Heal Your Gut and Feel Like Yourself Again

Can Functional Medicine Help with Bloating, IBS, and Other Gut Problems?

Often, yes. Persistent bloating, IBS, reflux, and food reactions usually have an underlying cause, such as an imbalance in gut bacteria, SIBO, food sensitivities, low stomach acid, or gut inflammation. Dr. Lisa Gengo, a functional medicine physician in Stamford, CT, uses a detailed history and targeted testing to find that cause, then builds a nutrition-first plan to help your gut heal.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Lisa Gengo, ND, PA-C, FMCP-M · Updated September 2026

Why a Former Cardiac Surgery PA Starts with the Gut

Before functional medicine, Dr. Gengo spent years in cardiac surgery, eventually becoming Chief PA at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell. She saw heart disease at its most advanced, and she saw how often it was connected to things that started much earlier: chronic inflammation, blood sugar problems, and poor nutrient status.

Over time, she kept coming back to the same place: the gut. Your digestive system is where nutrients are absorbed, where a large part of your immune system lives, and where inflammation can quietly begin. When the gut isn't working well, the effects can show up far beyond your stomach—in your energy, your mood, your skin, your cholesterol, and your long-term heart health.

That's why gut health is a cornerstone of her practice. Dr. Lisa Gengo, ND, PA-C, FMCP-M sees patients in Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk, Westport, and throughout Fairfield County, CT.

Common Isn't the Same as Normal

Many people have lived with bloating, gas, heartburn, or unpredictable bathroom habits for so long that it feels normal. Maybe you've been told it's "just IBS," "just stress," or something you'll have to live with. Maybe you've cut out food after food and still don't feel better.

Digestive symptoms are common, but they are also signals. Persistent bloating after meals, alternating constipation and diarrhea, reflux that keeps coming back, or reactions to foods you used to tolerate can point to underlying issues such as an imbalance in gut bacteria, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), low stomach acid, food sensitivities, or inflammation.

The goal isn't to find one more food to avoid. It's to understand why your digestive system is struggling—so you can actually fix it.

Why Your Gut Matters for Your Whole Body—Including Your Heart

Your gut does far more than digest food. It helps regulate inflammation, supports your immune system, and determines how well you absorb the nutrients your body depends on—including magnesium, B vitamins, and iron.

Research increasingly links gut health to inflammation, blood sugar regulation, cholesterol, and cardiovascular risk. When the gut lining is irritated or the balance of bacteria is off, low-grade inflammation can affect systems throughout the body. That's one reason Dr. Gengo doesn't treat digestion as a separate problem. Improving gut health often helps patients feel better in ways they didn't expect: more energy, clearer thinking, calmer skin, and better lab numbers.

Finding the Root Cause, Not Just Managing Symptoms

Dr. Gengo starts with a detailed conversation about your symptoms, history, diet, stress, sleep, and medications. Depending on what she hears, evaluation may include:

• A comprehensive stool analysis, when appropriate, to look at digestion, inflammation, and the balance of gut bacteria
• SIBO breath testing when it’s needed, often coordinated with a gastroenterologist
• Nutrient labs to check for deficiencies that can result from poor absorption
• Markers of inflammation and metabolic health
• A review of foods, medications, and supplements that may be affecting digestion

The goal isn't to order every test available. It's to ask the right questions so the right tests lead to a clear plan.

Healing the Gut with More Good Food—Not an Endless List of Don'ts

Many people with digestive problems have already tried cutting out gluten, dairy, sugar, and more—and ended up with a restrictive diet and symptoms that still haven't resolved.

Dr. Gengo's philosophy: Nutrition isn't about eating less. It's about eating more of what actually nourishes you. She works from abundance—real, nutrient-dense foods that help repair the gut, feed beneficial bacteria, and support the whole body. When a temporary change is needed to calm symptoms, it's done with a clear purpose and a plan to expand your diet again, not as a permanent way of life.

Want a head start? Read Bloating After Eating? A Functional Medicine Guide to Gut Health.