The World's Easiest Gut-Healing Diet To Melt Fat, Kill Disease & End Inflammation | Dr. Bulsiewicz
This comprehensive episode explores why eating 30 different plants weekly is crucial for gut health, how fiber acts as nature's natural GLP-1, and what truly damages your microbiome. Dr. Bulsiewicz shares practical tips for building a gut-healing smoothie, ranks the biggest threats to gut health, and discusses the intersection of the MAHA movement with nutrition science.
1. The Magic of 30 Plants Per Week 🌱
The conversation kicks off with one of the most actionable pieces of advice for gut health: eating 30 different plants per week. This isn't just a random number—it comes from groundbreaking research.
"One of the best ways to take care of the gut microbiome and lead to greater healing and energy inside of the body potentially is to include 30 different plants inside of your diet on a weekly basis."
Dr. Bulsiewicz explains that this recommendation originated from the American Gut Project, an international study that included over 52 territories and countries with microbiome samples from more than 10,000 people. When researchers analyzed the data, this finding jumped out dramatically.
"When they did their analysis, this thing jumped out. It jumped out off the charts where they go, 'Whoa, that's the thing.' And the answer was eating at least 30 unique plants per week."
Here's why diversity matters so much: every single plant contains fiber, but not all fiber is the same. Just as the protein in fish differs from the protein in beans, unique plants have unique forms of fiber. Plants also contain different phytochemicals and polyphenols—there are over 8,000 polyphenols, which are plant-based antioxidant compounds.
"The simplest way to look at that is the colors of a plant, right? So, red has certain polyphenols, orange, purple, like these are different."
These fibers, polyphenols, phytochemicals, and resistant starches are the prebiotics that feed and fuel your gut microbiome. Different families of microbes rise and fall based on your dietary choices.
"If you were to literally just eat kale all day long, you would not be healthy because whatever microbes enjoy kale, they would grow. You can only go so far with that and all the other microbes would be starving."
The host adds a personal anecdote about a friend who actually got a kidney stone from eating too much kale—proof that even healthy foods need balance!
Dr. Bulsiewicz emphasizes that dietary diversity is like diversifying your investment portfolio. When you have variety in your diet, you're feeding all the different types of fiber, getting various vitamins and minerals, and ultimately building a more healthy, diverse, and abundant microbiome.
The research has been backed up by randomized controlled trials through Zoe (a nutrition science company where Dr. Bulsiewicz serves as U.S. Medical Director). When these concepts are applied to real people, the results are impressive:
- Lower weight
- Reduced waist circumference
- Lower triglyceride levels
- Improved mood and happiness
- Better sleep
- More energy
- Less hunger while losing weight
"You're less hungry yet you're losing weight. That's pretty cool."
For anyone feeling intimidated by the number 30, Dr. Bulsiewicz offers reassurance:
"If 30 sounds intimidating, don't panic because truly like 10 years ago, I was probably at five. What you want to do is just start slow and steady adding more."
All fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts, legumes, and spices count toward your weekly total.
2. Building the Perfect Gut-Healing Morning Smoothie 🥤
One of the most practical ways to jumpstart your plant diversity journey is through a morning smoothie. Dr. Bulsiewicz considers this an excellent strategy for almost everyone.
Why Smoothies Work
"Number one, it's more easily digestible. This is something I would recommend to nearly all of the listeners. Number two, they can be delicious. Like, they should be delicious. There's no reason for it to not be delicious."
Smoothies offer several advantages:
- You can crank up your fiber intake significantly
- You start your day ahead of the curve on fiber goals
- You can easily get 8, 10, or 12 different plants in one drink
"It's Monday morning. It's a new week that started. You want to get to 30 by the end of the week. You throw some stuff into a blender. It takes you 3 minutes and you're already at 12. That's not a bad start."
The "Low and Slow" Approach
Dr. Bulsiewicz introduces a crucial concept: "low and slow."
"I want people to think about the gut like it's a muscle. Apply the same logic that you would use in the gym to your gut."
Just as you wouldn't lift extremely heavy weights on your first day at the gym, you shouldn't overwhelm your gut with massive amounts of fiber immediately.
"Please don't drink 40 ounces of smoothie on the first day, right? Like, it's a volume thing. So, don't make a massive smoothie and then feel obligated to finish the whole thing."
Understanding FODMAPs
For beginners, Dr. Bulsiewicz recommends starting with a low FODMAP smoothie. FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols—essentially the fermentable carbohydrates in our diet.
"Fermentation produces gas. So for people who have a sort of weak gut where they may struggle to process and digest their food, going low FODMAP can be a more gentle approach that's easier and it produces less gas."
Common high FODMAP foods to be aware of:
- Beans and legumes (canned lentils are an exception)
- Gluten-containing whole grains (wheat, barley, rye)
- Garlic and onions
- Certain berries
- Avocado (in larger amounts)
It's important to note that these aren't "bad" foods—they're actually beneficial if you can tolerate them. The low FODMAP approach is simply a starting point for those with sensitive guts.
Building Your Smoothie: Step by Step
1. Choose Your Liquid Base Options include water, plant-based milk, or kefir. Dr. Bulsiewicz started with water years ago but now uses plant-based milk at home. Kefir offers the added benefit of being a fermented food.
2. Add Something Creamy
- For no FODMAP concerns: avocado
- For FODMAP-sensitive individuals: banana (preferably greener)
"When it's closer to green, it's higher in resistant starch, which is actually really good for our gut bugs. And it's lower in FODMAPs."
Pro tip: Freeze your banana (without the peel) to turn your smoothie into a smoothie bowl or healthy "ice cream."
3. Include Greens
"Greens should absolutely be a part of these smoothies. Why? Because of the incredible amount of nutrient density, the unique properties that they have, the nitrates that are good for our blood pressure, and the fact that they're almost no calories."
Think of greens as nature's multivitamin without adding extra calories.
4. Add Berries or Fruit Blueberries are classic, but if you're being low FODMAP, consider alternatives like pineapple or raspberries. The key is getting some sweetness to make the smoothie enjoyable.
"I don't believe in smoothies that are purely berry based or purely berry plus banana. I kind of feel like that's a lost opportunity because if you're going to add all of that sweetness but not include some vegetables in there, then you're sort of missing out."
5. Broccoli Sprouts: The Secret Weapon 🥦
Dr. Bulsiewicz always adds broccoli sprouts to his smoothies because of their incredible sulforaphane content.
"Broccoli sprouts contain 50 to 100 times more sulforaphane than you're going to get from adult mature broccoli."
Sulforaphane is an isothiocyanate being studied extensively at Johns Hopkins for cancer protection and many other health benefits.
"I will warn you, they're going to give a peppery flavor to your beverage. If you throw too much, like you might notice that, embrace it because that's the good stuff. Like you're tasting the good stuff."
This is similar to high-quality olive oil—if it tastes peppery and burns the back of your throat, that's a sign of quality!
6. Don't Forget the Seeds The final layer is seeds that provide both fiber and healthy fats:
- Chia seeds
- Flax seeds
- Hemp seeds
- Basil seeds
"The cool thing about those is that you could have those sitting either in your freezer or in your pantry. Basically, like that's a non-perishable. It's not going to go bad."
Every time you make a smoothie, add all four seeds and you've got four extra plant points.
Personal Touches
The host shares his own smoothie approach: he adds olive oil (about 15 grams), a modest amount of avocado, frozen strawberries (blueberries make him tired for some reason—personalization matters!), microgreens, sprouts, and mint.
"When I look back on it, you tally all these different things up, I'm like, 'Wow, that's easily 8, 9, 10, 12 different types of diversity of plant food that gets included in and it takes me, you know, 10 minutes to drink the whole thing.'"
The Morning Routine Connection ☀️
Dr. Bulsiewicz connects the smoothie habit to a broader morning routine for optimal health:
"Get up early enough, if you want to spend some time reading, perhaps like doing spiritual work, reading in the Bible, or writing, journaling, doing something that's good for you to sort of set your mind right."
Then when the sun comes up, get outside for 30 minutes—ideally with another person. That morning sunlight hitting the back of your retina activates serotonin, which is good for focus, energy, and will convert to melatonin later for better sleep.
"90 to 95% of serotonin is produced in the gut because this is the drum beat that basically keeps our gut in rhythm. So when we get that morning sunlight, we actually are helping to produce that serotonin which is going to help to give us a good, not to be too graphic, but a good healthy bowel movement."
3. The Emulsifier Problem in Plant-Based Milks ⚠️
A practical concern emerges when discussing smoothies: emulsifiers in plant-based milks.
What Are Emulsifiers?
"The simple of the emulsifiers is we all know what happens when you add oil to water, right? They separate out. What if you wanted to blend those together and keep them blended together so they wouldn't separate out? That's what the emulsifiers are doing."
Emulsifiers are stabilizers added to foods to keep them shelf-stable. They operate somewhat like antibiotics in that they preserve products by affecting bacteria, extending shelf life.
The Concern
"Dietary emulsifiers are just one category of food-based additives that have been introduced into our food system into our food supply without adequate research to give us confidence whether they are safe, unsafe or somewhere in the middle."
Animal studies have shown emulsifiers causing colitis in rats. More importantly, a French study put people on low versus high emulsifier diets and found significant disruption of the gut microbiome within just days in those consuming high emulsifiers.
Dr. Bulsiewicz rates his concern level as significant, especially for daily consumption:
"If you're putting that in your morning smoothie every single day and you're doing it over years, you might end up doing some damage to your gut microbiome."
The Solution
The good news? Clean options exist.
"If you flip it over and look at the ingredient list, if you recognize everything on that ingredient list, you're in a good spot. If you're like, 'What is that?'... Many times I look at these ingredient lists, I don't even know what these things are."
Brands like New Barn make almond milk with just almonds, water, and sea salt—no emulsifiers needed (you just have to shake before pouring).
You can also make plant-based milks at home:
- Oat milk is incredibly easy
- Almond milk isn't complicated
- Frozen organic edamame blended with water creates clean soy milk that also adds protein
"Could we make these plant-based milks without emulsifiers? Yes. And that would require a simple thing. You would have to shake up your milk before you pour it."
4. Fiber as Nature's GLP-1: The Natural Ozempic 💊
With millions of Americans now on GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, Dr. Bulsiewicz offers important perspective on how fiber naturally activates the same pathways.
How Fiber Produces GLP-1
"GLP-1 doesn't come out of nowhere. It's produced by our own body. It's one of a group of gut hormones that we call incretin hormones."
The connection is direct:
"Fiber in the diet helps us to basically activate the release of GLP-1. Because when fiber gets fermented and transformed by our gut bacteria, they produce short-chain fatty acids and those short-chain fatty acids activate receptors that lead to the release of GLP-1."
This is why fiber consistently rises to the surface as the most powerful natural way to feel full after meals. Combined with protein, it becomes even more effective.
The GLP-1 Medication Conversation
Dr. Bulsiewicz acknowledges that GLP-1 medications have their place, particularly for people who have genuinely tried everything:
"I'm so glad that these drugs exist for those people."
However, he expresses significant concerns about the broader approach:
"I do take issue with the idea that we destroy people's health. We make 88% of America metabolically unhealthy through diet. And then the solution that's being proposed to us is take this shot, take it for the rest of your life. It will cost you a lot of money and we have no clue what will happen to you and your body three years, 5 years, 10 years, 20 years from now."
The Missing Conversation
The core problem isn't the drugs themselves—it's how they're being used:
"We have completely bypassed the nutrition conversation and the exercise conversation. Why would we bypass that to jump straight to these drugs?"
"What we see with total clarity is that a year after people stop using the drug, the weight is 100% back."
There's currently no evidence that any protocol allows people to use these medications, change their diet and lifestyle, and then successfully withdraw the drug while maintaining weight loss.
When GLP-1s Make Sense
The host shares his observations of friends who've used GLP-1 medications smartly—working with knowledgeable doctors, preserving lean muscle mass, working out, cleaning up their diet. For people with intense "food noise"—that overwhelming sense of never feeling satiated—these medications can provide a taste of what life looks like without that constant mental chatter about food.
Dr. Bulsiewicz agrees this is exactly what these drugs are designed for:
"A person who is obese, is struggling, is trying like working their tail off to exercise, to eat better, not achieving the results that they're looking for. That's exactly what these drugs are good for."
His concerns center on:
- Using the drug as a first-line option without dietary and lifestyle modification
- People who are only 5-10-15 pounds overweight being promised the drug will reduce cancer and heart disease risk
"That's not true. You don't have data to back that up. These studies that were done, yes, they do protect against heart disease and against cancer in people who are morbidly obese and lose a tremendous amount of weight because obesity is a risk factor for heart disease and cancer."
5. The Tier-Ranked Approach to Natural Weight Loss 📊
For someone wanting to lose 5-15 pounds without jumping to GLP-1 medications, Dr. Bulsiewicz provides a prioritized list:
Tier 1: Eliminate Ultra-Processed Foods
"I would probably start with the elimination of hyper palatable ultra-processed foods."
This includes obvious culprits like Cheetos and Doritos, but also "health-washed" products with tempting packaging claiming to be high fiber or prebiotic.
The Lollipop Soda Deep Dive 🥤
Dr. Bulsiewicz breaks down beverage choices to illustrate ultra-processed concerns:
The lineup:
- Sugar-sweetened beverages (Coke)
- Artificially sweetened beverages (Diet Coke)
- Lollipop/Poppi (functional sodas)
- Kombucha
- Juice (most are essentially sugar-sweetened beverages)
The microplastics problem: Anything acidic in a can creates issues. All aluminum cans have an internal plastic liner. When acid meets plastic, microplastics shed into the beverage.
"There was a New England Journal of Medicine paper that came out recently. They took a look at people who were undergoing a carotid endarterectomy... Among these people that had a high concentration of nanoplastics stuck in the wall of the plaque that is in their neck artery... they were at a significantly higher risk of having a heart attack, having a stroke, dying from cardiovascular disease."
Artificial sweeteners: While not as bad as sugar, they do come into contact with and change the gut microbiome since most aren't absorbed.
"Is Diet Coke still gonna be better than a Coke? Yeah, it's still going to be better."
Lollipop's issues: The added fiber is inulin, which is pure FODMAP—the most gas-producing form of fiber Dr. Bulsiewicz has encountered. It's also the cheapest fiber available.
"If you drink a Lollipop and you're farting all day long, you probably have a good sign that you have issues with some FODMAP foods."
The better choice: High-quality kombucha in a glass bottle (no microplastic concerns), fermented (beneficial for gut health). Cut a 16oz bottle into thirds, mix with water and ice—still flavorful but extended value.
Tier 2: Address Your Fiber Deficiency
"95% of Americans are deficient in fiber. Let's get after that."
The numbers:
- Average American woman: 15g fiber/day (should be 25g minimum)
- Average American man: 18g fiber/day (should be 38g minimum)
Tracking apps can help audit your actual intake—many people are surprised to find they're eating far less fiber (and protein) than they thought.
Tier 3: Protein
Fiber and protein work synergistically for satiation:
"Protein in combination with fiber can be a great pairing. This is how we get ourselves to feel full and not overeat."
On protein targets, Dr. Bulsiewicz believes the RDA of 0.8g per kilogram is too low—that's just to avoid sarcopenia. For optimization, he recommends 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight, with the specific amount determined by physical activity level.
Tier 4: Time-Restricted Eating
"Time-restricted eating gives you a framework to control the timing of your diet with consistency which taps into your circadian rhythm and simultaneously to maintain control over the unhealthy eating that happens on the bookends."
A 10-hour eating window (14 hours fasting) helps avoid the late-night snack problem:
"That late night snack is where we disrupt our metabolism."
Tier 5: Exercise
While crucial for overall health, exercise ranks fifth specifically for weight loss because:
"If you don't actually get into a calorie deficit, then your body will just adapt the number of calories that you consume."
However, if the goal shifts to "looking good in a swimsuit," exercise moves way up the priority list.
Tier 6: Alcohol
"Unnecessary calories and also disruptive to our gut microbiome."
The best choice if you do drink: Red wine. The fermentation makes resveratrol more bioactive than what you'd get from grapes or peanuts. Ideally, it would be dealcoholized since the alcohol provides harm, not benefit.
The concerning research: A study showed that when people consumed significant alcohol, their lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels rose in parallel with blood alcohol levels. LPS indicates gut barrier damage (leaky gut), and it didn't normalize until alcohol levels normalized.
"The fact that these things happened in parallel... provides the suggestion that we're better off without alcohol in our lives."
Additional concerns:
- One to two drinks being "good for us" is being challenged
- Any alcohol consumption is associated with cancer risk
- Even one evening drink disrupts sleep
6. The Marijuana Warning 🚨
As alcohol consumption declines, marijuana use is rising—and Dr. Bulsiewicz cautions against assuming it's risk-free.
Cognitive Effects
"We called them potheads back in the 90s, right? There's actually studies now where they look at the size of the brain on imaging and have shown that the brain shrinks with chronic marijuana use."
Recent research shows impacts on memory function as well.
Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome
In the gastroenterology world, there's been an emergence of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (also called cyclic vomiting syndrome when driven by chronic marijuana use).
"If some young person comes in, they're 19 years old and they say to me, 'I'm throwing up every single day,' I will ask them one question that will help me to know immediately what's going on. Do you like taking hot showers?"
Sufferers often take hour-long hot showers because heat somehow helps. The condition creates a vicious cycle where smoking temporarily relieves nausea, but stopping makes it worse.
Schizophrenia Risk
The host shares a deeply personal observation: he's known five people who went from light to medium/heavy cannabis use (many during pandemic isolation) and experienced major psychiatric episodes—schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Two became homeless, and their parents couldn't find them.
"Especially in the United States they found a product marketplace that has higher THC content."
Dr. Bulsiewicz summarizes:
"If you want to smoke weed once in a while, that I don't have a huge issue with, but when you're turning this into chronic use as a replacement for having a drink or when you're basically self-medicating, that's where the issues come up."
7. The MAHA Movement: Politics Meets Nutrition 🏛️
The conversation turns to the controversial intersection of health and politics through the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) movement and RFK Jr.'s role as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
The Two Camps
Camp 1: This is directionally correct. The health care system is messed up, and finally someone is amplifying awareness about:
- TV pharmaceutical advertising
- "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) loopholes
- Big Food, Big Ag, Big Pharma influence
- Infant formula improvement
Camp 2: Aligning with this movement is dangerous due to previous vaccine/autism comments and the belief that nothing meaningful will be accomplished.
Dr. Bulsiewicz's Perspective
"I've always felt very strongly about keeping my politics separate from my professional life because to me, I'm a medical doctor. We're talking about people's health. That should come from a place of sincerity, honesty, and there shouldn't be really any sort of political influence."
That said, he offers a nuanced view:
"The status quo is killing us. We're clearly getting worse. So, we do need to change... I would really love for this to be a smashing success. And I am cheering for him to do that because in the same way that across party lines, I would never cheer against the president of the United States."
The Concerns
Dr. Bulsiewicz worries about misplaced priorities:
"I would like to believe that there are much bigger issues for us to get after than seed oils. Now, you can take the seed oils out and I am perfectly happy with that. When you take them out and you replace with beef tallow, from my perspective, we are rearranging the chairs on the Titanic."
He fears easy, convenient changes that look like victories but accomplish little:
"Okay, we got rid of red number three. Do you know how easy it is for the food industry to replace red number three? Super easy. Let's not plant a flag and declare victory. We have done nothing."
The true test will be whether the movement tackles what really matters:
"Let's make healthy food more affordable for people. Let's get it into their lives and figure out how to do that. Let's get the bad stuff out of the food system."
The Ultimate Reminder
"At the end of the day, we can't expect our government to do everything for us... We as humans have to start there, that health and family are true wealth. And ask anyone who has lost their health, they would pay anything to have it back."
8. The Power of Fermented Foods 🫙
Returning to practical gut-healing strategies, Dr. Bulsiewicz emphasizes fermented foods as a crucial addition to any diet.
Start by Stocking Your Fridge
"I think it starts with having the fermented foods in your refrigerator like to actually have them in your physical space so that when you open up that refrigerator door, boom, there they are. They're tempting you."
This doesn't need to form the core of your diet—think of it as a side item or accompaniment to your main meal.
Fermented Food Options
Vegetable-based:
- Sauerkraut (great crunch, acidity that cuts through food)
- Kimchi (for when you want heat)
- Fermented green beans
- Fermented radishes (even radish-haters often love these fermented)
- Pickles
Soy-based:
- Tempeh (don't eat raw—cook it with spices or soy sauce)
- Miso
Dairy-based (if tolerated):
"The healthiest form of dairy that exists without question is fermented dairy and that includes kefir and yogurt and things like that, Greek yogurt."
Greek yogurt is particularly impressive for protein content and can become a vehicle for plant diversity—add various berries, nuts, hemp seeds, and cinnamon for 7-8 different plants easily.
The Science Behind Fermentation
"Our gut is an ecosystem in the same way that the Great Barrier Reef or the Amazon rainforest is an ecosystem and a ferment is also an ecosystem."
Fermentation achieves balance through living microorganisms (bacteria and yeasts) that consume and transform food components. The benefits come from both:
- The living microbes themselves
- The transformation the food undergoes
Sourdough bread example: The microbes are killed when baked, yet it remains the healthiest bread option because fermentation:
- Lowers gluten content
- Reduces glyphosate content
- Enhances fiber and protein absorption
- Increases vitamin availability
"In essence, what they're doing within that jar or whatever it may be, within that ecosystem, is they are slowly digesting the food in the same way that our body would digest the food, but we're giving them more time to really do it and transform it."
How Much Do You Need?
While the Stanford study (by the Sonnenbergs) had participants dramatically increase fermented food intake to prove effects, we don't have clear data on intermediate amounts.
"I don't think that it should be, hey, you only should feel good about yourself if you get up to six servings of fermented food a day. That's really hard to get to."
The practical advice: prioritize these foods and take it as far as you reasonably can.
9. Tier-Ranking What Damages the Gut Microbiome 💀
Dr. Bulsiewicz addresses why so many people today have worse gut health than ever before, ranking the top offenders:
#1: Absence of Dietary Fiber
"When you don't have dietary fiber, you don't have that protective element that could help even maybe withstand some of these insults that are coming from our environment."
The generational decay is particularly concerning. The Sonnenbergs' mouse study showed that when mice were deprived of fiber across generations, there was cumulative decay in gut diversity. Even when fiber was added back generations later, they recovered some—but not all—of what was lost.
"It's worse for our kids than it was for us, and it's worse for us than it was for our parents."
#2: Ultra-Processed Foods
This category encompasses multiple harmful additives:
- Dietary emulsifiers
- Artificial colorings
- Artificial flavors
- Glyphosate
- Artificial sweeteners
The shocking statistics:
- Adults: 60% of calories from ultra-processed foods
- Children: 70% of calories from ultra-processed foods
"If you put it in the pantry, if it's in the house, that's what they're going to eat. That's what it was designed for, designed to bring them back."
#3: Sugar and Refined Carbohydrates
"I used to push back against 'damn those carbs' because I said, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa. It's more complicated. Fiber is a carb.' But you know what? I'm willing to say here today, damn those carbs. Because really, what we're talking about is refined carbs."
This includes:
- Added sugar
- Refined flours (the more ground up and bleached, the more it acts like sugar)
The blood sugar dip problem: Zoe's research using continuous glucose monitors revealed that refined carbs cause blood sugar to drop below baseline a couple hours after eating. This creates:
- Fatigue
- Hunger
- Cravings for more refined carbohydrates
"In that moment when the blood sugar is too low, the interpretation of your brain is oh gosh, like am I on short supply here? I need more sugar to replace that to get this back to normal amounts."
#4: Environmental Toxins (Pesticides & Microplastics)
Glyphosate concerns:
"This is a water soluble herbicide. So that means it's intended to destroy all plants. And because it's water soluble, that means that when it gets into our soil, it doesn't wash out very easily."
Commercial advertising actually boasts that one spray keeps lawns weed-free for four months—meaning those chemicals linger that long while children and pets play in the yard.
The gluten-Italy connection:
"You hear these stories about people who are like, I can't eat bread in the United States, but if I go to Italy, I'm fine. Okay, that is not gluten... I think the argument there is pesticides."
In the US, wheat is sprayed with herbicide before harvest to speed up drying and get it to market faster.
"We have no clue if it's been sprayed with glyphosate. We really have no clue, probably."
The microbiome impact:
"The data would strongly suggest that the microbiome is hurt by the presence of glyphosate. The microbes are in fact killed."
10. Understanding Carnivore Diet Through an Empathy Lens 🥩
The conversation shifts to a nuanced discussion about extreme elimination diets like carnivore.
The Empathetic View
Dr. Bulsiewicz emphasizes:
"I'm a medical doctor. I care about that person. What I really care about is results. I want a person better."
He acknowledges a reality many face:
"If you try something for yourself and it causes you to get worse and you have not been provided by your medical doctor or through the health care system an explanation for that, I would totally understand why you would then ultimately say this makes no sense anymore. I'm hurting myself."
The Deeper Factors
However, Dr. Bulsiewicz believes health involves more than diet:
"It's more than just your health and your list of medications and even your diet and whether you exercise. It's more than these things. There's elements of who we are as humans that aren't easily definable and yet have a massive impact on our health."
He specifically points to:
- The non-conscious mind
- Trauma
A Powerful Patient Story
Dr. Bulsiewicz shares a case that changed his perspective:
"I actually had a patient... She had ulcerative colitis. I was trying to do all my tricks. I was trying to do the plant-based thing. She was not getting better."
The breakthrough came when they discovered her job was horrible—her boss would demean her publicly.
"Getting in the car in the morning was enough to get her heart rate to jump up."
When she left her job:
"The healing was instant. And because it was never a matter of the plants being the problem. It was a matter of a misdiagnosis."
"The problem being something that the conventional health care system doesn't really acknowledge, which is the reality that we are human and that we have a soul and that soul can be injured... through trauma and that sometimes the best healing that we can do is actually to heal that part of ourselves that is not physical."
11. 38Tera: Building Better Prebiotics 🔬
Dr. Bulsiewicz shares the story behind his supplement company, 38Tera (named for the 38 trillion bacteria in our gut).
The Origin Story
As a gastroenterologist, using supplements with patients has always been standard practice:
"If you came into see me in the clinic on the very first visit, there was legitimately a 90 or 95% chance that I was going to send you home using a fiber supplement."
Common options included Metamucil (psyllium husk), Benefiber (wheat dextrin), acacia fiber, and partially hydrolyzed guar gum.
After writing about prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics in Fiber Fueled, demand for recommendations exploded. Dr. Bulsiewicz decided to create ultra-premium supplements for gut health, spending nearly three years in development before launching in January 2024.
The Daily Microbiome Nutrition Formula
Seven unique prebiotic ingredients (reflecting the diversity-of-plants philosophy)
Three types of prebiotics:
- Fiber
- Resistant starch
- Polyphenols
"This product, as far as I know, is the only one that's on the market that gives you all three of those."
Additional features:
- Low FODMAP (gentler on the gut)
- Precise doses based on human clinical trials proving improved microbiome, better bowel movements, and reduced gut symptoms
- NSF certification (professional athlete-level clean testing)
- Certified glyphosate-free
"Every single batch we spend thousands of dollars testing over 120 different things."
The launch was so successful that they sold out in 24 hours and had to close the store, continuing with monthly drops that sold out in 45 minutes.
12. Trusting Your Gut: The Mind-Body-Spirit Connection 🧘
The final question explores the deeper meaning of "trusting your gut."
The Science of Gut Intuition
"Our gut actually has 500 million nerves that are constantly feeling and sensing and connected to our brain and those gut microbes are communicating to our brain through those 500 million nerves."
When you have an instinct, it's a triangle working together:
- The conscious mind
- The non-conscious mind
- Your gut
"Research has suggested that those instincts are on point more so than like in many cases you can overthink a thing."
How to Trust Your Gut Better
Through the gut-brain connection:
"I want people to be in a place where they feel well, where they love the person that they see in the mirror, where they have great self-esteem and great confidence."
The summary:
- Increase variety of plants (don't count grams—count types)
- Add fermented foods
- Crowd out ultra-processed foods
- Care for the physical body: exercise, sleep, time outdoors, morning light exposure, breathing exercises
The Loneliness Crisis
"We have a crisis of loneliness in the United States. People feel more disconnected than they've ever felt before."
Social media creates an illusion of connection:
"We come from a position of being tribal. And within a tribe, you didn't have 3,000 people that you were hanging out with. You had a family of families."
True connection means:
"In that moment when I am at my lowest, you are there to pick me up. And that's not easy for you, but you do that for me because you are bonded to me."
The statistics are sobering:
- Average adult: 6 hours/day on phone
- Average child: 7 hours/day on devices
The Spiritual Dimension
Dr. Bulsiewicz concludes with profound thoughts on human nature:
"We as humans have a hole in our heart that can only be filled by our higher power."
People try to fill that hole with material goods, fame, ideology, or internet presence:
"Those things are like sugar for the soul. They make you feel good for a minute and then you feel worse a couple hours later and you're hungry for more."
"The thing that truly satiates the soul is actually to open up... Across the globe, if you look at all groups of humanity that have ever existed, dominantly, we have all yearned for a relationship with our higher power."
"I think it just starts with taking a quiet moment and opening up your heart to that possibility. Because I think when you find that connection, it's something that can really fuel better health and it may surprise you."
Conclusion: Your Action Plan for Gut Health
This conversation covered an incredible amount of ground, from the science of fiber diversity to the spiritual dimensions of healing. Here are the key takeaways:
Start with these two dietary changes:
- Increase the variety of plants in your diet (aim for 30 per week, but start wherever you are)
- Add fermented foods as side dishes
Build your morning smoothie foundation:
- Choose a clean liquid base
- Add something creamy (banana or avocado)
- Include greens for nutrient density
- Add berries for flavor
- Include broccoli sprouts for sulforaphane
- Top with chia, flax, hemp, and basil seeds
- Go "low and slow"—don't overwhelm your gut
Understand what damages your microbiome:
- Lack of dietary fiber
- Ultra-processed foods
- Sugar and refined carbohydrates
- Environmental toxins (pesticides, microplastics)
For natural weight loss:
- Eliminate ultra-processed foods
- Increase fiber
- Optimize protein (1.2-1.6g per kg body weight)
- Try time-restricted eating
- Exercise regularly
- Limit alcohol
Remember the bigger picture:
- Health involves physical, mental, and spiritual dimensions
- True connection with others matters deeply
- Trauma can manifest as physical symptoms
- Trust your gut—literally and figuratively
"Health and family are true wealth. And ask anyone who has lost their health, they would pay anything to have it back."
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