6 Gut Health Mistakes You Didn’t Know You Were Making (And How to Fix Them)

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So you’ve been on this gut healing journey for a while now…and no matter what you try, it doesn’t seem to help. Maybe you’ve even seen some progress, but then hit a wall. Trust me… you’re preaching to the choir here. I know this story all too well.

Here’s what I want you to know…you’re probably doing a lot of things right. But it might be coming down to a few small pieces you’re missing that are secretly working against all of your hard work.

But don’t get discouraged, I have good news for you! These mistakes are super common and also super fixable. So let’s get into it! Here are the 6 gut health mistakes that might be getting in your way

MISTAKE #1: Jumping to Supplements Without Fixing Your Diet First

When you’re not feeling your best, it’s natural to want to reach for a supplement to help be proactive. Honestly… it makes sense. The wellness industry makes billions of dollars off of telling us which pills and powders will fix all of our problems.

While supplements can be a great resource, no supplement can outperform a poor diet. Think about it like this: if we plant flowers in toxic soil, we can give the flowers as much water as we want, but the water alone won’t save them. The same goes for our gut. We can take probiotics all we want, but if our diets mainly consist of processed foods, excess sugar, and inflammatory foods, the probiotics alone won’t save us. This isn’t to say supplements don’t have their place because they absolutely do. But they work best when your diet is already working with them.

Instead, focus on the foods that actually work for your gut, such as high-fiber foods that feed your good bacteria, fermented foods like yogurt and kefir that introduce beneficial bacteria, and anti-inflammatory foods like leafy greens and berries that help calm gut inflammation. Build your diet foundation first, then use supplements as the support system they were always meant to be, not the solution.

MISTAKE #2: Underestimating How Much Stress is Wrecking Your Gut 

Yep…stress. I know… it’s probably not what you were expecting or even wanting to hear. But just stay with me for a second here.

Your gut and your brain are literally in constant contact with each other. Like, all day long. This connection is called the gut-brain axis, When you’re feeling stressed, your brain sends signals directly to your gut. So that’s why when you’re feeling stressed…your gut feels it too.

So what’s actually going on behind the scenes here? It has a lot to do with cortisol (the stress hormone). Coritsol is basically your body’s stress alarm system. Small amounts are fine and actually healthy even. But when that alarm just won’t shut off…your gut can begin to pay the price. Think of it like a domino effect. First your gut lining takes a hit, then inflammation shows up, then your microbiome gets thrown off, and suddenly, your stomach acid levels are all over the place too. It just kind of…snowballs. And if you’re dealing with IBS on top of everything else…chronic stress can make symptoms worse… ugh!

Look, I’m not here to tell you to just stop being stressed… if only it were that easy. And hey, some stress is healthy! But what I will say is that even small things like going for a walk, doing a few minutes of breathwork, or having a slow morning routine, can genuinely change the game when it comes to your gut health. Because trust me… the calmer your nervous system, the happier your gut!

MISTAKE #3: The Foods You Think Are Helping Your Gut Might Actually Be Hurting It

This one may surprise you… but for some people who are in the thick of gut healing, certain high-fiber or high FODMAP foods (even really healthy ones) may cause temporary digestive discomfort like bloating or gas. And this doesn’t mean these foods are bad for you or that you need to avoid them, it just means your body might need a little more time before it’s ready to break them down.

Foods that are super high in fiber, or cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, can be naturally harder for our bodies to break down, and for a gut that’s already struggling… that extra work can become disruptive over time, showing up as bloating, gas, or general digestive discomfort. Try starting slow with these foods and cooking them rather than eating them raw, as cooking them down helps soften the fibers and makes them significantly easier on your digestive system. Beyond cruciferous vegetables, high FODMAP foods like apples, pears, beans, and large amounts of garlic and onion may also be worth paying attention to if you’re noticing persistent bloating or discomfort after meals.

The best thing you can do is start paying attention to how specific foods make you feel. Don’t focus on cutting out a ton of foods or being restrictive. Instead, try writing down the foods you ate when you experienced symptoms. Tracking what you eat in a food and symptoms journal like this one can better help you pinpoint which foods may be causing you discomfort.

And remember, this isn’t forever! As your gut continues to heal, most people find they can slowly reintroduce these foods without the same discomfort they once experienced. It’s more about giving your gut a small break.

MISTAKE #4: Not Drinking Enough Water

We’ve all heard it before…”You should drink more water.” But did you know that dehydration could be quietly making your gut-healing journey that much harder?

Water is essential for keeping things moving through the digestive tract. Without water, digestion can slow down significantly. That’s why dehydration is one of the most common (and one of the most overlooked) causes of constipation and slow digestion. When we lack proper water intake, it can also cause an imbalance in the gut microbiome and can prevent the gut from properly absorbing the nutrients from all of those gut-healthy foods you’ve been eating! Not to mention… more severe dehydration can cause the gut lining to become more vulnerable and thin, weaken the mucosal lining, and cause inflammation (leading to leaky gut).

If you’re dealing with constipation, sluggish digestion, or even just feeling more bloated than usual…dehydration could be a contributing factor you haven’t considered yet.

Rather than trying to drink a huge amount of water all at once, you could aim to sip consistently throughout the day. One of the easiest habits you can build is drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning, before your coffee or breakfast. Herbal teas like ginger or peppermint also count toward your hydration (and are bonus gut-friendly options that could be worth adding to your routine)! And if you really want to take your hydration up a notch, electrolytes play a bigger role in gut health than most people realize. You can read more about that here.

Sometimes the simplest habits are the most powerful ones. Don’t underestimate the power of proper hydration!

MISTAKE #5 Eating Too Fast and Not Chewing Properly 

Fun fact… digestion starts way before you finish eating, it actually starts before you even take your first bite! The moment you smell your food or take the first bite, your body begins releasing saliva and digestive enzymes that help to break your food down. When you rush through a meal, you rush this process, and in turn, skip a big chunk of that digestive process, leaving your stomach to do way more work than it was designed to handle alone

Lucky for you, this is probably one of the easiest fixes on the list!

To help improve digestion, try to chew each bite a few more times, put your phone down while eating, try to eat at consistent times each day to keep your gut’s rhythm steady, or if you’re stressed before a meal, take a few deep breaths first to shift your body out of fight or flight mode before eating.

Your gut does so much work for you every single day, so giving it a little extra help by simply slowing down at mealtimes can truly make a difference. This may seem super simple, but trust me… it’s effective!

MISTAKE #6: Ignoring Your Sleep 

Last but definitely not least… and this one might be the most surprising mistake of all… ignoring your sleep. Most of us know that poor sleep affects our mood and energy levels, but did you know it can also have a direct impact on your gut health?

Your gut actually does a significant amount of its repair and restoration work while you sleep. When you’re not getting enough quality sleep, you’re essentially cutting that repair time short. This can have some real consequences beyond just feeling tired.

A lack of sleep can naturally raise cortisol levels (and going back to mistake #2, we remember how elevated cortisol can negatively impact our guts), disrupt your microbiome balance, and can create a vicious cycle of sleep and gut health issues. Poor sleep disrupts your gut microbiome, and a disrupted gut microbiome produces less serotonin and melatonin, making quality sleep even harder to come by… so let’s just say we want to avoid this at all costs!

To ensure you’re getting proper sleep, try to have a consistent sleep schedule. Your body follows a natural clock (your circadian rhythm), so when you wake up and go to sleep at the same time most nights, your body will have an easier time sleeping each night. It could also be helpful to create a calming wind-down routine before bed. This will give your body time to relax into a bedtime mindset. For this routine, try putting away your screens and switching to a calming activity such as reading, journaling, meditating, or even light stretching. Lastly, prioritizing 7-9 hours of sleep each night should be a non-negotiable! To read more about creating better sleep hygiene, read my post here.

Think of sleep as free medicine for your gut… it costs nothing and the benefits are enormous.

So Where Do You Go From Here?

If any of these mistakes hit a little close to home… please don’t be hard on yourself! These are some of the most common gut healing mistakes out there, and the fact that you’re here reading this means you’re already taking a step in the right direction.

Don’t try to tackle all of this at once… seriously, please don’t. Just pick ONE thing from this list. Work on that this week. Then add more as you go.

You’ve got this. And your gut does too!