Dr. Steven Gundry on How to Radically Heal Your Microbiome

Imagine that your thoughts, cravings—even your emotions—aren’t entirely your own. That they’re being driven by trillions of microscopic organisms living inside you. It sounds like science fiction, but in Episode 599 of Passion Struck, Dr. Steven Gundry explains why this is a scientific fact.

Dr. Gundry, a former cardiothoracic surgeon turned gut health expert, joined me to discuss his new book, The Gut-Brain Paradox and the profound connection between your digestive system and your mental state.

He puts it, “We are passengers on a bus driven by our microbiome—and they’ve been at the wheel a lot longer than we have.”

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Dr. Steven Gundry on The Gut-Brain Paradox and How Your Microbiome Shapes Your Mind

In Episode 599, we dive into The Gut-Brain Paradox, Gundry’s groundbreaking framework for understanding how your microbiome—the trillions of bacteria living in your digestive tract—directly influences your mental clarity, immune system, and long-term vitality. He reveals how conditions like anxiety, brain fog, and autoimmune disease often originate not in your head, but in your gut lining.

Dr. Gundry also breaks down what leaky gut really is (and why so many people unknowingly suffer from it), the real reason your food cravings are so hard to control, and why he believes free will might be more of an illusion than we think—especially when your gut bacteria are calling the shots.

This episode is both a deep dive into revolutionary health science and a practical roadmap to take back control of your energy, focus, and emotional resilience—by starting with your gut.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode With Dr. Steven Gundry:

• Your Gut Runs the Show: Dr. Gundry explains how trillions of bacteria in your gut send messages that shape your thoughts, cravings, and emotional states.
• Leaky Gut Is Everywhere: If you’re battling fatigue, autoimmune disease, or mental fog, there’s a high chance you have a leaky gut—and it’s reversible.
• Food as Medicine: Changing what you eat, including eliminating certain lectins and processed foods, can reverse chronic conditions like Parkinson’s, anxiety, and more.
• Microbes vs. Free Will: The bacteria in your gut may be influencing your decisions more than your conscious mind.
• Beyond SSRIs: Many antidepressants work by altering the microbiome, not just serotonin levels—a strong argument for gut-first mental health care.

WHY IS THIS EPISODE WITH DR. STEVEN GUNDRY A MUST-LISTEN?

This episode is a must-listen because it shatters some of the most deeply held assumptions about health, aging, and what we think keeps us energized and alive. Dr. Steven Gundry brings decades of clinical and surgical expertise—plus a radical, research-backed perspective—to reveal how the gut, mitochondria, and certain “healthy” habits may actually be sabotaging our well-being.

If you care about living not just a long life—but a vibrant, purposeful one—this episode will rewire the way you think about food, fatigue, and what it means to truly thrive.

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Is Your Gut Controlling Your Brain? What Dr. Steven Gundry Wants You to Know

What if your brain wasn’t calling the shots? In this fascinating conversation, Dr. Steven Gundry, renowned heart surgeon and bestselling author, joins Passion Struck to uncover a shocking truth: your gut—more than your brain—may be in charge of your decisions, your emotions, and even your health destiny.

One of the most eye-opening parts of the conversation centered around leaky gut—a condition where the gut lining becomes permeable, allowing bacteria and toxins to enter the bloodstream. According to Gundry, nearly every chronic disease he treats, from Parkinson’s to autoimmune conditions, stems from this issue. Fixing the gut, he says, doesn’t just stop the symptoms—it can reverse the disease.

What does that healing process look like? It starts with removing inflammatory foods—particularly lectins found in wheat, corn, and other grains—and reintroducing the good stuff: polyphenols, prebiotic fiber, and fermented foods. These nourish the good gut bacteria that regulate everything from metabolism to mood.

But Gundry takes it a step further. He argues that the microbes in our bodies don’t just help digest food—they shape our very identity. They influence our cravings, our motivation, even our risk-taking behavior. If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t resist junk food or feel moody after a sugar binge, it might not be lack of willpower. It could be your gut bacteria calling the shots.

And in an era where mental health struggles are on the rise, Gundry offers a radical alternative to pharmaceuticals: start with the gut. He reveals that antidepressants like SSRIs often take weeks to work because they don’t just act on brain chemistry—they alter the microbiome. Why not go straight to the source?

Throughout our conversation, Dr. Gundry blends ancient wisdom with cutting-edge science, reminding us that Hippocrates wasn’t wrong when he said, “All disease begins in the gut.” His latest research brings this concept into the modern world, showing that optimal health, both mental and physical, may begin with something as simple—and profound—as what’s on your plate.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone struggling with brain fog, anxiety, low energy, or constant cravings. It’s not just a health discussion—it’s a blueprint for reclaiming your biology and your mind.

THANKS, DR. STEVEN GUNDRY

If you enjoyed this interview with Steven Gundry, let him know by clicking on the link below and sending him a quick shout on Instagram

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RESOURCES FROM THE SHOW WITH DR. STEVEN GUNDRY

Please note that some of the links on this page (books, movies, music, etc.) lead to affiliate programs for which The Passion Struck podcast receives compensation. It’s just one of the ways we keep the lights on around here. Thank you so much for being so supportive!

1. Dr. Gundry’s Website
2. Dr. Gundry’s Facebook
3. Dr. Gundry’s YouTube
4. Laurie Santos’s work at Yale on well-being and mattering
5. Nancy Schlossberg’s research on transitions and adult development
6. Jennifer Wallace’s book Never Enough on achievement culture
7. APA’s recognition of mattering as critical to child mental health
8. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s five pillars for workplace well-being
9. BUY Dr. Gordon Flett’s Book Mattering as a Core Need: https://amzn.to/4cpywxv
10. Passion Struck Core Value System: https://passionstruck.com/the-passion-struck-core-belief-system/
11. Listen to Passion Struck’s interviews with New York Times bestselling authors Gretchen Rubin and Seth Godin.
12. Check out Passion Struck’s Episode Starter Packs on Spotify or Passion Struck starter packs to get started with the podcast.

My solo episode on The Mattering Mindset in Love – Choose the Love You Deserve

Can’t miss my episode with Jennifer B. Wallace on the Consequences of Prioritizing Achievements Over Mattering

My episode with The Art of Listening: How to Make People Feel Like They Matter

Catch my interview with Laurie Santos on How to Matter in a Busy World

Listen to my solo episode on Fading into Insignificance: The Impact of Un-Mattering in Our Interconnected Era

About Today’s Guest, Dr. Steven Gundry

Dr. Steven Gundry is a world-renowned cardiothoracic surgeon, medical researcher, and New York Times bestselling author who has dedicated the second act of his career to studying the relationship between nutrition and human health. Once a pioneering heart surgeon, Dr. Gundry shifted his focus from operating rooms to root causes, helping people reclaim their vitality by healing the gut.

As the founder of the Gundry MD health brand and director of the International Heart and Lung Institute Center for Restorative Medicine, Dr. Gundry has become one of the leading voices in integrative and functional medicine. His groundbreaking books—including The Plant Paradox, The Longevity Paradox, and Unlocking the Keto Code—have challenged conventional wisdom on food, aging, and inflammation.

Dr. Gundry’s work explores how the microbiome, leaky gut, and hidden dietary triggers contribute to disease—and how to reverse them. With over 20 years of clinical research and tens of thousands of patients helped, his mission is simple yet bold: to empower people to take back control of their health from the inside out.

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