Gut Check: Why Your Microbiome Might Be Running the Show (and What to Do About It)

Have you ever had a “gut feeling” that something was off, not just physically, but emotionally or mentally? You’re not imagining things. Science now confirms what ancient cultures have known for centuries: the gut and the brain are deeply connected. And at the center of that connection? Your microbiome is a bustling, microscopic ecosystem that can quite literally shape your thoughts, mood, and mental health.

Let’s dive into the powerful (and sometimes underestimated) world of gut bacteria, neurotransmitters, and how we can feed our inner allies to support wild, whole-person wellness.

Meet Your Microbiome: The Brain Behind the Brain

Your microbiome is a complex community of bacteria, yeasts, and other microorganisms that live primarily in your gut. There are trillions of them, outnumbering your human cells ten to one. And while we tend to think of bacteria as “germs,” most of these microscopic residents are not only harmless, they’re essential to your survival.

These good bugs play a key role in:

• Digesting food and synthesizing vitamins (like B12 and K2)

• Supporting your immune system

• Protecting your gut lining

• And, most fascinating, producing neurotransmitters.

The Gut-Brain Axis: Your Inner Messaging System

Your gut and brain are in constant communication via the vagus nerve, a superhighway of information running between your digestive system and your central nervous system. This connection is known as the gut-brain axis, and it’s one reason why your mood can shift after a meal or why stress can upset your stomach.

Here’s the wild part: the bacteria in your gut help produce many of the very neurotransmitters your brain uses to regulate emotion and cognition. For example:

• Serotonin (the “feel good” neurotransmitter): ~90% is produced in the gut.

• Dopamine (motivation and reward): Gut microbes play a role in its synthesis.

• GABA (calms the nervous system): certain strains, like Lactobacillus rhamnosus, enhance GABA activity.

• Norepinephrine (focus and arousal): also influenced by gut flora.

A healthy gut = more balanced neurotransmitters = better mood, focus, and resilience.

📖 [Citation: Mayer et al., 2015, Nature Reviews Neuroscience; Carabotti et al., 2015, Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology]

When Things Go Sideways: Dysbiosis, Candida & the Mental Health Crash

When your microbiome is disrupted through poor diet, antibiotics, chronic stress, or environmental toxins, dysbiosis can occur. This means that harmful microbes (like opportunistic bacteria or candida yeast) start to overpopulate.

This imbalance can:

• Compromise the gut lining (a.k.a. “leaky gut”)

• Trigger systemic inflammation

• Interfere with neurotransmitter production

• Lead to symptoms like brain fog, anxiety, depression, irritability, and fatigue

Candida overgrowth is particularly notorious for creating neurotoxic byproducts like acetaldehyde and ammonia, which stress both the liver and brain. It’s no coincidence that people struggling with candida often feel “off” mentally and emotionally.

📖 [Citation: Rucklidge et al., 2015, Frontiers in Neuroscience; Rogers et al., 2021, Gut Microbes]

How to Feed the Good Guys (And Crowd Out the Bad Ones)

Your microbiome is like a garden, it needs care, nourishment, and balance to thrive. Here’s how to support your beneficial bacteria and keep pathogens in check:

Eat for your bugs:

• Prebiotic fibers (onions, garlic, leeks, green bananas, Jerusalem artichokes)

• Polyphenols (berries, cacao, olive oil, green tea)

• Resistant starch (cooled rice, lentils, green plantains)

Add probiotic-rich foods:

• Fermented foods: sauerkraut, kefir, yogurt, kimchi, miso, natto

• Sourdough bread (the real kind—wild starter + long ferment = good bugs)

Limit what feeds the bad guys:

• Excess sugar and refined carbs

• Highly processed foods and seed oils

• Alcohol (especially beer and wine during candida flares)

Support gut healing:

• Bone broth

• L-glutamine, zinc carnosine, and marshmallow root

• Digestive enzymes and probiotic supplements, especially post-antibiotic

📖 [Citation: Sonnenburg & Sonnenburg, 2014, Cell; DeGruttola et al., 2016, Gut Microbes]

Bouncing Back: Healing After Dysbiosis or Candida Overgrowth

If you’ve been through antibiotics, chronic illness, mold, or a high-stress season, chances are your microbiome needs some TLC.

Here’s how we often guide recovery in our clinical care:

1. Remove the offenders (sugar, yeast, triggers)

2. Rebuild the lining (gut healing nutrients)

3. Reinoculate with probiotics + fermented foods

4. Restore balance with targeted supplements and time

Sometimes we add antimicrobials like oregano oil or caprylic acid, but always with caution and supervision. (Join me for health coaching on this today!)

Whole-Person Healing for Whole-Body Wellness

At Wildly Well, we believe you were created for vitality, and your gut is one of the most powerful places to begin that journey.

The microbiome isn’t just about digestion; it’s about direction. When your gut is healthy, your brain works better, your mood is steadier, and your body has the tools it needs to heal deeply.

So whether you’re baking your sourdough, sipping on fermented tea, or working with your provider to heal a deeper imbalance, know this: the small choices matter. They add up. They shift your inner ecosystem in ways that ripple through every part of your life.

Want to Go Deeper?

Explore our functional health offerings or grab our Wildly Well Gut Reset Guide (coming soon!). Need personalized support? Book a virtual consult and let’s make a plan together.