Some mentors enter your life with a loud, dramatic entrance. Others arrive quietly, almost invisibly, and yet reshape everything. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride was the latter for me. Her work, her teachings, and her GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) protocol became one of the most influential forces on my healing journey—physically, emotionally, spiritually—and ultimately transformed the way I support others today.
How She Entered My Life
My introduction to Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride came during a time when I was searching desperately for answers. My body was speaking loudly—through symptoms, through discomfort, through the relentless disruption of a gut that simply couldn’t function the way it was designed to. I didn’t have language for it then, but now I know: my microbiome was crying out for help.
I found the GAPS (Gut & Psychology Syndrome) Diet, and what began as curiosity quickly became the doorway I had been seeking. I bought the book. I read it. I reread it. And for the first time, something clicked. The explanations, the science, the dots she connected between gut function, mental health, immune resilience, inflammation, and emotional wellbeing—it all resonated on a deep, cellular level. It felt like truth.
Her work gave me something I hadn’t felt for a long time: hope. A pathway. A sense that healing wasn’t a mystery, but a process—one rooted in nourishment, connection, and listening to the body’s brilliant intelligence.
The Teachings That Shifted Everything
There were several teachings from Dr. Campbell-McBride that changed the course of my healing:
1. “Your gut is your inner skin.”
This one sentence reframed everything. The idea that my digestive tract was a permeable interface—as protective and alive as the skin on my arms—helped me understand why certain foods created chaos in my system. It showed me that healing wasn’t about restriction; it was about restoring integrity, sealing leaks, and rebuilding trust within my own body.
2. The microbiome is not just physical—it’s emotional and energetic.
Through her work, I learned that the health of my gut influenced my moods, thought patterns, stress responses, and even my resilience during grief. This helped me see that healing wasn’t compartmentalized. It was a whole-body, whole-being process.
3. “Traditional foods heal.”
The emphasis on broth, animal fats, fermented foods, slow cooking, and ancestral methods opened a doorway back to nourishment I didn’t even know I was missing. These foods didn’t just feed my body—they grounded me spiritually.
4. Small shifts create deep transformation.
GAPS can appear daunting, but Dr. Campbell-McBride emphasized starting where you are. One broth. One change. One swap. That teaching has stayed with me in every aspect of my work.
The Practices I Still Use Today
My life and my plate look entirely different because of Dr. Campbell-McBride’s mentorship. Many of the practices I began years ago have become pillars in my daily rhythm:
- Broth-based cooking — I make soups, stews, and slow-cooked meals regularly.
- Prioritizing healthy animal fats — Beef tallow, butter, egg yolks, and ghee are staples.
- Fermented foods — Sauerkraut, kefir, and fermented veggies support my microbiome.
- Grain awareness — While I’m no longer fully grain-free, I understand my personal tolerance and listen closely to my body.
- Sourcing local foods — Building relationships with local farmers changed not only my health, but my sense of belonging.
- Cleansing practices — Liver flushes, enemas, and enzyme support have played essential roles at different points of my healing journey.
And the most important practice of all:
Listening to my gut—literally and intuitively.
How Her Guidance Shaped My Healing, My Work, and My Way of Being
Dr. Campbell-McBride’s influence didn’t stop at my personal health. As my gut healed, my emotional and spiritual world began to shift. I felt myself becoming clearer, more grounded, more open. I had energy again. I had presence again.
This transformation led me to certify as a GAPS Practitioner, where I gained deeper knowledge but also community—other practitioners who understood the layers, challenges, and beauty of this healing path.
Her teachings also shaped my work with clients. Today, whether I’m supporting someone with autoimmune symptoms, peri-menopausal shifts, chronic stress, grief, or long-standing digestive issues, the foundational principles of GAPS are woven into everything I do:
- Start small, start steady, stay consistent.
- Nourish before you detoxify.
- Food is a relationship, not a checklist.
- The gut and the nervous system heal together.
- Grief and healing are intertwined through the microbiome.
This mentor taught me that healing isn’t about perfection. It’s a cycle, a spiral, a return. And it’s always about coming home to yourself.
Reflections for Your Inner Circle of Mentors
Dr. Campbell-McBride helped me find one of my most essential teachers: my own body. And just like I was guided by her work, you have mentors—whether human, ancestral, or spiritual—shaping your journey too.
Here are some reflections to help you connect to your own influences:
- Who has shaped the way you understand your body or your health?
- What teachings have shifted your perspective or opened something new?
- How do you listen to your body’s signals—and how do you ignore them?
- What foods or practices help you feel grounded, nourished, or alive?
- Where in your life are you being invited to heal—not through force, but through nourishment?
Journal Prompts to Deepen the Exploration
Take a moment with your journal, your tea, or your breath, and explore these:
- Write about someone (or something) that has profoundly influenced your healing. How did they enter your life?
- What teaching from that mentor continues to echo in your daily life?
- How has your understanding of nourishment—and what nourishes you—changed over time?
- Where is your body asking for more support right now?
- If your gut had a voice, what would it be asking or telling you today?
Your mentors are your inner council. Your gut is one of them. Your intuition is another. And through this journey—mine and yours—we continue returning to the deepest truth: healing is a relationship, a cycle, and an invitation to come home to yourself.
0 Comments