*This is a modified transcript of an episode from my podcast, The Nourished & Thriving show. This episode is titled “Healing Your Gut: 3 Critical Considerations for Hiring Help” (published April 2024), which you can find on your favorite listening platform here.

*This is not medical advice.

First things first, I’m a registered dietitian on a mission to help you increase your impact and legacy on the world while healing your gut and reducing your IBS symptoms. I’m so grateful to have you here. Each week I’ll inspire you to live vibrantly and provide valuable resources and information that empowers you to take bold action towards your health goals. I’m here to serve you. If you have a topic you want more info on, I’d love to hear about it.

You’re most likely here due to chronic digestive symptoms like bloating, constipation, diarrhea or both. If it seems like you’ve tried everything and you just can’t shake these concerns, then hiring somebody to help with healing your gut might be the next step.

I myself have never hired anyone to help me heal my gut health, because that’s my job! But I have hired people to help me with my business. I did not go to business school. I went to nutrition school—which was heavy on the science, light on the business. So it’s been critical to hire help along the way to support me and my business goals. So even though gut health and business are not the same, there’s a lot of congruencies between those two things. As I’ve hired different people and as I’ve evolved in my business, why I hire people to help me has also evolved and grown. Here’s the insights and lessons I’ve learned along the way that might help you take that leap and reach your gut health goals!

Gentle reminder: Your healthcare partner cannot do the work for you.

First of all, I realized when I was starting out in business, I tried to do it myself… That worked okay for a little bit, but I got limited results and I got burned out really fast. By relying on myself only, I was going nowhere quick. You might feel this way when it comes to your gut health, especially if you’re trying to DIY healing your gut. I’ve seen it so many times: You’re researching your symptoms and relief methods. You’re trying various methods, like probiotics and drinking more water, that supposedly worked for others, but you’re not finding the desired results and you’re not sure what you’re missing.

I’ve been there. It’s tough. The first business coaches I hired were hit and miss. I was looking for somebody to save me. I was looking for someone to fix it for me. I wanted to take a passive backseat and just be told what to do and for it all to merrily work out so I could ride off into the fairy tale sunset. You might be there right now with your gut health, too.

For me, I had to realize that nobody could fix my business. It’s MY business! I had to fix it! I had to figure out what worked best for me and what I really needed. No one person or program could come in and do it for me. It’s the same thing when it comes to your gut health. If you’re looking for a gut health dietitian or a doctor or a gastroenterologist, you can’t be looking for your knight in shining armor riding in on a white horse to come save you and fix all your problems for you. You are going to have to fight the fight too. I mean really roll up your sleeves and get dirty.

What I’m describing is functional medicine. If you’ve never heard of the functional medicine tree,  start by imagining a tree. You can see down into the soil and roots and all the way up to the leaves with a pretty blue sky behind it.

The leaves of the tree are disease diagnoses.

The branches of the tree are symptoms.

The trunk of the tree is your genetics.

Then as you dig deeper, you get down into the roots and the soil. The roots and soil are equivalent with nutrition and lifestyle changes.

This means starting from the bottom, you can affect how your trunk and your tree grows by changing what’s in the soil. So whenever I say, in functional medicine we roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty playing in the dirt, that’s what I’m referring to.

In order to get the great results you’re after, you cannot take a passive role. It’s your health and your body. You’re an expert and you have a lot to bring to the table. Working with someone one on one to achieve a goal takes effort, time and energy to do, but it’s what yields the best fruit or prettiest leaves, for lack of better terminology.

You need to look for somebody who’s going to support and guide you, but not save you. And if you’re starting to recognize an expectation for someone to completely save you, that’s a mindset shift you might need to make. You’re going to get better results when you’re really clear on your goals and expectations—of others and of yourself. In fact, mindset and goal-setting is something I help my clients work through all the time. By clearly stating what you want to gain, you’ll be set up for success instead of disappointed by the results.

Here are 3 things to consider when hiring a provider for healing your gut health:

1. First, assess the skills and competency of the provider.

You’re going to have to do your research. (I know you’re probably great at researching, because I bet you’ve had a lot of practice researching your gut symptoms, what supplements to take, what juice cleanses heal your gut, and what elimination diets are best.) Take those research skills and dig into the providers you’re interested in. Do they really have the skills, training and experience needed? For example, I’m a registered dietitian. I have an advanced credential as an Integrative and Functional Nutrition Practitioner, and I have an advanced certification in functional gut health nutrition. Based on these facts, you can tell I have more than enough formal training. In addition to that, I take part in regular gut health nutrition masterminds, because I’m passionate about what I do. I’m also consistently learning and educating myself and keeping up with all of the latest research. Plus I’ve helped hundreds of patients, so I have a lot of experience under my belt. My background is a lot different than somebody who took a functional nutrition course online or an alternative provider.

2. Second, make sure the provider’s format works for you.

What’s the format or method? Am I a person who wants to meet one-on-one with my healthcare provider in person? Am I a self-learner who wants to take a course, because I don’t really want a lot of one-on-one interaction? Am I somebody who wants to meet one-on-one virtually so I am guaranteed the best care across the country? Am I somebody who wants a group or community to support me in my actions?

You can find all of those combinations and more available online these days, which is so cool! But you’ll need to read carefully to understand all of the differences, and then also know your learning style and if a program is a good fit for you.

On top of that, I recommend making sure that when you do sign up for something, are you going to actually be coached by the person that you’ve been talking with or are you talking to a sales person or CEO and the coach is someone else? Even if it is someone else, that’s okay. Just make sure the person you’ll be working with is a good fit and you’re open to various providers. In my Gut Rehab program, I am the one who does all of the training. I’m also always looking at ways to serve my clients, and I know that sometimes that’s not me, it’s somebody else. Which brings me to my next point…

3. Third, do you have a connection with your provider?

There are a few ways you can see if you’ll have a good connection with your healthcare provider. Start by looking at their online presence (social media, podcasts, videos, website, reviews, etc.) and ask yourself:

1. Does their content resonate with me?
2. Do I feel like they understand what I’m going through?
3. Are they speaking in a way that aligns with how I speak in my vision and values?
4. Do they have a religious or a spiritual background?
5. Do they have a similar energy as I do?
6. Do they make me feel valued, supported and encouraged?

Let me point out that just because you don’t have a connection with a provider doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with them. It simply means they’re not the best fit for you. That’s okay! There’s enough people out there for everyone to find the right person.

Recap: 3 things to consider when hiring a provider for healing your gut health

Remember, nobody’s going to save you. I wish it was that easy. I wish I could wave my magic wand and make everything better. But you are going to grow so much through this gut healing journey. You’re going to come out the other side of this transformed. God always uses things that are challenging and struggles for good. There’s purpose in our pain. I’m not saying I want you to stay in pain, but I’m saying it’s good for you to work through it with the right kind of support.

Then once you’ve come to terms with the fact that you’re going to have to roll up your sleeves and do the hard work yourself, consider these three factors:

1. Look for skills and competency that are aligned with what you are needing help with.
2. Make sure the format vibes with you and your learning style.
3. Look for somebody who you feel connected to.

If I am those things for you and you would like to learn more about how you can work with me to heal your gut, I’d love to talk with you. Book an initial consultation to get started here!

I hope you are feeling inspired and empowered to take bold action towards your health goals.