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Gut health is essential health—and we all know, when it acts up, it can wreak havoc on our day-to-day. Here, tips and advice from experts for how to take back control of your GI well-being.
your most pressing gut-health questions, answered
Get a Diagnosis
According to Claire Rifkin, a women’s health dietician, one of the most important things to do when navigating gut health symptoms is never to go it alone. Consulting a gastroenterologist and procuring an official diagnosis should always be the first step. After that, you can focus on food, supplements and lifestyle changes that can ideally provide you with symptom relief.
There are truly so many things that could be going on when you’re dealing with gut health issues.
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THINGS TO DO
THINGS TO KNOW
HOW TO ADAPT
Q
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WHAT IS THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO EACH DAY TO IMPROVE GUT HEALTH FOR THE LONG-TERM?
Eat fiber! And eat a variety of it. Berries, leafy greens, oats, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains. Research consistently shows that microbial diversity (you know, the vast variety of micro-organisms inhabiting your gut) improves with a greater diversity of fiber-rich plant foods. It’s also associated with metabolic resilience, immune regulation and a reduced GI symptom burden. For reference, we want to aim for about 25-38 grams of total fiber per day.
Speaking of fiber, are supplements the answer?
No! I see people spending so much money on supplements while eating virtually no fiber. Clinically speaking, most commercial probiotic strains do not permanently colonize the gut. Their benefits are often strain-specific and context-dependent. In fact, for certain GI conditions, they can cause more harm than good. What tends to have a more consistent, lasting impact is prebiotic intake, which is the fermentable fibers that feed the beneficial bacteria already living in your gut. You can get these from fiber and plant foods like oats, bananas and legumes. That’s really where most people should be starting.
What is your best advice for managing the stress that arises with gut health issues?
Stress is absolutely a trigger for gut issues. The gut-brain axis is bidirectional, which means that stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system. This slows gastric motility, alters intestinal permeability and increases visceral hypersensitivity, which is all just a fancy way of saying: You’re stressed and it’s making your tummy hurt. That’s why someone can eat the exact same meal two days in a row and only have symptoms on the stressful day. The good news is there are ways to manage daily stress in relation to our gut health. Things like consistent meal timing, adequate sleep, regular movement and managing caffeine intake are all ways we can mitigate stress.
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— Claire Rifkin
MS, RDN, LDN, Women’s Health Dietitian
THINGS TO DO
THINGS TO KNOW
HOW TO ADAPT
— Claire Rifkin
MS, RDN, LDN, Women’s Health Dietitian
That might look like taking a few deep breaths with an elongated exhale. Tell your digestive tract that there is going to be food on the way.
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Reality check: Eating in a rushed state can increase gastrointestinal symptoms and our perception of them because visceral sensitivity can be heightened under stress, Rifkin explains. The antidote? Building in a bit of space between you and the meal.
Create a Digestive Runway
— Claire Rifkin
MS, RDN, LDN, Women’s Health Dietitian
When you compress a huge meal into one sitting, that can lead to reflux, abdominal pain, bloating, gas. [That’s why you want to] try to eat at the same time—and consistently—every day.
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Our gut is highly rhythmic, which means the more that we can eat at consistent intervals that are relatively around the same time each day, the better we’ll feel, Rifkin says.
Predictability matters
The Check-In
GUT HEALTH EDITION
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Ask Claire Rifkin
MS, RDN, LDN
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