<aside> <img src="/icons/light-bulb_blue.svg" alt="/icons/light-bulb_blue.svg" width="40px" /> I'll keep this clean and simple, because gut health is often overcomplicated.

The number one cause of gut issues is an imbalance within its vast ecosystem of bacteria, fungi, parasites, and more.

We all have these in our gut, and when in balance all is okay; when they tip out of balance issues can arise - and these issue can be very serious.

For example, when I had IBS, this was one of the key contributing factors to my issues. I didn't go to the toilet for over a week at a time, I could barely see at times because my eye floaters were so severe, I couldn't sleep because my skin felt like an itch that couldn't be scratched...

So, what do I do about these pesky microbes?

1) Create an environment where they cannot thrive

These harmful bacteria feed on poorly digested foods and sugar. Sugar is their rocket fuel.

This is why elimination diets are a common practice for people with gut issues, because you strip away foods that are commonly poorly digested (dairy, gluten, FODMAPs, and more) as well as sources of sugar.

During this elimination process I remove not just refined sources of sugar, but also natural forms like fruit, honey, coconut, and maple syrup, for a period of time.

The end goal of an elimination diet is to fully re-introduce all foods that you plan to eat in the future (and are not intolerant to).

This is a gradual process, and during this time we will re-introduce foods from "least" to "most" harsh, as well as in order of sugar quantity.

This is a sweet science, which is why it took me months to mould the framework for personalised meal plans to help over 1,352 people heal their gut - creating a library of every food we would ever provide and what was contained in it.

This took the guesswork out of the elimination/re-introduction process, which is why the plans worked.

2) Consume substances that help to fend the bacteria off

Coconut oil, garlic, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, oregano, cloves, and apple cider vinegar, are all great examples.

A herbal supplement can also be taken here if necessary.

What's important to note is that in the early stages of a gut healing journey these substances will cause bloating and in cases further digestive unease.

Garlic is a perfect example, one of the best foods for your gut (great anti-fungal, anti-microbial, and source of prebiotic fibre) that is commonly known to cause bloating.

This is why it's so important to understand that some of the best foods for your gut will also cause unease.

Consume as much as you comfortably can, increasing this consumption over time.

3) Fast

Fasting has been shown to increase the diversity of microbes in the gut, also helping to fend off those that are less wanted - something I wrote about at length in my book.

See ‣ for more information.

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