What is the diet for reset your gut health? A comprehensive guide

October 12, 2025 •

5 min read

A diverse gut microbiome is strongly linked to improved immunity and better overall health. The best diet for reset your gut health involves shifting eating patterns to cultivate beneficial bacteria, reduce inflammation, and heal the digestive system over a sustained period, not a few days.

Quick Summary

An effective diet to restore gut health focuses on incorporating diverse plant-based foods, fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics while eliminating processed items and inflammatory triggers. Supporting a healthy microbiome requires consistent dietary and lifestyle changes, including proper hydration and stress management.

Key Points

Emphasize Diversity: Aim to eat 30+ different plant-based foods weekly to increase gut microbial diversity, a key health indicator.
Incorporate Fermented Foods: Regularly consume natural probiotics from live-culture yogurt, kefir, and fermented vegetables like kimchi and sauerkraut to support a balanced microbiome.
Fuel Your Gut with Fiber: Feed beneficial bacteria with prebiotic fiber found in foods like garlic, onions, asparagus, and whole grains.
Minimize Processed Foods: Drastically reduce your intake of ultra-processed foods, added sugars, and artificial sweeteners, which can promote harmful bacteria.
Adopt Healthy Habits: Support your gut reset with consistent hydration, stress management, adequate sleep, and regular exercise.
Choose Anti-Inflammatory Options: Integrate omega-3 fatty acids from fish and plant-based sources, along with anti-inflammatory spices like turmeric, to reduce gut inflammation.

The Foundational Principles of a Gut-Reset Diet

A "gut reset" is not a quick fix or a several-day cleanse but a sustained commitment to improving the health of your intestinal microbiome and digestive system. A healthy gut is home to a diverse community of microorganisms that influence everything from your mood to your immune system. By following a strategic, whole-foods-based diet, you can foster a thriving microbial ecosystem. This process focuses on adding beneficial foods while removing those that cause inflammation and feed harmful bacteria. Substantial, long-term changes in gut health can take several months, emphasizing the need for consistency.

Prioritize a Diverse, Plant-Based Diet

One of the most impactful strategies for gut health is to consume a wide variety of plant-based foods. Each type of plant contains different fibers and phytonutrients that feed a unique set of gut microbes. A diverse intake encourages a diverse microbiome, which is a key indicator of a healthy gut. Aiming for 30 or more different plant types per week is a good goal.

Examples of plant-based foods to include:

Vegetables: Leafy greens (spinach, kale), cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower), artichokes, asparagus, onions, and garlic.
Fruits: Apples, berries, bananas, and avocado.
Legumes: Lentils, chickpeas, and beans.
Whole Grains: Oats, quinoa, and brown rice.
Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds.

Nourish with Prebiotic and Probiotic Foods

Prebiotics are non-digestible fibers that act as food for beneficial gut bacteria, while probiotics are live microorganisms that replenish and add to the existing community. Including both in your diet is crucial for a successful gut reset.

Prebiotic-rich foods:

Garlic, onions, and leeks
Asparagus
Bananas
Legumes

Probiotic-rich fermented foods:

Yogurt (with live, active cultures)
Kefir
Sauerkraut
Kimchi
Miso
Kombucha

Focus on Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Reducing gut inflammation is a core goal of any reset. Anti-inflammatory foods help soothe the digestive tract and create a favorable environment for healthy microbes to thrive.

Anti-inflammatory food examples:

Omega-3 rich foods like fatty fish (salmon, mackerel), chia seeds, and walnuts.
Herbs and spices such as turmeric, ginger, and rosemary.
Berries.
Extra-virgin olive oil.
Bone broth.

Foods to Emphasize and Avoid

Implementing a gut-healthy diet is as much about removing detrimental items as it is about adding beneficial ones. The table below provides a clear comparison of what to prioritize and what to eliminate or significantly reduce.


Gut-Friendly Foods (Emphasize)	Foods to Limit or Avoid	Description
High-Fiber Plants Fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds.	Ultra-Processed Foods Packaged snacks, fast food, sugary cereals, frozen meals.	Ultra-processed foods are often high in unhealthy fats, sugar, and artificial ingredients that can negatively impact the gut microbiome and cause inflammation.
Fermented Foods Yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso.	Added Sugars & Artificial Sweeteners Sugary drinks, candy, many store-bought sauces and desserts, non-sugar sweeteners.	Excessive sugar feeds harmful bacteria and can reduce microbial diversity. Artificial sweeteners may also disrupt the microbiome.
Healthy Fats Avocado, olive oil, fatty fish, nuts, seeds.	Excessive Alcohol Beer, wine, liquor.	Excessive alcohol intake can damage the gut lining and disrupt the balance of gut bacteria.
Lean Proteins Fish, chicken, eggs, plant-based proteins.	Fried & Greasy Foods Anything cooked with high amounts of saturated and trans fats.	These foods can be difficult to digest and irritate the gut lining, potentially increasing inflammation.
Bone Broth Provides collagen and amino acids.	Refined Grains White bread, pasta, and baked goods.	Unlike whole grains, these lack fiber to feed beneficial bacteria.

Sample Meal Plan for a Gut-Healthy Day

This sample day provides a blueprint for a nourishing gut-focused diet, incorporating a variety of beneficial foods. Remember to stay well-hydrated throughout the day with water and herbal tea.

Breakfast: A smoothie bowl with mixed berries, a small banana, a tablespoon of ground flaxseeds, and a scoop of plain yogurt or kefir. Top with a few almonds and chia seeds.
Lunch: A large salad featuring leafy greens, cucumber, and colorful peppers. Top with chickpeas, green olives, and a simple olive oil dressing. Add a side of fermented sauerkraut.
Dinner: Lemon garlic baked salmon with a side of steamed broccoli and quinoa. Season with turmeric and black pepper.
Snacks: An apple with a handful of walnuts or a small bowl of coconut yogurt.

Beyond Diet: Essential Lifestyle Factors

A gut reset isn't solely dependent on food; lifestyle habits play a critical role in supporting a healthy microbiome. Your choices regarding stress, sleep, and hydration can profoundly affect your digestive wellness.

Stay Hydrated

Drinking plenty of water is essential for digestive health. It helps with nutrient absorption, aids in the passage of food through your system, and can increase the diversity of bacteria in your gut. Aim for at least 8 glasses of water a day, and incorporate herbal teas like chamomile or peppermint.

Manage Stress

Chronic stress can negatively impact your gut microbiome by altering its composition and increasing gut permeability. Adopting stress-management techniques is vital. This could include meditation, yoga, spending time in nature, or simply dedicating time to hobbies you enjoy.

Prioritize Sleep

Poor sleep quality or insufficient sleep can disrupt the balance of your gut bacteria. Aim for 7–8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night to allow your body and digestive system to rest and regenerate effectively.

Exercise Regularly

Regular physical activity can improve gut health by promoting efficient digestion and reducing inflammation. Moderate aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking or cycling for 30 minutes a day, can positively impact your microbiome.

Conclusion: The Path to Long-Term Gut Wellness

There is no such thing as a rapid, overnight gut reset. Achieving lasting change requires patience and a consistent, holistic approach. By embracing a diet rich in diverse, plant-based foods, especially those high in fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics, you can significantly influence your gut's microbial community for the better. Couple these dietary shifts with positive lifestyle changes—staying hydrated, managing stress, prioritizing sleep, and exercising—and you build a robust foundation for long-term digestive and overall health. The goal is to make these habits a sustainable part of your daily routine rather than a temporary fix. For a deeper dive into the benefits of specific fermented foods, consider this article from Harvard Health on the subject: Fermented foods for better gut health.

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary goal is to restore the balance and diversity of your gut microbiome by eliminating inflammatory foods and incorporating gut-supporting nutrients, such as fiber and probiotics, over a sustained period.

Significant improvements can be noticed within a few weeks of consistent dietary and lifestyle changes, but achieving substantial, long-term restoration of gut health often takes several months.

No, short-term cleanses, detoxes, or fasts are not considered effective for lasting gut health and can sometimes be harmful. A true gut reset is a gradual, consistent process involving long-term dietary and lifestyle adjustments.

Prebiotics are high-fiber foods that act as 'food' for beneficial gut bacteria, while probiotics are the live bacteria found in fermented foods or supplements that add to the gut's microbial population.

Foods to limit or avoid include ultra-processed items, those with high added sugars and artificial sweeteners, excessive alcohol, refined grains, and high-fat fried foods, which can promote inflammation and harm the gut microbiome.

Yes, chronic stress and poor sleep can have significant negative impacts on your gut microbiome, altering the balance of bacteria. Stress management techniques and sufficient sleep are crucial for supporting gut health.

While probiotic supplements can be beneficial in some cases, particularly after a round of antibiotics, it is best to first focus on getting probiotics naturally from a diverse range of fermented foods. Consult a healthcare professional before starting supplements.