Spring Health: Improve Your Gut

Spring cleaning isn’t just for your home—it’s also a chance to reset your mind and body. A healthy gut is a cornerstone of overall wellness. If you’ve been feeling sluggish or low on energy despite your best efforts, spring is the perfect time to start taking intentional steps toward better gut health. The practitioners at Functional Medicine Los Angeles often highlight the gut as central to physical and emotional vitality.

Start With Probiotics

Your gut contains both beneficial and harmful bacteria. When harmful bacteria outnumber the good, digestive issues and fatigue may follow. Probiotics—the beneficial bacteria—are responsible for breaking down food, producing enzymes, and improving nutrient absorption. Without a healthy balance of probiotics, your body may struggle to extract what it needs. Functional medicine doctors frequently recommend time-release probiotic supplements and fermented foods such as sauerkraut, miso, and kombucha to help restore balance.

Boost Your Gut Barrier

Your gut barrier is a dynamic system made up of your intestinal wall and the microbes that live there. This barrier allows nutrients through while keeping out harmful invaders. When the gut lacks good bacteria, this defense breaks down, leading to immune reactions and sensitivities. To support the gut lining, consume more prebiotic-rich foods like jicama, avocado, and apple cider vinegar. At functional medicine Studio City, dietary fiber is often prescribed as a foundational tool to support long-term gut integrity.

Scrutinize Your Food Choices

Highly processed foods, artificial ingredients, and excess sugar are all known to disrupt gut health. Even a single poor food choice can alter your gut microbiome within hours. Instead, focus on fresh, whole, and plant-based foods. Fermented foods are especially beneficial. At Functional Medicine Los Angeles, personalized nutrition plans emphasize clean eating to support gut repair and overall balance.

Try Fasting

Fasting allows your gut to reset, helping to reduce inflammation and support probiotic populations. Intermittent fasting can be simple—try not eating between 8 PM and 8 AM to begin. This 12-hour window gives your digestive system time to rest and recover. Gradually extending your fast to 14 hours can further enhance benefits, as often recommended in integrative approaches to healing the gut.

By taking these steps, you can strengthen your gut and reduce inflammation throughout the body—making this spring not just a time of renewal for your environment, but for your health as well.