Three tools that turn gut health theory into a practical daily protocol — without supplements, elimination diets, or expensive testing.
1 · Assess
2 · Eat
3 · Reset
Part 1 of 3
Gut Health Self-Assessment Checklist
Tap each symptom you've experienced in the past 30 days. Your score points to where to focus first.
Digestion & Motility
Bloating after most meals (not just large ones)
Constipation — less than 1 bowel movement per day
Loose stools or urgency more than 2x per week
Visible undigested food in stool
Excessive gas, especially in the afternoon/evening
Stomach pain or cramping not linked to specific foods
Systemic Signals (Beyond the Gut)
Skin issues: acne, eczema, rosacea, or persistent dryness
Brain fog: difficulty concentrating in the afternoon
Mood instability, anxiety, or low motivation without clear cause
Fatigue that doesn't improve with sleep
Frequent colds or slow recovery from illness
Food sensitivities that seem to be increasing over time
Symptoms checked: 0 / 12
Score Interpretation
Symptoms checked
Priority
Where to start
0–2
Maintenance
Part 3 (4-week protocol)
3–5
Moderate
Part 2 (food table) first
6+
Significant
Start Part 2, consider GI referral
Part 2 of 3
The Gut-Microbiome Food Reference Table
Ranked by prebiotic fiber content and research quality for microbiome diversity. Prioritize the top tier daily — these are the foods your beneficial bacteria eat.
Tier 1 — High-Impact Daily Targets
Food
Prebiotic type
Daily serving
Evidence
Jerusalem artichoke
Inulin (highest density)
60–80g
★★★★★
Chicory root / radicchio
Inulin + FOS
1 cup raw
★★★★★
Garlic (raw)
FOS + allicin
1–2 cloves
★★★★★
Onion (raw)
Quercetin + FOS
½ medium
★★★★★
Leek
Inulin
1 stalk
★★★★★
Asparagus
Inulin + FOS
6 spears
★★★★★
Tier 2 — Fermented Foods (Live Bacteria)
Food
Strains present
Notes
Evidence
Kimchi (traditional)
Lactobacillus spp.
Must be refrigerated, unpasteurized
★★★★★
Kefir (whole milk)
30–50 strains
Most diverse commercial option
★★★★★
Miso (unpasteurized)
A. oryzae + LAB
Don't boil — kills bacteria
★★★★★
Sauerkraut (raw)
Lactobacillus plantarum
Avoid heat-treated jarred versions
★★★★★
Greek yogurt (live cultures)
L. bulgaricus + S. thermophilus
Look for "live active cultures" label
★★★★★
The 2021 Stanford study (Sonnenburg lab, Cell) found fermented foods increased microbiome diversity more effectively than a high-fiber diet alone in a 10-week controlled trial.
Foods That Actively Harm Gut Diversity — Limit These
TMAO production via gut bacteria → cardiovascular risk
Moderate
Part 3 of 3
Ready to fix this at the root?
The 30-Day Gut Reset is the full day-by-day protocol — mechanisms, dosed repair steps, a diagnostic chapter, food/swap tables, and a maintenance plan, built from the same research on this page.
Each week adds one layer. By week 4, you'll have a complete daily gut health practice that takes under 10 minutes to maintain. Do not skip ahead — the order matters for adaptation.
Week
01
Baseline Assessment + Remove the Worst Offenders
Complete Part 1 checklist. Stop consuming emulsifiers (check ingredient labels — CMC and Polysorbate 80 are in most ice creams, salad dressings, and processed baked goods). Swap artificial sweeteners for honey or nothing. Goal: stop the bleeding before you rebuild.
Week
02
Add One Prebiotic Food Daily
Choose one Tier 1 food and eat it daily — raw garlic in salad dressing, raw onion in salads, asparagus as a side. Start small (half serving) if you're sensitive. Expect increased gas in days 3–5 as bacteria adapt. This is normal and passes. Do not supplement fiber yet — food first.
Week
03
Add One Fermented Food Daily
Add 2–3 tablespoons of kimchi, sauerkraut, or kefir to one meal daily. Non-negotiable: must be unpasteurized. This is where microbiome diversity increases rapidly. If you choose kefir, drink it with your prebiotic food — bacteria + their food source at the same time is called synbiotic feeding.
Week
04
Evaluate + Add Targeted Probiotic if Needed
Re-score Part 1. Most people see 30–50% symptom reduction by week 4 from diet alone. If symptoms remain, consider a targeted probiotic. Seed DS-01 (Bifidobacterium + Lactobacillus strains, delayed-release) is the most rigorously studied option for general microbiome support. Do not start probiotics before completing weeks 1–3 — they won't work without prebiotics present.
When to Talk to a Doctor
This protocol is for general gut wellness, not diagnosis. See a GI specialist if you have: blood in stool, unexplained weight loss, symptoms that began after a specific illness, family history of IBD or colorectal cancer, or symptoms that worsen after starting this protocol. A functional medicine GI can order a comprehensive stool analysis (ROMA or Doctor's Data) to identify specific dysbiosis.
Go Deeper at GutCode
Science-backed gut microbiome research, probiotic comparisons, and the latest on the gut-brain axis — translated into plain language.