Simple Strategies to Support Your Gut
Have you ever noticed that when your gut is off, everything feels off?
You wake up bloated, your brain feels foggy, you’re tired for no reason and even your mood
dips for no obvious cause.
It’s not your imagination.
Your gut affects every cell in your body: your hormones, your mood, your skin, even how
much energy you have to face the day.
After more than 20 years helping people on the Gold Coast get to the bottom of their
digestive issues, I’ve seen one thing over and over again:
When the gut heals, the rest of the body follows.
Here are the five most powerful (and practical) ways to naturally repair your digestion and
get your spark back.
Feed Your Gut Like You’d Feed a Garden
Imagine your gut as a garden. The good bacteria are the flowers — the ones that make you
feel light, clear, and energised. The bad ones? Weeds that take over when the soil is
neglected.
To grow a healthy internal ecosystem:
● Eat colourful, real food: Think bright veggies, herbs, berries, seeds.
● Cut back on processed foods that starve your good bugs.
● Rotate your meals: variety is nature’s probiotic.
Many clients also see bloating drop dramatically within weeks of switching to “one ingredient
foods,” things that don’t need a label.
Slow Down: Digestion Isn’t a Race
Modern life teaches us to eat like we’re in a competition.
Phone in one hand, fork in the other, brain somewhere else.
But here’s the thing: your gut doesn’t digest on command. It digests when your nervous
system feels safe.
If you’re stressed, your body literally shuts off digestion to prioritise survival.
So before you eat, pause.
Take a few breaths. Feel your feet on the ground.
At Gold Coast Digestive Health, we call this the “30-second reset.”
It’s simple, free, and one of the fastest ways to calm bloating and indigestion.
I also love using concentrated herbal drops to stimulate digestive secretions which in turn
helps the gut to relax, digest and absorb food better.
Nurture Your Microbiome – Your Inner Ecosystem
Your gut bacteria are microscopic roommates who influence how you think, feel, and
function.
Feed them well, and they’ll repay you with better digestion, mood, and immunity.
● Probiotic foods (like sauerkraut, kefir, or kimchi) add helpful species.
● Prebiotic foods (like garlic, leeks, and green bananas) feed them.
● If you’ve had antibiotics or chronic gut issues, targeted probiotic therapy can reset
the balance.
In our clinic, we use advanced microbiome mapping and SIBO breath testing to see
exactly what’s going on. No guesswork, just data.
Calm Your Stress, Because Your Gut Feels It First
You’ve probably heard of the “gut-brain connection,” but here’s what most people don’t
realise:
Your gut is often the first organ to tell you you’re stressed.
Tight stomach? Butterflies? Bloating after a hard day? That’s your enteric nervous system
talking.
Try these daily gut-soothing rituals:
● A five-minute walk outside after meals
● Deep belly breathing or gentle yoga
● Herbal teas with lemon balm, chamomile, or passionflower. Many of my clients
are surprised that after a few weeks of stress support, their digestion “mysteriously”
improves but it’s no mystery at all.
Hydrate Intelligently (It’s Not Just About Water)
Dehydration slows everything, from bowel movement to enzyme release.
Aim for 1.5–2 litres of water daily, but make it smarter:
● Start your day with warm lemon water to wake up digestion.
● Sip herbal teas like peppermint or ginger throughout the day.
● Avoid big gulps during meals. They dilute stomach acid, which you actually need to
digest food.
And yes, low stomach acid is a real problem. Many “reflux” cases we see on the Gold
Coast are due to too little acid, not too much.
A tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in warm water before meals often makes a world of
difference.
