In this Pre-Zero Sports Talk Podcast episode, Sid Bensalah speaks with Daina Rasutis, a nutrition therapist and gut health expert, to explore how gut health impacts athletic performance and overall well-being. Daina shares her journey from civil engineering to holistic nutrition, where she now helps clients improve energy, recovery, and mental clarity through personalized, bio-individualized nutrition plans.
This episode is packed with practical insights on the connection between nutrition and gut health for athletes, actionable strategies to avoid hidden gut disruptors and a deeper look at why “clean eating” isn’t always as clean as it seems.
What You’ll Learn
- How Gut Health Affects Athletic Performance: Why digestion, nutrient absorption, and energy production are critical for athletes.
- Inflammation & Recovery: How chronic inflammation caused by poor gut health can slow recovery and reduce training effectiveness.
- The Power of Functional Testing: How food sensitivity tests and stool analysis reveal hidden health issues that impact performance.
- Surprising ‘Healthy’ Foods to Watch Out For: Why even ‘healthy’ foods like avocados and broccoli might work against you.
- The Processed & Ultra-Processed Food Problem: How common additives like emulsifiers and dyes affect gut health and cognitive function.
- Probiotics vs. Prebiotics: What they are, how they work, and why you need both for optimal gut health.
Key Takeaways
- Root Cause Approach: Daina explains why symptoms like bloating, gas, and skin issues often trace back to gut imbalances and how she helps clients identify and resolve them.
- Simple, Actionable Advice: From reducing processed foods to using food-sensitivity testing as a tool for better health, this episode offers simple steps you can take today.
- For Parents & Teens: Insightful advice on how to support teenagers facing acne, social pressures, and beauty standards fueled by social media.
Memorable Quotes
“If there’s one thing you do, never, never, never expose plastic to heat when it’s touching your food.” — Daina Rasutis
“Athletes often think about training and nutrition as separate, but if your gut health is off, you won’t get the recovery or the gains you’re working for.” — Daina Rasutis
“No matter where your makeup comes from — big brands, boutique brands, or ‘clean beauty’ — most of it still contains chemicals.” — Sid Bensalah
About Our Guest
Daina Rasutis is a certified Nutrition Therapist Master and founder of Table to Crave, where she helps clients achieve better health from the inside out. Her personalized approach combines functional testing with sustainable nutrition strategies to address root causes, not symptoms. With a passion for gut health, she empowers clients to make lasting changes in their energy, digestion, and overall health.
Resources & Links
- Free E-Books from Daina: Tools and resources to support gut health and skin health — available at Table toCrave
- Follow Daina on Instagram: @tabletocrave