LISTEN TO THE PODCAST – Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
In this episode of the Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations podcast, I interviewed Hannah Aylward, a functional gut health practitioner and founder of Hannah Aylward Nutrition (HAN), about one of the most frustrating experiences I see in my community: doing everything “right” with your diet… and still dealing with bloating, food sensitivities, and digestive issues.
Hannah shares her own journey of struggling with severe bloating and food reactions despite eating clean, avoiding common triggers, and living a healthy lifestyle. It wasn’t until she looked beyond food into digestion, gut function, and the nervous system that she began to uncover the real root causes.
We explore why digestion is so much more than just what you eat, how issues like low stomach acid and poor bile flow can impact everything from nutrient absorption to hormone balance, and why so many gut healing protocols fall short without personalization.
If you’ve ever felt like your gut is working against you, even when you’re doing all the “right” things, this episode will help you dig deeper into possible root causes, and understand what to do next.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- Why eating “clean” isn’t always enough to fix digestive issues. Hannah explains how you can follow all the right diets and still have symptoms like bloating, reflux, and constipation, if your digestive system isn’t properly breaking down and absorbing food.
- The hidden root causes of chronic bloating (it’s not just food!). Low stomach acid, poor bile flow, gut dysbiosis, and infections can all create the perfect environment for bloating – even with a healthy diet.
- How stress and your nervous system directly impact digestion. Chronic stress shifts your body out of “rest and digest” mode, reducing stomach acid, enzyme production, and gut motility, and making digestion an afterthought.
- What’s really behind food sensitivities and how to reverse them. Most sensitivities aren’t about the food itself, but about gut imbalances like bacterial overgrowth, histamine issues, or poor digestion.
- The surprising connection between gut health, hormones, and histamine. Liver function, bile flow, and the gut microbiome all play a role in hormone balance and histamine breakdown – impacting everything from bloating to painful periods.
- Why most gut healing protocols fail (and what works). Generic protocols often miss the mark. True healing requires personalized testing and a root-cause approach tailored to your unique gut.
I really enjoyed this talk with Hannah, in part because many of my thyroid clients have come to me with gut issues like bloating and diarrhea as well, and I know how frustrating it can be to get to the root cause. Irritable bowel syndrome can be one factor here, and can be both a root cause and symptom of autoimmunity. That’s why I’m so excited to share my new book, IBS: Finding and Treating the Root Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, a comprehensive guide that reveals how irritable bowel syndrome is often a catch-all diagnosis that overlooks treatable root causes. The book is available to order now!
Freebies
- Free Gut Repairing Masterclass – Try Hannah’s three-day gut reset to reset your gut microbiome, lose the bloating, decrease inflammation, reduce brain fog, and more.
- Free Online Masterclass to Transform Your Gut – Discover Hannah’s three-phase system to end chronic bloating and digestive issues to transform gut health and regain freedom. *April 29th, 2026 only! Space is limited – save your seat here.
Guest Resources / Connect with Hannah Aylward
- Learn more at Hannah’s Website
- Follow Hannah on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok
- Listen to the Nutrient Dense Podcast – Deep-dive trainings on gut health topics
- HAN Gut Health Programs & Testing
Supplements We Discussed
- Betaine HCl with Pepsin – Supports stomach acid production and protein digestion. Consider Rootcology Betaine with Pepsin.
- Digestive Bitters – Herbal blends that stimulate stomach acid, bile flow, and enzyme production.
- Digestive Enzymes – Help break down macronutrients when natural production is insufficient. Consider Rootcology Broad Spectrum Enzymes.
- Magnesium Glycinate – Supports nervous system regulation, muscle relaxation, and overall health. Consider Pure Encapsulations Magnesium Glycinate.
- Vitamin D – A fat-soluble vitamin important for immune and hormone health, dependent on bile flow for absorption. Consider Pure Encapsulations Vitamin D3.
Other Tools and Resources
- Functional Stool Testing – The GI-MAP test identifies gut dysbiosis, infections, and imbalances in the microbiome.
- Dandelion Root – Supports liver detoxification and bile flow.
- Dandy Blend – A gluten- and caffeine-free coffee alternative made with dandelion root for liver support. (Dandy Blend is made with barley, which is extracted with water, producing no malt; this special extraction process results in a gluten-free product.)
- Traditional Medicinals Dandelion Root Tea – An organic tea option for gentle liver support.
- Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) – May help stimulate stomach acid when used before meals.
- Lemon Water Before Meals – Supports digestive enzyme and bile production.
- Breathwork (e.g. “voo” breath) – Activates the vagus nerve and supports digestion.
- Vagus Nerve Stimulation Techniques (gargling, breathwork) – Help shift the body into a parasympathetic state.
- Nature Exposure & Movement – Supports nervous system regulation and overall gut health.
- Guided Meditation – Try one from Tara Brach.
Books and Articles About Gut Health
- IBS: Finding and Treating the Root Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome by Dr. Izabella Wentz – Gut issues are common in Hashimoto’s and can be linked to diet. This comprehensive guide offers a step-by-step approach to help you understand what’s really driving gut symptoms, and how to create a personalized plan to restore gut health for overall wellness.
- Adrenal Transformation Protocol: A 4-Week Plan to Release Stress Symptoms and Go from Surviving to Thriving – book by Dr. Izabella Wentz
- Could SIBO Be Preventing Your Remission from Hashimoto’s?
- Got Acid Reflux? And Hashimoto’s?
- Histamine and Hashimoto’s
- Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis and Hashimoto’s
- Hashimoto’s and Graves’ Remission after Helicobacter Pylori Eradication
- The Missing Link to Thyroid Fatigue
- How Supporting the Liver Is Key to Recovering from Thyroid Disease
Get the Full Episode Transcript
Let’s Connect!
- Follow me on Instagram: @izabellawentzpharmd
- Get my FREE weekly thyroid & gut health newsletter: Sign up here
- Subscribe & Review: If you loved this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or rate it on Spotify!
Got questions? Drop them in the comments! 🙂
About Our Host
Dr. Izabella Wentz
Dr. Izabella Wentz is a compassionate, innovative, solution-focused integrative pharmacist dedicated to finding the root causes of chronic health conditions. Her passion stems from her own diagnosis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in 2009, following a decade of debilitating symptoms.
Dr. Izabella Wentz has written several best-selling books, including the New York Times bestseller Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause, the protocol-based #1 New York Times bestseller Hashimoto’s Protocol: A 90-Day Plan for Reversing Thyroid Symptoms and Getting Your Life Back, the Wall Street Journal bestseller Hashimoto’s Food Pharmacology: Nutrition Protocols and Healing Recipes to Take Charge of Your Thyroid Health, and Adrenal Transformation Protocol. Her latest book, IBS: Finding and Treating the Root Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, is now out in the world, and available here!
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About Our Guest
Hannah Aylward is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, functional gut health practitioner, and the founder of Hannah Aylward Nutrition (HAN). After struggling with her own chronic digestive issues for years, Hannah dove headfirst into the latest in gut health research, seeking answers to her bloating and food sensitivities. With her science-backed formula, Hannah has overcome her own digestive issues and helped thousands of other women around the world do the same. Today, Hannah leads a team of functional practitioners who help clients transform their gut health and overcome their never-ending digestive issues with functional nutrition, targeted supplementation, and advanced lab work.
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