If your belly feels more like a firecracker than a peaceful picnic blanket after your summer celebrations, you're not alone.

Between the BBQs, beach days, cocktails, and late nights, your gut might be feeling off—bloated, gassy, uncomfortable, or just... off. As a Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Practitioner, I can tell you this is very common this time of year—and it’s not a sign that something is “wrong” with you. It’s a sign your body is doing its best to respond to a lot of inputs all at once.

Let’s break down what might be triggering your symptoms—then talk about what you can do to find relief.

🔥 1. Alcohol (Yes, even that “light” spritzer)

Red, white, and... bloated?
Alcohol is one of the most common gut disruptors. Whether it’s beer, wine coolers, seltzers, or that spiked punch at your cousin’s BBQ, alcohol irritates the gut lining, can cause inflammation, and throws off your gut microbiome. It also reduces digestive enzyme production, which makes it harder for your body ...

Ever noticed that the week your skin flares up is also the week your patience is thin and your bloat is back?

That’s not a coincidence.
That’s your body whispering — and sometimes shouting — for help.

For years, I tried to treat each symptom separately:

• A new skincare routine for breakouts
  
  
• A supplement for mood swings
  
  
• More coffee to power through the fog
  
  
• Another Google search for “why am I so bloated?”
  
  

It wasn’t until I learned about the gut-skin-mood connection that it all finally clicked.

🧠 The Gut-Brain-Skin Triangle

Here’s the truth no one told me:
Your gut is at the center of it all.
When it’s off, everything feels off.

Let’s break it down:

1. Mood Swings & Anxiety

Your gut makes 90% of your serotonin, the neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood.
If your gut is inflamed or unbalanced, it’s like having static on the line between your brain and your body.

→ That can look like irritability, panic for no reason, overreactions, low motivation, or feeling like you’re ...

There was a summer when I remember pulling out a sundress I used to love — soft cotton, flowy, flattering — and instead of feeling confident and light…

…I felt uncomfortable, bloated, and like I wanted to crawl out of my skin.

I kept tugging at the fabric all day.
Crossing my arms.
Not wanting to take photos.
Saying no to dessert because I already felt “puffy.”
Avoiding hugs because my stomach felt too sensitive to touch.

All the things I used to look forward to about summer — outdoor parties, date nights, laughing with girlfriends on patios — just made me more aware of how bad I felt in my body.

☀️ The Emotional Toll of Summer Discomfort

Bloating and gut issues don’t just show up in your digestion.
They mess with your mind, your confidence, your joy.

They make you second-guess your outfit, your appetite, your plans, and sometimes even your worth.

I know that sounds heavy. But it’s the truth I wish more people talked about.

Because if you're someone who…

• Feels anxious about ...

Let’s talk about a quiet truth:
Summer isn’t always light, breezy, or full of joy.

For a lot of women — myself included — summer can feel like pressure. Pressure to look a certain way in a swimsuit. Pressure to “have fun” when all you want is a nap. Pressure to say yes to BBQs, cocktails, and late nights, even when your body is already begging for a break.

If this is you, I just want you to know:
You are not the only one showing up to summer bloated, tired, moody, and uncomfortable in your skin.

There was a season in my life when every cookout left me unbuttoning my shorts under the table. When I snapped at my kids during beach days because I felt so sluggish and heavy I could barely carry a conversation. When I felt guilty for not enjoying a season that looked so fun in everyone else’s Instagram posts.

And still, I didn’t know how much my gut was at the center of all of it.

🌡️ Common Summer Gut Triggers (That No One Warns You About)

If you’re feeling “off” this summer, here’s wh...

You finish a meal — maybe even a “healthy” one — and instead of feeling fueled and ready, you feel… wiped.
Heavy. Foggy. Like you need a nap or a gallon of coffee to power through the rest of the day.

Friend, if you’ve been blaming your energy crashes on a lack of willpower or just “getting older,” I want you to pause right here and hear this:
It’s not you. It’s your gut.

And you’re not broken — you’re just tired in a way most people never talk about.

🧠 Let’s Talk About What’s Actually Happening After You Eat

That post-meal slump? It’s not random. It’s your body trying to cope with more than just digestion.

Here’s what could be going on under the surface:

1. Blood Sugar Spikes & Crashes

Even “healthy” foods can cause a rollercoaster in your blood sugar, especially when your gut is inflamed.
Spikes make you feel temporarily energized — and then the crash leaves you drained, moody, and craving something sweet… again.

2. Inflammation Takes Energy to Fight

If your gut lining is in...

We have all experienced it.  Joint pain…soreness in your back or neck.  What if I told you that improving your nutrition and lifestyle choices ( ie- sleep, hydration, stress management) can improve your pain?

Hi!! I am Shannon Yundt, PT, DPT, FNLP, CNC.  I am a Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Practitioner and  Physical Therapist practicing with patients for the last 26 years . What I have found is patients can be stuck in a chronic cycle of pain in their joints and not understand why.  Our medical system may put a band aid on it by prescribing NSAIDS and pain killers, but all the while no one is getting to the root of the problem.  It was my recent certification in Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle that opened my eyes to the impact of these 2 elements- nutrition and lifestyle- that significantly affect our joints.

How can nutrition affect our pain?

Nutrition affects our joints and our bodies in 2 ways. 

Let’s Talk about a Leaky Gut. Leaky gut is a condition that allows the...

A smoothie a day, keeps the doctor away…

One smoothie done right each day, that act alone, can catapult your health in the right direction.  Can you believe it?

You can power pack the nutrition into that one drink and get in more than half your vegetable and fruit servings for the day. 

The problem is too many people do the smoothie wrong and end up setting themselves up for failure when they are trying to do a good thing, and I do not want that to happen to you.

I want you to get the most nutrition benefit from your smoothie so I created a set of 5 rules to follow when making your smoothie. 

Smoothie Rules:

1. The ratio of fruit to veggies should be 1:4 ratio. You do not want to add a ton of fruit to the smoothie and drink it fast causing a major blood sugar spike and a lot of work for your liver ( liver breaks down fructose). This means 1/2 cup of frozen fruit ( berries are the best option- the lower sugar the fruit is the better) to 2 cups of vegetables.( greens such as spinac...

I am telling this is a game changer when it comes to reaching your weight loss and wellness goals.

Its tracking!!! Do you track (aka journal) your days?

I am going to be honest I have had a bitter sweet relationship with it over the years, but hear me out.  You are tracking to judge yourself or beat yourself up but to learn from yourself.

The journal is your safe space to share how you are feeling, what you are feeling and what you are doing that is causing these feelings in your body.  Its your safe haven, I promise.  And if you track it right, it unlocks tons of insight about you and what you need to do to heal and help yourself feel better.

Watch the video for more information!!!