By Reformed Wellbeing – Simone Thomas
In today’s fast-paced world, many of us are no strangers to stress. Whether it’s emotional, mental, or even hidden physiological stress, its effects often show up not just in our minds, but deep within our bodies — particularly in the gut. What’s becoming increasingly clear through both science and clinical experience is that stress is not just a mental or emotional issue; it directly impacts our digestion, energy production, hormones, and overall health.
At Reformed Wellbeing, I work with people who are tired of feeling unwell despite doing “all the right things.” And often, when we take a deeper look using bioenergetic testing, nutritional assessments, and honest lifestyle evaluation, we see that stress has been silently derailing their health by shutting down core functions — especially digestion and hormonal balance.
The Gut-Brain Axis: More Than a Buzzword
The gut and brain are in constant communication via a network known as the gut-brain axis, involving the vagus nerve, immune signals, and even the microbiome. When you experience emotional stress — whether it’s trauma, overwhelm, or burnout — your body diverts energy away from digestion in order to prioritise “survival” functions like cortisol and adrenaline production.
This is known as the fight-or-flight response, and while it’s helpful in short bursts, chronic activation can suppress stomach acid, impair enzyme release, slow gut motility, and trigger widespread inflammation. The end result? Bloating, constipation, IBS-type symptoms, food sensitivities, and skin conditions — and just as commonly, hair loss, unexplained weight gain or weight loss, hormone imbalances, and disruptions to the female menstrual cycle and male and female sex drive.
This is because chronic stress doesn’t just impact digestion — it also strains the entire endocrine system, particularly the thyroid and adrenal glands. Your thyroid, which governs metabolic rate and cellular energy production, is extremely sensitive to stress. Under prolonged stress, your body may downregulate thyroid function to conserve energy, leading to fatigue, sluggish digestion, cold intolerance, and difficulty losing weight — all signs of reduced cellular metabolism.
Simultaneously, your adrenals are forced to produce stress hormones like cortisol continuously, which can suppress reproductive hormones (oestrogen and progesterone), deregulate blood sugar, and disrupt sleep. This hormonal chaos contributes to everything from PMS and irregular periods to anxiety, mood swings, and even fertility challenges. From a bioenergetic perspective, all of this stems from the same root issue: the body is struggling to produce enough energy efficiently to support all of its systems.
The Bioenergetic Perspective: It’s All About Cellular Energy
From a bioenergetic standpoint — the one I use at Reformed Wellbeing — all symptoms stem from disrupted cellular energy production. Your cells, especially in the gut lining, need a steady supply of oxygen, glucose, and essential nutrients to produce ATP (cellular energy). Under stress, your body shifts away from this efficient energy-making process (oxidative metabolism) toward a backup system (glycolysis), which is far less efficient and produces more by-products like lactic acid and inflammation.
This shift alone can explain the fatigue, low mood, digestive issues, and hormonal imbalances so many of my clientsexperience. Your body isn’t broken — it’s just prioritising survival over repair.
Why Internal and External Changes Must Happen Together
It’s not enough to simply take a supplement or cut out gluten and hope for the best. Real, sustainable healing requires addressing both internal and external stressors — and supporting your body on every level.
Internally, we focus on:
- Restoring gut function using personalised nutrition and gut-healing strategies.
- Improving mitochondrial energy production through targeted nutrients like sugar (yes, the right kind), quality proteins, and essential minerals.
- Supporting the nervous system with breathwork, vagus nerve activation, and emotional processing.
Externally, this includes:
- Creating lifestyle changes that reduce daily stress load — such as improving sleep, setting boundaries, and encouraging appropriate movement.
- Identifying hidden stressors like overtraining, under-eating, or emotionally draining environments.
- Using bioenergetic testing to assess how your body is actually coping, so we can stop guessing and start healing with clarity.
The Science Speaks Loudly
Numerous studies have shown that:
- Stress increases intestinal permeability (“leaky gut”) and promotes inflammation.
- Cortisol reduces the diversity of gut bacteria, which is vital for immune regulation and digestion.
- Mitochondrial dysfunction is now linked to conditions from IBS and hypothyroidism to chronic fatigue and depression.
At Reformed Wellbeing, I combine this emerging science with a whole-person approach — blending advanced testing, tailored nutrition, lifestyle adjustments, and deep emotional support to get to the root of your symptoms, not just mask them.
You’re Not Broken — You’re Just Out of Energy
That’s the message I want you to hear today. Your symptoms are not random. They’re intelligent signals from a body that’s struggling to keep up with life’s demands. With the right tools, you can recover.
If you’re experiencing ongoing digestive issues, fatigue, anxiety, irregular cycles, or feel like your body just isn’t bouncing back the way it used to, it’s time to look deeper. The body and mind are connected — and with the right approach, we can bring them back into balance.
Let’s Start Your Healing Journey
I invite you to book a session at Reformed Wellbeing, where we use cutting-edge bioenergetic testing, tailored nutritional support, and practical lifestyle strategies to help you feel like yourself again — with clarity, calm, and energy.
You can trust in this process, because it’s grounded in science, personal care, and real results. Let’s reform your wellbeing — together.
Book Your Free 15-Minute Discovery Call
Not sure where to begin? Let’s start with a conversation to arrange your free 15-minute discovery call. This is a chance for us to connect, explore your current health concerns, and discuss how we can support you moving forward.