BioBelly

We sat down with Bella Hookway, clinical nutritionist and founder of Enliven Well, who helps women heal their gut without extremes, fear, or endless restriction.

Bella shared her personal story of getting severe salmonella while traveling, and how one illness turned into years of bloating, food intolerances, restrictive diets, and feeling disconnected from her body. While her partner recovered in 10 days, her symptoms lingered. What followed was years of elimination protocols, supplement plans, and frustration — until she zoomed out and realized gut healing is about more than food.

In this episode, Bella breaks down how digestion, motility, stomach acid, nervous system regulation, hormones, and rest all shape gut health. She explains why most food reactions are not true intolerances, why doomscrolling is not rest, how your menstrual cycle acts as a monthly report card, and why fiber, protein, and mineral support matter more than most people think.

Her biggest reminder? Rest is productive. Healing does not happen in constant go mode. And most of the time, it is not the food — it is how your gut is functioning.

If you struggle with bloating, reflux, constipation, hormone symptoms, or chronic gut issues, this conversation will help you zoom out and reconnect with your body in a grounded, sustainable way 💚

Watch or listen to the full episode on YouTube and Spotify.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2v30p10bVP5DSezSRKYFGD?si=d669cf62a298466a
YouTube: https://youtu.be/bkmphuEGSEk?si=lNs6MBCi7DUrYjtR

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A new study explored how a protein called Reelin may connect gut health and depression through inflammation and stress pathways.

In preclinical models, chronic stress damaged the gut lining and reduced Reelin levels. Restoring this protein appeared to improve gut barrier function and reduce depression-like behaviors.

This adds to growing evidence that the gut-brain axis plays a meaningful role in mental health.

However, this research is still early and has not yet translated into human treatments. It does not replace current mental health therapies.

What it does show is that inflammation, stress, and gut integrity may be important pieces of the mental health puzzle.

The future of depression research may involve both the brain and the gut working together.

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One of my favorite moments on the podcast was when we moved from big-picture healing…
to simple tools people can actually use.

Rad shared the exact acupressure points he still uses when digestion feels off or stress sits in the gut.

No complicated routines.
Just gentle input that helps the body shift out of “hold” mode.

If a point feels tender, it’s often a sign your body needs support there.
These aren’t quick fixes — they’re signals of safety.
And safety matters for digestion.

If you struggle with bloating, reflux, slow digestion, or chronic gut issues… this one’s for you. 💚

Save this for later and share it with someone who needs it.

Watch or listen to the full episode on YouTube and Spotify.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/74uQHfNwV6PSn6pxCExd40?si=pwvXl74ZRLaLUytGVrKgMQ
YouTube: https://youtu.be/xHxKHCNIo_k?si=UkNPjF857sCKo7Rj

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