Follow Your Gut Podcast

The Food Piece: Why it’s Important and How to Start Where You Are

• Season 4 • Episode 151

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If the food side of your rebalance has ever felt overwhelming, this episode is for you. Today, we are having a real and honest conversation about why the food recommendations matter, how they support your healing, and why they should never hold you back from starting. 

Healing does not require perfection. It requires presence, courage, and a willingness to start exactly where you are. We will talk about the foods to avoid, the supportive foods you can lean into, how cravings shift as your microbiome heals, and how to navigate this journey with freedom instead of fear. Whether you are just thinking about rebalancing, are about to begin, or are deep in the middle of it, you will leave this episode feeling empowered to lead your healing journey in a way that is fully your own.

Thanks for listening! I would love to connect with you ♡


Sending love and wellness from my family yours,
xx - Juniper Bennett
Founder of ōNLē ORGANICS

Perfectionism is the thief of progress.

If you’re waiting to have it all figured out before you start transforming your life, you’re going to miss the healing that’s already waiting for you and or your child.

Today, we are diving into the food side of your rebalance. Why it matters, how it supports your healing, and why it should never be the reason you hold yourself back. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to start.

Maybe you are here because you have been thinking about rebalancing, but the food side has felt too overwhelming and it has been holding you back. Or maybe you have already ordered your kit, but you have not started yet because you are worried you will not be able to do it perfectly. Or maybe you are right in the thick of it. You have started, but you are feeling like you are falling short, like you are not doing enough.

Wherever you are, I want you to know this. You are not behind. You are not failing. You are here. You are showing up. And that is the most important thing.

Healing does not require perfection. I am going to repeat what I said at the beginning. Perfectionism is the thief of progress. You are not rebalancing to master this unattainable idea of perfectionism. You found your way here because you want to heal and part of healing is letting this idea of being perfect go. What healing really requires is showing up. It requires courage. It requires a willingness to start exactly where you are, even if it feels messy and even if it feels imperfect.

This is exactly what we are going to talk about today. I want to have a real and honest conversation with you about the food side of your rebalance. Why it matters, why it can feel so overwhelming at first, and why it should never be the reason you hold yourself back from starting.

And before we dive in deep, I want to take a moment to validate where you might be. 

If you find yourself or your child reaching for processed, sugary, carb-heavy foods, you have not failed. This is not about willpower or discipline. This is biology.

When the gut is out of balance, the harmful overgrowths - so the bad bacteria, yeast, mold, fungus, and parasites - become dominant. And they are LOUD. They communicate directly with your brain and drive intense cravings for the exact foods they need to stay alive. They scream, “Feed me! Feed me!” and your brain listens.

This is the work we are here to do.
 We are here to heal the gut so that those loud signals start to quiet.

As you begin rebalancing, the good microbiome - so the beneficial bacteria that support your energy, clarity, mood, and immune system - begins to grow stronger. And when the good bacteria thrive, they start to communicate with the brain more clearly. They crave fresh fruits, vegetable and whole grains so your body will naturally start wanting these foods more. 

The more balanced your gut becomes, the more your cravings begin to shift naturally. This healing is about creating a gut environment that supports change from the inside out.

This is why the food piece is powerful. What you feed your body either supports healing or fuels the very overgrowths we are working to clear. Food is not just about calories or comfort. Food is information. Every bite you take either sends a signal of healing or a signal of inflammation.

This is why the food recommendations are part of your rebalance. Not to make things harder. Not to overwhelm you. But to give your body the strongest foundation to heal.

So let’s talk about the food recommendations. When you are rebalancing, there are six main things we recommend avoiding. Gluten, dairy, eggs, refined sugar, ketchup, and alcohol.

And I know. You might be thinking, what about sourdough? What about raw dairy? What about backyard fresh eggs?

I hear these questions all the time.

The truth is, even the highest quality versions of these foods still feed the harmful overgrowths we are working to clear. Your body does not recognize raw or organic any differently when it comes to yeast and bad bacteria. Gluten, dairy, and eggs all feed the imbalance.

Refined sugar acts the same way. Even small amounts of sugar keeps yeast, mold, and bad bacteria alive longer.

Ketchup seems like such a silly thing to be on this list but it is included because so many people, especially children who have imbalances have a very stong love for it. And the way the tomatoes breakdown in the process of becoming ketchup turns them into a sugar that feeds the bad overgrowths like refined sugar does.

And then alcohol directly feeds yeast and burdens your detox organs, especially your liver, which is already working hard to process everything that is dying off during your rebalance.

So I just want to clarify here really quickly, the food piece is not about being extreme. It is not a trendy diet. It is about creating the best environment possible for your body to heal. Because every choice you make either supports that healing or slows it down.

And the beautiful thing is, there are so many supportive foods you can lean into. In place of refined sugar, you can enjoy foods sweetened with organic pure maple syrup, coconut sugar, or a little honey. Fruit will become your new best friend. It satisfies the sweet cravings that the overgrowths are sending to your brain, but it does so in a way that supports your healing. Fruits like bananas are especially powerful because they contain natural antimicrobials that help heal your gut. The goal is not deprivation. It is nourishment. It is giving your body the tools it needs to thrive.

And if you are breastfeeding while rebalancing your child, the food piece becomes even more powerful. Everything you eat passes through your milk to your baby. Your intentional choices become their healing. When you avoid these foods, you are giving your child the absolute best environment to heal.

And I want you to know, it is so much more enjoyable than you might be imagining right now. It is normal to feel intimidated in the beginning, but once you get your head out of the way and you just go for it, it becomes the most intentional, satisfying, and genuinely fun way to live. You start to see your meals as opportunities to nourish and celebrate your body instead of as something you have to control. Healing through food becomes empowering. It becomes joyful. And it becomes something you look forward to. And of course your child can still have a birthday cake! You will just learn new ways to make it microbiome friendly. 

Okay. Now, I want you to hear this too. I spent all of this time so far really teaching why the food part is so important. But even though committing to avoiding these is so powerful, it is not a requirement . I am going to repeat that. It is powerful but it is not required. 

If making all the food changes at once feels overwhelming, just start with the supplements. Start there. Because starting somewhere is always better than not starting at all.

But I want to speak directly to the part of you that might already be thinking, “Well, if I don’t have to change my food, I am just not going to.”

You are the leader of your journey. You get to decide how deeply you commit to your healing process. Some people go through their entire first rebalance without changing a thing about their food and they still experience incredible healing. Some start right where they are, eating all the same foods they always have, and slowly make shifts along the way. And they end up experiencing the most beautiful, powerful transformations because they stayed open. Others go all in with the food side while they are still waiting for the supplements to arrive and they find that they feel better than they ever have. 

You do you. But just start. And stay open to what might happen. Healing is not about locking yourself into a rigid plan. It is about allowing the process to shift you from the inside out.

So we went over this a little earlier but I want to explain what actually happens when you rebalance your gut…

Right now, it is very very likely that your body has an overgrowth of bad bacteria, yeast, mold, fungus, and possibly even parasites. And these overgrowths are loud. They send strong signals to your brain, demanding the foods that feed them. That is why you crave gluten, dairy, sugar, and even eggs. It is not just about willpower. It is biology. The bad bacteria are literally asking you to feed them.

But when you begin rebalancing, everything starts to shift. As the bad overgrowths clear, the good microbiome (this is the beneficial bacteria that promote healing, energy, clarity, and balance) gets a chance to grow stronger. And as that healthy microbiome rebuilds, it starts speaking louder to your brain than the bad overgrowths. 

This good bacteria thrive on whole, living foods. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains like quinoa. And as your gut shifts, your cravings will too. Your body begins to want the foods that support your healing instead of the foods that feed the imbalance.

I want to pause here to answer a really common question. Does this have to be forever? No, it does not. The goal here is to restore balance inside your body so you can live in freedom, trusting your body and feeling empowered in your choices. Many people rebalancing and heal and then resume eating all of the eliminated foods and they thrive. Some people, including my family, fall so in love with how good you feel living this way that it naturally becomes your lifestyle. That is what happened for us. But it is not about forcing yourself into something forever. It is about giving your body what it needs right now to heal and thrive. Do not let your brain get in your way. It will try to complicate this process to keep you safe in your familiar zone, but healing happens when you are willing to step outside of what is familiar and trust in a new way forward.

I mentioned it earlier, but my cookbook really helps simplify the food side of your healing. And I just want to clarify here because I get asked about this a lot. Our family personally follows a plant-based lifestyle and the cookbook reflects this. But you do not have to be plant-based to rebalance successfully. The food recommendations are about removing what feeds overgrowths, not about eliminating entire food groups or following a specific diet label.

I will make sure to link the cookbook in the show notes if you want to check it out.

Before we close today, I want to speak to those of you who may have a history of eating disorders. If that is part of your story, I see you. I honor your journey because I have walked that path too. I struggled with an eating disorder for many, many years. I know how complicated and heavy the relationship with food can feel. But I want to invite you to see this process differently. This is not about controlling your food out of fear. This is about partnering with your body in love. Healing is not about shrinking yourself. It is about nourishing yourself so fully that your body can thrive the way it was designed to. You deserve to experience that kind of freedom. And I promise you, it is possible.

Ultimately we are not here to already know everything or do everything perfectly. This is a journey. You get to own it. You get to make it your own.

And when you show up willing to start, willing to be open to what unfolds, you will be amazed at the growth and expansion that follows.

You’ve got this and remember that every small choice you make matters.