Prior to being diagnosed with coeliac disease and IBS, I had no idea about gut health or what to do to optimise it. Over the years, I’ve gained invaluable knowledge through personal experience alongside learning from and suppporting hundreds of clients with gut health concerns. Through this, I’ve figured out what works to best manage my gut health.  

Disclaimer: this is what works for me. Everyone is different and I highly recommend seeking individualised advice. 

Sleep

First and foremost, prioritising sleep. Without a doubt, if I have a bad night’s sleep or don’t get to bed early enough, my gut is flared up the next day, combined with feeling sluggish and lethargic on top of that. So, for this reason, I do my best to keep to a sleep routine of going to bed and waking up around the same time (within about 20-30min) every day!

Regular meals

Next up, I make an effort to eat regularly. This helps to keep my digestion going and keeps my bowels regular. I notice a massive difference on days where I may accidentally forget to eat lunch, or eat meals a lot later than usual. 

Eating a variety of plant based foods

I always focus on getting a variety of plant based foods. Studies suggest that eating at least 30 different plant foods (fruit, vegetables, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, wholegrains) a week helps to improve microbiome diversity and overall gut health. Therefore, each day I try to pack in as many plant foods as I can over the day.

I try to make the most of snacks to help with this, for example some snacks I may take to work include:

• Blueberries
• Cherry tomatoes
• Nuts and seeds
• Carrot sticks

There’s four different plant foods throughout the day on top of whatever I have for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Another hack I love doing is adding mixed herbs into my eggs in the morning, giving my gut bacteria a variety of plant fibres to feast on! 

Keep hydrated

If you have met me, I will without a doubt, have my emotional support water bottle with me at all times. This helps me stay on top of my fluid intake which also helps to keep my gut happy and healthy. Additionally, by always having a water bottle on hand, this helps me to avoid reaching for fluids like fruit juice or carbonated drinks when I’m thirsty and out and about. These types of  fluids don’t agree with my gut. 

Movement

Finally, I prioritise moving my body every day, whether this includes going for a run, walking the dog or a home workout. I find movement is a great way to keep my stress levels managed which then helps reduce IBS flare ups. 

Hopefully, you find some of these IBS tips and tricks a helpful addition to your daily routine to improve your gut health. Please remember, if your gut symptoms are impacting on your life, seek individualise professional help. We offer specialist gut health dietitian appointments that can help you get your gut health back on track in 2024. Enquire HERE to speak with a dietitian. 

Published: 6th Feb 2024

Author: Kelsey Paterson, Monash FODMAP trained Dietitian