Gut Health for the New Year: How to Heal Your Digestive System with Foods You Can Make at Home
Last fall I was really struggling with my gut. After everything I ate, I felt sick. My energy was gone. Nausea became nearly a daily companion. I couldn’t believe it—no matter how healthy I tried to eat, my body just wasn’t handling food well anymore.
I realized I likely had a lot of gut inflammation. Years of stress, grief, and poor sleep had caught up with me. My body was simply asking for a reset. So this past January, I made a decision to give my digestive system a rest and started focusing on gut health foods for healing.
We began a gentle low FODMAP diet, gave my gut a break, and then slowly reintroduced whole, nourishing foods. The goal wasn’t perfection. It was rebuilding and giving my body the chance to heal itself.
If you’ve been feeling the same way (bloated, tired, or struggling with digestion) you’re not alone. Let’s talk about why gut health matters and how you can start healing it naturally at home.
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Why Gut Health Matters
Your gut does more than digest food. It’s connected to nearly every part of your body.
- About 70–80% of your immune system lives in your gut. When it’s healthy, your body can fight off illness more effectively.
- A balanced gut helps regulate hormones and blood sugar, supporting everything from energy levels to mood.
- Your gut also affects how well you absorb nutrients from your food. When it’s inflamed or imbalanced, even healthy meals can leave you feeling drained.
In short, when your gut is healthy, your whole body feels stronger, calmer, and more balanced.
What Gut Healing Really Looks Like
Healing your gut doesn’t happen overnight. It’s not about strict diets or quick fixes. It’s about daily choices that support your body’s natural rhythms.
For me, that looked like:
- Making simple, homemade meals from scratch
- Choosing fermented and living foods
- Taking breaks from overly processed ingredients
- Allowing grace when I slipped up, and just starting fresh the next day
If you’re ready to reset, start with gut health foods for healing. These are the ones that nourish your body from the inside out.
5 Gut-Healthy Recipes to Reset Your Digestion
Here are a few of my favorite homemade recipes that have helped bring my gut back into balance.
1. From-Scratch Sourdough Bread
Sourdough is naturally fermented, which helps your body digest it more easily than conventional breads. When you use freshly milled whole grains, you get all the fiber and nutrients your gut needs. This is one of the most satisfying gut-friendly recipes you can make at home.
2. Instant Pot Yogurt
Homemade yogurt is packed with live probiotics and beneficial enzymes that support digestion and boost immunity. Skip the store-bought versions and make your own. Trust me, you will notice the difference.
3. Water Kefir
This fizzy, naturally fermented drink is a gentle way to bring beneficial bacteria into your diet. It’s refreshing, full of probiotics, and one of the easiest fermented foods for digestion. We drink this at home pretty much every day and it is so good!
4. Gut-Healthy Roasted Chicken
Roasting a pasture-raised chicken with herbs and vegetables is one of the simplest ways to feed your gut and your soul. Real, whole foods rich in minerals and collagen are healing to the digestive system.
5. Bone Broth
Bone broth is full of collagen, amino acids, and minerals that help repair the gut lining. I like to sip it warm on cold days or use it as a base for soups and stews. This is also a great go-to for cold and flu season as it naturally breaks up congestion when you are sick.
Other Foods That Support Gut Health
Beyond the recipes, here are a few simple gut health foods for healing you can include in your everyday meals:
- Leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables like kale, broccoli, and cabbage help reduce inflammation and feed healthy gut bacteria.
- Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and raw dairy products contain live cultures that restore balance in the gut. Read more about the benefits (and the controversy) of Raw dairy here.
- Whole grains and fiber-rich foods fuel good bacteria and help regulate digestion. Milling your own grains takes this to the next level. I recommend using a Nutrimill. I have used mine for almost a year now and love it! You can literally taste the difference in your baked goods.
- Healthy fats and proteins from pasture-raised animals, eggs, nuts, and olive oil support hormone and gut balance.
Lifestyle Choices That Heal Your Gut
Food is the foundation, but lifestyle plays an important role too.
- Sleep well. Your body repairs itself at night, including your gut lining.
- Stay Hydrated. Drinking plenty of water supports gut health by keeping digestion smooth, helping nutrients absorb properly, and allowing your body to flush out toxins that can lead to inflammation or bloating.
- Lower stress. Chronic stress disrupts digestion. Slow mornings, porch sweeping, or gentle walks can work wonders.
- Move your body. Even light activity like stretching or gardening helps digestion flow more naturally.
- Eat mindfully. Sit down, slow down, and pay attention to your food. Your gut will thank you for it.
How to Start Healing Your Gut Naturally
Here’s a simple plan to get started this January:
- Choose one recipe from this post—maybe yogurt or water kefir—and make it this week.
- Add one new gut-supporting ingredient each week, like leafy greens or fermented vegetables.
- Focus on one lifestyle habit that supports your digestion, such as better sleep or slower meals.
Healing your gut is a gentle process, but every small change adds up to something big.
A Final Word of Encouragement
Your gut is one of your greatest allies in living a vibrant, intentional life. When it’s in balance, your whole body feels more at peace.
You can heal your gut naturally. You can enjoy bread again, eat real food, and feel nourished and energized.
Here’s to a year of healing, restoring, and feeling at home in your body.
XO, Bri
More Healthy Recipes You’ll Love
If you’re feeling inspired to keep nourishing your body, here are a few of my favorite wholesome recipes that fit right in with a healthy lifestyle:
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