Leigh - GutFit Nutrition, Toronto, ON (2025)

11/24/2025

Feel like no matter what you eat, your gut disagrees? 😖

I hear this often from new clients! The truth is, it often goes deeper than the food you just ate…

While there could be many factors at play, some of the most common reasons why you’re still struggling with your digestion could be because you’re:

❌ Cutting out too many foods (& dealing with nutrient deficiencies)

❌ Taking random supplements that are making things worse

❌ Not getting enough fibre & potassium (essential nutrients for motility)

❌ Ignoring deeper issues such as bacterial overgrowth or infections

& some others that i’ve listed above ⬆️

While you’ll need to do proper testing to uncover infections or SIBO, implementing proper habits and strategies over time can help you start to improve your bloat and IBS symptoms by giving your gut the tools it needs to thrive!

This includes…

➡️ Proper meal hygiene: chewing food slowly, spacing your meals

➡️ Diet diversity: more variety of whole, nutrient dense foods & microbial accessible carbs

➡️ Good sleep hygiene: sleeping 7-8 hours a night, going to bed and waking at the same time

➡️ Fixing nutrient deficiencies so your cells can begin to heal & repair

➡️ & more!

If you’re ready to start shifting your habits for a happier gut, more energy, and fewer flare-ups…

Grab my FREE Gut Glow Tracker: Daily Habits For IBS & Digestive Bliss!

Comment HABITS below to get it sent straight to your inbox!👇🏻🔥

11/23/2025

Celebrated another lap around the sun with a week long road trip through beautiful Quebec! 🇨🇦 ❄️

Might be moving there sometime soon.. The style, food scene and hospitality is unmatched. Plus, greater attention to care of buildings and architecture, so much love put into making restaurants and interiors look nice, blending new and old. It's been a while since travelling here and we were so charmed by all the amazing spots we visited!

Some highlights:
🏃‍♀️ Morning runs along the Montreal canal, followed by stops for oat milk lattes
❄️ 4-days of hot–cold therapy at Le Nordique Spa overlooking the Jacques Cartier River during snowfall
🌨️ A birthday tempo long run workout during the blizzard on the quiet hilly roads of Stoneham, Quebec
🧊 Multiple plunges into the frigid river to celebrate my birthday!
🥾 A snowy hike through the Éperon Trail trail in Jacques-Cartier National Park
🎄 German Christmas market in Old Quebec City (totally free & so quaint and charming!)
🏃‍♀️ A 5K race tune-up workout in the Plains of Abraham
🥗 Trying to find gluten-free + vegetarian
Food options for Mike and I to keep us fuelled and the gut happy (a fun challenge BUT as someone who helps people do this as a career, I have many tricks up my sleeve 😉)

Until next time, Quebec!

11/21/2025

When your gut microbiome — that’s the community of trillions of bacteria living inside you — is out of balance, that’s called dysbiosis.

Dysbiosis means fewer beneficial microbes and more harmful ones. That imbalance can trigger inflammation, damage the gut lining, and slow down gut motility — which is basically how your intestines move food through your system.

And guess what? Those issues— inflammation, sluggish digestion, and imbalance — are all linked to IBS symptoms.

So naturally, people think: “If my gut bacteria are out of balance, wouldn’t taking a probiotic fix that?”

Well, the answer is not so simple!

Tune into this week’s podcast drop to uncover how to choose the
best probiotic for your IBS.
🎧 Tune into to Apple Podcasts here: podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/32-which-probiotic-really-helps-ibs-heres-what-the/id1809215958?i=1000737777540

🎙️ Listen on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio or Amazon Music - Search GutFit Nutrition Podcast!

11/17/2025

Looking for a simple way to support digestive health and reduce bloating? ☕️

Teas are not only a warm drink that can soothe an upset stomach, they’re a great way to get added antioxidants and nutrients from herbs & plants.

These are my favourite ⤵️

🫚 Ginger: Ginger tea contains gingerol compounds which can help to relieve intestinal pain, increase stomach emptying, as well as provide anti-inflammatory benefits. You can consume ginger in tea bags, or steep the raw root in hot water.

I recommend drinking it daily after main meals and/or having it in your IBS flare-up toolkit (especially during travel!)

🌿 Peppermint: Can help to reduce muscle spasms in the gut which can help reduce cramping and contractions. However, it can be a reflux/GERD trigger so you may wish to choose one of the other options on this list if you also experience reflux.

Peppermint capsules would be a better option, as they bypass the stomach.

🍋 Lemon Balm: Can soothe intestinal muscles and help to relieve mild pain, bloating and gas.

🍵 Green tea: lower caffeine than coffee which can help support the gut-brain axis and is high in antioxidants.

🌼 Dandelion: this type of tea can help stimulate bile and support liver function, which is helpful if you have a sluggish liver that may be implicated in IBS/SIBO.

👉🏻 Although caution this one as it is high FODMAP, enjoy based on your tolerance and/or guidance of your FODMAP dietitian.

Which of these teas are you going to try? Be sure to hit save to come back ☕️

‼️ DISCLAIMER: Teas on an empty stomach, specifically those high in tannins (black tea, oolong, rooibos followed by green tea) can trigger nausea and vomiting for some due to the tannins in tea increasing stomach acidity and irritation.

11/14/2025

“My IBS symptoms go away when I travel to Europe.”
Interestingly, this is a common sentiment I hear from clients and community members…

Surprisingly though, Europe and USA have the same rates of IBS incidence (roughly 15%) – so why is this the case?

In this week’s episode 31 of the GutFit Nutrition Podcast, we unpack why this could happen.

We cover:

✨ Food processing methods in Europe and how they impact digestibility

✨ How food standards and regulation differ in Europe and North America (and why additives, GMOs and processing could be linked to GI symptoms)

✨ The role of stress levels and movement + more!

Questions? Leave a comment in the shownotes!

🎧 Tune into Apple Podcasts HERE: podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/31-ibs-symptoms-disappear-when-you-travel-to-europe/id1809215958?i=1000736738599

🎙️ Listen on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio or Amazon Music - Search GutFit Nutrition Podcast!

11/13/2025

Should you be concerned about lead and heavy metals in protein powders?

The headlines are popping up (again), and while I still have some unanswered questions, it appears to me the majority of social media posts and articles commenting on it are misleading…😒

👉🏻 Swipe through to read my thoughts from what I think is MISSING from this discussion and my takeaways!

Have a question about this? Or another headline we should break down? Leave it below👇🏻

11/13/2025

“What probiotic should I take for IBS?” This is a question I'm asked often...

WHO defines probiotics as: “Live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.”

Probiotics can come in the form of foods (such as probiotic yogurt) as well as supplementation (powder or capsule).

When it comes to probiotic supplements.. they are not all the same!

Taking a random probiotic off the shelf is like going to the drugstore and grabbing Advil, expecting it to solve a specific problem like diarrhea or constipation.

Just as we wouldn’t use one medication for all health conditions, we shouldn’t rely on a generic probiotic for every gut issue.

Instead, we focus on selecting evidence-based probiotic strains that have been shown to target specific symptoms or gut health needs.

This selection requires understanding the mechanisms, dosage, and delivery format of each strain, as well as how they interact with other components of our unique gut environments.

To help with the symptoms of IBS including abdominal pain, bloat and gas…

Enter Florastor IBS which contains Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 alongside some anti spasmodic botanicals to help relieve IBS related abdominal pain & discomfort, and help digest protein.

S. Boulardii is a yeast based probiotic and shown to be well tolerated in Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) which exists in a certain subset of the IBS population.

S. Boulardii has been shown to help balance microbial populations and reduce symptom severity when combined with dietary therapy in SIBO. As well, it’s well supported to reduce the risk of diarrhea with antibiotic use!

Florastor is a probiotic backed by science; the #1 probiotic worldwide, supported by 130 clinical studies and over 65 years of research. Florastor IBS is non-GMO, certified gluten free and low FODMAP certified by FODMAP friendly!

While IBS still requires proper dietary + lifestyle management … It could be worth trialling an evidence based probiotic to give your gut some extra love!

Questions about probiotics? Comment below!👇🏻

11/10/2025

Feel like you’ve ticked all the boxes to calm your gut, yet it feels like nothing is working? You’re not alone.. 🥲

11/08/2025

What if you need to eat MORE, not less to reduce your gut symptoms?

Underfuelling is common.. especially among female athletes and it can have serious consequences. We’ve been conditioned to think that eating less is OK (think the “move more, eat less” mentality) and that most women only need around 1600 calories per day.

In this week’s podcast drop, join myself and Sports RD Christine Gemmell to talk about why underfuelling and low energy availability (LEA) can have negative consequences, and specifically on gut health and digestive functions!

We cover:
🏃‍♀️ Why eating less can actually slow you down — and how low energy availability sabotages performance
💥 The hidden ways underfuelling disrupts your gut, hormones, and recovery (even if you “feel fine”)
🍽️ How to spot early warning signs of RED-S — from sluggish workouts to digestive distress
⚡ The truth about fasted training: when it backfires and what to do instead
💡 Practical strategies to fuel smarter, support gut health, and perform your best

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts here: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-gutfit-nutrition-podcast/id1809215958?i=1000735712031

Also listen on Spotify, Youtube, Amazon music.. wherever you get your podcasts.

11/06/2025

🍂 Let’s refresh your gut health habits for fall!

As we move into cooler months, routines tend to shift as the sun sets sooner, we spend more time inside, and tend to reach for more of those cozy, comfort foods (anyone else excited for soup season?).

But if you’v been following me for a while … you know I love to talk about how your gut health is NOT just influenced by what you eat…

It’s shaped by your behaviours & environment too!

So if your digestion, energy, or bloating have been feeling off lately, it might be time to get back to the basics with these 9 simple habits to support your gut this season:

💦 Drink Filtered Water Through the Day

Hydration supports digestion, motility, and balanced energy throughout the day. If possible, filter your water to help remove any extra contaminants (chlorine, micro plastics, heavy metals).

⏰ Avoid Eating Late at Night

Our GI system is most efficient in the day, so avoid late night noshing.

🌳 Spend Time Outdoors

Even short walks in nature can boost your mood, lower stress hormones, and support your microbiome.

😴 Prioritize Sleep Hygiene

Regular sleep and wake times help your circadian rhythms stay in balance and your body recover.

🧘‍♀️ Add Gentle Daily Movement

Yoga, walking, or stretching supports gut motility and eases stress.

🍎 Aim for More Plant Diversity

Challenge yourself to eat 30 different plants a week as they are packed with nutrients that support digestive health and your gut microbiome.

🧠 Support Your Nervous System

Breath work, journaling, or mindfulness can shift your body into “rest and digest” mode more often.

🍓 Keep Gut-Friendly Snacks On Hand

Reach for nourishing, balanced options (like nuts + fruit, hard cheese + veggies) to avoid low blood sugar and keep your gut calm.

☀️ Get Morning Sunlight

Helps regulate your circadian rhythm, which supports sleep and digestion.

Remember your gut health doesn’t need an overhaul, just small, consistent actions done daily.

Continued in comments 👇🏻

Leigh - GutFit Nutrition

11/24/2025

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