Dietitian Ellen

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Sand Lake, MI
Dietitian Ellen

Ellen Smartt is a Digestive Health Dietitian who provides education to support Digestive Health.

04/23/2026

Not all magnesium works the same, and supplements aren’t the only source ✨

Different forms of magnesium support different things (sleep, stress, constipation, muscle tension), but food still matters.
Leafy greens, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains provide magnesium in a way your body recognizes and often tolerates better.

If you’re deficient, stressed, constipated, or not sleeping well, food plus the right form of magnesium can be a game changer.

If you’re bloated or sensitive, the wrong form can make things worse.

💡 Reminder: more isn’t better — the form + the source matter.

04/19/2026

Protein or fiber?
The real answer: it depends on your gut 👇

Protein helps stabilize blood sugar, support hormones, and keep you full.
Fiber feeds your gut bacteria, supports motility, and reduces inflammation.

But pushing high fiber on a sensitive gut can backfire.
And focusing on protein without fiber can slow digestion.

✨ Gut healing isn’t about choosing sides, it’s about timing + tolerance.
Most people do best by anchoring meals with protein first, then slowly building fiber as the gut heals.

Save this if you’ve been stuck in the protein vs fiber debate!

04/15/2026

Histamine intolerance is often blamed on food —
but for many people, it’s really a gut capacity issue.

When the gut is inflamed, imbalanced, or sluggish, histamine can’t be broken down or cleared efficiently… so symptoms build.

That’s why cutting more and more foods doesn’t always help.

True support focuses on:
✔ Digestion
✔ Gut lining health
✔ Microbiome balance
✔ Regular elimination
✔ Lowering overall inflammatory load

When the gut is supported, histamine tolerance often improves 🤍

Save this if histamine symptoms feel confusing —
you don’t need more restriction, you need better gut support.

04/12/2026

Getting enough fiber isn’t about eating massive salads or forcing foods your gut can’t tolerate.

It’s about stacking fiber intentionally across the day 🧩

When you spread fiber out:
✔ Digestion feels easier
✔ Blood sugar stays more stable
✔ Bloating is less likely
✔ The gut microbiome gets consistent fuel

30 g of fiber can come from simple, realistic foods, not extremes.

If you have IBS, SIBO, or a sensitive gut, build slowly and let tolerance lead the way.

04/09/2026

“Anti-inflammatory” isn’t a food list, it’s a nutrient pattern.

True anti-inflammatory eating focuses on what you’re consistently including:
✔ Fiber to support the gut
✔ Phytonutrients + polyphenols to calm immune signaling
✔ Omega-3s + healthy fats for hormone and cell health
✔ Adequate protein for blood sugar stability
✔ Fewer ultra-processed foods and refined sugars that keep the body in a stress response

This approach is not about perfection or restriction.
It’s about lowering the overall inflammatory load so your body can heal.

If eating “anti-inflammatory” feels stressful or unsustainable, that stress alone can be inflammatory.

Save this for later 🤍

04/06/2026

If you’re constipated and doing all the “right” things — fiber, water, magnesium — but nothing is moving… this may be the missing piece 👇

Bile isn’t just about fat digestion.
It’s one of the main signals for bowel movements.

When bile is low or sluggish, stool can become:
• dry
• slow
• difficult to pass

This is especially common with:
✔ chronic stress
✔ very low-fat diets
✔ hormonal shifts
✔ gallbladder removal

And here’s the part most people miss ⬇️
Fiber needs bile to work.
More fiber without bile support can actually worsen bloating and constipation.

That’s why gentle support matters.

04/02/2026

Your gut is protective.

If your symptoms get worse during busy weeks, stressful seasons, or after years of pushing through exhaustion — this post is for you.

Here’s the part no one tells you 👇
You can eat the perfect diet…
Take all the supplements…
Run all the tests…

But if your nervous system doesn’t feel safe, digestion will struggle.

Stress changes:
• stomach acid
• enzyme release
• motility
• gut sensitivity

Which means bloating, reflux, constipation, diarrhea, and pain can all be stress-driven even when food looks like the culprit.

And no, the answer isn’t “just relax.”

Real healing looks like:
✔ consistent meals
✔ blood sugar support
✔ gentle motility work
✔ nervous system regulation
✔ reducing overall stress load — not just cutting foods!

If you feel like you are stuck in a stressed and symptomatic state, schedule a discovery call at the link in my bio to learn more about how a personalized approach can help!

03/28/2026

Most people think of digestion as starting and ending in the gut, but everything absorbed from your intestines goes straight to your liver through the portal vein. That means your liver is responsible for processing nutrients, hormones, medications, toxins, and even bacterial byproducts coming from the gut every single day.

When the gut is inflamed, imbalanced, or “leaky,” more endotoxins and bacterial fragments reach the liver. Over time, this increases the liver’s workload and can slow detox pathways, bile production, and hormone clearance.

But the relationship goes both ways.

Your liver plays a direct role in gut health through bile. Bile isn’t just for fat digestion, it helps regulate stomach acid, keeps bacteria in check in the small intestine, supports regular bowel movements, and signals healthy gut motility. When bile flow is sluggish, symptoms like bloating, reflux, constipation, pale stools, diarrhea, or fat malabsorption can show up.

This is why focusing only on the gut, without supporting the liver, often leads to stalled healing.

Supporting this connection may include:
• Improving bile flow
• Balancing the microbiome
• Supporting gentle detox pathways
• Eating enough protein and fiber
• Reducing inflammatory triggers
• Addressing root causes like stress, infections, or hormone imbalances

The body truly is all connected and we can't single out any area in regards to healing!

03/24/2026

Your thyroid doesn’t work in isolation and neither do your symptoms.

The gut and thyroid are in constant communication. In fact, a significant portion of thyroid hormone activation (T4 → T3) happens in the gut. So if digestion is impaired, inflammation is high, or the microbiome is off, your body may struggle to make enough active thyroid hormone, even when labs look “normal.”

This is one reason people with thyroid dysfunction often experience:
• Bloating or constipation
• Reflux or food sensitivities
• Fatigue despite medication
• Brain fog
• Poor response to thyroid treatment

Gut inflammation and dysbiosis can also drive immune activation, which is especially relevant for autoimmune thyroid conditions like Hashimoto’s. A stressed gut can keep the immune system in a constant “on” state, making it harder for the thyroid to calm down.

On the flip side, low thyroid hormone slows digestion. Slower motility can lead to constipation, impaired bile flow, and bacterial overgrowth—creating a feedback loop where gut and thyroid symptoms continue to reinforce each other.

And then there’s nutrient absorption. Thyroid health relies on nutrients like selenium, zinc, iron, iodine, and tyrosine. If stomach acid is low or the gut lining is compromised, you can be eating “all the right foods” and still not absorbing what your thyroid needs.

This is why supporting the gut is SO powerful in terms of our overall health! If you are looking for support on how to do so, schedule a Discovery Call at the link in my bio!

03/20/2026

We often try to “fix” symptoms with food, supplements, or protocols…
But if your nervous system is stuck in survival mode, your body won’t respond the way you want it to.

When your system perceives stress—whether emotional, physical, or metabolic—it prioritizes survival, not digestion, hormone balance, or healing.

That’s why nervous system regulation isn’t “extra.”
It’s foundational.

✨ A regulated nervous system supports:
• Better digestion & motility
• Improved blood sugar control
• Healthier cortisol rhythms
• Hormone balance
• Reduced inflammation

It doesn’t require hours of meditation or doing more.

Start small.
One slow breath.
One walk.
One moment of safety.

Your body is always listening.

03/17/2026

Happy St. Patty's Day!

With a few simple swaps, you can enjoy the St. Patrick’s Day fun and support digestion.

Think:
💚 Natural green from real foods instead of artificial dyes
🥛 Dairy alternatives or lower-lactose options if dairy triggers symptoms
🍬 Less added sugar to avoid bloating and blood sugar crashes
🌱 Ingredients that actually support your gut instead of irritating it

Small changes can mean less inflammation, better digestion, and more energy… without skipping the celebration.

Enjoy the shake.
Enjoy the holiday.
And let your gut enjoy it too ☘️

03/14/2026

Chewing is one of the most overlooked digestion habits, yet it has a ripple effect on everything downstream.

When food isn’t broken down properly in the mouth, the stomach and small intestine have to work harder, increasing the risk of bloating, reflux, and incomplete digestion. Chewing also stimulates saliva and digestive enzymes, helping prepare your gut for what’s coming.

For many people, improving digestion doesn’t start with supplements, it starts with slowing down.

If you deal with reflux, bloating, constipation, or feel heavy after meals, this is a powerful place to begin.

Address

16880 Myers Lake Avenue NE
Sand Lake, MI
49343

Telephone

+17349723238

Website

https://atthetablenuco.com/

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