Ever feel bloated, sluggish, or like your energy is running on fumes? It might not be just stress, aging, or bad luck—it could be your gut health.

In this episode of the Midlife Mavericks Podcast, I sit down with Functional Medicine Practitioner Lorraine Cussen to break down leaky gut—what it is, what causes it, and why it matters for men in midlife.

Lorraine shares her personal journey of struggling with health issues, how she turned things around, and why gut health became her passion and life’s work.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ What the heck is leaky gut? (and why it’s more common than you think)

✅ How stress, diet, and alcohol damage your gut without you realizing it

✅ The symptoms of a damaged gut—fatigue, brain fog, bloating, joint pain, and more

✅ Why most doctors overlook gut health (and what functional medicine does differently)

✅ How to heal your gut naturally—the foods, supplements, and habits that actually work

Lorraine and I dive deep into how chronic stress wrecks digestion, how food can be either medicine or poison, and why your gut is the foundation of everything—your energy, your metabolism, even your testosterone levels.

Your gut is talking to you. Are you listening?

🎧 Listen now and learn how to fix your gut for good.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Health and Purpose

04:04 Understanding Leaky Gut

07:01 The Role of Gut Health in Overall Well-being

10:05 Causes of Leaky Gut

12:58 Impact of Lifestyle Choices on Gut Health

15:40 The Connection Between Stress and Gut Health

26:13 The Impact of Chronic Stress on Gut Health

28:24 Personal Experiences with Leaky Gut

31:40 Understanding Symptoms of Leaky Gut

35:16 The Connection Between Gut Health and Autoimmune Diseases

39:51 Conventional vs. Functional Medicine Perspectives

46:06 Long-Term Consequences of Ignoring Gut Health

52:32 Testing for Leaky Gut and Intestinal Permeability

54:48 Understanding Leaky Gut and Testing

57:42 Healing Strategies for Leaky Gut

01:00:40 The Role of Supplements in Gut Health

01:03:41 Personal Experiences with Gut Healing

01:06:49 The Importance of Individualized Treatment

01:09:40 Client Transformations and Dietary Impact

01:21:01 Empowering Midlife Men

01:21:26 Taking Action for Health and Purpose