How to heal leaky gut naturally: A functional medicine guide

Bloating comes out of nowhere. Your skin acts up for no reason. Your brain feels foggy after lunch. And you’ve started noticing things like joint pain, fatigue, and weird food cravings that never used to be a problem.

It’s frustrating, confusing, and honestly—exhausting.

That’s why so many women in midlife are starting to ask: Could this be leaky gut?

In this guide, we’re not just going to explain what leaky gut is—we’re going to walk you through how to heal it, step by step, the functional medicine way.

In case we haven’t met yet—we’re Dr. Erin Hendriks and Dr. Maricela Castillo MacKenzie, founders of Elle MD, a functional medicine clinic based in Royal Oak, Michigan. We specialize in helping women—especially those navigating perimenopause and menopause—reclaim their energy, reduce inflammation, and get their gut health back on track.

This is your roadmap to healing from the inside out. Let’s begin.

What is leaky gut and how do you know if you have it?

Imagine your gut lining as a tight-knit mesh designed to let nutrients through and keep harmful stuff out. When that mesh gets damaged, things like toxins, undigested food, and bacteria can sneak through into your bloodstream—setting off a wave of inflammation throughout your body.

This condition, known as leaky gut or "intestinal permeability," can create a domino effect in your health. Especially for women navigating hormonal transitions, chronic stress, or autoimmune flare-ups, this may be the root cause that’s been overlooked for years.

A damaged gut lining disrupts digestion, immunity, and even mood regulation. That’s why healing the gut can improve so many seemingly unrelated symptoms—from headaches to hot flashes.

Common symptoms of leaky gut

Symptoms vary, but most women experience a combination of:

• Digestive issues (bloating, gas, food intolerances)
• Skin problems like eczema, acne, or rosacea
• Fatigue and low energy that isn’t resolved by sleep
• Brain fog, poor concentration, and memory lapses
• Mood swings, anxiety, or mild depression
• Joint pain, chronic inflammation, autoimmune conditions 
• Unexplained weight gain or difficulty losing weight

If you’ve felt like your body has been sending SOS signals—but your labs keep coming back "normal"—this may be the missing piece.

Functional medicine’s approach to healing leaky gut

We don’t guess—we test

Functional medicine is built around understanding root causes, not masking symptoms. At Elle MD, we use advanced testing to identify what’s really going on in your gut.

Here’s what we often evaluate:

• Microbiome diversity: Are you missing beneficial bacteria?
• SIBO, parasites, or yeast overgrowth: These disrupt digestion and increase inflammation.
• Markers of inflammation and immune function: High CRP or zonulin levels can signal leaky gut.
• Hormone and nutrient imbalances: These play a major role in how the gut heals.

This isn’t about finding one magic solution. It’s about building a plan tailored to your actual biology.

Root cause treatment—not band-aids

Instead of covering up symptoms with medication or guesswork, we:



• Customize nutrition strategies based on food sensitivities and intolerances
• Add targeted supplements to support digestion and repair the gut lining
• Address lifestyle factors like sleep, stress, and toxic load

This whole-body approach supports your gut and your hormones, energy, immune system, and mood.

Natural ways to heal leaky gut:

Dietary changes: remove triggers and feed the gut

We start by removing inflammatory culprits—like processed foods, gluten, alcohol, excess sugar, and yes, even chronic stress—that keep your gut lining under constant attack. Once we eliminate what’s disrupting your system, we bring in what helps it thrive:

• Fiber-rich foods like chia seeds, flax, leafy greens, and legumes
• Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi, and yogurt (when tolerated)
• Hydration and mindful eating practices to support digestion

This step is about learning what your gut can tolerate—and honoring that with food that nourishes, not inflames.

Supplements for gut repair: restore, reinoculate, and rebuild

After removing the triggers, we replace what’s missing—things like stomach acid, bile support, or digestive enzymes that help break food down the way your body was designed to. Then, we reinoculate with the right bacteria using high-quality probiotics and feed those good bugs with prebiotic fiber.

And finally, we repair the gut lining with targeted nutrients like:

L-glutamine to regenerate the cells of your intestinal lining

Zinc carnosine to calm inflammation and support the gut mucosa

Digestive enzymes to improve nutrient breakdown and absorption

These aren’t just trendy supplements. They’re strategic allies that work with your biology—not against it.

Lifestyle changes: slow healing isn’t weak—it’s wise

Gut healing doesn’t stop at the plate. Your nervous system needs support, too.

• Chronic stress keeps your body in fight-or-flight mode, disrupting digestion and weakening your gut barrier.
• Poor sleep reduces your body’s ability to repair tissues and maintain a healthy microbiome.
• Gentle movement, like walking or yoga, improves blood flow to the digestive system and reduces systemic inflammation.

The bottom line: healing your gut starts with strategy, not guesswork

If your bloating, fatigue, skin issues, or food reactions have become a regular part of your life—and no one seems to have real answers—it might be time to stop chasing symptoms and start looking at the root. Leaky gut isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a real clinical issue that can trigger widespread inflammation, weaken your immune system, and make weight loss or hormonal balance feel impossible.

At Elle MD, we take a different approach. We don’t hand you a one-size-fits-all protocol. Instead, we run targeted testing to understand what’s happening in your microbiome, how your gut is interacting with your hormones, and what your body actually needs to restore integrity to your digestive lining.

Because healing your gut isn't just about what you eliminate—it's about what you rebuild.

We treat your gut as the foundation of your overall health. That’s why our care plans are personalized, layered, and designed to last. Whether you’re struggling with stubborn GI symptoms or wondering if your gut health is tied to your fatigue, joint pain, or brain fog—this is where the deeper answers begin.

Want to learn more?

Explore our gut health services in Michigan and book a consultation with our team today.

Your symptoms aren’t random. And your relief doesn’t have to be temporary. Let’s finally get to the root—so you can start feeling like yourself again.

You don’t have to keep living like this

This isn’t just about bloating or food sensitivities—it’s about waking up and actually feeling good in your body again. It’s about clarity instead of fog, calm instead of chaos, and finally understanding what your gut has been trying to tell you.

You’ve tried to figure it out alone. Now, let’s do it together.

Request an appointment and start your gut healing journey with Elle MD today. We’ll listen, we’ll test, and we’ll walk with you—step by step—toward real, sustainable relief.

Because you deserve more than temporary fixes. You deserve to feel like you again.