Have you ever said, “My stomach has never been the same since that trip…” or that questionable BBQ, honeymoon, or random meal that left you sick for days?

Food poisoning isn’t always something you “just get over.” For many people, it’s the starting point of long-term bloating, urgency, constipation, food sensitivities, and anxiety around eating.

In this episode, Dr. Heather breaks down why post-infectious IBS accounts for a significant percentage of IBS cases and how an acute infection can disrupt gut motility, immune signaling, stomach acid, bile flow, and mineral balance long after the initial illness passes.

If you’ve been stuck in cycles of low FODMAP, antimicrobials, probiotics, and still feel six months pregnant by 5pm… this conversation will connect the dots.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• The research behind post-infectious IBS and how food poisoning triggers long-term gut dysfunction
• How bacteria like Campylobacter, Salmonella, E. coli, and Shigella can disrupt motility
• What happens to the migrating motor complex after infection
• Why bloating, SIBO, constipation, or diarrhea can linger for years
• The role of stomach acid, bile flow, minerals, and the nervous system in recovery
• What to do during acute food poisoning
• What to evaluate if symptoms are still present months (or years) later

If you found this episode helpful, please leave a review and share it with someone whose gut has never quite been the same.

Find the real root causes of your GI symptoms with our free, 2 minute Quiz!

Take the quiz here!

Connect + Next Steps

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Follow along on Instagram

Ready for personalized 1:1 support and a clear plan?
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Want a chance to win a free HTMA Bundle? Leave a rating & review and email it to happygut@drheatherfinley.co with [PODCAST REVIEW] in the subject line! We choose a new winner every month!

You started magnesium for constipation. It worked.

And then… it didn’t.

Now you’re increasing the dose, relying on it nightly, and wondering why your body won’t cooperate.

Here’s the truth: if magnesium stopped working, it’s not because you need more of it.

Magnesium can support bowel movements. But it doesn’t fix the reason your system slowed down in the first place.

In this episode, I break down:

• What magnesium actually does (and what it doesn’t)
• The mineral patterns I see when it “stops working”
• Why potassium, bile flow, and stress matter more than you think
• How you can poop daily and still be constipated
• What actually restores long-term rhythm instead of relying on stimulation

Constipation is rarely just a colon issue. It’s often a top-down digestion issue.

If you’re tired of bandaids and want a personalized, step-by-step plan to restore your digestion from the root, this is exactly the work we do inside gutTogether.

Find the real root causes of your GI symptoms with our free, 2 minute Quiz!

Take the quiz here!

Connect + Next Steps

Want daily education, stories, and gut-friendly support?
Follow along on Instagram

Ready for personalized 1:1 support and a clear plan?
Apply for gutTogether®

Want a chance to win a free HTMA Bundle? Leave a rating & review and email it to happygut@drheatherfinley.co with [PODCAST REVIEW] in the subject line! We choose a new winner every month!

If you’re constipated… and your ferritin won’t improve… this episode is for you.

Constipation isn’t just uncomfortable, it's often a sign that your digestive system, minerals, and stress response are all under strain, and when that happens, iron can be one of the first things to stall.

In this episode, I connect the dots between:

• Constipation
• Fatigue
• Low ferritin
• Slow stomach acid
• Mineral depletion
• Sluggish bile flow
• Stress (both internal and external)

Because ferritin doesn’t improve just because you take iron.

Ferritin improves when the whole system improves.

If iron has made you feel worse…
If your ferritin only improves while supplementing…
If you’re bloated, sluggish, and exhausted despite “normal labs”…

This conversation will make things click.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• Why low stomach acid affects both iron and B12
• How slow motility disrupts iron recycling
• Why constipation isn’t a side effect, it’s a signal
• The connection between bile flow, SIBO, and iron storage
• How mineral depletion makes iron harder to tolerate
• Why stress shifts your body out of storage mode

🎁 Giveaway Announcement

To celebrate this being the 100th episode and our upcoming live training, I’m doing a giveaway!

One listener will win a free Lume Box! This is my favorite red light therapy device I use every day!

Here’s how to enter:

1️⃣ Listen to this episode
2️⃣ Leave a rating and review
3️⃣ Screenshot your review and email it to happygut@drheatherfinley.co with [100th giveaway] as the subject line

--> Bonus entries for sharing the podcast and tagging @drheatherfinley on Instagram

The winner will be announced on next weeks podcast!

Find the real root causes of your GI symptoms with our free, 2 minute Quiz!

Take the quiz here!

Connect + Next Steps

Want daily education, stories, and gut-friendly support?
Follow along on Instagram

Ready for personalized 1:1 support and a clear plan?
Apply for gutTogether®

Want a chance to win a free HTMA Bundle? Leave a rating & review and email it to happygut@drheatherfinley.co with [PODCAST REVIEW] in the subject line! We choose a new winner every month!