If your digestion feels out of balance, whether it’s bloating, irregular bowel movements, or just that “off” feeling in your gut, you’re not alone. Many people live with daily discomfort without realising just how much their gut health affects everything from energy and mood to immunity and skin.
The good news is that your gut can respond really well to the right kind of care. You don’t need extreme diets or expensive regimes to feel better. With small, consistent changes to your food, habits, and lifestyle, it is entirely possible to support your gut in a natural, sustainable way. If you would like to understand more about how a nutritionist can help you, we offer a free 15-minute preliminary chat with an online nutritionist.
In this article, we’ll walk you through simple, practical ways to improve your gut health naturally. You’ll learn what to eat, what to avoid, how to reduce bloating, and how to spot when your gut might be asking for help. If you suspect IBS, take a look at our article What Does IBS Feel Like? If you’re ready to feel more comfortable and more in control of your digestion, you’re in the right place.
What Are the Signs of an Unhealthy Gut?
Your gut plays a key role in more than just digestion. It helps regulate your immune system, supports hormone balance, and even influences your mood. So when something isn’t quite right in the gut, it often shows up in more ways than you’d expect.
Signs your gut might need support
Some signs of poor gut health are obvious, while others are easier to overlook or blame on something else. Here are some of the most common signals your gut may be out of balance:
- Bloating, gas, or discomfort after eating
- Irregular bowel movements, including diarrhoea or constipation
- Frequent food intolerances or sensitivities
- Fatigue or low energy
- Brain fog or trouble concentrating
- Skin flare-ups such as acne, eczema, or rosacea
- Mood changes, anxiety, or low mood
- Frequent colds or a weakened immune system
How poor gut health shows up in digestion, energy, and mood
Digestive symptoms are usually the first to appear. Bloating, pain, or inconsistent bowel habits are often signs that your gut bacteria are imbalanced or that your digestion isn’t working as efficiently as it should. Over time, this can affect how well you absorb nutrients, which can leave you feeling run down or low on energy.
Gut health is also closely linked to your brain. Through what’s known as the gut-brain axis [1], imbalances in the gut can contribute to increased stress, anxiety, and low mood. If you feel like your digestion and mental health have both been out of sync, your gut may be playing a part in both.
How to Improve Gut Health and Bloating Without Medication
Bloating is one of the most common signs that your gut may need some support. It can leave you feeling uncomfortable, heavy, and frustrated – especially when it seems to happen no matter what you eat. The good news is that there are gentle, natural ways to ease bloating and support your gut without relying on medication.
Gentle strategies to reduce bloating naturally
Start by giving your digestive system a little breathing space. Herbal teas such as peppermint [2], chamomile [3], or ginger [4] can help relax the gut and ease indigestion. A warm compress or hot water bottle over the stomach can also soothe cramping or tightness.
Stress has a big impact on bloating. The more stressed you feel, the more tense your digestive system can become. Gentle movement, calming activities like walking or stretching, and getting enough rest all help calm the nervous system, which in turn supports your gut.
It can also help to simplify your meals. Rather than lots of different foods all at once, stick to fewer ingredients per meal and chew slowly. This makes it easier for your body to break things down, reducing the chances of fermentation and gas building up.
Eating habits that support digestion
How you eat can be just as important as what you eat. Many people with IBS or digestive issues benefit from:
- Eating slowly and without distractions
- Avoiding large, heavy meals
- Leaving a gap of at least three to four hours between meals
- Sitting upright during and after eating
- Staying well hydrated throughout the day
These small adjustments can make a noticeable difference in how your gut feels after eating. If you’re still experiencing regular bloating despite these changes, it may be worth speaking to a practitioner who can help identify any underlying issues such as food sensitivities, bacterial imbalance, or sluggish motility.
What Is the Quickest Way to Heal Your Gut Naturally?
When your gut is giving you trouble, it’s natural to want a quick fix. While there is no instant solution, certain habits can make a noticeable difference within days or weeks, especially when they are followed consistently.
Key habits that make the biggest difference
The fastest improvements often come from a few simple, natural changes. These include:
- Eating more whole, unprocessed foods.
- Reducing added sugar and highly processed snacks.
- Including gut-friendly foods such as kefir, live yoghurt, sauerkraut, and cooked vegetables.
- Drinking enough water to support digestion and regular bowel movements.
- Taking time to eat slowly and mindfully.
- Getting enough sleep and managing stress.
Even just a few days of eating more gently, staying hydrated, and allowing your body to rest can start to ease symptoms like bloating and fatigue. Many people also notice better mood, improved focus, and more regular digestion with these changes.
Why consistency matters more than speed
Quick improvements are possible, but lasting change comes from steady, ongoing habits. The gut works best when it has a calm and predictable routine. That means eating at regular times, avoiding sudden diet changes, and allowing time for recovery.
If you keep things simple, nourishing, and manageable, your gut will begin to feel the benefits.
How to Increase Good Bacteria in the Gut Naturally
Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria, many of which support digestion, immunity, and overall wellbeing. Encouraging the growth of these beneficial bacteria can help ease IBS symptoms, support regular bowel movements, and improve how you feel day to day [5]. The best part is that this can be done naturally, through food and lifestyle.
Fermented foods, prebiotics, and dietary fibre
To grow more good bacteria, it helps to focus on foods that either contain live cultures or help feed the microbes already living in your gut. Fermented foods such as kefir, live yoghurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, and kombucha naturally contain probiotics. You only need small amounts of these regularly to support a healthy gut environment.
Prebiotics are fibres that act as food for your good bacteria. These are found in foods such as onions, garlic, leeks, bananas, oats, and asparagus. If you tolerate fibre well, including more of these foods can help improve bacterial balance and overall digestive function.
Soluble fibre, found in oats, flaxseed, cooked vegetables, and pulses, can also support gut health. For those with IBS, increasing fibre too quickly can cause discomfort, so it’s best to add new foods gradually and see how your body responds.
Why variety matters in a gut-friendly diet
Eating a variety of plant-based foods gives your gut bacteria a broader range of nutrients to work with. Different types of bacteria thrive on different fibres, so variety helps support a more balanced and diverse microbiome [6].
A good target is to include 20 to 30 different plant foods per week. This can include vegetables, fruits, legumes, herbs, seeds, and whole grains if you tolerate them. Even simple swaps, like rotating your vegetables or mixing different seeds into meals, can help increase diversity.
A varied, colourful diet provides the nourishment your gut needs to function well and stay resilient.
What Are the Worst Foods for Gut Health?
Just as some foods help support your gut, others can cause irritation, disrupt your microbiome, and make symptoms like bloating or discomfort worse. If you are trying to improve your gut health naturally, reducing or removing certain foods can make a noticeable difference.
The worst foods for gut health
While everyone reacts differently, there are some foods that are known to negatively affect gut function in many people. These include:
- Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame and sucralose
- Refined sugar and high-sugar snacks
- Deep-fried foods
- Highly processed meats, such as sausages and deli meats
- Refined carbohydrates, including white bread and pastries
- Excessive alcohol
- Fizzy drinks and energy drinks
These foods can feed the wrong types of bacteria, increase inflammation, and affect the balance of your gut microbiome. For people with IBS, they can also be direct triggers for bloating, cramps, or changes in bowel habits.
Why ultra-processed, high-sugar foods are best avoided
Ultra-processed foods often contain additives, emulsifiers, and preservatives that can irritate the gut lining and cause inflammation [7]. Many are also low in fibre, which means they do not provide the nourishment that your gut bacteria need to thrive.
High-sugar foods, especially when eaten often, can reduce the diversity of your gut microbiome and encourage the growth of more harmful bacteria or yeast [8]. This can increase bloating, fatigue, and digestive sensitivity over time.
If you are trying to improve your gut health, reducing processed snacks and sugary foods is a good place to start. Even small swaps, like switching from sweetened yoghurts to plain yoghurt with fruit, or choosing wholegrain alternatives, can help support better digestion and microbial balance.
What Foods Are Good for Your Gut?
When it comes to improving gut health naturally, food is one of your most powerful tools. Certain foods help feed beneficial bacteria, support your gut lining, and reduce inflammation. You don’t need to overhaul your diet overnight, even a few simple changes can make a real difference.
Quick wins you can start with today
Some of the best foods for gut health are easy to include in your daily routine. These include:
- Live yoghurt or kefir for natural probiotics
- Oats for gentle fibre that supports regularity
- Bananas, especially slightly underripe, for their prebiotic content
- Cooked root vegetables like carrots, sweet potato, and parsnips
- Berries, which are high in fibre and antioxidants
- Flaxseeds or chia seeds for soluble fibre and healthy fats
- Sauerkraut or kimchi in small amounts for a probiotic boost
These foods are generally well tolerated and can be mixed into meals or snacks without too much effort. For example, a bowl of oats with live yoghurt, berries, and flaxseed is a gut-friendly breakfast that also supports energy and blood sugar balance.
How these foods support healthy bacteria and reduce inflammation
Each of these foods plays a slightly different role in gut health. Fermented foods like yoghurt and kefir introduce live bacteria, while fibre-rich foods feed the beneficial bacteria already in your gut. The more supported these microbes are, the better they can do their job – which includes protecting the gut lining, aiding digestion, and calming inflammation.
Antioxidant-rich foods such as berries and colourful vegetables help reduce oxidative stress in the gut. This is important because ongoing inflammation can damage the gut barrier and make IBS symptoms worse over time.
A gut-friendly diet does not need to be complicated. It is about giving your digestive system the kind of nourishment that helps it feel calm, regular, and resilient.
Do You Need Gut Health Supplements?
Supplements can play a helpful role in improving gut health, especially when diet alone is not enough. But they are not a one-size-fits-all solution, and they work best when used alongside, not instead of, a gut-friendly lifestyle.
When supplements may help
Supplements may be worth considering if you:
- Struggle to eat a wide variety of plant-based foods
- Have ongoing symptoms such as bloating, constipation, or diarrhoea
- Have recently taken antibiotics
- Are recovering from illness or digestive infections
- Have been diagnosed with bacterial imbalance or low diversity in the gut
In these cases, targeted support with probiotics, prebiotics, digestive enzymes, or gut-healing nutrients may help speed up recovery and ease symptoms.
Choosing high-quality probiotics and fibre supplements
Not all gut supplements are created equal. Some probiotic products do not contain enough live cultures, or they may include strains that are not suitable for people with IBS. It is important to choose a product that has been well-researched, clearly labelled, and appropriate for your specific symptoms.
Whenever possible, speak to a practitioner before starting a new supplement, especially if you have complex symptoms or are already taking medication.
Why food-first is still best for most people
Although supplements can be useful, food remains the most effective and sustainable way to support your gut health. Whole foods provide not only fibre and live cultures, but also the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants your gut needs to function well.
Using supplements as a short-term boost can help, but long-term gut health depends more on daily habits – what you eat, how you eat, how well you rest, and how you manage stress. These are the foundations of a healthy digestive system.
How to Keep Your Gut Healthy Long Term
Improving gut health naturally is not about doing something extreme for a few days and hoping it lasts. The real benefits come from small, steady changes that you stick with over time. These everyday habits can help keep your digestion more stable and your microbiome in good shape for the long term.
Everyday habits that support gut balance
It helps to chew your food properly and eat without rushing. These simple habits support better digestion and reduce the likelihood of bloating or discomfort.
Regular gentle exercise such as walking, stretching, or cycling can also encourage bowel movements and reduce inflammation in the gut.
Stress, sleep, movement, and staying regular
Your gut is closely connected to your brain, so your mental wellbeing plays a big role in digestive health. High stress levels can trigger or worsen IBS symptoms, and many people notice their gut feels calmer when they are more relaxed.
Getting good quality sleep, managing stress with techniques like deep breathing or yoga, and making time for movement each day can all help your digestive system work more efficiently.
It is also important to stay regular. If you are not having comfortable, complete bowel movements at least a few times per week, your gut may need extra support. Drinking enough water, moving your body, and including soluble fibre are good places to start.
Keeping your gut healthy long term is not about being perfect. It is about building habits that are gentle, consistent, and suited to your lifestyle.
When to Seek Help for Ongoing Gut Issues
Some digestive symptoms are common from time to time, especially after illness, stress, or changes in routine. But if your symptoms are persistent, getting worse, or affecting your quality of life, it may be time to get support.
What’s normal and what’s not
Occasional bloating, changes in bowel habits, or mild discomfort after eating can be part of everyday life. However, frequent or severe symptoms are not something you should have to put up with.
You should consider speaking to a GP if you experience:
- Ongoing bloating or cramping
- Constipation or diarrhoea that lasts more than a few weeks
- Sudden changes in bowel habits
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue linked to digestion
- Food sensitivities that seem to be increasing
If symptoms are starting to affect your daily routine, mood, or confidence, that is reason enough to look deeper.
How IBS Clinics can help you improve your gut health naturally
At IBS Clinics, we take a functional medicine and nutrition-led approach to gut health. That means looking beyond the symptoms to understand what is driving them, and creating a personalised plan to help you feel better.
We offer advanced testing to assess gut bacteria, digestion, inflammation, and more. With this information, we can help you make targeted changes to your diet, lifestyle, and supplement routine.
Whether you are just starting your gut health journey or have been dealing with symptoms for years, we are here to support you with practical, natural solutions tailored to your needs.
Conclusion
Improving your gut health naturally is not about doing everything at once. It is about making small, consistent choices that support your body over time. Whether you are dealing with bloating, irregular digestion, or just want to feel more comfortable day to day, your gut has the ability to recover and rebalance with the right care.
Simple changes to your food, lifestyle, and habits can make a real difference. And if you need extra support, IBS Clinics is here to help you get to the root of your symptoms and guide you towards long-term relief.
Better gut health is possible – and you do not have to manage it alone.
References
- Post et al. (2023) Overview of the Gut-Brain Axis: From Gut to Brain and Back Again. Seminars in neurology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37562457/
- PubMed (2008) Herbal remedies for dyspepsia: peppermint seems effective. Prescrire international. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18630390/
- Valencia Higuera (2018) Home Remedies for Indigestion: Natural Ways to Treat at Home. healthline.com. https://www.healthline.com/health/home-remedies-for-indigestion
- Valencia Higuera (2018) Home Remedies for Indigestion: Natural Ways to Treat at Home. healthline.com. https://www.healthline.com/health/home-remedies-for-indigestion
- McFarland and Dublin (2008) Meta-analysis of probiotics for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. World journal of gastroenterology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18461650/
- Nie et al. (2023) Targeted modification of gut microbiota and related metabolites via dietary fiber. Carbohydrate polymers. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37321707/
- Kristen Ciccolini (2018) 10 Health Facts About Your Gut and What’s Going On. healthline.com. https://www.healthline.com/health/digestive-health/things-your-gut-wants-you-to-know
- Fajstova et al. (2020) Diet Rich in Simple Sugars Promotes Pro-Inflammatory Response via Gut Microbiota Alteration and TLR4 Signaling. Cells. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33339337/
Author – Tracey Randell
At IBS Clinics, Tracey Randell, a renowned Nutritional Therapist and one of the few IFM Certified Practitioners in the UK, extends her specialised knowledge and unique approach to managing and treating IBS and other gut-related conditions effectively.
Tracey’s profound understanding of Functional Medicine allows her to connect the dots for complex health conditions, identifying and addressing the root causes to curate personalised and comprehensive health plans for her patients. Her holistic approach focuses on resolving underlying imbalances and optimising gut health, enabling the body to correct other issues and attain overall well-being.
At IBS Clinics, we are dedicated to being your partner in navigating your gut-related health concerns, offering expert care and individualised treatment plans to alleviate your IBS symptoms and enhance your quality of life.
You can read more about Tracey on our About page here.
DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this article is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The products and methods mentioned are not a substitute for professional medical advice from a trained healthcare specialist. Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. Use of the information and products discussed is at your own risk.
