Our 8-Week Gut Reset: Why I’m Starting Now
What one test revealed about her inflammation, and why it's important to reset now.
Today marks the start of something deeply intentional. We’re beginning an 8-week gut reset’ for my daughter—ending on her birthday, July 23rd.
I’m so happy to create a healing space for her, and I want this to feel as positive and gentle as possible. Hopefully, this will be a true reset—one that helps us enjoy food again without the constant fear of flare-ups.
This is part of a longer story that began last year. A story of listening closely, trusting my gut as a mother, and gently reshaping our lifestyle one step at a time.
Let me give you a quick summary of what’s been happening…
Last year, I made the difficult decision to pull her out of a school we loved—close to home and full of warmth—but where I saw too many processed foods sneaking into her day. Even if it wasn’t every meal, I knew her body was telling me: this isn’t working.
She was constantly constipated. The bloating became so severe she felt uncomfortable even at the park (this was from age 2–3). Then came the eczema explosion, which began impacting her sleep and got worse with the heat (going into her third year).
We moved her to a new school where I had more control over her food. That was my first real step. It wasn’t perfect, but it was powerful for both of us. It opened the door for me to learn more about food and the gut-healing connection. I started experimenting with new recipes and slowly realized healing had to start from the inside out.
After a full year on an anti-inflammatory diet (about 80/20), adjusting our lifestyle and activities, I started to see a pattern: when we weren’t strict with food, the symptoms would return. And the mood swings… they became harder to ignore.
As of May 5th, I began studying to become a Certified Holistic Nutritionist with a focus on Gut Health. The more I learn, the more urgently I feel the need to intervene now—while her gut and immune system are still forming and incredibly resilient.
Being so close to her food routine (I often keep a food diary during flare-ups), I noticed something else: food directly impacted her mood—tantrums, sudden irritability, even aggressiveness. That’s when the gut-brain connection became deeply real for me.
I knew I needed more information. My gut told me to test hers.
That’s when I found Tiny Health—the first company offering microbiome testing for babies and kids from stool samples, with personalized insight into the individual’s microbiome. I ordered a swab kit, and the process was seamless. Swab, label, USPS drop-off. Two weeks later, we had answers.
The results were clear:
→ High inflammation markers in her gut
→ Presence of multiple opportunistic (bad) bacteria
Her gut is still calling out for help—but the best part is that now I have the roadmap to give it.
Based on the Tiny Health results, I can now personalize her anti-inflammatory protocol. Even though her eczema has calmed down, thanks to our efforts, I know her system is still fragile. One small misstep in her diet and the flare returns.
This reset will be about co-regulating her body—together, as a family. Supporting her in moments where she might have to skip the pizza or ice cream parties, doing it in a fun way, giving her food that’s not just safe, but joyful.
Yes, it will take time. Yes, it requires lifestyle shifts. But I’m 100% certain it will benefit all of us. Her nervous, immune, and enteric (gut) systems need to calm down now before all the hormones will kick in and make things potentially worse.
This is our opportunity to reset and protect her from future conditions: IBS (which is something I personally suffered a lot from age 17 into my 30s), allergies, asthma, or even metabolic disorders triggered by long-term dysbiosis.
Here are a few ways I’m approaching this shift, including travel and social events:
Instead of a regular croissant, I’ll bring her a vegan one
Instead of generic bread, we’ll switch to sourdough
Instead of a pizza night out, we’ll go for sushi
Instead of birthday parties, I will do playdates
And here is what I learned from Tiny Health’s analysis—what we need to improve:
Add more fermented foods (will try to find kid-friendly recipes)
Increase grass-fed beef intake (I had mostly focused on fish)
Include more resistant starches to feed good bacteria and reduce the bad
Boost selenium-rich foods (a trace mineral she needs more of and can only come from diet)
Use targeted spices (they provided a chart showing what combats the specific bacteria they found in her gut)
Double-check all our cleaning products to ensure they're non-toxic
Improve absorption of Vitamin B9 (folate) — so we’ll focus on foods like legumes, sunflower seeds, spinach, avocado, and asparagus
💡 Why Now Matters
Through everything I’ve been studying—both in my courses and in life—I feel confident in this: she deserves a summer where she feels free in her skin. Where she can run, play, sweat, eat, and just be—without eczema flares or discomfort. (Last summer wasn’t like that. It was hard—for both of us.)
EVERY KID SHOULD. And I understand how difficult it is to control their food in today’s world, but it’s a choice we have to try to make. Small changes make a huge difference.
This journey isn’t just about my daughter. It’s about raising awareness and offering support. I’m sure I’m not the only one dealing with this.
One of the biggest breakthroughs came from our Tiny Health results. It confirmed what I already sensed (and boosted my confidence—it hasn’t been easy) and gave me tools I didn’t expect.
I’m so thankful for companies like this that are empowering families with answers and action steps.
As we move through these 8 weeks, I’ll be documenting the meals and recipes we’re trying—tracking the shifts, the wins, and the lessons along the way. Stay tuned. 💛