Follow Your Gut Podcast

"Is This Normal?” Everything You Need to Know About Die-Off

• Season 4 • Episode 153

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If you or your child are starting to feel worse before feeling better during your gut rebalance, you are not doing anything wrong. You are right on track. In this empowering episode, I walk you through exactly what die-off is, why it happens, what symptoms you might experience, and most importantly, how to support your body or your child’s body through it.

You will learn what is normal, what to expect, and how to stay grounded in your healing journey without fear or second-guessing. We will talk about the physical side of healing, the emotional resistance that can surface during change, and how mindset is one of the most powerful tools you have.

I also speak directly to breastfeeding mamas, teaching you how your healing journey supports your baby's microbiome and how to know what to expect for your baby too.

If you have ever found yourself wondering, "Is this normal?" - this episode is your roadmap. Healing is not always linear, but it is always worth it. Keep going. You are doing powerful work.

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

If you’re rebalancing your or your child’s gut and starting to feel worse before you feel better, you’re not doing anything wrong. You are actually right on track. What you’re experiencing is something called die-off.

Die-off, or a Herxheimer reaction, happens when harmful bacteria, yeast, mold, fungus, and parasites begin to die faster than your body can flush them out. This is the exact goal of rebalancing. But when those pathogens die, they release toxins that can cause symptoms to temporarily flare. You might feel headachy, foggy, bloated, or fatigued. Your child might run a fever, break out in a rash, or experience a flare of the very symptoms you’re here to heal. It can feel quite discouraging if you aren’t aware of what is going on. It’s easy to quickly jump to thinking that rebalancing doesn’t work for you or your child. But what you’re feeling is not a sign of getting worse. It is your body doing exactly what it’s meant to do.

The symptoms that may be surfacing during your rebalance are not being caused by the process itself. They are part of what your body is finally releasing. Rebalancing gives your body the tools and support it needs to start clearing what has been stored and suppressed. For many of us, our bodies have been in this state for years. This is the beginning of true healing.

Now, before we go further I want you to know that not everyone experiences die-off. That is completely normal too. It does not mean your rebalance is not working. It simply means your body is either better prepared or your overgrowths are clearing more gently. But even if you do not experience a die-off reaction, having this information will empower you to navigate your healing journey with confidence.

If symptoms do come up, there is so much you can do to support yourself or your child through the process. If you have not yet listened to episode 150 about preparing your body for rebalancing, make sure to right after this one. That episode, along with the course that comes free with your rebalance kit, is the foundation for doing this well. They teach you exactly how to open your drainage pathways so your liver, kidneys, lymph, and bowels can keep up with what your gut is clearing. When your drainage pathways are open and flowing, healing moves faster and die-off becomes much easier to manage, if not completely avoidable.

So let’s jump into some supportive steps you can take. First, you can go back to the higher dosage of Cleanse you used during the first four days of your rebalance. You can do this until symptoms ease. For children this 1 TBSP twice a day and for adults this is 2 TBSP twice a day.

And possibly the most powerful thing you can do is incorporate our binder. Bind helps literally bind up the toxins and overgrowths (including parasites) being released and carries them out of the body, relieving the burden on your liver and kidneys. Remineralize is another powerful support. Replenishing minerals stabilizes your body, supports your nervous system, and helps you move through healing with more energy and resilience.

Hydration is so important. Drink plenty of water. Even better - organic unsweetened coconut water. Incorporate Balance CBD if you are needing extra support for headaches, body aches, sleep, mood or hormones swings. Try your best to commit to the food recommendations because continuing to feed the bad bacteria while trying to kill them will make die-off so much more intense. If you need extra support with the food piece, be sure to listen to episode 151. It will guide you in starting where you are and growing from there.

It is also important to understand that healing is not always linear. Sometimes deeper layers of imbalance take time to surface. You might find that three weeks into your rebalance, or even three months in, new symptoms arise. This does not mean you are regressing. It means your body is ready to heal a deeper layer.

External factors can also influence flares. For children, things like teething, growth spurts, environmental exposures, seasonal changes, and emotional stress can stir symptoms. For adults, it can be hormonal shifts, sleep disruptions, emotional stress, travel, diet, and even mindset.

So, there is the physical side of die-off, where the overgrowths not only release toxins as they die, but they actually don’t want to die. Just like any living thing, they fight for survival. They kick, scream, and punch. And depending on how long they have been thriving and procreating inside of you or your child, clearing them out can sometimes feel intense. But this is the healing.

Then there is a deeper layer that no one really talks about. This part is not as applicable to children, but for adults, it is important to understand. Any time you create change, whether by cleansing your body or committing to a healthier lifestyle, your mind will resist. Your brain is wired for survival and it sees the familiar as safe, even if familiar means sick, exhausted, or unhappy. Healing asks you to break through that resistance. To push past the discomfort of change. And that is just as much a part of the healing as the physical process. So sit with this part and really ask yourself, "Am I willing to move through the discomfort to reach the healing I know is possible?" Remind yourself that feeling uncomfortable does not mean you are doing something wrong. It means you are stepping into change. It means your body and your mind are both learning a new way of being. Healing is not just about clearing pathogens. It is about becoming someone new. Someone who is no longer living in survival mode, but in true health and freedom.

Now, I know you want to know exactly how long this discomfort is going to last. We all want timelines to attach to because it helps us feel safer. So here is how you can start to get an idea of what to expect by tuning into your own intuition and looking at a few key factors.

First, let’s think about how long symptoms have been present. For every three months that symptoms have been present, give yourself five points. So if you have had symptoms for six months, that would be 10 points. If you have had symptoms for one year, that would be 20 points. If you have had symptoms for five years, that would be 100 points.

Now, let's rate the severity of the symptoms you were experiencing before starting your rebalance.

  • If symptoms were mild, give yourself five points.
  • If symptoms were moderate, meaning they were not completely debilitating but still very present in your daily life, give yourself 10 points.
  • If symptoms were severe and really impacted your ability to live your life, give yourself 15 points.

Add your two scores together. This number is not a diagnosis or a promised timeline. But just a simple guide to help you gauge how much healing your body might be working through.

Here’s a general way you can think about it:

  • If your points add up to 15 or below, your die-off phase may be very short, or you may not experience noticeable die-off at all.
  • If your points are between 20 and 40, you may have a few weeks of ups and downs as your body clears what needs to be released.
  • If your points are 45 or higher, your body may be working through deeper, longer-standing imbalances. You might find that symptoms ebb and flow for a couple of months as different layers heal.

Other factors that will impact your die-off phase are how committed you are to the preparation steps and the full process of rebalancing. These things will definitely influence your healing timeline.

But please hear me in this. You might still be the person who does not experience any die-off at all. This equation is just a tool to ease your mind and help you understand what could happen. It is not meant to intimidate you. It is meant to show you how capable you are. It is meant to remind you that no matter what you are working through, you can do this.

Healing is happening. Your body knows exactly what to do. And you are so much stronger than any temporary discomfort you might experience. If you are supporting your child through this process, know that this is one of the greatest gifts you could ever give them. Their body is learning how to heal. Their immune system is becoming stronger. Their foundation for lifelong health is being built right now. Every moment of discomfort is clearing the way for a future of deeper resilience, strength, and health freedom.

Now that you have a better sense of what to expect and how to support your body through the process, I want to speak directly to the mamas who are breastfeeding during their rebalance.

Your body is incredibly wise. The toxins being released during your own die-off do not pass through your breast milk. Your body has a highly intelligent system called the blood-milk barrier that protects your baby by filtering out anything that could be harmful. Your placenta during pregnancy functions the same way, which is why your baby's gut is sterile at birth.

But it is important to understand that while a baby is born with a sterile gut, they are immediately exposed to the world around them. Through birth, skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding, and their environment, their microbiome begins to form. And your microbiome plays a powerful role in shaping theirs — not just during pregnancy, but during birth and throughout breastfeeding too. Every step of the way, your body is offering information, protection, and healing through the microbiome you are passing to them.

This is why rebalancing your own gut while breastfeeding is so beautiful. You are not just healing yourself. You are actively supporting the foundation of your baby's microbiome and immune system too.

Now, while the toxins from die-off do not pass through your milk, the supplements you are taking do. And that is a beautiful thing. It means your baby is receiving the same healing support you are. If your breastfeeding baby experiences mild symptoms like a rash, gassiness, or changes in digestion, this is not from your body’s die-off. It is from their own microbiome beginning to shift and heal as the supplements gently move through your milk.

If your baby is under four months old, they can often fully heal through breastfeeding alone while you use the Women’s Kit. If your baby is over four months, we recommend starting them directly on the Children’s Gut Rebalance Kit for the most effective healing.

As you move through this process, whether you are healing for yourself, for your child, or for both of you together, there is one more piece that is just as important as everything else we have talked about. And that is your mindset.

Doubt adds another layer for your body to fight through. Healing is not just physical. It is energetic. Your belief is part of the transformation and if you can hold the vision of healing even when it feels hard, your body will rise to meet you there.

Keep going. The only way to heal is to keep healing. Stopping stops the healing. You've got this.