4 things your tummy’s telling you – signs of gut health

Listen to what your tummy is telling you?

When our tummies are ticking along just fine, we often don’t give them a second thought.

A lot of the time, it’s only when they’re playing up that we think about giving them the TLC they deserve.

But here’s the thing! Listening to those gut health signs on the good days, and not just the bad days, is super important to keep on top of your tummy health for the long run. Prevention beats cure!

So how can you tell if your tummy is feeling terrific or troubled?  

Sure, there are the more obvious gut health signs, like our poo habits. But there are lots of other ways your tummy can show you it’s feeling great, or warn you it needs some extra attention.

We’re here to help you understand tummy talk and help you get to know the tell-tale signs of a happy tummy, and a troubled one.

Noticing the differences in your poo

Pleasant poos

Many people think it’s normal to poo once a day, every day. But the reality is this doesn’t happen for all of us – and that’s ok! There’s no ‘perfect’ pattern for everyone’s poos. Going anywhere between three times a day and three times a week is considered totally healthy.

The key is to understand what’s ‘normal’ for you personally, so you can pick up on your tummy’s signals if things change.

The aim: For a positive pooping experience, you’re looking for a long, smooth sausage shape with a medium-dark brown colour – and they shouldn’t be painful or difficult to pass.

Problem poos

Unhealthy poos on the other hand can be a sign of an unhappy tummy. This can show up in a few different ways, such as…

• Diarrhoea: having to rush to the loo more often, with very soft or liquid poo
• Constipation: going less often with hard, lumpy poo (get clued up on constipation here )

This is often down to something simple that you can control. The path to more positive poos could be in your power!

To help you translate your tummy’s message, ask yourself these three questions:

1. Does something in your diet need tweaking to be tummy-friendly? Check out some recipes that could help here.
2. Have you been drinking plenty of water? Staying hydrated is a top priority for your tummy.
3. Or perhaps you’ve started taking some medication and you’re seeing side effects?

If you notice a change in your usual habits or your pooing problems aren’t going away, it might be telling you there’s a sign of infection or illness that’s worth checking out – so it’s time to speak to your doctor.

Understanding the changes in your skin

Glowing skin

Has your skin got the glow? It could be a sign of a glowing gut!

Like most things, there are a whole bunch of factors at play. But our tummies and our skin are more closely linked than you might think, thanks to a connection we call the gut-skin axis.

A clear complexion could be your tummy telling you it’s A-OK, and thanking you for all that fibre-filled food and quality sleep you’re getting.

Skin struggles

 On the flip side, a troubled tummy could contribute to skin issues. How? It’s largely down to those microbes.

You see, if our microbiome (the gang of trillions of microbes living in our tummies) becomes a bit off-balance, it can impact inflammation – which could promote problem-prone skin.

Get your skin glowing from the inside out by taking care of your tummy with plenty of plant foods, packed with fibre to feed your mighty microbes and keep them happy.

Having the right energy and mood

Feeling good

Sleeping well and waking up feeling refreshed ready for the day ahead? Memory staying sharp, feeling upbeat and focused on your daily tasks? These are signs your tummy is healthy.

What’s the link? It all comes down to the gut-brain axis – the two-way communication between your tummy and your brain. When your tummy talks to your brain, it has the power to influence your mood. So when your tummy is happy, your brain can feel it too.

Feeling low

Low energy and low mood can be signs your tummy is unhappy. Poor sleep can also have a knock-on effect on your tummy, stopping it working at its best.

If you’re feeling fatigued or suffering from a midday slump, it’s time to start taking care of your tummy with some of our top tips. A happy tummy can mean you have more energy and give your mood a boost too.

Your tummy noises

Normal noises

Trumping, passing wind, farting – whatever you call it – this is your tummy’s way of getting rid of any excess gas that’s built up from normal digestion. And anywhere between 10 and 20 times a day is completely healthy. Better out than in!

Nasty noises

Feel like you’re burping and farting a little too often? Or battling with a constantly bloated belly?

If you think it might be getting too much, or it’s affecting your daily life, this is a sign of an unhappy tummy. Bloating or feeling like your wind is trapped can be a sign of having too much gas, which can suggest those microbes in your tummy are out of balance.

It could also be a sign of reflux, which is worth checking out with your doctor.

If you find yourself with more troublesome gut health signs than happy times. Or those tricky symptoms just don’t go away – especially if there’s been no change in your diet, stress or circumstances. It’s time to check in with your doctor.

Read more about what your tummy is trying to tell you…