You may have heard about individual tools that can support your gut health—like probiotics, digestive enzymes, or specific supplements. These can help, especially if you have had tests with a clinician or nutritionist and know what will balance gaps in your digestive system.

But when it comes to recovery from Long COVID and other infection-induced chronic conditions, it’s worth stepping back and asking: What supports the entire system to work better?

That’s where the microbiome comes in. It’s not just about digestion—your gut bacteria play a key role in immune balance, nervous system regulation, and even energy production.

A strong, diverse microbiome helps:

• Protect the gut barrier – so fewer harmful substances cross into the bloodstream, and your immune system doesn’t have to constantly fight
  
• Produce neurotransmitters – like serotonin (which helps regulate mood and gut movement) and dopamine (key for motivation and alertness)
  
• Create short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) – which reduce inflammation, support the gut lining, and help regulate blood sugar and brain health

What to eat:

✔ Focus on a wide variety of vegetables – in example leafy greens, root veg, brassicas (like broccoli or cabbage), onions, and sea vegetables. These are rich in fiber, color compounds (phytonutrients), and prebiotics that feed the gut microbes.
✔ Use fresh herbs daily – parsley, dill, cilantro, chives, mint, basil, oregano… they count toward your diversity and are nutrient dense even in small amounts.
✔ Aim for 25+ different plant foods per week – one way to get there: rotate your vegetables, add mixed salad greens, and toss in different seeds or herbs at each meal.
✔ Include mushrooms, seeds, and pulses (edible seeds of legumes) – mushrooms contain beta-glucans that support immunity; flax, chia, and sunflower seeds add both fiber and diversity; legumes (like lentils or chickpeas) are excellent prebiotic sources.

Why diversity? Each plant contains its own mix of fibers, glucans, and polyphenols that feed different families of gut microbes. More diversity on your plate = more resilience in your gut.

How it helps:

The right foods feed the right microbes—and when those thrive, so do you.

Here’s what that means in practice:

• They reduce inflammation – Beneficial bacteria ferment fibers into short-chain fatty acids (like butyrate), which calm inflammation in the gut and throughout the body. This matters when dealing with lingering immune activation after viral illness.
  
• They support immune balance – A healthy microbiome strengthens the gut barrier (your first line of defense), so fewer invaders get through and your immune system doesn’t have to stay in “fight or flight” mode.
  
• They help your brain and nervous system – Gut microbes help produce neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which impact mood, focus, sleep, and even gut movement. They also signal directly through the gut–brain axis to regulate stress and recovery.

Why it works:

If you’ve never connected gut health with your symptoms, you’re not alone. It took Katie a long time to work this out too! But here’s why it matters—especially in recovery from Long COVID:

Your gut is more than a digestion system. It’s deeply connected to how your immune system responds, how your brain regulates stress, and how your body recovers.

When your gut microbiome is out of balance, it can quietly contribute to:

• Low energy
  
• Brain fog
  
• Mood swings or anxiety
  
• Ongoing inflammation
  
• Trouble digesting or tolerating certain foods
  

That’s why we focus on food as a fundamental step—to help regulate the systems that feel off. And the good news? You don’t have to overhaul everything to get started.

In our book, Recovery Kitchen Essentials, we show you how to build meals that are simple to make, have anti-inflammatory effects, and support your gut. You’ll find guidance, food lists, and easy recipes to help you take practical steps toward feeling better.

Supporting your gut health with simple, everyday foods can have wide-reaching benefits. A greater variety of plants doesn’t just nourish your digestion—it also supports energy, mood, and immune balance. These are small tools available to everyone through your food choices, and when used consistently, they can make a big difference in how you feel day to day.

Warmly,   
Katie & Andrea

Related Blog posts: 

A Deep Dive into the P.E.D.A.L. Approach for Long Covid Symptom Management  

Why You Don't Need to Wait for a Pharmaceutical Solution  

The Gut-Brain Connection: Why What You Eat Matters  

Micronutrients: A Small but Powerful Piece of Your Recovery Puzzle