How to check your gut health - tests, symptoms & solutions

When your gut is calm, life feels calm. When it’s not—you feel it everywhere.

You probably didn’t think much about your digestion in your 20s. You could eat what you wanted, stay out late, drink coffee on an empty stomach, skip meals, or survive off takeout—and somehow, your body just bounced back.

But now? Things feel… different.

You wake up already bloated—even if you haven’t eaten anything yet. You find yourself unbuttoning your pants by mid-afternoon. Your skin, which used to be predictable, now breaks out for no reason. And the sugar cravings? They hit hardest when your energy crashes at 3 p.m., right when you need to keep going.

You’ve tried to brush it off. Maybe your doctor told you it’s just aging. Maybe you’ve blamed stress, perimenopause, your job, or your kids’ schedules. And maybe, deep down, you’ve started to wonder: What if this is just my new normal?

We’re here to tell you—it’s not. And your gut might be the key you’ve been missing.

At Elle MD, a functional medicine clinic based in Royal Oak, Michigan, we specialize in helping women—especially those navigating perimenopause and menopause—decode the signals their bodies are sending. Today, we’ll walk you through how to check your gut health, which tests actually matter, and how to start healing with clarity. If you’re looking for gut health doctors we serve patients all across Michigan.

What does an unhealthy gut look like?

The signs of gut dysfunction are sneaky. They don’t always scream “digestion.” In fact, many women we work with didn’t realize their mood swings or skin flares were connected to their gut until we showed them the full picture.

You might be struggling with:

• Bloating, gas, or indigestion after meals—even healthy ones
• Constipation that leaves you feeling heavy and uncomfortable
• Loose stools that make you nervous to leave the house
• Fatigue that sleep can’t fix, like you’re running on empty
• Brain fog that makes you forget simple things
• Acne, eczema, or rosacea that flares for no reason
• Anxiety that feels amplified, even when life is “fine”
• Intense sugar cravings that feel impossible to ignore
  
  

And when you bring it up? You’re told to “drink more water” or “get more rest” or that it’s just hormones. So you leave the appointment still holding all the same symptoms, but now with a little extra shame for being “too sensitive.”

But here’s the truth: You’re not too sensitive. You’re paying attention. And that’s a superpower.

At Elle MD, we don’t dismiss those signs—we investigate them. Because behind every “I just don’t feel like myself” is a real reason. Your gut might be inflamed, imbalanced, or struggling to keep up with the demands of stress, diet, medication, or hormonal shifts. And if that’s the case—you deserve more than reassurance. You deserve real answers.

How to test your gut health—functional medicine style

Because when your gut feels like a mystery, it’s time for real answers.

Maybe you’ve been told everything looks “fine.” Your labs came back normal. Your symptoms were brushed off or labeled as stress or hormones. But deep down, you know something isn’t right.

This is where functional medicine comes in.

At Elle MD, we don’t just glance at a few numbers and send you on your way. We listen—to your symptoms, your story, your instincts. And then we test—thoroughly and intentionally—so we can understand what’s happening beneath the surface.

Conventional medicine usually waits for a diagnosis. We look for imbalance before it becomes an illness.

Here’s how we do it:

Functional gut tests we use at Elle MD

We choose tests based on your symptoms, history, and health goals—no one-size-fits-all labs here.



• Comprehensive Stool Analysis
  This test tells us what’s really going on inside your gut. We look at:
• Your good and bad bacteria levels
• Parasites or yeast overgrowth
• Inflammation markers
• How well you’re actually digesting your food

• Food Sensitivity Panels
  Some foods may be quietly inflaming your system—without causing immediate symptoms. This test helps us identify delayed immune reactions that could be triggering fatigue, skin issues, or bloating.

• SIBO Breath Test
  If you feel bloated almost every time you eat, SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) could be the root cause. This non-invasive test helps us see if bacteria is growing where it shouldn’t.

• Zonulin + Calprotectin
  These are two powerful markers we use to assess intestinal permeability (aka leaky gut) and gut inflammation. They give us a window into how compromised your gut lining might be.

• Micronutrient Testing
  Even if you’re eating all the right foods, your gut may not be absorbing what it needs. This test shows us how well your body is processing and utilizing vitamins and minerals.

Each of these tools gives us a piece of the puzzle. Together, they help us move from “why is this happening?” to “here’s what we can do about it.”

Because you deserve more than bandaids. You deserve real insight—and a plan that’s built for your body.

Is there a way to test if I’ve damaged my gut?

Yes—and it’s more common than you think.

When your gut lining is damaged (aka “leaky gut”), particles that aren’t supposed to leave your digestive tract slip into your bloodstream. This sparks inflammation, immune dysfunction, and symptoms throughout your body.

Functional testing can show signs like:

• Elevated zonulin (marker of leaky gut)
• Low levels of beneficial bacteria
• Presence of pathogens or yeast overgrowth
• Poor pancreatic enzyme output (which affects digestion)

These aren’t tests your primary care doctor will usually run—but they are vital to understanding the full picture.

Can you heal your gut without testing?

You can start. But testing gives you clarity.

You could eliminate gluten, take random probiotics, drink bone broth—and still feel stuck. That’s because healing isn’t just about throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. It’s about knowing what your gut actually needs.

With functional testing, we:

• Personalize your diet based on real data
• Target specific imbalances with precision
• Track healing over time, not just symptoms

This approach has helped countless women go from confused and bloated to energized, regular, and symptom-free.

Where to get gut health testing in Michigan

While there are some labs and naturopaths in Michigan that offer basic gut panels, few offer the depth and strategy of a functional medicine approach.

Here’s what makes Elle MD different:

• Physician led care 
• In-person and virtual options in Michigan
• We will send you to our preferred labs for testing
• Integration of gut health with hormones, fatigue, thyroid, and more



We don’t hand you a supplement sheet and send you home. We walk with you—step by step—until things make sense and your gut feels good again.

If your gut just needs support, we’re ready to meet you

If you’ve been dealing with bloating, food sensitivities, fatigue, or just a gut feeling that something’s off—know that you don’t have to figure it out alone. At Elle MD, we take a personalized, root-cause approach to gut health so you can finally feel like yourself again. Whether you’re just starting your wellness journey or looking for answers after years of discomfort, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

👉 Explore how our gut health doctors in Michigan can help you restore balance, improve digestion, and reclaim your energy.