Neumann Nutrition & Wellness, LLC

01/12/2026

🚨 Why the New Food Pyramid Might Be Hurting Your Gut (and what actually supports digestive health!) 🍽️🧠🌿

I’ve been sitting with the new upside-down food pyramid, and what keeps coming up for me isn’t whether certain foods are “allowed” or “not allowed” — it’s how confusing the model is when it comes to frequency and portions.

In this weeks blog post, I wrote about the new guidelines and the pluses and minuses I see in relation to gut health.

So many foods can fit on a healthy plate — including red meat and full-fat dairy. But what actually matters is how often and how much, not just whether a food appears in a diagram.

The base of most meals should still be fruits and vegetables. That’s where fiber, polyphenols, and microbiome support come from.

Animal protein works best when it’s paired with fiber rich plant based foods.

What most professional nutrition organizations agree on is actually pretty simple:�

🥗 Emphasize nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains�
🍩 Limit highly processed foods and added sugars�
🥩 Keep saturated fat to no more than ~10% of calories�
🫘 Prioritize fiber for gut health

As a reminder: dietary guidelines are written for populations, not individuals.

In my blog post I cover:
✔️ Portion Size and Saturated Fat: What the New Food Pyramid Gut Health Model Misses
✔️ Unsaturated Fats: Where the New Food Pyramid Lacks Clarity for Gut Health but the Science Is Strong
✔️ What About the Impact of Omega-6 Seed Oils on Gut Health?✔️ Protein Recommendations and Their Effect on Gut Health
✔️ Missing Gut-Healthy Foods in the New Food Guide Pyramid
✔️ What the New Food Pyramid Gut Health Model Gets Right
✔️A More Digestive-Supportive Framework

💡 If you care about long-term digestive wellness, you’ll want to read this 👇

Learn what the new food pyramid means for gut health. A gut dietitian highlights what it gets right and what’s missing for optimal digestion.

01/08/2026

🦠 Your Gut Wasn’t Designed for Ultra-Processed Foods — and The Lancet Is Sounding the Alarm

A powerful new three-part series in The Lancet — one of the world’s leading medical journals — confirms what many health experts have been warning for years: diets dominated by Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) are disrupting human biology, starting in the gut.

🔍 The first Lancet paper examined decades of global research. Here’s what matters for your gut:

🥗 1️⃣ Ultra-processed foods are replacing real food.

Across the world, long-established diets built around whole foods and traditional meals are being displaced by packaged, ultra-processed alternatives. This shift removes the fibers, phytochemicals, and other beneficial food components that protect the gut lining and feed beneficial bacteria.

⚠️ 2️⃣ Diet quality deteriorates and your gut pays the price

The Lancet found that UPF-heavy diets lead to:

• Overeating because these foods are engineered to be irresistible, easy to chew and swallow, and don’t trigger your normal fullness signals

• Nutrient deficiencies because these foods often provide lots of energy but are low in key nutrients, leaving people overfed but undernourished

• Lower intake of phytochemicals that feed beneficial gut bacteria and help reduce gut inflammation

• Increased exposure to toxic compounds, endocrine disruptors, and harmful mixtures of food additives

🦠 These additives — including emulsifiers, thickeners, artificial sweeteners, colors, and flavor enhancers — can damage the intestinal mucus layer, alter gut bacteria, increase gut permeability (“leaky gut”), and trigger chronic low-grade gut inflammation.

🔥 3️⃣ Chronic disease risk rises — through multiple gut-driven pathways

Drawing on 100+ prospective studies, meta-analyses, and clinical trials, the Lancet Series shows that UPF-based dietary patterns increase the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and conditions affecting nearly every organ system — with gut inflammation as a key underlying mechanism.

📊 In many countries, around 50% of daily calories now come from ultra-processed food. These foods don't nourish us and are engineered for profit, convenience, and repetitive consumption.

✨ Gut health isn’t about perfection — it’s about returning to foods that work with your biology:

✅ Fewer additives, and less lab designed chemicals

✅ Real whole foods that offer an array of health benefits, not lab-designed textures

✅ Choosing foods that protect the gut lining, reduce inflammation, and stop the cycle of overeating ultra-processed, additive-packed foods

Your gut is resilient — but it needs real food to stay that way. And now, The Lancet backs it up.

The Lancet, 2025; 406:2601. DOI: S0140-6736(25)02322-0

If you want help figuring out what that looks like in real life, read more about my Comprehensive 3 Month Digestive Reset Program:

Your gut’s in chaos, but I’ve got the fix. My 3 month Gut Reset puts an end to bloating, gas, reflux, constipation, and diarrhea for good.

01/07/2026

🌸 Struggling with unexpected diarrhea during perimenopause? You’re not alone — and it’s not just “in your head.”

This diagram breaks down how perimenopause diarrhea really works behind the scenes.

It’s a complex web where hormonal ups and downs, changes in your gut microbiome, and how your body handles stress all connect and affect each other.

When hormones fluctuate, they can increase gut sensitivity and inflammation. Stress and anxiety make things worse by raising cortisol and disrupting your gut’s balance. At the same time, changes in your gut bacteria can feed back into your stress and hormone cycles.

The result? Symptoms that look a lot like IBS — new food sensitivities, diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, and more.

Understanding these root causes is the first step to calming your gut and reclaiming your daily life. If this sounds familiar, you don’t have to suffer through it alone.

If you want to get to the bottom of what’s really going on in your gut and get personalized support, I offer a focused program that includes advanced testing and cutting-edge strategies to help you feel steady again.

01/07/2026

Perimenopause diarrhea doesn’t get talked about much but I see it all the time in my practice.

Women come to me feeling frustrated and confused because their digestion has shifted dramatically. Suddenly their stools are loose, they have urgency, and flare-ups come and go in ways that don’t make sense.

👉 Yet all of their tests look "normal".

You might be eating well, exercising, and otherwise living the same life but your gut is still an unpredictable time bomb waiting to go off at any given moment.

I wrote this blog to break down how perimenopause can affect digestion, especially diarrhea, and natural approaches to take.

Hormone changes during this phase can inflame the gut by impacting the development of new food sensitivities, microbiome imbalances, and micronutrient deficiencies.

Symptoms don’t always follow a predictable pattern and that can feel unsettling.

Here's what I cover in my blog post to help you understand your body:

✅ Understanding the root-causes that often get overlooked with perimenopause diarrhea
✅ Symptoms you might notice and what they mean
✅ A real case study from someone who experienced this and what they did to fix it
✅ Tips for fixing perimenopause diarrhea without extreme diets or medications
✅ A simple three-day plan focused on soluble fiber and a Mediterranean inspired approach that avoids gluten and dairy
✅ Client stories sharing real results from real women
✅ Why my approach works and how it supports your gut and overall well-being for the long term

Imagine waking up and not panicking about how your morning will start. You make breakfast, linger over a hot beverage, and get ready without checking the bathroom door every few minutes.

At work you can focus without constant stomach nagging, and when lunch rolls around, you actually enjoy your food instead of planning your escape route.

After work, a walk outside feels refreshing instead of risky. Grocery shopping doesn’t feel stressful because you're clear on exactly what foods work for you.

Even curling up on the couch with a book or talking to your partner in the evening feels inspiring because your gut isn’t stealing your attention like it used to. By the time you go to bed, you sleep deeper, wake up calmer, and feel more energized.

Through my program you'll uncover the root-causes of perimenopause diarrhea. Through food sensitivity testing, microbiome analysis, and micronutrient testing, we uncover what is really driving your symptoms. In my practice and I use cutting edge strategies to support your gut.

My goal is to help you feel balanced in your body, enjoy your meals, go through your day without worry, and reclaim your energy and vibrance.

Struggling with perimenopause diarrhea? Learn how functional nutrition can calm your gut and support digestion naturally.

11/25/2025

The holidays are here — which means festive food, cozy moments, and for some… potential gut trouble.

​If you’ve ever felt reflux, bloating or gut discomfort after a holiday meal, you’re not alone!

I put together a simple guide with 6 easy tips to keep your gut calm and happy during the holiday chaos:

✨ Highlights include:
1️⃣ Say No to the Grease – Too much fatty food = potential bloating & cramps.
2️⃣ Keep Caffeine Low – It can trigger heartburn or diarrhea.
3️⃣ Be Smart With Alcohol – Limit to one drink, pair with food, or go for low-sugar options.
4️⃣ Choose Fiber Wisely – Some types (like apple skins) can irritate your gut.
5️⃣ Don’t Let Sugar Stir the Pot – Too much sugar can inflame your digestive system.
6️⃣ Chill Out While You Chow Down – Mindful eating is your secret weapon.

💡 Bonus Tip: Know your personal food triggers — food sensitivity testing can be life-changing!

These strategies aren’t just tips — they’re the same approaches I use with clients every day to make the holidays enjoyable without your digestive issues getting in the way.

Want to take it a step further? My 3-Month Digestive Reset Program gives you a complete roadmap to a healthier, happier gut. Start with a free clarity call and take the first step toward feeling amazing this holiday season (click book free call in profile)!

Eating over the holidays can be super stressful for those struggling with gut issues. Fortunately, a little planning can go a long way to help you get by!

11/18/2025

🚨 Struggling with bloating, gas, diarrhea, or stomach pain? It might not just be “IBS.”

Did you know that fructose malabsorption—difficulty absorbing certain sugars in fruits, veggies, and processed foods—can be the hidden culprit behind your digestive issues? 🍎🥦

In my latest post, I break down:
✅ The difference between IBS and fructose malabsorption
✅ High vs. low fructose foods (so you know what to eat and what to avoid)
✅ How fructose intolerance can impact your gut and overall health

If you’ve been battling unpredictable digestive symptoms, this guide might help you identify triggers and take control of your gut health.

👉 Check it out here:

Struggling with gut issues like diarrhea and bloating? Learn how a low-fructose diet can reset your gut and get you feeling better fast.

09/05/2025

BREAKING: The link between your diet and your gut microbiome is a two-way street.

✅ And there ISN'T a one-size-fits-all diet for all people with gut issues (although practitioners love pushing the Low FODMAP doctrine on every single person with a gut problem).

You’ve been eating “healthy.” Low FODMAP, no gluten, maybe a green smoothie or two.

But you still feel like a bloated piñata by 3PM. 🎈

What gives?

Here’s cutting edge information that none of your GI doctors are talking about:

👉 The same food doesn’t work for every body.
👉 Your gut microbiome—aka the wild jungle of bacteria living inside you—decides HOW your body reacts to food.
👉 That turmeric, chia laden "superfood" might be your personal kryptonite.

Turns out, nutrition advice like “eat low FODMAP” or “just cut dairy” is as outdated as low-rise jeans.

What you actually need is precision nutrition—food choices based on YOUR unique gut profile.

Why?

🦠 Some women with gut issues thrive on fermented foods while others feel worse.
🥦 Different types of fiber can be inflammatory triggers or gut soothers
🍫 Dark chocolate? A dream for one, a disaster for another.

This is why you’ve been doing “everything right” and still feeling off.

Precision Nutrition means that you're eating the right diet for YOUR gut biome profile—not following a generic Low FODMAP blanket recommendation.

Food sensitivity testing + Microbiome testing are GREAT tools to help sort out exactly what your gut is sending SOS signals to.

🔥 The future of gut health is in personalized nutrition:

The gut microbiome influences how we respond to food and not all nutrients benefit us equally, something we’ve known for a while. A new review article delves into how our gut microbiome shapes the impact of diet on human health, leading to rethinking current nutrition guidelines.

06/26/2025

That new puffiness in your gut? The gurgles, the gas, the food that suddenly feels like it's sabotaging your gut? It’s not just in your head—and it’s absolutely not your new normal, unless you let it be.

If you’re in your 40s, 50s, or beyond and your digestion has started turning on you, I don’t have to explain how miserable that can feel. You’re doing your best—trying to eat healthy, stay active, keep it together—but your gut? It didn’t get the memo.

For the women I work with, there comes a moment where they finally say, “I can’t live like this anymore.”

Maybe it’s the bloating that suddenly feels unbearable, the bathroom drama that ruins a night out, or the weight that won’t budge no matter what. Whatever it is, it’s that moment that sparks the search for answers.

If your body’s lighting up the warning sirens every time you eat yogurt, bread, or whatever used to be your go-to, guess what? You’re not broken. It's your body's way of giving you some loud feedback 🚨—and you're not the only one.

I help women exactly like you understand exactly what’s driving their mid-life gut problems—and how to fix them.

👩‍⚕️ The Science Behind the Gut Drama: Hormones, Food Sensitivities & Microbiome Mayhem

1. When Your Hormones Shift, Your Gut Shifts Too 📉
As estrogen and progesterone take their exit, their once-supportive role in gut motility, enzyme production, and bile flow begins to weaken.

The result? Slower digestion and inefficient fat breakdown, while gut fermentation kicks into overdrive—triggering more gas and discomfort.

2. Microbiome Disruption 🦠
Hormones changing means your gut bacteria are changing too—and not always for the better. As estrogen levels dip during menopause, your microbiome can go off-script, sparking inflammation and IBS-like symptoms.

Research shows that estrogen interacts with gut microbial diversity, and reduced levels can shift your flora in ways that promote inflammation and reduce tolerance to certain foods. Which leads me to....

3. New-Onset Food Sensitivities 🍔
This one surprises a lot of women. As your gut lining becomes more permeable with age and hormonal shifts, your immune system can become reactive to previously harmless foods. Common triggers like dairy, gluten, soy, eggs, legumes, etc may now lead to bloating, gas, and brain fog.

Food sensitivities are as unique as your fingerprint. What affects one woman might leave another completely fine. Recognizing that difference is key to finding what truly works for your individual body.

4. Enzymatic Decline with Age ⏳
Did you know that by age 50, your digestive enzyme production can drop by nearly 30%? Without these critical enzymes (like lactase, lipase, protease, etc), food isn't broken down effectively—leading to fermentation, gas, and gut discomfort.

5. Stress and the Gut-Brain Axis 🧠

Let’s not forget the role of stress. Midlife brings a perfect storm: career demands, caregiving, shifting relationships—and behind the scenes, hormonal changes that can trigger fatigue, anxiety, and depression. It’s a lot, even for the most resilient woman.

This type of chronic stress slows digestion, increases sensitivities, and amplifies the discomfort many women feel.

🔍 Want to Get to the Root of the Bloat?
Gas, bloating, and gut issues aren’t just awkward—it’s actually your body sending you information.

I help women decode these messages, identify hidden food sensitivities, and restore microbiome balance, and optimize nutrient levels to support healing with 1:1 coaching.

This isn’t about surviving midlife—it’s about thriving in it. You get to feel strong, sexy, and in control of your body—without the gas, bloating, and gut troubles.

Meet Your Midlife Gut Reset: A Customized Path to Feeling Whole Again 🌿

Say goodbye to guesswork and hello to a program that meets your gut where it’s at—hormones, food sensitivities, stress, and all.

Here’s what healing looks like:
✅ A personalized plan that addresses YOUR unique gut issues
✅ Food Sensitivity Testing and strategies that heal
✅ Root-cause insights into microbiome and nutrient deficiencies contributing to gut problems
✅ Ongoing guidance and coaching — you're not doing this alone

👇 Click below to book a free discovery call and start your healing journey today.

Struggling with gut issues? Book a free strategy call to explore a personalized 3-month healing program—reserved for those ready to go all in.

06/12/2025

🚨 If you’re eating real, whole foods but still struggling with bloating, fatigue, or inflammation—your condiments and store-bought “health” foods might be the problem. 🧐

Enter: Emulsifiers 🧫

These common food additives are designed to improve shelf life and texture—but at a cost. Research shows certain synthetic and semi-synthetic emulsifiers can:

🚫 ​Disrupt and reduce the diversity of you gut microbiome leading to gut related disorders
🚫 Damage the delicate, protective, mucosal layer in your gut lining
🚫 Stimulate pro-inflammatory cytokine activity, leading to intestinal inflammation
🚫 Increase your risk for developing metabolic syndrome
​
✅ Keep Emulsifiers Out of Your Shopping Cart

The challenging part of emulsifiers is that they are found in just about every packaged and prepared store-bought item— even the seemingly healthy foods like like balsamic vinaigrette or unsweetened almond milk.

➡️ Foods to be extra cautious about include:

🥣 Salad dressings & Sauces
🥫 Condiments
🥛 Almond milk
🍫 Chocolate
🍨 Ice cream & Non-dairy frozen desserts
🥪 Deli meats
🍪 Store bought baked goods
🧀 Dairy products like kefir, cottage cheese, and heavy cream

🔎 Check your ingredient lists carefully and avoid the following emulsifiers:

• Carboxylmethyl cellulose (CMC)
• Polysorbate 80 (P80)
• Maltodextrin
• Carageenan
• Polyglycerols
• Mono and di glycerides
• Xanthum gums
• Other "gums"
• Soy and Sunflower Lecithins

​💃 Out with the Bad and In with the Good 💃

Making your own versions of your favorite condiments and dressings can actually save you time, money, and frustration. Your gut will thank you too!

Start with my Gut Friendly Sauce Recipes. They are quick and easy to make, so it’s a great starting point.

Nourish your gut and treat your taste buds! These 5 gut-friendly sauces add bold flavor without the digestive drama.

05/14/2025

You’ve done the food journals. You’ve eliminated entire food groups, survived on smoothies and followed more gut protocols than you can count. And still, your gut isn’t on board. 🤯

As it turns out, food sensitivities might be a bigger part of your gut chaos than anyone’s really talking about. 🍔

New research shows that food sensitivities might play a much bigger role than we thought. A personalized elimination diet, guided by food sensitivity testing, helped reduce abdominal pain—especially for those struggling with IBS. 🧪

This approach isn’t mainstream yet, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t working. 🩺

Inside my Digestive Reset Program, I help you take a smarter, more personalized approach to your diet and lifestyle. No more random food lists or WebMD guidelines. I create a customized plan curated just for you and your body. 🥄✨

If your gut is still a mess and you're ready for a different kind of solution, this is where it starts 👇
neumannwellness.com/digestive-reset-program

Want to see the research? Here it is 👇
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016508525003282

My Digestive Reset Program provides an individualized approach to eliminating your digestive issues so you can feel like a new person inside and out

05/09/2025

😖 Nausea after eating? Persistent abdominal pain? Tired of being told “just get your gallbladder out”?

⚠️ Gallbladder problems aren’t always obvious—and removing it isn't always the fix.

🤕 If you’ve been dealing with persistent upper abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, other digestive issues, and even unexplained fatigue, there’s a chance your gallbladder is involved.

🚑 The frustrating part? Many people are told to “just get it removed” without ever being asked why it’s struggling in the first place.

Before you agree to surgery, it’s worth asking: "what’s actually causing the problem?" ❓

In this post, I dig into:
🔍 The real signs your gallbladder is under stress
⚠️ What surgery can’t fix—and the symptoms that may continue or worsen afterward
🌿 A root-cause approach that helps your body heal without rushing to remove an organ
💡 Functional strategies to support digestion, reduce inflammation, and restore balance

✄ Your gallbladder isn’t disposable. It plays a VITAL role in digestion—and your health deserves more than a shortcut.

👉 Read the full article here:

Do you think you have gallbladder issues? Read on to learn signs + symptoms and natural approaches to keep a healthy gallbladder.

03/14/2025

How One Client Finally Beat a Lifetime of Gut Issues—After Everything Else She Tried Failed

For years, she suffered—gastritis, reflux, constipation, gallbladder-type pain. It wasn’t just discomfort. It was interfering with her job, her home life, and her ability to enjoy the things she loved. Doctors ran tests, handed her prescriptions with side effects worse than the problem itself, then shrugged when nothing worked.

Sound familiar?

She was ready to give up… until we dug deeper.

Food triggers? Identified. But that was just the beginning. We took it two steps further—uncovering microbiome imbalances fueling the fire and pinpointing key nutrient deficiencies that were keeping her stuck in a cycle of inflammation.

Fast forward three months—she was pain-free, full of energy, and (finally) confident that her gut wasn’t working against her anymore.

Here’s what she had to say:

"After a lifetime of GI issues and discomfort, Sarah’s testing and knowledge found the root causes and helped heal my insides. I was already a believer in food sensitivity testing, but she takes it two steps further for real healing. Medical professionals just do imaging, throw meds with bad side effects at you, and shrug when they don’t work. I had lost all faith in the system—until I found Sarah. She was an answer to a prayer. Invest in your health and contact her."

If you’re tired of the cycle, frustrated with the guesswork, and ready to get to the root of your gut issues once and for all—my Digestive Reset Program is the solution you've been searching for.

This exclusive 3-month program is a deep-dive transformation for women who are truly ready to invest in lasting gut healing. If that’s you, book a Clarity Call to get started today. 🚀