Microbiome Resolutions for a Healthier 2026

A Gentle Return to Balance

The new year often brings a wave of motivation that includes lists, goals, and the desire to do better. But what if we reframe “better” as something quieter, more aligned with awareness? Not a complete overhaul, but a thoughtful return to balance.

This past December, I was traveling a lot and out of my usual rhythm . I was on the road for three quarters of the month and I’m still not home! So I wasn’t cooking at home as much. I was eating out three to four times more than I typically would and eating at other people’s homes who make different choices. My meals included ingredients I don’t normally choose but I decided this year to enjoy the holidays with family and friends and not be so judgmental about the foods that were offered. It was freeing but I have noticed the difference. I also let go of my regular yoga practice and daily walks, both of which are usually nonnegotiable in my week. I walk 3 to 4 miles most days and do yoga five days a week.

And I’ll be honest, I’m bringing a few extra pounds into the new year with me.

But I’m also bringing awareness as I close out the year. When we are obsessively focused on what’s wrong with the food, environment, etc. that has an impact too. The simple act of being aware and choosing not to let that ruin the spirit of the season is a healthy act in itself.

I’m looking forward to the opportunity to reset with intention in 2026.

1. The Terrain Starts Outside the Gut

We often think of gut health as something that begins with food. But it starts much earlier, with the products we put on our skin, the air we breathe, and the cleaners we use in our homes.

Shampoos, conditioners, body lotions, cosmetics, and household disinfectants can all impact the microbiomes of the skin, mouth, and gut. Quaternary ammonium compounds (“quats”), found in many cleaning products, are especially concerning. These antimicrobial agents don’t just kill surface bacteria—they can disrupt our internal ecosystems as well.

In our Community Learning Lab by BiotiQuest (formerly the Sugar Shift Challenge), we’ll be diving into these topics in more depth this year, offering simple, practical ways to protect your terrain from the outside in.

2. A True Reset for the Microbiome

Rather than start the year off with a Sugar Shift challenge alone, consider a phased approach that supports microbial balance at every level. Our Total Gut Reset is a foundational path many in our community are following this January. It’s a nice way to change things up and reset the foundations for a healthy gut.

One month each:

• Antibiotic Antidote® – Designed to restore the microbiome balance after exposure to antibiotics or processed foods that contain antimicrobial residues. (Most of us are being exposed without even knowing it.)
• Ideal Immunity® – Supports the body’s response to pathogens, including exposures that often come with holiday gatherings and travel.
• Sugar Shift® – Helps rebalance sugar metabolism, supports a healthy gut lining with and restores more balanced energy.
• (Optional Phase): Perfect Peace® – Encourages calm and emotional resilience through the gut-brain connection, particularly valuable after high-stress periods or disruptions in routine.

Each product plays a unique role. Taken together, they help reestablish internal harmony, one step at a time. I’ll be covering how each of these steps can help with a reset and answer questions on the Learning Lab calls.

3. Let Circadian Rhythms Guide You

We’ve just passed the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year. Now, the light is slowly returning. Each morning, the sun rises a little earlier. There’s an ancient wisdom here if we choose to listen. Training yourself to the natural cycle of the light can have profound effects in just a week.

Getting outside to see the sunrise, even for just a few minutes, can help recalibrate the body’s circadian biology. Last year we read The Inner Clock covering the circadian clock. You have find a recording of our discussion with the author Lynn Peoples here. Morning light cues our inner clock and the microbiome’s clock too! The light influences everything from mood to metabolism. Ideally, we rise before the sun and greet the day as it comes. Add some deep breathing for just five minutes while you do this and you will be amazed by the benefits.

It’s a small act with lasting impact.

4. Remove What No Longer Serves

The end of the year is a powerful time to take inventory and let go of what we no longer need. In my yoga class before Christmas, we each selected a rock to represent what we were letting go of from 2025. Let’s face it, 2025 was a pretty stressful and chaotic year from most perspectives. At the end of class, we put our rocks out and each selected someone else’s rock to carry away and help them let go of whatever was not going to server them in 2026. I loved this exercise as a way to make the letting go feel a bit more concrete.

One of the most powerful things you can release is resentment, including toward yourself. Forgiveness, whether it’s for a recent decision or something you’ve held onto for years, can create a freedom that no supplement or habit alone can unlock. It clears emotional stagnation and creates space for healing. I have a regular forgiveness practice that is very powerful.

This is the season to let go…..with compassion.

On the more concrete front some things to consider might be:

• Processed foods with hidden additives
• Industrial seed oils (like canola, soy, corn)
• Harsh cleaning agents and antimicrobial sprays
• Late-night screen time or excessive exposure to artificial light

(We’ll do a deeper dives on these topics on our Learning Lab calls so I hope you will join us.)

5. Recommit to Gentle Movement

Movement is great for our health but anything in excess can be detrimental. It is important to keep moving throughout the day but gentle movement like walking and yoga may have more benefits than intense exercise.

Movement isn’t just for strength, it’s a vital support for the microbiome, cardiovascular health and even the immune system.

Walking stimulates lymph flow, digestion, and brain health. Gentle yoga and stretching can help regulate the nervous system and support detoxification. If weather or mobility is a factor, tools like rebounders or vibration plates can offer valuable support. Weather was my biggest challenge to my regular walks. Its hard to get motivated to walk on a cold, rainy morning.

I’ve been doing a lot of research on intense exercise, especially running, over the last several months and how it can be detrimental to the vasculature and the microbiome. I’ll be writing about this in more detail in the coming months here and on my Martha’s Quest Substack .

I’m recommitting to my daily 3- to 4-mile walks (rain or shine) and returning to my regular yoga practice when I get home after the new year. These commitments are what really help me feel grounded and whole.

6. Cook Real Food Again

After three weeks of eating out and eating what other people cook, I am really excited to get back to my home-cooked routine. Some of my favorite recipes can be found in the Wahls Protocol Cookbook , Nourishing Traditions Cookbook , Wheat Belly Cookbook and The Microbiome Diet Cookbook .

I’ve also missed Sugar Shift® yogurt . It’s a simple way to feed your microbiome with beneficial bacteria and all of the postbiotic nutrients they produce while reestablishing trust in the process of real food. You can find the recipe here .

7. Anchor Your Day in Mindfulness

In times of change, even a brief pause for stillness can shift things. We are overwhelmed with information and distractions that can make even a small pause difficult but I promise you learning to do this will have a significant impact on your ability to think more clearly and stay in a more positive mindset.

Whether it’s prayer, meditation, deep breathing, or quiet reflection, a daily practice of mindfulness can help regulate stress, improve digestion, and create space for better decisions. It also strengthens the gut-brain connection and supports the healing journey in ways science is only beginning to understand.

In November, I started a new practice of sending loving kindness daily to myself, friends and family in need of support, and for people who are especially difficult or challenging in my life or the live’s of people I love. I have found it has profound effects!

It's a simple practice of saying out loud or silently:

May you be safe. May you be healthy. May you be happy. May you know that you are loved.

Choose what works for you and return to it often.

8. Build Connection Along the Way

You don’t have to do this alone. I love the connections I’ve made with you through our Sugar Shift Challenge and book club groups. We are changing the name to connect better to the broad learning topics we cover but it's the same welcoming group of life-long learners.

The Community Learning Lab by BiotiQuest® is a space where we explore these ideas together. We’ll talk about gut health (of course) but many topics related to daily living and choices that impact our health without our thinking about them like cleaning products, food sourcing, product swaps, and the small decisions that shape microbial health every day.

It’s about learning in community and moving forward together.

A Gentle Invitation

As we let go of 2025 and move In 2026, consider this your invitation not to become someone new, but to come back to what supports you and let go of what doesn’t.

Reconnect with the natural intelligence of your body, your breath, and your inner calm.

This year, we return to balance with intention….. together.