Natural Gut Health & Digestive Repair

Chronic digestive problems affect your whole life. The bloating after every meal. The unpredictable bathroom emergencies. The endless list of foods you've learned to avoid. You've probably been told it's stress, or that you just need more fiber, or that you'll have to manage symptoms forever. That's not true, and you deserve better answers.

Dr. Kelly Simms is a naturopathic gut health specialist serving Chicago and patients nationwide through telehealth. As a naturopathic doctor (ND), certified nutrition specialist (CNS), and Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Endocrinology (FABNE), she brings a unique combination of digestive and hormonal expertise that helps patients, especially women, finally find lasting relief.

Her approach is different: identify the root cause of your digestive issues, not just mask symptoms. Through advanced functional testing and personalized natural treatments, Dr. Simms helps patients move from managing their gut problems to actually healing them.

If you're struggling with IBS, SIBO, bloating, food sensitivities, or unexplained digestive symptoms that haven't improved with conventional treatment, Dr. Simms can help. 

Is This You? Signs You Need a Gut Health Specialist

Digestive symptoms are your body's way of signaling that something isn't working. If any of these sound familiar, working with a gut health specialist could change everything:

• Bloating that makes you look pregnant by the end of the day
• Constipation, diarrhea, or unpredictable swings between both
• Gas that's embarrassing and uncomfortable
• Food reactions (you've cut out dairy, gluten, and who knows what else, but nothing helps)
• Fatigue after eating, even when you eat "healthy"
• Brain fog that gets worse after meals
• Abdominal pain or cramping with no clear explanation
• Acid reflux or heartburn that antacids barely touch

You've probably tried fiber supplements, elimination diets, probiotics from the drugstore, and maybe even prescription medications. Some things help a little. Nothing fixes the problem.

That frustration makes sense. Conventional medicine often focuses on managing symptoms rather than asking why your gut is struggling in the first place. If you're ready for a different approach, one that digs deeper and aims for real healing, you're in the right place.

Why Choose Dr. Kelly Simms for Your Gut Health

Many practitioners treat digestive issues. What makes Dr. Simms different is her training, her approach, and her understanding of how gut health connects to everything else in your body.

Board-Certified Naturopathic Expertise

Dr. Simms earned her Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine and holds additional credentials as a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) and Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Endocrinology (FABNE). That last credential matters: she's one of a small number of naturopathic doctors board-certified in naturopathic endocrinology, giving her specialized expertise in how hormones and metabolism affect the entire body, including the gut.

Her training combines the diagnostic rigor of conventional medicine with the natural treatment philosophy of naturopathic care. She orders labs. She reads research. She also recognizes that your body has an innate ability to heal when given the right support.

Learn more about Dr. Simms' background and training.

The Gut-Hormone Connection Most Doctors Miss

Here's something most conventional doctors don't discuss: your gut and your hormones are deeply connected. For women especially, this connection explains why digestive symptoms often appear or worsen when on hormonal birth control, during perimenopause, menopause, or alongside conditions like PCOS.

Estrogen affects gut motility, the gut microbiome, and intestinal permeability. Progesterone influences how quickly food moves through your system. Thyroid hormones regulate metabolism throughout the digestive tract. When these hormones shift (during your menstrual cycle, during perimenopause, or due to conditions like PCOS) your gut often reacts.

Dr. Simms' dual expertise in gut health and hormonal health means she sees patterns other practitioners miss. Women come to her after years of being told their symptoms are "just stress" or "normal aging." They're not. And understanding the gut-hormone connection often unlocks solutions that weren't possible before.

Root Cause Treatment, Not Band-Aid Solutions

The conventional approach to digestive problems usually goes like this: here's a medication to slow your diarrhea, here's a laxative for your constipation, here's an antacid for your reflux. Take them indefinitely. Avoid trigger foods forever.

That's symptom management. It's not healing.

Dr. Simms practices root cause medicine. Instead of asking "what medication matches this symptom," she asks "why is your body doing this?" The answer might be bacterial overgrowth in your small intestine. It might be a food sensitivity triggering inflammation. It might be hormonal shifts affecting your gut motility. It might be several things working together.

Once you understand the root cause, treatment becomes targeted and effective. The goal isn't managing your gut problems forever. It's resolving them so you can eat, digest, and live without constant worry about your stomach.

How We Help You Heal Your Gut

Working with Dr. Simms follows a clear process designed to uncover what's actually happening in your digestive system and create a personalized plan for healing.

Step 1: Comprehensive Health Assessment

Your first appointment is different from what you've experienced elsewhere. Dr. Simms spends real time listening to your symptoms, your history, your patterns, your concerns. Many patients say this is the first time a doctor has actually heard them.

This detailed intake covers your digestive symptoms, of course, but also your sleep, stress, hormonal health, diet, lifestyle, and medical history. Gut issues rarely exist in isolation. Understanding your whole health picture reveals connections that lead to better treatment.

Step 2: Advanced Functional Testing

Guessing doesn't work. Dr. Simms uses specialized testing to see what's actually happening inside your gut:

Comprehensive stool analysis reveals the balance of bacteria, yeast, and parasites in your digestive tract, plus markers of inflammation, digestion, leaky gut, and absorption. This isn't the basic stool test your primary care doctor orders. It's a detailed map of your gut ecosystem.

SIBO breath testing detects small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, one of the most common underlying causes of IBS symptoms. If you've been diagnosed with IBS but never tested for SIBO, you may have missed a treatable root cause.

Food sensitivity testing identifies immune reactions to specific foods that may be triggering your symptoms. This goes beyond common allergens to reveal hidden triggers you'd never identify through elimination alone.

Testing takes the guesswork out of treatment. When you know exactly what's going on, you can address it directly.

Step 3: Your Personalized Treatment Plan

Based on your assessment and test results, Dr. Simms creates a treatment plan tailored specifically to your situation. This typically includes:

Targeted nutrition recommendations that go beyond generic advice to "eat more fiber." Instead, you receive specific dietary changes based on what your body actually needs. This might mean a therapeutic diet to address SIBO, strategic food eliminations based on your sensitivity results, or gut-healing foods to repair intestinal damage.

Nutraceuticals and supplements selected for your specific issues. This could include probiotics matched to your microbiome needs, digestive enzymes if testing shows poor digestion, anti-inflammatory compounds, or gut-healing nutrients like L-glutamine.

Herbal medicine with proven therapeutic effects on the digestive system. Dr. Simms uses herbs that reduce inflammation, support healthy gut bacteria, address overgrowth, and calm an irritated digestive tract.

Lifestyle modifications that support digestive healing, because how you eat, how you manage stress, and how you sleep all affect your gut function.

Step 4: Ongoing Support and Optimization

Healing takes time, and your needs may shift as your gut improves. Dr. Simms provides ongoing support through follow-up appointments where you track progress, adjust treatments, and address new concerns as they arise.

The goal is lasting change, not temporary relief. Most patients find that after completing treatment, they can eat more freely, digest more comfortably, and live without the constant mental burden of managing a difficult gut.

Digestive Conditions We Treat

Dr. Simms helps patients with a wide range of gut health concerns, including:

• IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) often with SIBO as an underlying cause
• SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) a common driver of bloating, gas, and irregular bowels
• Chronic bloating and gas with treatment focused on identifying the root cause
• Constipation going beyond fiber to find why motility is impaired
• Diarrhea addressing inflammation, infection, or malabsorption
• Leaky gut (intestinal permeability) repairing the gut lining
• Food sensitivities and reactions with testing and strategic dietary changes
• GERD and acid reflux using natural approaches that address the cause
• Inflammatory bowel disease support providing complementary care for Crohn's and ulcerative colitis
• Candida and yeast overgrowth with testing and targeted treatment

If your digestive issue isn't listed here, contact us to ask whether Dr. Simms can help.

Gut Health Appointments: Chicago and Nationwide Telehealth

Dr. Simms sees patients in person at her Chicago and North Shore offices, and remotely through secure telehealth appointments.

Chicago Office: 2559 N. Southport Ave. Chicago, IL 60614

North Shore Office: 1150 Wilmette Ave., Suite C, Wilmette, IL 60091 

North Shore Location: Serving Evanston, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, Lake Forest, and surrounding communities.

Nationwide Telehealth: Cannot make it to Chicago? Dr. Simms sees menopause patients across the country through secure video consultations. Lab work can be completed locally, and treatment plans work just as effectively remotely. If you are seeking a holistic menopause doctor and cannot find one in your area, distance does not have to be a barrier.

View the current fee schedule for appointment costs and what to expect.

Ready to Feel Better? Book Your Gut Health Appointment

You don't have to keep living with digestive problems that control your life. Real relief is possible when you work with a gut health specialist who takes time to find the root cause and treats your whole person, not just your symptoms.

Dr. Kelly Simms has helped hundreds of patients in Chicago and beyond finally resolve gut issues that other doctors couldn't fix. Her combination of naturopathic training, functional testing, and expertise in the gut-hormone connection gives her tools that most practitioners simply don't have.

Your next step is simple: schedule an appointment and start getting answers.

Schedule Your Appointment

Questions before booking? Contact us. We're happy to help you determine if Dr. Simms is the right fit for your gut health needs.