Free Guide"This is our most popular free download. I've had over 67,000 people download this one alone."
Katie Stewart, Acne Nutritionist (RHN, FDN-P)
The free 15-page guide every acne client of ours starts with.
You've tried Accutane, the elimination diet, the $80 serum, the derm. Still breaking out. Start where every client of ours starts. Pillar 01: the gut.
Katie Stewart, Acne Nutritionist (RHN, FDN-P)
Acne Nutritionist · 10 years in practice · 3,000+ clients
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15-page PDF, delivered to your inbox.
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I know what you're thinking
"Isn't 'gut health' just a wellness buzzword?"
Fair. The word has been used to sell everything from celery juice to $200 powders. We use it to mean something specific. The mechanical and biochemical work your digestive tract does between bite and bowel movement.
Across our 1:1 practice, gut imbalances show up on functional stool testing for the majority of clients with chronic adult acne. Low stomach acid. Overgrowths. Sluggish bile. Disrupted microbiomes. These are measurable patterns, not vibes.
This cheat sheet is the boring, foundational work that actually moves the needle. Chewing. Eating in a calm state. Knowing what your bloating is telling you. It's Pillar 01 because nothing else works without it.
Inside the cheat sheet
After reading this, you'll be able to:
Score your gut in 90 seconds with a 10-question self-assessment, so you know if it's a likely driver, a major driver, or in decent shape.
Apply 2 free foundational habits before you spend a dollar on supplements (most clients see digestion shift inside a week).
Learn the 5 probiotic strains worth knowing about, and when each one is actually useful (spoiler: drugstore blends usually aren't).
Get the 6 food categories we use to feed the right gut organisms, plus the practical swaps clients use every week.
Recognize the 4 gut patterns we see over and over in client cases (low stomach acid, infections, leaky gut, bathroom issues).
Walk away with a clear first action for tonight, not just more information to file away.
What happens when you act on what's in the cheat sheet
Before · Day 1
After · 6 Months
"Starting to notice improvement with my skin, and getting comments from friends/family members puts a big smile on my face. I'm grateful for everyone on the KSW team for all the support during my journey."
Rachel E.
The Clear Skin Solution client · Canada
Rachel is one of three full case studies inside the cheat sheet. The foundations she started with are the same ones you'll have in your inbox in 60 seconds.
The 5 Acne Clearing Pillars
Gut comes first. Here's why.
01
Gut
Start here
Where 70% of your immune system lives. When digestion stalls or the microbiome shifts, inflammation rises and skin reacts. This is where the cheat sheet lives.
02
Detox
Pillar 02
Liver, bile, lymph, kidneys, and bowels move used hormones and metabolic waste out. When clearance slows, hormones recirculate.
03
Hormones
Pillar 03
Estrogen dominance, low progesterone, elevated androgens, blood sugar swings. Hormones ride on top of the other pillars.
The full framework also covers the Nervous System and Skin Barrier. The cheat sheet zeroes in on Pillar 01 so you can start tonight.
The thesis, in one line
"Acne is an external symptom of an internal issue."
Katie Stewart, Acne Nutritionist (RHN, FDN-P)
A taste of what's inside
The 4 gut patterns we see over and over.
01
Low stomach acid
Bloating, burping, undigested food in stool, reflux after meals.
02
Gut infections
Candida, H. pylori, SIBO, parasites. Often the missing piece after years of clean eating.
03
Leaky gut
Food sensitivities that keep multiplying, joint aches, brain fog, skin inflammation.
04
Bathroom issues
Constipation, loose stools, alternating, or fewer than one full BM a day.
We name what each pattern looks like inside the cheat sheet, so you can spot which one (or two) you're likely living with before you spend another dollar on supplements.
For clients considering 1:1 or functional lab testing
Think you're ready for the next step? Let's just talk.
A free 25-minute Skin Clarity Call for clients who are weighing up functional lab testing or our 1:1 program. We'll look at where your acne is actually starting and whether either path is the right move for you. Not the right fit for general questions. Start with the cheat sheet for those.
Book a Free 25-Min Skin Clarity CallNo sales pitch · 25 minutes · Free
Who this is for
If you've already tried everything else.
01
Adult clients with persistent acne
30 to 45, breaking out for years, tried Accutane, retinoids, elimination diets, and a drawer full of expensive serums.
02
Clients with gut signals
Bloating, sluggish digestion, food sensitivities that keep multiplying, or fewer than one BM a day.
03
Clients who want the foundation
Not another supplement to add. The boring, foundational habits that quietly do the heavy lifting first.
Katie Stewart, Acne Nutritionist (RHN, FDN-P)
Founder, Katie Stewart Wellness
"Foundations first. Always. We've sat across from 3,000 clients and the answer almost always starts here."
The cheat sheet is the same Pillar 01 work we walk every 1:1 client through. Grab it and start tonight.
Here's what happens next
- 1Drop your name and email below
- 2PDF lands in your inbox in 60 seconds
- 3Weekly skin science, never spam
Common questions
Gut and acne, answered.
What does gut health have to do with acne?
Your gut is where food becomes nutrients, where hormones get cleared, and where 70% of your immune system lives. When digestion is sluggish, hormones get reabsorbed, inflammation rises, and the skin shows it. In our 1:1 practice, gut imbalances show up on functional labs (GI Map, stool tests) for the vast majority of clients with chronic adult acne. That's why gut is Pillar 01 of the 5 Acne Clearing Pillars. You start here.
What are the signs my gut is contributing to my breakouts?
The most common signals we see in clients with gut-driven acne: bloating after meals, irregular or inconsistent bowel movements, undigested food in stool, burping or reflux, brain fog after eating, food sensitivities that keep expanding, and breakouts that flare after certain meals. The 10-question self-assessment inside the cheat sheet walks you through all of them in 90 seconds.
Is leaky gut a real thing?
Intestinal permeability is a well-documented mechanism in the medical literature. The tight junctions between gut cells can loosen under stress, infection, alcohol, NSAIDs, or chronic inflammation, allowing larger particles to cross into the bloodstream. That immune response can show up as skin inflammation, including acne. The cheat sheet covers leaky gut as one of the 4 gut patterns we see over and over in client cases.
What's the difference between probiotics and prebiotics?
Probiotics are live beneficial bacteria you add to your gut (foods like sauerkraut, kefir, or supplement strains like L. rhamnosus GG or S. boulardii). Prebiotics are the fibers and compounds that feed the good bacteria already there (foods like garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus). Both matter. The cheat sheet covers which probiotic strains are clinically useful for acne and which foods feed the right organisms.
Do I need a stool test to figure out my gut?
Not to start. The cheat sheet gives you 5 foundational tactics anyone can apply today without a single lab. Chewing, eating in a calm state, digestive support, probiotic strategy, and feeding the right organisms. If you score 6 or higher on the self-assessment (a major driver tier), functional stool testing through your nutritionist or doctor becomes worth considering. The PDF tells you when.
Is the Gut Loving Cheat Sheet actually free?
Yes. The 15-page PDF is delivered to your inbox the moment you sign up. No credit card, no trial, no upsell wall. You'll also be subscribed to weekly emails on gut, hormones, and skin from Katie Stewart, Acne Nutritionist (RHN, FDN-P). You can unsubscribe anytime.
Who is Katie Stewart?
Katie Stewart, Acne Nutritionist (RHN, FDN-P) is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner who has worked with 3,000+ clients across 15+ countries on root-cause acne nutrition since 2016. Her work has been featured in Glamour, LA Weekly, Evie Magazine, Galore, OK!, and Us Weekly.
P.S.
If you've ever wondered why your skin flares after pizza, why bloating and breakouts seem to land in the same week, or why every new diet seems to work for a month and then stop, this cheat sheet is the fastest way to start connecting those dots. Takes 10 minutes to skim. Yours forever. Grab your copy →
Written by Katie Stewart, Acne Nutritionist (RHN, FDN-P) and the in-house team at Katie Stewart Wellness. We've worked with 3,000+ clients across 15+ countries on root-cause acne nutrition since 2016. This cheat sheet is educational and not medical advice.