The Hidden Impact: How Grief and Trauma Disrupt Digestion, Blood Sugar, Sleep and More Untethered Nutrition | by Michelle Hanks Nutritional Therapy

As someone not new to loss and sorrow, I see the look in people's eyes when I say how the depths of grief have wrecked my body over the past few years. Honestly, it's hard to even acknowledge it in myself because something in me feels like it's the lamest excuse for not being able to man-up and get it right or for my body just not responding to my efforts the same way it always has. In a raw and visceral way, I know that with new ripping open of my heart and this deep brokenness on a real, soul level, my chemical pathways were damaged somewhere down the line too. My desire and discipline suffer, my drive can be lackadaisical at best, and this is so unlike the "me" I've always known that it adds layers to the unwavering reminder that I'm forever changed by my experiences. Even with the utmost awareness, I am suspended in this re-learning of myself and my body and I know that no matter how much time has passed, my body has become something new and different in the wake of death and mourning that rocked my life to the core. I imagine the deepest wound a 24 year old girl could endure, losing her Mom with her brand new 6 month old baby on her hip, finally starting to heal. Grief storms through in that relentless way it does, and just as the sun starts shining again, then the wound is ripped open and cut deeper a few years later when her grandmother dies. There's barely time to find healing again before a new blow cuts her deeper still when her grandfather joins his love in Heaven just a few short years later. All of this.. there is a way back from. It hurts but there's enduring and growing and learning and loving through the pain, because she at least still has her Dad through it all, the last man standing for her, in a sense. That last one though, watching cancer wreak havoc on him and take him from her too, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Each loss stacked on the last and every person she loved that she lost, took a part of her with them when they left this earth. She is me but also not at all, and now here I am, with less of "me" and more pain to carry. This is how I know that even a journey of 13 years isn't "too long" to grieve and for grief to wreck you on all the levels.

Most people don’t realize that grief and trauma can leave imprints far beyond the emotional. The human body is a masterpiece and it is intricately intertwined on purpose. We are FEELING beings and these invisible wounds don’t just stay in the mind~ They ripple through the entire body, disrupting the foundational systems in the way we digest food, regulate blood sugar, balance minerals and essential fatty acids, sleep, and think. This isn’t just “mind-body” theory~ It is so painstakingly real, physiological, and rooted in the survival mechanisms of the nervous system. It's a bittersweet symphony, this life! And we were created with every single cell of the body in mind, and they all sympathize and interact with each other. Here's what’s really happening beneath the surface in relation to your foundational systems:

1. Digestion: When the Body Feels Unsafe, It Can't Digest

When we experience trauma or deep grief, our nervous system shifts into survival mode. The sympathetic nervous system, our “fight or flight” response, takes over and diverts blood away from the digestive organs and toward muscles and the brain to prepare for action. Your brain is smart and is always looking to protect you. This means:

• Digestive secretions (stomach acid, bile, enzymes) drop.

• Motility slows or becomes irregular.

• The gut lining becomes more permeable, increasing inflammation and food sensitivities.

• Microbiome diversity suffers under chronic stress hormones.

So, if you’re dealing with bloating, indigestion, or food intolerances after a loss or traumatic season (and the amount of time you are in healing is irrelevant and unique to you,) you’re not “broken.” It does seem to add insult to injury, but your body is just trying to protect you, and that's really precious and intelligent if you think about it.

2. Blood Sugar: The Cortisol Rollercoaster

Grief and trauma often push us into a state of cortisol dysregulation. Cortisol is the hormone that helps us respond to stress, but in chronic stress, it can backfire:

Elevated cortisol can cause insulin resistance, which signals the liver to release glucose into the bloodstream (even when you haven’t eaten,) and blood sugar spikes and crashes become the norm. Cravings for sugar and caffeine often follow, further stressing the system.

Even if you’re eating clean, trauma-induced blood sugar swings can leave you feeling anxious, exhausted, and shaky. Just to further hit home how closely related your systems are... When your cortisol remains elevated and leads to insulin resistance.. If left untreated, insulin resistance can lead to a plethora of downstream impacts such as:

Hormonal & Metabolic Imbalances, which cause:

Weight gain (especially around the belly,) fatigue and blood sugar crashes, PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome,) thyroid dysfunction, even non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Cardiovascular Risk, such as:

High blood pressure, high triglycerides, low HDL (“good” cholesterol,) increased risk of heart disease and stroke

Inflammation & Long-Term Stress, causing:

Chronic inflammation, oxidative stress (cellular damage,) premature aging (fun, right?) and even increased cancer risk

Cognitive & Mental Health, with symptoms like:

Brain fog, cravings and mood swings, increased risk of anxiety or depression, cognitive decline / “Type 3 Diabetes” (which is linked to Alzheimer’s)

I know it looks extreme, but all of that just to show that there's a snowball effect when we let symptoms go and don't take action to treat them. The good news is that, when insulin resistance is caused from chronically elevated cortisol and blood sugar dysregulation, it is reversible with the right root-cause approach, addressing blood sugar balance, focusing on whole foods nutrition, implementing muscle-building movement in your daily routine, proper sleep and stress support, and targeted supplements when necessary. This is where knowing a friendly functional nutritionist comes in handy! ;)

3. Mineral and Fatty Acid Depletion: Your Cells Feel It Too

Stress increases the need for magnesium, sodium, potassium, and zinc. These minerals are critical for calming the nervous system, energy production, and hydration balance.

Magnesium is depleted quickly under chronic stress. Zinc loss impacts immune function and gut repair. Sodium and potassium imbalances can affect adrenal health and hydration.

Essential fatty acids, especially omega-3s, are also used up more rapidly when you're in a trauma state. These are needed for brain health, anti-inflammatory signaling, and cellular repair. The result? You're more inflamed, more fatigued, and less resilient on a cellular level. A note on that: Often in modern medicine, when you find yourself stressed and anxious and depressed (par for the course in grief and trauma,) your doctor will prescribe medication before addressing any imbalances that may be causing these things, and more often than not, these medications will deplete you of minerals like magnesium, zinc, sodium, and iron. Symptoms you feel when these key nutrients are depleted? Stress, anxiety, depression. I know you can see the conundrum! So always ask your doctor what minerals your medication may deplete so you can supplement and get the most out of the help modern medicine is trying to offer you, and if your doctor doesn't know the answer, please do your own research and advocate for yourself!

4. Sleep Disruption: Rest Is Unsafe in Survival Mode

Grief often disturbs sleep, and if you've experienced it (I hope you haven't,) then you know this. The biology behind this goes deeper than sadness.

It is normal for your cortisol levels to drop at night, but if a stressed state keeps it elevated, it keeps you awake. Melatonin production is suppressed by stress hormones and blood sugar crashes at night can trigger adrenaline surges and wake you up. It's a vicious cycle.

Even if you sleep 8 hours, you may not feel restored. Trauma changes the architecture of your sleep cycles, especially your deep and REM sleep, which is where healing happens.

5. Hydration: Trauma Dries You Up.... Literally

When cortisol is chronically elevated:

You lose more water through urine (even if you don’t notice,) your electrolyte balance is disrupted, especially sodium and potassium, and cells become less responsive to hydration, even if you’re drinking enough.

This “internal drought” affects your lymphatic flow, detox pathways, and joint lubrication. You might feel stiff, swollen, or sluggish. Again.... fun, right? But this may give you a small "aha!" moment for how you've been feeling.

Here's what you can do if you've found yourself in grief and/ or trauma that has seemingly thrown a wrench in your body's function:

Restore Safety First:

Functional nutrition honors the root cause, and in cases of trauma, the root is often nervous system dysregulation. Supporting the body means working from the ground up:

Nervous system support: Slow breathing, nature walks, somatic work, gentle movement.

Mineral repletion: Use adrenal cocktails, trace mineral drops, and whole food sources.

Nourish the gut gently: Warm, cooked foods. Bone broth. Bitters. Digestive support.

Balance blood sugar: Protein at every meal, no fasting under stress, incorporate gentle carbs.

Hydrate with purpose: Add minerals, sip throughout the day, focus on cellular hydration.

In closing, I just want to leave you with this:

Your Body Is Not Betraying You.

If you're in a season of grief, trauma, or emotional exhaustion, take a breath and try to focus on the truth, that your body is not failing you, even when it feels otherwise. It's protecting you. These shifts in digestion, sleep, hydration, and energy aren’t random. They’re survival adaptations.

With support, nourishment, and regulation, your body can return to balance. This is where functional nutrition becomes a bridge.. Not just to physical healing, but to emotional resilience.

You're not broken. You are healing. Honor this season you're in and give your heart and your body some grace and whatever you do, don't give up. As time goes on, your grief becomes a part of your life but it isn't so big and heavy, the more your life expands. Reach out if you need an ear from someone who gets it! If and when you're ready to control the controllables and focus on the things that keep your body well, even in the dark seasons, I have the perfect 6 week opportunity coming up, for you to focus on reducing inflammation, optimizing digestion, regulating blood sugar, healing the gut and balancing the hormones, and supporting your body's detoxification with a community of like-minded women leaning in together that will surely contribute to a more calm and peaceful nervous system! It's the community and the knowledge you'll take away that make the most empowering difference in standing tall and supporting your body as it does it's very best to support you! >>> Find out more and join the wait list here! <<<