Love Your Gut

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
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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] with [PODCAST REVIEW] in the subject line! We choose a new winner every month!

If you’ve been told to “just take iron” for low ferritin and it either didn’t work or made you feel worse, this episode is for you.
In this episode, I’m sharing my personal postpartum ferritin story and walking through why iron alone wasn’t the answer for me… or for so many of the clients I work with.
Low ferritin is one of the most misunderstood labs I see. And for most people, it’s not about iron intake. It’s about whether the body is actually ready to absorb, use, recycle, and store iron.
In this episode, we zoom out and talk about the systems that control ferritin, including digestion, motility, minerals, and liver support.
I also cover:
Why ferritin often stays low even when you’re taking iron
How postpartum depletion changes how the body handles iron
Why iron can worsen constipation, bloating, and nausea
The role of digestion, motility, and mineral balance in ferritin
Why constipation is often a cause, not a side effect
How the liver influences iron storage and regulation
Why ferritin is usually a signal, not the root problem
This episode is especially for you if:
You’re postpartum or have a history of heavy periods
You struggle with constipation or slow digestion
You don’t tolerate iron well
Your labs are “normal” but you still feel exhausted
Ferritin only improves while you’re actively taking iron
I’m hosting a free training called Why Iron Isn’t Enough
👉 Learn more and register here
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 [email protected] with [PODCAST REVIEW] in the subject line! We choose a new winner every month!

If you’re wondering whether food sensitivity testing will finally explain your bloating, constipation, or GI reactions, this episode is for you. We talk through why food sensitivity lists often keep growing, what those results are actually reflecting, and why eliminating more foods doesn’t always lead to lasting relief. 
You’ll learn how digestion, stress, and immune signaling influence food reactions, why many people feel worse after doing “everything right,” and what question to ask instead if you want real progress.
If you have ever been curious about food sensitivity testing and what it actually measures or shows related to your gut health, make sure to listen in! 
In this episode, Dr. Heather covers:
Should you do food sensitivity testing to fix bloating and GI issues?
Why “safe food” lists often keep shrinking
What food reactions can signal beyond the food itself
Why cutting out more foods doesn’t always improve digestion
What to focus on if food sensitivity testing hasn’t helped
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 [email protected] with [PODCAST REVIEW] in the subject line! We choose a new winner every month!