Ep. 651 Personalized Nutrition for Gut Health with Kara Siedman, RD, CDCES

Today, I’m delighted to connect with registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist, Kara Siedman. Her broad clinical experience spans inpatient oncology, diabetes, and gastroenterology. She is currently the Vice President of Science and Partnerships at Resbiotic. In today’s conversation, we focus on the value of nutrition at the intersection of the microbiome and overall health. We discuss nutritional dogma, the impact of gastroparesis, IBS, IBD, SIBO, and other similar diagnoses. We explore midlife risk factors and medications that impact the microbiome, the influence of low FODMAP diets and irritable bowel syndrome management, food fears, and disordered food relationships. We also examine the influence of probiotics and prebiotics, clarify why constipation is multifactorial, discuss the hallmarks of aging related to the microbiome and midlife changes, and review evolving research on the microbiome and responses to GLP-1 drugs. This conversation with Kara Siedman is truly invaluable, so stay tuned! IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: How nutrition has shifted away from hard science toward influencer opinions and social media dogma Why nutrition should be personalized rather than treated as one-size-fits-all Why carbohydrates should not be demonized, and the important role each macronutrient plays Why Kara views nutrition as a bridge between conventional and functional medicine Why supporting the microbiome is about building stability and resilience through multiple foundational factors rather than one isolated intervention Medications that can disrupt the microbiome Why a low FODMAP diet should be viewed as a bridge for symptom management, and not as a treatment for IBS or something that should necessarily be followed indefinitely How the microbiome changes with aging and menopause Multiple factors that can contribute to constipation What research has revealed about the gut microbiome as a potential factor in GLP-1 responses Bio: Kara Siedman is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist with over 15 years of clinical experience in inpatient care, outpatient program development, and integrative/functional nutrition. Kara’s work in a leading gastroenterology practice sparked her transition into functional nutrition, where she integrated root-cause approaches into GI care and became a mentor and key opinion leader in the field. Her passion for the gut microbiome evolved into a professional specialty, leading her to collaborate with top biotech and microbiome-focused companies. As Senior Director of Science & Partnerships at resbiotic, Kara educates healthcare providers on microbiome science and the clinical application of targeted microbiome therapies. Known for her ability to simplify complex research, she brings clarity, credibility, and passion to gut health education. Connect with Cynthia Thurlow Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn Check out Cynthia’s website. Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com Join other like-minded women in a supportive, nurturing community: The Midlife Pause/Cynthia Thurlow. Purchase Cynthia’s book, The Menopause Gut. Cynthia’s Intermittent Fasting Transformation Book The Midlife Pause Supplement Line Connect with Kara Siedman, RD, CDCES Resbiotic On Instagram Resbiotic on LinkedIn