Our favourite foods and supplements for a healthy digestive system
Cast your mind back over the last week – have you had any bloating or gas? How about indigestion or reflux? Constipation? Diarrhoea? If you have, trust me you’ll be in very good company…
In my nutritional therapy clinic, almost every one of my clients has some form of digestive discomfort, ranging from bloating, excess wind, reflux, sensitive gut to IBS. A whopping 75% of my clients reported bloating on their nutritional therapy intake forms, with over a third reporting a sluggish gut and frequent constipation or irritable bowel.
Gut health is also one of the most common queries in the good heath boutique – it’s rare to have a day when someone doesn’t come in asking for advice about bloating or IBS.
So we thought we’d give you a low down of some of the things that could be going on in the gut, and how we can help support with food and supplements.
But first – it’s important to say that if you have any change in bowel habits, any unexplained pain, blood in your poo, or anything else that isn’t normal for you, please go and see your GP. We are not doctors and it’s always worth investigating if there’s something else going on in the gut.
Why gut health matters
And why is gut health important? Well, obviously it’s not fun to have bloating, gas, indigestion and irritable bowel, to feel bunged up, or be running to the loo every five minutes.
But digestive health has more wide reaching effects than just digestive symptoms. As Allesio Fasano, the gastroenterologist and author of Gut Feelings: The Microbiome and Our Health said, “the gut is not like Las Vegas”. In other words, what happens in the gut does not stay in the gut. The gut has far-reaching effects on our overall health, impacting other systems like immunity, mental health, skin health, nutrient absorption and even our weight. Fasano wasn’t the first one to make the connection between the gut and the rest of the body – as early as in 460BC, Hippocrates was banging the drum for digestive health when said that all disease begins in the gut.
So if we’re thinking about overall health and longevity, we have to think about gut health.
A few fun facts about the gut…
The digestive system starts with the mouth, and ends with the anus. It consists of many different organs with a length of around 30 feet in adults. Along the way we have the mouth, where food is chewed and broken down into smaller pieces, the stomach, where hydrochloric acid helps to break down food and kill bacteria, the small intestine, where we see digestive enzymes and bile helping to digest food and absorb nutrients, and the large intestine, where gut bacteria break down indigestible foods like certain types of fibre, and poo is formed before exiting through the rectum and anus.
Now, this is a very simplistic breakdown of what is a lengthy and complicated process taking up to 72 hours from start to finish. As you can imagine, there are lots of things that could go wrong along the way, and may not be working as efficiently as we’d like. For example, we might not be chewing properly, our stomach acid might not be strong enough, we might not produce enough digestive enzymes or bile to digest our food, and we might not have the right balance of bacteria in the intestines.
Our favourite foods and supplements for digestive health
If you’re looking to improve your gut health, you’ve come to the right place!
Below, we’ve listed some common digestive issues, along with a few of our favourite foods and supplements.
Of course, we have lots of products in the shop which support in different ways. It’s always ideal to see you in person to hear exactly what’s going on for you – so we can find the perfect product for you! You can visit us at 73 Carolgate, Retford from Tuesday to Saturday, and we’ll be there to help.
Read on to learn more…
For bloating, especially bloating after a meal:
Terranova’s Digestive Enzymes with Microflora is designed to help support the digestive system and food absorption, and is especially helpful for bloating after a meal. It contains botanicals like fennel, ginger, burdock and artichoke to help with digestion, along with friendly bacteria and enzymes that support the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Take one or two capsules before a meal to aid digestion and reduce bloating.
Bitter foods like endive, rocket, watercress and radicchio can also be helpful before a meal to get the digestive juices flowing. We love a little leafy salad with some lemon juice squeezed on top as a gut-friendly starter. Another top tip for bloating – don’t forget to chew your food thoroughly, and slow down as much as you can when eating.
For sluggish digestion and constipation:
Dietary fibre (found in foods like wholegrains, fruit and veggies) helps to bulk out our stools and move everything along in the gut, thereby reducing constipation. But unfortunately, over 90% of us are not getting the recommended amount of dietary fibre.
When it comes to supplements, we love Viridian Complete Fibre Complex: the name says it all really! It’s a helpful combo of fibre-rich ingredients like linseed, psyllium husk, apple pectin and more. 
For those on antibiotics, to replenish good bacteria:
Terranova’s Microbiome Challenge is a lovely formulation of friendly bacteria and digestion-supporting ingredients like artichoke, ginger, chamomile and lemon balm. This is great for those wanting to rebalance the gut microbiomes after illness, antibiotic use, or dietary change.
Fermented foods and drinks like kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir and kombucha are also fantastic for increasing those levels of beneficial bacteria in the gut. We have a delicious selection in the shop so come and give fermented foods a try – your gut bugs will thank you!
For those struggling to digest FODMAPs:
FODMAPs are specific types of carbohydrates that are digested mainly in the large intestine. For some people, these foods (for example, dairy products, wheat-based products, beans and lentils, some veggies like artichokes, asparagus, onions and garlic, and some fruits like apples, cherries, pears and peaches) can cause digestive discomfort and bloating.
Terranova’s Digest PBD supports easier digestion for those sensitive to FODMAPs – it contains an enzyme formula specific for these foods, along with plant ingredients to help stimulate natural digestive function, supporting smoother digestion after meals. 
For kids’ gut health:
We know kids’ gut health can be tricky sometimes! We’re big fans of Viridian’s Viridikid Synerbio Children’s Powder, which contains four strains of good bacteria with added prebiotics, plus vitamin C to support the immune system. This is an easy-to-take powder which can be mixed with cereals, juice or smoothies.
We also love Living Nutrition’s Your Flora Family, made with a unique fermentation process and suitable for children from 3 years and older.
For nausea and sickness:
Ginger is a lovely plant for digestion, especially nausea and sickness. Grate some ginger into some hot water, or go for a ginger tea (we’ve got a few in the shop).
If you’re after something more potent, we love Botanicals 4 Life Ginger Root Extract, which is a liquid form of organic ginger extract. 
For excess wind, bloating, indigestion, unsettled stomach and irritable bowel:
Viridian Peppermint Complex is a lovely complex for an unsettled gut and bloating – with peppermint for indigestion, and ginger and caraway. This is a delayed-release capsule to ensure that ingredients end up where they are most needed! 
To help support digestion generally:
Viridian’s Digestive Aid is a great all rounder, featuring digestive enzymes (to help break down carbs, protein and fats), betaine hydrochloride for stomach acid production, ginger and peppermint to help soothe and calm digestion. Take before a meal to give your digestion a helping hand.
A final note
The gut is often described as the second brain, and it has far-reaching effects on every single aspect of our health from our brain to immunity, hormone regulation to skin health.
There are many different things that can impact gut health, including genetics, our diet (of course!), stress levels, how we eat our food, where we live, exercise, medication, stage of life, and our hormone levels. It’s very rarely just one thing – and it can be difficult to get to the bottom of what’s going on for you.
Pop into the shop to learn more and shop our fabulous range of digestive health supplements and whole foods.
Nutritional therapy can also be a great way to get answers, so if you’re interested, get in touch to see how I can help – you can book in for a free 30-minute consultation at suzyshinner.com/bookings
Written by Suzy Shinner, our in-house registered Nutritional Therapist.
We are here to help – if you have any questions about our article, or the supplements that may help, please contact us. Please note, this blog should not be taken as medical advice – if you have any health concerns or are taking prescribed medication, please consult your GP.