e’re often told to “listen to your gut”, but that’s easier said than done when the messages it sends are unclear. Many of us know we have gut problems, but few have a clear sense of how to avoid them – an issue compounded by stigma and silence.
Holland & Barrett is tackling this issue head-on with free, confidential gut health consultations that offer one-to-one support from qualified health and wellness advisers, dealing with an issue that, despite its ubiquity, is shrouded in silence.
“I can’t remember the last night it wasn’t in the back of my mind. The discomfort and the potential embarrassment.” Hannah is in her fifties and has been suffering from digestive problems for the past ten years.
Debbie, in her early thirties, sympathises: “I’ve had gut issues and pain since I was a child. I’ve tried to avoid certain foods, but it’s frustrating because it’s quite complicated to work out exactly which foods.”
They are not alone. According to Dr Anton Emmanuel at University College Hospital, around one in four people in the UK have at least one digestive symptom at any given time. But if a quarter of us are struggling, why do we talk about it so little?
The answer may be deceptively juvenile – when we talk about the gut, we think about the toilet.
“I know for me – single and dating – it’s really difficult if I’m having an issue,” says Debbie. “I’m even embarrassed to talk about it with my friends. That’s why my consultation was invaluable.”
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It’s about stopping
the issues before they even start
Digestive issues affect one in four people, says
Amanda Wild, but not many of us talk about it.
Luckily, preventative help is here
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Book your free one-to-one wellness consultation with a qualified health and wellbeing adviser at hollandandbarrett.com/info/video-chat/
The key is to take a proactive approach to avoid these issues, rather than a purely reactive one. “I think that on some level I didn’t believe it could ever get better, so I just tried not to think about it at all,” says Hannah. “Since my consultation, I’ve realised it’s about taking charge of this area of my health to stop the issues before they even start.”
Small changes that slowly increase gut health can be crucial to ensuring that if you do slip up (you’re only human, after all) your gut is in a good place to handle it.
Anything from high-fibre foods to ingredients such as chicory root can affect the gut positively. As we integrate gut health into our lives, we help fight the stigma that has left people suffering in silence needlessly. Even Twinings is getting into it, offering a range of teas called BioBlends, which contain friendly bacteria.
But for some, it’s not so simple. “Most of the time, I focus on reacting because I love cheese, so often I just think: screw it! But I have been in a meeting when I’ve had to… ” Debbie hesitates. “I’ve needed to break wind.”
Here we get to the heart of the issue: to talk about gut health is to talk about the most embarrassing functions of the human body. But it shouldn’t be stigmatised, and solutions are available.
They include products like Doctor Gut, which relieves the abdominal pain, bloating and gas associated with IBS; and the Tribiotic range, which combines pre, pro and post-biotics in the form of billions of good bacteria.
Holland & Barrett has long been an advocate for good gut health and offers a wide range of products – from Made for You Healthy Gut Granola to Tribiotic Immunity capsules – which can make gut care a part of your daily routine with little disruption.
“I wish I could tell my younger self: ‘It’s OK, it’s not a big deal, so many people have it,’” Hannah says. “The gut is the largest endocrine organ in the body. Looking after it is important for all of us. And it’s part of learning how to treat and love your body.”
As we better understand the connections between our digestive and immune systems, it’s never been more critical to make sure you can trust your gut.
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I wish I could tell my younger self: ‘It’s OK, it’s not a big deal’
H&B Expert Triple Action Biotic
£29.99 for 60 capsules
H&B Made for You Three Seed Spiced Healthy Gut Granola
£4.29 for 350g
Doctor Gut IBS Relief
£7.29 for 30 capsules
H&B Gut Powered Ultimate + 100 Billion Live Friendly Bacteria
£29.99 for 30 capsules
H&B Apple Cider Vinegar with Manuka Honey
£8.99 for 500ml
H&B Tribiotics Immunity
£27.99 for 60 capsules
