The Best Morning Routine For Gut Health
If you’re on a journey to reach your gut health goals, your morning routine can set the tone for the rest of your day and help dictate your success.
From supporting digestion to reducing bloating, starting your day with intention can make a significant difference in your progress.
As a Holistic Nutritionist and Certified GAPS Practitioner specializing in deep gut healing, I want to share a morning routine that supports your gut health journey and helps you feel your best…more energized, more grounded, and more in tune with your body.
In this blog post, we’ll cover:
Key elements for a morning routine that align with optimal gut health
A sample morning routine to support your digestion and gut-healing goals
Common mistakes to avoid to make your mornings more efficient and effective
By the end, you’ll have a clear plan for starting your day in a way that supports your gut health success.
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Key Elements of a Morning Routine for Gut Health
A well-structured morning routine can set the tone for a successful day, especially when it comes to gut health. The way you start your morning impacts digestion, energy levels, and your body’s natural detoxification processes, all of which play a crucial role in restoring and maintaining a happy, healthy gut.
By prioritizing habits like hydration and nourishing foods, gentle movement, mindfulness, and a targeted supplement protocol, you can create a morning rhythm that supports microbial balance, reduces inflammation, and promotes regular elimination.
Below, we’ll break down the key elements of a morning routine designed to help you heal your gut and feel your best, with ease and intention.
1. Hydration & Gut-Loving Nutrition
Hydration and nutrition are foundational for gut health because they help support digestion, encourage detoxification, and keep your gut lining nourished.
I recommend starting your day with a large glass of warm lemon water or ginger tea to gently wake up your digestive system and encourage healthy bile flow and motility.
If you’re further along in your gut-healing journey, you can follow this with a cup of meat stock (especially in early stages of the GAPS Diet) or a nutrient-dense smoothie with gut-friendly ingredients like:
Homemade coconut milk or water kefir for beneficial bacteria
Collagen powder for gut lining repair
Greens like spinach or zucchini (steamed if needed) for fibre and minerals
Healthy fats like avocado or MCT oil for blood sugar balance
For breakfast, aim for easily digestible protein, gentle fibre, and healthy fats. Some great gut-healing breakfast options include:
Scrambled pasture-raised eggs with sautéed greens in ghee (rich in butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that supports colon health)
Meat stock with soft-cooked veggies and shredded chicken – especially helpful for anyone in gut repair mode
Chia pudding made with homemade nut milk, topped with stewed apples and cinnamon for a gentle fibre and polyphenol boost
2. Gentle Movement & Circulation
Gentle movement is beneficial for gut health because it helps stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system (your “rest and digest” mode), supports lymphatic drainage, and encourages healthy peristalsis (the muscle contractions that move food and waste through your intestines).
My favourite morning movement for gut health is a brisk 10–15 minute walk, ideally outdoors.
This not only helps get things moving (literally), but also helps reset your circadian rhythm, which is crucial for regulating digestion and hormones.
Other gentle ways to move your body in the morning include:
Rebounding or light stretching to stimulate lymph flow and circulation
Qi Gong or yoga twists to gently massage abdominal organs and improve digestion
A short dance session to shift stagnant energy and bring more joy to your morning
3. Mindfulness & Stress Management
Mindfulness and stress management are essential for gut health. Chronic stress increases cortisol, which can suppress digestion, disrupt your gut-brain connection, and exacerbate symptoms like bloating, constipation, or loose stools.
Morning mindfulness practices such as breathwork, meditation, journaling, or simply sitting in stillness with a cup of cacao can help lower stress hormones, set a grounded tone for the day, and enhance overall digestive function.
Some practices I love (and often use with my clients) include:
5–10 minutes of deep belly breathing to activate the vagus nerve and calm your nervous system
Gratitude journaling to shift out of stress and into presence
A short guided meditation focused on gut healing or grounding (many great free ones are on Insight Timer or YouTube)
4. A Gut-Supportive Supplement Routine
Starting your day with a customized supplement routine can be extremely beneficial for gut health, especially if you’re working to rebuild your microbiome, reduce candida overgrowth, or support gut lining repair.
Some morning supplements I often recommend to my clients include:
A high-quality probiotic to help replenish beneficial bacteria
L-glutamine powder (especially if there’s leaky gut or intestinal inflammation)
Digestive bitters or enzymes to support stomach acid and digestive flow before meals
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Sample Morning Routine for Gut Healing
Here’s an example of a simple, supportive morning routine to help nourish your gut, reduce inflammation, and set a positive tone for the rest of your day:
7:00 am – Wake Up
Drink a glass of warm water with lemon and a pinch of sea salt
This supports gentle detoxification and rehydrates your body after sleep, while the sea salt offers essential minerals for adrenal support.
7:15 am – Gentle Movement
Try a short yoga flow, stretching, or a 10-minute walk outside
Moving your body first thing in the morning helps stimulate digestion, support lymphatic flow, and regulate your circadian rhythm.
7:45 am – Nourishing Breakfast
Enjoy a gut-healing breakfast like a meat stock-based veggie soup, or a high-protein smoothie with collagen, chia seeds, and avocado
These foods help soothe the gut lining, provide easy-to-digest nutrients, and keep blood sugar stable.
8:15 am – Mindfulness & Self-Care
Spend 5–10 minutes doing breathwork, journaling, or a gratitude practice
This helps lower stress and cortisol levels, which is key for gut healing. Don’t forget a nurturing skincare routine to keep you grounded in self-love.
8:30 am – Supplements & Daily Planning
Take your targeted supplements (like a high-quality probiotic, L-glutamine, or bitters) and write down 1–3 intentions for the day
Supplements can help rebalance gut flora and repair the gut lining, while intention-setting supports mental clarity and focus.
9:00 am – Start Your Day!
You’ve already nourished your body, mind, and spirit…and that’s something to feel really good about.
Common Morning Routine Mistakes to Avoid for Gut Healing
Even with the best of intentions, some common habits might be disrupting your gut healing process and slowing down your progress.
If you’re working toward restoring your gut, reducing inflammation, and rebalancing your microbiome, here are some mistakes to steer clear of:
1. Skipping Breakfast or Grabbing Something Processed
When your gut is healing, your body needs consistent nourishment, not spikes and crashes from sugar-laden or processed foods.
Solution: Start your day with a grounding meal rich in protein, healthy fats, and gentle fibre…think meat stock, veggie soup, or a collagen smoothie with chia and avocado.
2. Not Hydrating First Thing in the Morning
Waking up dehydrated can lead to sluggish digestion and poor bowel movements…two things you definitely want to avoid when healing your gut.
Solution: Start your morning with warm lemon water or herbal tea, and add a pinch of sea salt for minerals and adrenal support.
3. Scrolling on Your Phone Immediately
Jumping into the digital world can spike cortisol and disconnect you from your body's natural rhythms, especially your digestive rhythm.
Solution: Replace screen time with 5 minutes of journaling, breathwork, or a short walk to reconnect with yourself and your intention for the day.
4. Doing High-Intensity Workouts Too Early
Intense workouts can be great, but if your body is in a state of healing, especially your gut and adrenals, it may feel like too much too soon.
Solution: Choose gentler movements like yoga, stretching, or walking in the morning. Save the high-intensity sessions for when your energy is more stable, or skip them altogether if your body needs rest.
Final Thoughts: Start Your Day with Gut Health in Mind
A well-structured morning routine can have a powerful impact on your gut health. By focusing on simple yet impactful practices like hydration, mindful movement, nourishment, and stress reduction, you can set yourself up for a more energized, balanced, and bloat-free day.
The key?
Start small and stay consistent. You don’t have to revamp your entire morning at once, just choose one or two new habits to integrate this week and build from there.
Most importantly, your morning routine should feel nourishing, supportive, and sustainable. You’re not just checking boxes…you’re creating rituals that help you feel more grounded, vibrant, and in tune with your body’s needs.
Need more personalized support?
I’d love to help you build a gut-healing routine that actually works for you. Learn more about how I can support you with my 1:1 Gut Healing Packages