It’s All About Your Gut!
5 Things I Learned About Bloating
Over the past few months, I have been experiencing some gut discomfort. I have felt bloated, and I have felt a bit ‘off’ after some meals. I couldn’t seem to find consistency with regard to specific foods that might be affecting me either – there just didn’t seem to be a pattern.
I consider myself a pretty fit and healthy person, and this was bothering me a lot, so I decided to do a bit of research into gut health and bloating. I want to share with you some of the things I learned.
1.Your Gut Is Four Systems, Not One
We have to stop thinking of digestion as one simple on/off system. There are four connected parts when talking about the gut:
How things move through you
How well you break food down
The health of your gut lining
The balance of bacteria living in there
When one part is out of whack, the others usually feel it too. It is rare that gut issues are caused by one food all of a sudden, and it makes sense to take more of a birds-eye view to figure out the issue.
2. Bloated? Get Up and Walk It Off
If you feel bloated – get up and walk it off! (This is right up my alley!)
If your first instinct when you’re bloated is to lie down and wait it out, don’t! Movement, even just a walk, helps get things physically moving through your digestive system. So, movement isn’t just for your muscles, and walking does stuff for your digestive system as well as your cardio and mental health, so if you’re feeling bloated – move.
3. IBS Might Be a Label, Not an Answer
One of the more eye-opening points for me: an IBS diagnosis often describes your symptoms rather than explaining what’s actually causing them. It can be worth digging deeper. Testing for things like bacterial overgrowth rather than accepting IBS as the final answer and just managing symptoms forever. In short, ‘IBS’ might be a label, not an answer.
4. A Food That Upsets You Isn’t Always the Enemy
A ‘healthy’ food reacting badly doesn’t make it the enemy. If a food that’s supposed to be good for you suddenly leaves you feeling awful, that doesn’t automatically mean it’s unhealthy or banned for life. I kept thinking my gut issue was being caused by eggplant (until Deb pointed out that we hadn’t had it every time), which was good news, because I enjoy eggplant! Instead, it’s often a sign that your digestion or gut balance needs some support, rather than just eliminating a particular food.
5. The Golden Rule: Leave Gaps Between Meals
Give your gut 4–5 hours between meals. That gap lets your digestive system run its own ‘cleaning cycle’, clearing out leftover food and bacteria so things don’t sit around fermenting and causing bloat. If you have ever done my Eat Move Live program or challenge, you’ll know generally it’s best to stop or reduce the snacking between meals. Now you have another reason to cut the snacks.
Small Habits Make a Big Difference
So, gut health isn’t about chasing the latest superfood or cutting out entire food groups on a whim. It’s about supporting the whole system: movement, meal timing, digestion, and gut balance working together. Small, consistent habits (like a post-meal walk and proper spacing between meals) can make a real difference.
So, What Was Causing My Gut Issues?
After doing this research and making some small changes I was still having discomfort, so I popped off to my doctor for some tests. I had some blood tests, ultrasound, gastroscopy, and a breath test, which I hadn’t had before, and the breath test returned positive for some bacteria. I’ve had a course of antibiotics and 3 weeks later had a repeat test (you have to wait that long) and now I’m awaiting the results to see if the issue has gone, or if we need to do something else. I’m glad that the issue didn’t occur while I was in Japan, so I’m hopeful the antibiotics have cleared it up. Now I know how to look after my gut health in the future, and hopefully I’ve given you a few tips too.
This is my personal experience, not medical advice. If you’ve got ongoing gut symptoms, have a chat with your GP.
Have an awesome October!
If you’re keen to give your gut a bit of extra love, download my free Gut-Friendly Recipe Book from the Freebies page. Pair it with a post-meal walk and those 4 to 5 hour gaps, and you’re off to a great start!