Gut Health Troubleshooting Checklist

Think of your gut healing like a chair 🪑 - there are four legs that need to be supported consistently to create a stable foundation.

The Four Legs

All four supported, consistently, for long enough.

Pillar 01

Pre & post-meal rituals

Activate digestion before, during, and after every meal.

Pillar 02

Nutrition + gut reseeding

Structured meals that feed beneficial bacteria.

Pillar 03

Nervous system

Regulation, stress, and the environment around you.

Pillar 04

Supplements

Daily consistency over constant tinkering.

The big idea

If one leg is missing, or only done occasionally, your results will feel inconsistent. When all four are dialed in and repeated daily, that's when symptoms calm down and your gut actually starts to heal.

Pillar 1

Pre & Post-Meal Rituals

Watch the Digestion Optimization Training. Before adding anything in, remove what's blocking your digestive system from turning on.

Your body is not broken. It is simply not receiving the right signals at the right time.

Common things that suppress digestion

  • Eating while distracted (phone, TV, working, driving)
  • Eating quickly or rushing meals
  • Eating in a stressed or anxious state
  • Skipping meals or ignoring hunger signals
  • Eating at inconsistent times each day
  • Going from work or stimulation straight into eating
  • Drinking large amounts of fluid right before/during meals
  • Jumping into large meals without easing into digestion
  • Training intensely right before eating
  • Chronic under-eating or low appetite patterns

Why this matters

  • Digestion is not automatic - it must be activated.
  • Without the right signal, your body underproduces stomach acid
  • Underproduces enzymes
  • Underproduces bile
  • Loses coordinated motility
  • Result: food sits, ferments, and creates bloating.

Step-by-Step Digestion Activation Protocol

Seven small moves before, during, and after each meal.

Step 1

Set a Timer

  • Total mealtime: 20 minutes
  • Start timer when you take digestive bitters
  • Wait 10 minutes before your first bite
  • Use that 10 minutes for pre-meal steps
  • Take at least 10 minutes to eat your meal

Why this matters

Builds awareness around eating speed and improves digestive signaling.

Step 2

Take Digestive Bitters (if tolerated)

  • 3 sprays or 1 dropper on the tongue
  • Hold for 30–60 seconds before swallowing
  • Wait 10–15 minutes before eating

Why this matters

Stimulates the cephalic phase and signals your body to produce stomach acid, enzymes, and bile. Also helps activate the vagus nerve and coordinate digestion.

Step 3

Slow Your Body Down (1–2 minutes)

  • Sit down upright
  • Put away your phone and distractions
  • Take 10 deep breaths (4 sec inhale, 6–8 sec exhale)
  • Relax your shoulders
  • Think of a few things you're grateful for

Why this matters

Shifts your body into a parasympathetic state so digestion can begin.

Step 4

Engage Your Senses

  • Look at your food
  • Smell your food
  • Anticipate eating

Why this matters

Activates brain-to-gut signaling that prepares your digestive system.

Step 5

Your First Few Bites Are the Most Important

  • Take your first 2–3 bites slowly
  • Chew thoroughly
  • Fully taste and experience your food

Why this matters

The first bites trigger the majority of your digestive response and set the tone for the entire meal.

Step 6

Post-Meal Walking (Natural Prokinetic)

  • Walk briskly for 10–15 minutes after meals

Why this matters

Improves bloating, gas, and digestion by helping food move through the stomach more efficiently. Translation: this acts like a natural prokinetic.

Step 7

Meal Spacing (Natural Cleaning Mode)

  • Aim for 3–4 hours between meals
  • Avoid snacking or sipping sweetened drinks
  • Aim for a 10–12 hour eating window

Analogy

Your gut works like a dishwasher.

  • Eating = adding dishes
  • Between meals = running the cleaning cycle

If you keep adding food mid-cycle, nothing gets fully cleaned.

Why this matters

Supports your Migrating Motor Complex (MMC), which clears the small intestine between meals. If you eat too frequently, food accumulates and continues to ferment.

Pillar 2

Nutrition + Gut Reseeding

Watch the Gut Reseeding Training. Build a structured baseline before adding fermentable fibers.

Daily targets

  • Eat 3 structured meals per day
  • Aim for at least 1200 calories and 100g carbs daily
  • Gradually add in prebiotics to reseed the microbiome

Pillar 3

Nervous System

Often the missing piece for clients who feel stuck despite 'doing everything right.'

Areas to examine

  • Morning routine and daily stress levels
  • Nervous system regulation and past trauma
  • Internal dialogue and self-esteem
  • Toxic relationships or work environment

Pillar 4

Supplements

Boring consistency beats constant tweaking.

Ground rules

  • Focus on daily consistency
  • Avoid constantly changing supplements
  • Build slowly and intentionally

Extra Support

If You're Struggling

Use the resources built into the program - don't go it alone.

Get extra support

  • Fill out your weekly check-in
  • Attend at least one support / Q&A call with Jake each week

Initial Action Items

Getting started - work through these in order.

Foundation

  • Trial low FODMAP for 2–4 weeks
  • Choose a few simple meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner using the Meal Planner
  • Begin the Gut Reseeding Plan and add foods one at a time based on tolerance
  • Fully implement the pre & post-meal rituals

Introducing supplements

  • Introduce supplements one at a time at the lowest dose
  • Wait at least 1 day before adding another

Prioritize in this order

  1. 1Digestion support
  2. 2Motility support
  3. 3Probiotics

…before adding antimicrobials.

If highly sensitive or reactive

  • Attend Lexi's nervous system calls
  • Goal: reduce symptoms by 30–50% before introducing antimicrobials

If antimicrobials cause symptoms lasting longer than 3–4 days

  • Reduce dose or reach out immediately
Always work with a qualified practitioner for personalized guidance, especially if you have existing GI conditions.