How To Know If You Have Poor Gut Health

Is your gut microbiome out of balance? How do you know? Gut imbalance doesn’t always present as digestive issues (although this is a common sign). Our gut health impacts the whole body, from head to toe. In this article, I’m going to address how to know if you have poor gut health. Pinpointing some of the signs that might be red flags for you. I’ll also dive into some of the causes of gut imbalance, and some of these might surprise you too. Lastly, we’ll go over some of the positive changes you can make to restore your gut balance. Often clients are heartened to know that a little attention to gut health can make a big difference.

How your gut microbiome works

The gut microbiome is a fascinating ecosystem. The more I study it, the more I am in awe of its intricacies. There are many systems within the gut sending signals back to the brain and the entire body. It is also receiving continuous feedback from the rest of our system, much as our brain does. So it stands to reason why we often describe the gut as the second brain, and the epicentre of our health. Considering this, we can understand that when our gut is overrun by bad bacteria, it can have consequences for our entire system.

Here’s how to know if you have poor gut health.

Lack of diversity of bacteria in the microbiome can lead to gut dysbiosis, which is an overgrowth of bad bacteria, as well as leaky gut or increased intestinal permeability. So what might that look like?

Here are 10 of the most common warning signs of poor gut health. Do you have any on this list?

10 common warning signs you may have missed

Digestive symptoms. Perhaps the more obvious signs of gut dysbiosis are direct gut symptoms such as bowel changes, bloating, stomach pain, excess flatulence, as well as constipation and diarrhoea (sometimes alternating between them).
Increased sugar cravings. This may be an early warning sign of gut dysbiosis.
Insulin resistance. There is increasing evidence linking insulin resistance to intestinal permeability (leaky gut).
Inability to lose weight. A lack of diversity in gut bacteria, and intestinal permeability has been associated with resistance to weight loss.
Lack of energy. Sleep disturbance, as well as feelings of fatigue may be due to poor gut health.
Stress and anxiety. An overgrowth of certain types of intestinal bacteria have been linked to feelings of stress and anxiousness.
Brain fog. Brain fog and poor brain function has been linked to gut dysbiosis.
Poor absorption of nutrients. Chronic low levels of common nutrients may be a sign of dysbiosis or intestinal permeability.
Poor immunity. We may have more inflammation throughout the body, get sick more often and recover less easily.
Autoimmune conditions. If you suffer from an autoimmune condition, it is worth investigating gut health to support recovery. Poor gut health is associated with a range of autoimmune conditions.

What might have caused your bad gut health?

If you resonate with a few (or several) factors on the above list, you’re probably wondering – how did this happen? Here are strong influences upon the gut microbiome that might surprise you:

Antibiotic use. Antibiotics have been shown to damage gut bacteria, and while life-saving, long term use over a lifespan has been associated with several negative effects on gut microbiota.
The contraceptive pill. Use of the contraceptive pill has been linked to a decrease in microbiome diversity.
Anti inflammatory medications. Non-steroid Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) such as Ibuprofen have been associated with gut microbiota-related disorders.
Gastrointestinal pathogens. The introduction of viruses, bacteria, parasites or food poisoning can lead to an imbalance in the delicate microbiome.
Smoking and alcohol. These activities have been shown to contribute to changes in the gut, leading to overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria and leaky gut.
Stress and anxiety. This is a two-way connection and gut health can be linked to our emotional state. Stress and anxiety can cause changes in the gut microbiome and gastrointestinal tract.
Lack of diversity in the diet. Restrictive diets we might think of as ‘healthy’ can sometimes be doing us more harm than good. Lack of diversity in diet in turn, leads to lack of diversity in our gut microbiome and dysbiosis.
Sensitivities. Allergy and intolerance have been linked to poor gut health. Your chance of developing allergies and intolerances rises with poor gut health, and in turn, poor gut health may worsen these conditions.

How do we repair the gut microbiome for better health?

Here are 5 simple, yet powerful ways to take better care of your gut health:

Add more probiotic and prebiotic-rich foods to your diet.
Ensure you are getting adequate fibre.
Increase the diversity and volume of plant-based foods (eat the rainbow!)
Reduce your intake of sugar and saturated fats
Drink enough water (an often overlooked yet incredibly important aspect of good gut health).

mediterranean eating better gut health fibre plant based foods

Professional support to address symptoms and restore balance

As you can probably gather by now, the gut microbiome is a complicated ecosystem. There can be a lot of factors which both influence and impact on your gut health. At Tree of Life Nutrition, we have a special interest in gut issues, and over the years we have perfected a powerful gut protocol for clients in Brisbane and beyond. We get to the heart of your unique symptoms and promote rebalance and restoration of microbiota. So you have all the support you need to start feeling better.

If you’ve already started or considered gut-related testing, we can also help with guidance and interpretation of microbiome, SIBO, and food intolerance tests. As well as applying those results to optimise your gut health over the long term.

Our gut repair protocol broadly includes:

Comprehensive testing and history
Rebalancing the gut microbiome.
Correcting any nutritional deficiencies
Investigating food intolerances and sensitivities
Providing a personalised diet for your unique preferences, lifestyle and symptoms. Paying particular attention to reducing additives, saturated fats and sugar and increasing fibre, and plant food diversity. We love working with the Mediterranean Diet here (or variations of it) as it is naturally abundant in gut-loving foods.

If you would love to get some support for this, book an initial gut health consultation to start the process.

masterclass gut microbiome addressing disease through gut health

Join us for the Gut Health Seminar

Coming up on 15 October…we’ll be hosting a comprehensive Gut Health Masterclass, so if the topic is relevant and/or interesting to you, be sure to come along here in Brisbane. For all the details and to reserve your spot, head to our events page.

GUT MICROBIOME HEALTH SEMINAR

DISCLAIMER:
The content in this article is not intended as medical advice. It is also of a general nature and is not tailored to your individual circumstances. If you are experiencing significant digestive symptoms, a 1:1 consultation is always the best approach. Please contact our clinic to discuss your unique situation and our tailored and individualised solutions.