Reset from Within: How Food, Microbes, and Stillness Shape the Soul Journey

Soul Journey
Jul 9
7 min read

“Every bite you take is a vote for the kind of microbial society you want inside your body.”

“Every bite you take is a vote for the kind of microbial society you want inside your body.”

That quote hits different when you realize those microbes are influencing your thoughts, emotions, and clarity of purpose. If you're trying to find balance, healing, or even spiritual awakening—your gut and nervous system might just be the key.

This isn't a trend. It's biology, chemistry, and consciousness in collaboration.

Every breath, every sacred pause, every act of self-touch and quiet nourishment is a vote for the kind of person you are becoming.

At Soul Journey, we don’t treat food like a battlefield or preach about perfect diets. We are not nutritionists. We don’t tell you what to eat or not to eat.

But we do witness something profound, again and again: When people begin to clean up what they consume—both through the mouth and through the mind—they experience a clearing, a remembering, a realignment.

They don’t just lose inflammation or weight. They gain clarity. They begin to feel guided again—from within. And that’s where the path begins to shift.

And I know this firsthand. My personal healing journey didn’t begin with enlightenment. It started with frustration.

🠿 My Story: From Keto to Krispy Kreme to Clarity

I didn’t set out on a path to spiritual growth. I just wanted to feel better and think more clearly. Like so many, I thought a new diet was punishment for my past. I adopted a strict Keto plan for months. No sugar. No grains. Clean eating, perfectly measured. Mainly just bacon and cheese.

Then one day, I broke.

A dozen Krispy Kreme donuts with a large Coke from McDonald’s. Total rebellion. I was free—for about an hour. Then came the crash.

I couldn't walk. I couldn’t think. My body felt inflamed and shut down. I called in sick for two days... because I truly was sick.

That experience showed me:

It wasn’t just mindset. My body had biologically changed. The food I ate caused a chemical rebellion inside me.

We started our journey by shifting to an elimination-style protocol earlier in the year. We journaled daily. Every food reintroduction—alcohol, rice, gluten—created dramatic changes. I started to see the science. In this case, there was no need to journal. The evidence was undeniable.

Then, as I followed a spiritual path, I saw the same patterns mirrored in monastic traditions, yogic texts, shamanic rituals.

These traditions weren’t trying to punish the body. They were trying to quiet the static and access clarity.

They were speaking the truth of the gut-brain connection long before we had the words for it.

🧬 You Are Not Just You: The Two Ecosystems Inside

Did you know that you are more other than self?

You have 39 trillion microbial cells, and only 30 trillion human cells.
You make 90% of your serotonin in the gut.
Microbes produce dopamine, GABA, and neuroprotective chemicals like butyrate.
The vagus nerve links gut and brain—sending more signals up than down.

Your body isn’t just a container for your soul.

It’s an ecosystem of consciousness, emotions, memory, and microbes—all interwoven.

At Soul Journey, we’ve seen a simple truth in hundreds of our clients: Lasting healing doesn’t just come from a deep massage or a relaxing hour on the table. It comes from an internal shift—a reorganization of how you relate to stress, nourishment, and your own nervous system.

One of the biggest transformations happens when people begin to support what we call the two great ecosystems inside the body:

The microbiome – trillions of microbes in your gut, skin, and organs
The nervous system – the control panel of your emotions, safety, and focus

These systems are not isolated—they talk constantly. When both are supported together, real change begins.

🌱 We Are Not Nutritionists… But We See the Patterns

Before we go further: We are not licensed dietitians, nutritionists, or physicians. We do not prescribe food plans, supplements, or medical advice. All dietary changes should be discussed with a qualified professional.

That said… we've seen a trend we can’t ignore.

Many people come to us feeling:

Tired and wired
Chronically inflamed or bloated
Easily overwhelmed or emotionally reactive
Numb, anxious, or disconnected from joy

They may be sleeping poorly, struggling with digestion, or dealing with foggy thinking and burnout.

In nearly all of these cases, the root involves two things:

A nervous system stuck in a constant stress loop
A gut biome dominated by sugar-loving, inflammation-feeding microbes

🔁 The Gut and the Nervous System Must Heal Together

🔬 Gut Dysbiosis-Linked Diagnoses

1. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Source: Johns Hopkins notes connections between gut-brain communication, visceral hypersensitivity, and IBS symptoms like pain, bloating, and mood disorders Wikipedia+1Pendulum+1.
Source: A meta-analysis links gut microbial shifts—lower Bifidobacterium/Lactobacillus and higher Proteobacteria—to IBS severity Wikipedia.

2. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) – including Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis

Reduced microbial diversity and SIgA-driven immune defense are implicated in these conditions Wikipedia+3lerner.ccf.org+3Cleveland Clinic Newsroom+3.
Cleveland Clinic research identified a bacterium (T. immunophila) that degrades protective SIgA, promoting mucosal inflammation Pendulum+15Cleveland Clinic Newsroom+15lerner.ccf.org+15.

3. Clostridioides difficile Infection (C. diff)

Overgrowth often occurs after antibiotic-induced microbiome disruption Wikipedia.

4. Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)

Frequently listed among conditions stemming from dysbiosis Harvard Health+2Cleveland Clinic+2Wikipedia+2.

5. Obesity & Type 2 Diabetes

Dysbiosis—characterized by low butyrate-producing bacteria (Roseburia, Faecalibacterium) and higher Lactobacillus gasseri—impacts gut permeability and insulin resistance Harvard Health+15Wikipedia+15Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials+15.
Cleveland Clinic and Harvard note microbiome’s role in metabolism, inflammation, and fat storage Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials.

6. Cardiovascular Disease & Heart Failure

Metabolite phenylacetylglutamine (PAG), produced by gut bacteria from protein, is linked to increased heart failure risk YouTube+3Cleveland Clinic Newsroom+3Cleveland Clinic Newsroom+3.
Gut dysbiosis may accelerate atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events Pendulum+2Wikipedia+2Cleveland Clinic Newsroom+2.

7. Prostate Cancer

Elevated PAG levels correlate with aggressive prostate cancer in clinical cohorts Cleveland Clinic Newsroom.

8. Depression & Anxiety

Johns Hopkins outlines the gut-brain axis connection in mood disorders, where ENS dysfunction affects anxiety/depression Johns Hopkins Medicine+1Harvard Health+1.
Harvard shows inflammatory molecules from Morganella morganii may contribute to major depressive disorder lerner.ccf.org +2Harvard Medical School+2YouTube+2.
Dysbiosis-induced inflammation, altered neurotransmitter levels, and HPA-axis activation are documented contributors Cleveland Clinic+1Wikipedia+1.

9. Allergies, Asthma & Autoimmune Conditions

Early-life gut imbalances are linked to asthma and allergies Johns Hopkins Medicine+5Wikipedia+5tinyhealth.com+5.
Dysbiosis may influence T-regulatory cell function and autoimmune diabetes (Type 1) .

10. Colorectal Cancer & Oral-Systemic Conditions

Loss of butyrate-producers and enrichment of pathogens like Fusobacterium nucleatum are associated with colorectal cancer Wikipedia+2Wikipedia+2Wikipedia+2.
Oral dysbiosis (e.g., periodontitis) is linked to IBD and possibly colorectal cancer via microbial translocation Wikipedia.

📊 Gut Microbes by Food Type + Brain Effects (With Science)

🥦 Prebiotic Fibers (Beans, Greens, Whole Grains)

Promotes: Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii
Effects: SCFAs like butyrate → reduces inflammation, increases GABA, serotonin, and BDNF
Source

🥝 Polyphenols (Berries, Tea, Cocoa, Olive Oil)

Promotes: Akkermansia, Bifido, Lacto
Effects: Protects neurons, boosts mood, reduces oxidative stress
Source

🥛 Fermented Foods (Yogurt, Kefir, Miso, Sauerkraut)

Introduces: L. rhamnosus, L. plantarum, L. reuteri
Effects: Improves vagal tone, reduces anxiety and cortisol
Source

🍩 Refined Sugar / Ultra-Processed Carbs

Feeds: Desulfovibrio, Proteobacteria, reduces Bifidobacterium
Effects: Increases gut permeability, neuroinflammation, memory loss, depression
Study

🌱 Why Spiritual Paths Ask You to Change Your Diet

Yogis avoid stimulants and processed foods to access deeper states of meditation.
Indigenous rituals often include fasting or mono-diets to reset clarity.
Monastics avoid rich or indulgent foods to cultivate discernment and presence.

They knew what science now confirms:

Certain foods feed confusion, others feed clarity. You are feeding your microbes, not just your cravings.

👩‍⚖️ The Soul Journey Reset Philosophy

We don’t push dogma. We hold space.

We guide people gently through:

Massage therapy to activate vagus nerve healing
Somatic coaching to shift nervous system patterns
Food awareness and reflection, not restriction. We aren't nutritionist, and so we will simply ask you questions about what you know to be true for you.
Spiritual inquiry: What is your body trying to tell you?

This isn’t about fixing. It’s about remembering.

📅 Sample 3-Week Inner Ecosystem Reset

Week 1: Reduce the Static

Week 2: Feed the Good

Week 3: Anchor and Integrate

😔 Why So Many People Feel Disconnected, Tired, and Wired

Many clients come to us describing some version of this cycle:

I can’t think clearly.
I feel reactive, overwhelmed, or flat.
My body doesn’t feel safe or trustworthy.
My digestion is off, and food feels confusing.
I’m trying to change—but something keeps pulling me back.

Often, they’ve tried a cleanse, a retreat, or a diet before—but nothing stuck. Why?

Because they were only addressing one system at a time.

They fasted without nervous system support. They meditated without healing the gut. They changed their thoughts but kept feeding an inflamed ecosystem inside.

🌊 The Shift That Happens

Clients tell us:

"My stress feels quieter."
"Food is less confusing."
"I finally feel like myself."

And it makes sense. You’re not just detoxing food. You’re repatterning your consciousness.

You’re not just changing your brain. You’re feeding a new civilization inside you—and they’re voting on who you become. This requires grace, support, and time.

Healing is sacred. Let it be gentle. Let it be curious. And let it begin from within.