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Dr. Shustina is an incredibly knowledgeable doctor who truly takes time to find root cause.
RG
Rochel Gordon
Condition · Emotional & Neurological
Depression
Depression can often be linked to gut health, reflecting deeper issues like inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, or imbalances in gut microbiota. At Whole Gut Health and Wellness, we approach depression as more than just a mental health issue—it's connected to your overall well-being. Our holistic care combines advanced diagnostics, nutritional support, and integrative therapies to address gut-related contributors to depression.
By improving gut health, we aim to support mental clarity, mood balance, and enhance your overall quality of life. Rather than treating low mood in isolation, we look for the underlying imbalances within the body that keep it in place—so healing lasts, rather than simply masking symptoms.
The Gut–Brain Connection in Depression
Depression is rarely a problem of the brain alone. A growing body of clinical experience points to the gut as a powerful driver of mood, motivation, and mental clarity. The gut and the brain are in constant two-way communication, and when digestive health is disrupted—through inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, or imbalances in the gut microbiota—the effects can show up as low mood, fatigue, brain fog, and a diminished sense of well-being.
At Whole Gut Health and Wellness, we treat depression as a whole-body condition rather than an isolated mental health issue. By identifying and addressing the gut-related contributors to depression, we help support mental clarity, mood balance, and a better overall quality of life. Improving the health of the gut becomes a foundation for restoring the health of the mind.
How Gut Health Influences Mood
When the gut is out of balance, the ripple effects reach far beyond digestion. Chronic inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, and imbalances in the gut microbiota can all influence how you feel emotionally—affecting mood, energy, and resilience under stress. These are not vague connections; they are physiological pathways that link what happens in the digestive tract to what happens in the brain.
This is why persistent low mood so often travels alongside digestive complaints, and why supporting the gut can be a meaningful part of supporting mental health. Our integrative approach combines advanced diagnostics with nutritional support and targeted therapies to uncover the specific gut-related factors contributing to your depression, so that treatment addresses causes rather than symptoms.
Our Root-Cause Philosophy
At Whole Gut Health and Wellness Center, we believe in taking a holistic approach to health. We recognize that symptoms are not isolated occurrences but manifestations of underlying imbalances within the body. We treat the person, not just the symptoms.
We know that symptoms are fire alarms alerting us to the root cause. If we merely turn off the alarm, we may feel better temporarily, but the cause of the alarm has not been removed—the house is still on fire. We examine the symptoms, lifestyle, personal history, and life traumas, shedding light on the potential causes, associated conditions, and effective treatment approaches. By focusing on the root causes rather than just symptom management, we aim to restore balance and promote optimal health, enhancing overall well-being and quality of life.
Our Integrative Approach to Depression
We strongly stand by the “food is medicine” approach and guide each patient with clear, simple, and strategic dietary changes to support and heal the gut and the rest of the body. By addressing the root causes and considering the interconnectedness of the body, mind, and environment, we can provide comprehensive and personalized care.
Our holistic care for depression may include:
Advanced diagnostics to identify inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, and gut microbiota imbalances
Nutritional support and strategic, individualized dietary changes rooted in the “food is medicine” approach
Integrative therapies that address gut-related contributors to low mood
Attention to lifestyle, personal history, and life traumas that influence mental health
Stress reduction techniques, movement, and mindfulness practices
A personalized plan designed to support mental clarity, mood balance, and overall well-being
We take the time to understand your unique situation, listen to your concerns, and conduct thorough evaluations to determine the underlying causes of your symptoms—so your care is built around you, not a template.
Conditions and Symptoms We Regularly Address
Because depression is so often intertwined with gut health, we frequently see it alongside a wide range of digestive and whole-body symptoms. Beyond focusing solely on symptom management, our holistic approach aims to restore balance and optimize your health. We believe that true healing encompasses not only physical aspects but also emotional and lifestyle factors.
Gastrointestinal symptoms we regularly encounter include:
Abdominal pain
Bloating and belching
Constipation and diarrhea
GERD and heartburn
IBS
Leaky gut
SIBO
H. pylori infection
Parasites
Inflammatory bowel conditions
Expert-Led, Personalized Care
Dr. Alexandra Shustina, a Board-Certified Gastroenterologist, and the team at Whole Gut Health combine the best of conventional medicine with evidence-based natural therapies and lifestyle interventions. Drawing from both conventional gastroenterology and integrative medicine, she takes a comprehensive approach to uncovering the underlying factors contributing to illness and guides patients toward lasting wellness.
The care you receive at our practice provides more than just help with your current problem; the tools we provide can benefit you for a lifetime. Don't let depression and its underlying imbalances hold you back from living a vibrant, fulfilling life. Together, we can work toward restoring balance, improving your symptoms, and helping you achieve long-term health of both gut and mind.
Our approach
Why Whole Gut Health is different.
At Whole Gut Health, we go beyond conventional symptom management and traditional functional medicine protocols. We trust your body's innate ability to heal itself when given the right support.
In Dr. Shustina's many years of practice, she has seen that many digestive diseases have their root cause in emotional traumas and unhealed wounds. When these underlying causes are healed, the body can heal from the inside out in a lasting way.
We focus on the mind-gut connection, incorporating energy healing techniques, personalized nutrition that evolves as you heal, and integrative approaches addressing mind, body, and spirit. If this resonates with you, contact our office to schedule your consultation and take the first step on your healing journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions, answered.
How is depression connected to gut health?
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Depression can often be linked to gut health, reflecting deeper issues like inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, or imbalances in gut microbiota. The gut and brain are in constant communication, so disruptions in digestive health can influence mood, energy, and mental clarity. At Whole Gut Health, we approach depression as more than just a mental health issue—it's connected to your overall well-being.
How does improving gut health support mental health?
+
By improving gut health, we aim to support mental clarity, mood balance, and enhance your overall quality of life. Addressing gut-related contributors such as inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, and microbiota imbalances can help create a stable physiological foundation for better mood and resilience, rather than only managing symptoms of low mood in isolation.
What does your integrative approach to depression involve?
+
Our holistic care combines advanced diagnostics, nutritional support, and integrative therapies to address gut-related contributors to depression. This may include:
- Advanced diagnostics to identify inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, and microbiota imbalances
- Nutritional support and strategic dietary changes rooted in the “food is medicine” approach
- Integrative therapies addressing gut-related contributors to low mood
- Attention to lifestyle, personal history, and life traumas
- Stress reduction techniques, movement, and mindfulness practices
Why do you treat the person rather than just the symptoms?
+
We know that symptoms are fire alarms alerting us to the root cause. If we merely turn off the alarm, we may feel better temporarily, but the cause of the alarm has not been removed. We examine the symptoms, lifestyle, personal history, and life traumas to shed light on the potential causes and the most effective treatment approaches, so that healing lasts.
Who provides care at your practice?
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Dr. Alexandra Shustina is a Board-Certified Gastroenterologist who combines the best of conventional medicine with evidence-based natural therapies and lifestyle interventions. She and her team take the time to understand your unique situation, listen to your concerns, and conduct thorough evaluations to determine the underlying causes of your symptoms.
How do I get started?
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The first step is scheduling a consultation, where we'll review your symptoms, medical history, and lifestyle in detail, then develop a personalized plan that addresses the gut-related contributors to your depression. Contact our office to schedule your initial consultation and begin your journey toward better mental and digestive health.
Reviews
The body remembers when it's finally heard.
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Dr. Shustina goes to the root level of the issue, not only superficial, so there's healing.
LG
Leah Glickman
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She has significantly improved my health. I was suffering from Ulcerative Colitis and now live normally.
ML
Monica LaBadia
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Dr. Shustina has helped me change my lifestyle and heal my gut in a way I thought impossible.
DL
Dalit Lonstein
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She listens to patients and treats conditions, not symptoms.
GS
Gabriela Salazar
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Dr. Shustina is the best doctor I have ever been to. She assesses the root of the problem.
MS
M. S.
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She is an outstanding doctor who understands the body's ability to heal itself and holistic remedies.
SS
Sibel Sebi Sharabi
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Dr. Shustina has a wealth of knowledge and is helping me heal years of gastrointestinal issues.
DC
Daniela Chaparro
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Dr. Shustina is an amazing doctor. She diagnosed my cancer early and saved my life.
MW
Mordechai Weinstein
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After one session with Dr. Shustina, my digestive pain went away.
TP
Taryn Parascand
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Doctor Shustina is the absolute best. She has helped me resolve numerous issues other doctors dismissed.
RS
Rachel S.
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Dr. Shustina is a fantastic doctor who truly cares. Her holistic approach attacks the root cause.
CS
Clay Simonsen
Begin
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