Learn strategies for optimal digestive health and holistic wellness and achieve a balanced gut and life through our Gut Health Course. Enroll today using code AGUTSYGIRL to save 25% on select courses this month!
For IIN graduate Sarah Kay Hoffman, what began as a personal journey to heal her gut soon grew into a mission to help others navigate their own gut health challenges and transform their lives.
As a health coach and founder of A Gutsy Girl, Sarah has spent years immersed in researching gut health and its overall well-being. Today, she’s on a mission to empower others by providing the information and tools they need to heal their gut and reclaim their vitality.
The Gut Microbiome and Self-Discovery
In 2008, Sarah was diagnosed with colitis. She followed conventional treatment plans but found her symptoms worsening. Exhausted, she began searching for answers beyond the traditional medical route.
“I got sick, and I knew I was sick,” Sarah says. “I remember I had written on my blog … ‘I'm committing to myself. I'm going to start the Health Coach Training Program because I know there's got to be more out there. I want to learn more.’”
Through her studies and her own research, Sarah gained a deeper understanding of the gut microbiome and a passion for gut health. “It opened up this door of complete obsession, and I mean that in the best way possible,” Sarah says.
Gut Healing and a New Inspiration
Sarah’s healing journey wasn’t without setbacks. In 2014, she was diagnosed with Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and faced severe fatigue and low thyroid function.
After adopting three children in three years and balancing life as a mom, she dedicated herself to healing. “From 2014 to 2018 … I focused on healing and researching and digging into all things gut,” she says. By 2018, Sarah says she fully healed her gut. “I’ve been fantastic ever since.”
Her father’s stage-four colon cancer diagnosis in 2017 and passing in 2019 deepened her resolve to help others. She enrolled in IIN’s Gut Health Course, which inspired her to expand her knowledge and collaborate with IIN to develop course materials.
Building A Gutsy Girl
Sarah launched A Gutsy Girl in 2012 as a personal blog to document her healing journey. Over time, it grew into a vibrant online hub offering educational content, coaching, resources, and a platform for women to connect and share experiences.
Today, A Gutsy Girl offers a variety of life-changing tools and resources to help people become their own best advocates. These include the original 90-day journal Healing Blooms from Within, a supplement line, Sarah’s bestselling book A Gutsy Girl's Bible: A 21-Day Approach to Healing the Gut, and its accompanying course, The Quick Gut Detox.
Beyond supporting her A Gutsy Girl community, Sarah is working on a personal book that will include stories from her healing journey. She also plans to restart her podcast and share her story beyond her online community. “My biggest passion is being able to share my full story and provide education through in-person speaking events, that's where I would love to take this next,” Sarah says.
Gut Health vs. Gut Healing
One of Sarah’s core teachings is the difference between gut health and gut healing.
Gut health focuses on maintaining optimal digestion and well-being for people who aren’t experiencing symptoms, while gut healing is an active process that addresses issues like IBS or IBD. Sarah explains that you can’t jump straight to gut health if your body still needs healing. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach,” she says.
Sarah’s Three Pillars for Gut Healing
Sarah’s three pillars for ultimate healing—diagnostics, diet, and lifestyle—provide a roadmap for sustainable recovery.
- Diagnostics
“You have to stop doing Dr. Google,” Sarah says. While she acknowledges the expense of diagnostic testing, she emphasizes its importance, sharing that her father’s death from colon cancer underscored the life-saving potential of an accurate diagnosis.
Combining Western and functional medicine offers a balanced approach to addressing gut issues and, in some cases, allows the use of insurance. Sarah explores this topic in her article, Beginner’s Guide to Digestive Health Testing, to help others navigate their own journeys. - Diet
“The best thing you can do is cut processed foods,” Sarah says. She encourages focusing on simple, whole foods, and using a journal to track your intake, a practice she discusses on her podcast episode, Top Dietary Change You Can Make Today. - Lifestyle
Learning to calm the mind and body is vital for gut health. “Anxiety breeds upon anxiety,” Sarah says. “It's more about how you're eating versus what you're eating.”
The Role of Lifestyle and Ayurveda
Over the years, Sarah has embraced Ayurveda to explore the connection between her genetic makeup and long-term well-being. Her latest journal, Ahara Dinacharya, offers a 28-day experience inspired by Ayurvedic principles to help others reflect on their journey and establish supportive daily routines. She’s also producing a series on Ayurveda, sharing concepts such as using food as medicine with her A Gutsy Girl community.
When Sarah discovered the Chopra Ayurvedic Health Certification at IIN, she knew it was her next step. She’s found that lifestyle is by far the hardest pillar for gut healing to conquer. “So I wanted to explore more of that lifestyle piece … it's a very holistic experience that's come full circle for me,” Sarah says.
Gut Health as the Foundation of Well-being
For Sarah, gut health isn’t just about digestion, it’s the foundation of overall well-being. “Anywhere from 70 to 90% of the immune system is in the gut, and 90% of serotonin is made in the gut,” she says. Beyond bloating or digestive discomfort, Sarah says, “There's so many reasons to pay attention to and focus on the gut.”
Enroll now in the Gut Health Course to deepen your understanding of gut health and make lasting changes to support your well-being. Enroll today using code AGUTSYGIRL to save 25% on select courses this month!
Want to discover more? Explore our full Course Catalog to find the right course for you.
Published: January 24, 2025
Updated: January 24, 2025
