Could Your Gut Health Be the Reason You're Exhausted?

Your gut health plays a crucial role in your energy levels and there are ways you can improve it to increase your energy levels.

You’re doing all the right things, getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, and managing stress as best you can, but you still feel exhausted. Sound familiar?

What if the missing piece of the puzzle wasn’t just about your schedule or workload but something deeper, your gut health?

Over the past few years, gut health has become a hot topic, and for good reason. We now understand that the gut does far more than just digest food, it plays a key role in energy production, immune function, and even mood regulation. But what does that actually mean if you’re constantly feeling drained?

Why Your Gut Health Matters More Than You Think

Your gut is often called your “second brain”, and for good reason, it affects everything from your immune system to how well your body absorbs nutrients. Here’s why that matters for your energy levels:

Your immune system lives in your gut - Around 70% of your immune system is based in your digestive tract. If your gut health is out of balance, your immune system may become overactive or sluggish, leaving you feeling run down and finding your picking up more coughs and colds than you’d like
Your gut makes key neurotransmitters – Approximately 90% of serotonin (the neurotransmitter linked to mood and motivation) is produced in the gut. If your gut bacteria are imbalanced, this can affect mood, sleep, and motivation, all of which impact your energy levels.
Your gut and brain constantly communicate – The vagus nerve acts like a superhighway, sending signals between your gut and brain. If your gut is inflamed or imbalanced, it can lead to fatigue, brain fog, and low mood.

Many of my clients come to me feeling exhausted, with no idea their gut health is playing a role. They might experience bloating, discomfort, sluggish digestion, or subtle signs like poor nutrient absorption. This is where low iron, vitamin B12 deficiency, and even magnesium depletion can show up, because if your gut isn’t absorbing nutrients properly, your energy levels will take a hit.

So, what can you do to support your gut and, in turn, boost your energy levels? Let’s break it down.

1. Increase Your Fibre Intake

Fibre is one of the most important (and underrated) aspects of gut health, yet most people aren’t getting enough. In the UK, we should be aiming for 30g of fibre per day, but research suggests the average intake is much lower at 18g per day.

Fibre feeds your gut bacteria, helping to create short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which reduce inflammation and support energy production. Resistant starch, found in foods like green bananas, cooked and cooled potatoes (think potato salad), and oats, also helps fuel beneficial gut bacteria, keeping digestion running smoothly.

Simple ways to add more fibre to your diet:

✅ Add a tablespoon of chia or flaxseeds to your breakfast
✅ Eat more plant foods —aim for 30 different types a week of fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and wholegrains for better gut diversity
✅ Swap white bread, pasta, and rice for wholegrain versions
✅ Include beans, lentils, and nuts in your meals

2. Include Prebiotic & Probiotic Foods

Prebiotics are non-digestible fibres that act as food for beneficial gut bacteria, while probiotics are live bacteria that help populate your gut with healthy microbes. Including both in your diet can help maintain a balanced microbiome, which is essential for digestion, immunity, and energy production.

How Does Gut Bacteria Impact Energy?

Your gut microbes play a direct role in extracting energy from food and producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which help regulate metabolism and reduce inflammation. A diverse and balanced microbiome is linked to:

Better nutrient absorption – so your body can access the iron, B12, and magnesium needed for energy production.
More stable blood sugar levels – preventing energy crashes.
Improved mitochondrial function – the powerhouses of your cells that generate energy.

Benefits of Prebiotics & Probiotics

Prebiotics – Found in foods like garlic, onions, and asparagus, these fibres feed beneficial bacteria, helping them thrive and boost energy metabolism.
Probiotics – Present in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi, probiotics replenish the gut with good bacteria, improving digestion, nutrient absorption, and even neurotransmitter production (which impacts mood and energy levels).

Simple Ways to Add Them to Your Diet:

✅ Add a serving of fermented food to your daily meals—try a spoonful of sauerkraut with lunch or a glass of kefir in the morning.
✅ Use garlic and onions as base ingredients in your cooking to naturally boost prebiotic intake.
✅ Eat more fibre-rich plant foods, such as oats, leeks, apples, and lentils, to support gut bacteria growth.
✅ Try a high-quality probiotic supplement if you struggle to get enough from food, seek further support from a professional to ensure it’s the right one for you.

By consistently including prebiotics and probiotics in your diet, you’ll be supporting a thriving gut microbiome that works with you, not against you, to sustain better energy levels.

3. Reduce Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs)

I thought I knew a lot about ultra-processed foods (UPFs) until I recently read Ultra-Processed People by Dr. Chris van Tulleken and some of the research is eye-opening.

One of the biggest concerns is emulsifiers, which are found in processed foods like shop-bought sauces, ice cream, and ready meals. Studies are starting to suggest that emulsifiers may disrupt the gut lining, increase inflammation, and alter gut bacteria in ways that could contribute to fatigue and other health issues. While the research is still in its early stages, and it's currently hard to determine the exact consumption levels at which these emulsifiers become unsafe and cause disruption, reducing consumption may still provide benefits, as many UPFs are often nutrient-sparse.

Another thing to consider with UPFs is the use of artificial sweeteners, which can negatively impact gut bacteria. Excessive sugar intake can feed the wrong microbes, leading to bloating and sluggish digestion

Simple ways to reduce UPFs:

✅ Cook from scratch when you can
✅ Swap processed snacks for whole food options like nuts, fruit, or boiled eggs
✅ Read ingredient labels, if there’s a long list of unrecognisable ingredients, think twice

4. Stay Hydrated

Hydration is essential for gut health because every stage of digestion relies on water. It helps break down food, supports the movement of nutrients through the intestines, and maintains the protective mucosal lining of the gut, which acts as a barrier against harmful bacteria and toxins. Without enough water, digestion can slow down, leading to constipation, bloating, and poor nutrient absorption. Dehydration can also reduce stomach acid levels, making it harder to digest proteins and absorb key nutrients like iron, B vitamins, and magnesium, all of which are essential for energy production.

Your gut bacteria also thrive in a hydrated environment, using water to ferment fibre and produce short-chain fatty acids. When hydration is low, gut motility slows, and toxins can build up, leading to sluggish digestion and fatigue. Drinking 1.5–2L of water daily helps keep digestion running smoothly, supports a balanced microbiome, and ensures your body can extract the nutrients needed for sustained energy.

Quick hydration tips:

💧 Aim for at least 1.5–2L of water per day
💧 Start your morning with a glass of water before coffee
💧 Add lemon or cucumber to make it more refreshing

5. Support Your Gut Lining

If your gut lining is compromised, it can lead to what's often referred to as "leaky gut," where the intestinal barrier becomes more permeable than it should be. This increased permeability allows undigested food particles, toxins, and bacteria to pass into the bloodstream, triggering inflammation and potentially leading to fatigue and other health issues.

How to Support Your Gut Lining:

Bone Broth: Rich in collagen and amino acids, bone broth can help nourish and repair the gut lining. Incorporate it into soups or sip it as a warm beverage.
Collagen Supplements: Adding collagen powder to your smoothies or coffee can provide the building blocks necessary for gut repair.
Aloe Vera Juice: Known for its soothing properties, aloe vera juice may help calm inflammation in the gut.
Zinc and L-Glutamine: These nutrients are crucial for maintaining the integrity of the gut barrier. Zinc carnosine, for instance, has been shown to stabilise the small bowel lining and stimulate gut repair processes.

By focusing on these supportive strategies, you can help restore your gut's integrity, reduce inflammation, and, as a result, experience improved energy levels.

Where to Start?

If this all feels overwhelming, don’t panic, you don’t have to overhaul everything at once. Small, consistent changes make a difference.

In my Boost Programme, I work with clients to identify the root cause of their low energy, including comprehensive blood testing to check for nutrient deficiencies linked to gut health. We create a clear plan tailored to their needs so they’re not left guessing what’s best for their body.

If you’re constantly exhausted and suspect your gut could be part of the problem, book a free health and energy review to see how we can work together. Your energy levels don’t have to be this low. Let’s start fixing the root cause.

Author: Claire Thomas Registered Nutritional Therapist (BN (Hons), PGCert, PGCertEd, PGDiploma)

Categories: : boost your energy, gut health, energy levels