Taking Care Of Your Gut HealthTaking Care Of Your Gut Health
I Love Being Sober
Tim Westbrook and Dr. Donese Worden talk about how gut health, SIBO, candida and even poop habits relate to mental health and addiction recovery. The discussion stresses good testing, smarter supplements and daily practices like breath work to support a stronger sober life.
1:32:20•19 Aug 2025
Gut Health, Poop Talk and a Stronger Sobriety
Episode Overview
- Gut health strongly influences mood, sleep, focus and addiction patterns through gut-made neurotransmitters.
- Accurate testing for SIBO, parasites and stool markers can save time and money compared with guessing treatments.
- Sugar and carb-heavy diets, along with chronic stress, can drive yeast and candida overgrowth even in otherwise healthy people.
- Healthy bowel movements are regular, well formed, medium brown, easy to pass and worth checking every day.
- Poor-quality supplements may contain heavy metals or microbial contamination, so certificate-backed, reputable products are crucial.
“Common is not the same thing as normal. People think it's common. Doesn't everybody expel gas all the time? No. It's common, but it's not normal.”
How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober? This conversation on **I Love Being Sober** zeroes in on a surprising pillar of recovery: gut health. Tim Westbrook chats with naturopathic medical doctor and researcher Dr. Donese Worden, who insists health "begins and ends in the gut" after 25 years in clinical practice. Tim shares his own messy journey with SIBO, candida and yeast overgrowth, and how severe bloating finally pushed him to take gut testing seriously.
You'll hear how targeted tests for SIBO, parasites and stool analysis helped identify the real culprits instead of guessing and throwing random supplements at the problem. Dr. Worden breaks down the gut–brain connection in simple terms, explaining that over 90% of feel-good neurotransmitters are made in the gut, directly affecting mood, sleep, focus and addiction recovery.
She links early sobriety sugar cravings to blood sugar swings and missing "sweetness" in life, arguing that personalised nutrition and counselling can make recovery far easier. The pair dig into Tim’s antibiotic protocol for SIBO, why some herbal approaches now fail, and how smart use of probiotics and NAC can protect the microbiome and mitochondria.
They also tackle poop with zero shame: what healthy bowel movements should look like, why women often struggle more, and why checking your stool daily can be a powerful health habit. Supplements get a reality check too. Dr. Worden warns that poor-quality products may contain heavy metals, bacteria or fungal contamination, saying, "You'd be better off without it" than taking bad supplements.
Practical tips on fermented foods, digestive enzymes, creatine, pea protein and foundational gut support make this episode especially useful for anyone in recovery who wants more energy and a clearer head. If your gut feels wrecked while you’re trying to stay sober, could this be the missing piece you focus on next?
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