBO, IBS, significant parasite exposure, food sensitivities, and microbiome disruption following antibiotics. I've also worked with clients whose mental health symptoms appeared to fluctuate alongside significant gut and pathogen-related imbalances. These cases can be complicated, but they aren't necessarily hopeless—when we identify the underlying contributors and provide targeted support, meaningful improvement can be possible.

For more complex or persistent gut issues, I like to look deeper with microbiome analysis. Rather than guessing which probiotic or supplement you need, testing can provide information about the balance of microorganisms in your gut, including beneficial strains that may be lacking and potentially problematic organisms or pathogens. This can help us create a more targeted, personalized plan based on what your body actually needs.

Gut healing is possible—but the right approach isn't the same for everyone. By addressing nutrition, beneficial bacteria, potential pathogens, digestion, lifestyle factors, and other underlying contributors, we can work toward restoring balance and building a stronger foundation for long-term health.

Your gut is unique. Your plan should be, too.

Your gut is home to trillions of microorganisms that work together to support digestion, immunity, nutrient production, inflammation regulation, and the gut-brain connection. Dysbiosis occurs when this microbial community becomes imbalanced—beneficial organisms may be depleted while opportunistic organisms or pathogens become more prominent.

One of the most important pieces is understanding that not all bacteria are interchangeable. Certain beneficial “keystone” strains help maintain a healthy microbial environment and support other organisms within the gut ecosystem. If important strains are missing or significantly reduced, simply adding a generic probiotic may not address the underlying imbalance.

This is why I prefer a targeted approach whenever gut symptoms are persistent, complex, or difficult to resolve.

A comprehensive microbiome analysis can provide a much fuller picture of what is happening inside the gut. Instead of guessing based solely on symptoms, we can look at the balance of beneficial organisms, keystone strains, opportunistic organisms, and potential pathogens. This information can help identify patterns that may contribute to bloating, irregular bowel movements, food sensitivities, digestive discomfort, inflammation, and other gut-related symptoms.

The goal isn't simply to add more bacteria. It's to understand which organisms are missing, which may be overrepresented, and what the overall ecosystem needs to become more balanced.

From there, a personalized plan may include targeted probiotics, nutrition, digestive support, lifestyle changes, or other natural approaches depending on what the individual results show.

Every gut is different. Two people can have similar symptoms but completely different microbial imbalances—and therefore need completely different approaches.

Stop guessing. Get the fuller picture.

When we understand the unique balance of your microbiome, we can create a more precise plan designed around what your body actually needs, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

Your microbiome is unique. Your gut health plan should be, too.

SIBO can be frustrating because treating the overgrowth is only part of the equation. If the underlying factors that contributed to the imbalance are never addressed, symptoms can return.

Antibiotics such as rifaximin can be effective for SIBO, but recurrence is common. In one study of 80 patients who initially responded to rifaximin, SIBO testing became positive again in 12.6% by 3 months, 27.5% by 6 months, and 43.7% by 9 months. 

This is one reason I often prefer to consider a whole-body, natural approach when appropriate. Herbal antimicrobials—including oregano oil and other botanicals—can be incorporated into a targeted protocol alongside nutrition, digestive support, probiotics, and lifestyle changes.

The goal of a natural approach isn't simply to “kill bacteria.” We want to understand why the imbalance developed in the first place.

That may mean supporting digestion and motility, improving nutrition, addressing deficiencies, supporting the intestinal environment, rebuilding a healthier microbiome, and strengthening the body's natural defenses.

I also like to use probiotics strategically, when appropriate, rather than assuming every person with SIBO needs the same product. The microbiome is an ecosystem, and restoring balance is often more complicated than simply eliminating bacteria.

Oregano oil can be a powerful herbal antimicrobial, but natural doesn't automatically mean harmless. Concentrated herbal products can cause side effects or interact with medications, and they should be used thoughtfully and appropriately rather than indefinitely.

For me, the goal isn't simply short-term symptom relief.

It's to address the overgrowth while rebuilding the foundations that help your gut stay balanced.

When we identify the underlying contributors and support the gut as a whole, we can work toward more sustainable results rather than repeatedly treating the same problem.

Don't just chase the bacteria. 

Let's find out why the imbalance happened in the first place. 

Parasite exposure is more common than many people realize. Travel, pets, gardening, food, water, and environmental exposure can all increase the opportunity for contact with organisms that may affect the digestive system.

For those of us living and working in remote jungle environments, parasite exposure can be especially common. Because prevention is always preferable to dealing with a significant infestation, some people in high-exposure environments choose to use periodic parasite-support protocols.

But natural does not automatically mean harmless.

Herbs and other natural ingredients can be very powerful, and taking concentrated products too frequently, at excessively high doses, or for too long can potentially create unwanted effects or toxicity. This is especially important when choosing a protocol for children, where dosing should be carefully individualized.

That's why I believe the ingredients, quality, dosage, timing, and individual needs all matter. A parasite cleanse shouldn't be something you take continuously without a reason or a plan.

I've personally used and trusted Purify for more than 15 years and have had very good experiences with it. I've also worked with people in remote areas who have reported clearing a variety of parasite concerns while using parasite-support protocols. For someone who has never done a cleanse and has significant exposure risks, it can be one option to consider as part of a broader wellness approach.

If you've traveled internationally, have pets, garden, eat a wide variety of foods, or have ongoing environmental exposure, parasite exposure is something worth discussing—especially if you're experiencing persistent digestive symptoms.

In high-exposure environments, prevention may make sense more often. We take Purify the first week of every month while living in the Amazon. When I'm in the United States, I personally choose to do a parasite-support protocol about once a year.

However, symptoms can have many causes, and a cleanse isn't appropriate for everyone. Persistent or significant symptoms deserve proper evaluation and, when indicated, testing.

The goal isn't to take the strongest cleanse possible. It's to use the right approach, at the right dose, for the right person.

Natural medicine works best when it is thoughtful, targeted, and used safely.