If winter is a season of stillness, summer is one of motion—social plans ramp up, routines loosen, and digestive systems… well, they either thrive or totally revolt. The good news is that with a few small but mighty shifts, summer can actually be a season of synergy for your gut.
As a holistic health coach (and someone who has been on all ends of the gut health spectrum), I find summer to be a powerful time to recalibrate. The body craves more hydration, lighter foods, and longer walks. The sun literally sets the tone for serotonin, motility, and even immune resilience—if we work with it.
Below are five (research-supported) ways to nourish your gut during the summer, while still saying yes to beach days, spritzes, and last-minute getaways.
1. Hydration is Everything (Literally)
Let’s get one thing straight: water is not just a “nice to have”—it’s the infrastructure your gut runs on. Every single cell in your body relies on hydration to function, but it’s especially essential for gut motility, nutrient absorption, and toxin elimination. When we’re dehydrated, the intestines become sluggish, the mucus layer lining the gut can thin, and the liver (our main detox organ) can’t flush out waste as efficiently. Cue: bloating, fatigue, and skin acting up in solidarity.
Science-wise, your intestinal lining is a semi-permeable barrier designed to absorb nutrients while keeping harmful compounds out. It depends on a well-hydrated mucosal layer to do its job. Without it? Inflammation and leaky gut risk increase. And don’t even get me started on how water impacts bowel movements—one study showed mild dehydration can significantly reduce transit time, slowing digestion and increasing the risk for constipation.
My favorite hydration tip this season? Romanticize your water. I’m talking about buying that chic reusable bottle you’ve been eyeing, adding in flavor-boosting electrolytes (hello, LMNT, coconut water, or fresh herbs), and sipping like it’s nobody's business.
And if you need extra support—especially for your stomach—I’ve been loving Stomach Recover + Hydrate, a soothing formula with Goji Berry, Amla Fruit, Coconut Water, and Marine Algae. It hydrates and helps rebalance the gut lining after a little too much sun or sangria. I toss a scoop into cold water post-walk and feel instantly revived. Think of it as a functional electrolyte-meets-digestive healer.
2. Move (Even If You’re Melting)
Summer might feel like a free pass to lie still in front of an AC unit, but your gut thrives on movement—literal, physical movement. Exercise is one of the most underrated tools for improving gut motility, circulation, lymphatic drainage, and neurotransmitter balance. Yes, sweating helps detox through the skin, but it also supports peristalsis (the wave-like motion of the intestines that keeps things moving south).
Not to mention, movement supports your lymphatic system—a key player in immune and gut regulation—by manually pumping lymph fluid that doesn’t move on its own. Ever felt more bloated after a sedentary week? That’s your lymph system asking for a walk.
And then there’s the mind-gut connection: Sunshine and exercise increase serotonin and dopamine, two neurotransmitters that majorly influence digestion, appetite, and gut motility. Studies have shown that serotonin is primarily produced in the gut, and your mood plays a direct role in how well your digestive system performs.
Try walking in the morning sun, doing yoga on your balcony, or even chasing waves if you’re by the beach. Double points for grounding barefoot. Triple points if you put your phone on airplane mode.
3. Eat What the Earth Is Offering
Here’s where your ancestors were onto something: Eating seasonally isn’t just poetic—it’s biological. Seasonal produce is naturally richer in the nutrients your body needs to adapt to its environment. In the summer, that means foods higher in water content, natural sugars, electrolytes, and cooling properties.
Watermelon and cucumber? They hydrate. Papaya? Contains papain, an enzyme that helps break down proteins and soothes the stomach lining. Leafy greens like arugula and dandelion? Help the liver detox and support bile flow, which aids in fat digestion. Yogurt and fermented foods? Deliver gut-supporting probiotics that can crowd out pathogens, especially important when you’re trying new cuisines or eating on the go. And don’t forget bananas and apples, which are packed with prebiotic fiber to feed your good gut bacteria.
Eating seasonally is also a gentle form of circadian eating—aligning your digestive rhythm with the sun’s rhythm. Your digestive fire (aka metabolism) is highest around midday, when the sun is at its peak. Translation: save heavier meals for lunch and opt for lighter, water-rich meals at dinner.
4. Protect Your Gut While You Play
Let’s talk summer gut saboteurs. Between food sitting out in the heat, poolside cocktails, new restaurant menus, and spontaneous travel snacks, your gut might feel like it’s on a rollercoaster.
Here’s why it matters: Warmer temps can accelerate bacterial growth in food, increasing your risk of foodborne illness. Couple that with jet lag, a new microbiome from travel, and heavier or unfamiliar meals, and your gut lining can take a hit. A strong gut lining is essential for immune resilience and inflammation control—and once that barrier is compromised, you might notice symptoms like fatigue, bloating, breakouts, or increased food sensitivities.
To guard against this, support the gut lining with mucilaginous foods like chia seeds, aloe vera, slippery elm, and okra, which create a gel-like layer that coats and protects the digestive tract. Up your Vitamin C intake (camu camu, citrus, kiwi) to support collagen production and immune function.
Also: cool it on the excess caffeine and alcohol. Both are dehydrating, gut irritants, and—ironically—can suppress the digestive enzymes you need to break down that beachside burger. Instead, choose cooling herbal teas (mint, fennel, chamomile), skip the overly spicy or greasy foods if your gut is already sensitive, and lean into home-cooked meals when possible.
Carbonated drinks can create more gas and bloating, so swap soda for a fizzy kombucha, coconut water, or herbal spritz.
5. Rethink (Not Remove) Your Cocktails
I’m not here to tell you to skip every happy hour—just to shift the intention. Alcohol is, without question, one of the worst offenders for gut health. It disrupts the gut barrier, alters the microbiome, depletes B vitamins, and impairs liver detoxification. BUT, and this is a big but, summer is also about pleasure and connection.
So let’s make some swaps.
If you’re out, ask for soda water with lemon or lime, and bring your own flavored electrolyte packet to drink alongside your drink. You can also DIY a gut-friendlier cocktail at home with clean vodka, fresh herbs (mint or rosemary), muddled fruit, and sparkling water. Skip the syrups and mixers with 20+ grams of sugar. Think: elegant mocktails or minimal-ingredient mixes that feel like a treat but don’t destroy your gut flora.
Fun fact: alcohol-induced inflammation in the gut can increase intestinal permeability (aka “leaky gut”) and dysbiosis (aka bacterial imbalance). These changes can affect everything from digestion to mood, immunity, and skin health.
Even better? Alternate your drinks with a glass of water, or sip on something mineral-rich like coconut water between rounds. That simple habit alone can mitigate some of the dehydration and hangover-induced gut stress.
Summer can be a beautiful opportunity to support your gut, not sabotage it. You don’t need to overhaul your life—just build small rituals that support hydration, digestion, movement, and microbiome diversity while still enjoying the season.
When we align with the rhythms of nature—eating foods from the earth, moving with the sun, staying hydrated, and listening to our bodies—we create the conditions for our gut (and life) to flow.
Remember: your gut is your second brain, your emotional compass, your immune hub, and your hormone assistant. Treat it with the same respect you'd give your mind, and the rest of your body will thank you.
Now go fill up that water bottle, put on a cute sun hat, and move your body in the sun. Your gut’s already grateful.
Bonus: Here are some of my ride-or-die summer staples that I’ll be keeping stocked all season long:
- Stomach Recover + Hydrate – Between travel, hot weather, and a few too many indulgent meals, sometimes my stomach always feels off in the summer. Stomach Recover + Hydrate is my go-to—it's like a reset button for my gut. I keep it in my bag for bloat, nausea, or just feeling blah. It works fast, tastes great, and keeps me feeling like myself. Total summer essential.
- Colorescience Flex SPF – This mineral sunscreen has changed my skincare game. It’s tinted, light, reef-safe, and actually feels like skincare while protecting from UVA, UVB, blue light, and pollution. It adjusts to your skin tone and never feels cakey or greasy. My skin thanks me every time I wear it.
- Alo Invisible Mineral Body SPF – For full-body coverage that doesn’t leave you looking ghostly or oily. It’s zinc-based, super lightweight, and packed with antioxidants like Vitamin E and aloe. I use this before walks or workouts in the sun, and I love that it doesn’t clog pores or interfere with body breakouts.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4604320/
