What Does Your Poo Say About You?

If Loo Troubles are Plaguing You...

Nobody wants to talk about it, but your toilet habits can actually say a lot about your overall health. Do you spend way too much time in the loo or experience constipation, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, bloating or flatulence? These symptoms can be a sign you may have a functional gut disorder. It is important to ensure your digestive function is top notch, as it impacts the health of your whole body and how you feel each day. Functional Medicine Practitioner Linda Cairns can help you get your gut health back on track. Simple additions to your daily routine such as taking probiotics and/or prebiotics can help return your gut to full health.

The Lowdown on Functional Gut Issues

How often you move your bowels can be an indicator of how well your gut is functioning. While daily bowel motions are ideal, having a slow transit time of less than three poos a week is considered clinical constipation, while frequent, loose stools may indicate diarrhoea. Follow on symptoms such as pain, bloating, flatulence, and straining, feelings of incomplete emptying, or even seeing undigested food, blood or mucus in the toilet can all indicate a potential functional gut disorder, and this needs to be managed effectively.

Why Do I Suffer This Way?

Diet, stress, and your past health history may all play a part
in the development of functional gut disorders. An imbalance in the gut microbiota (bacteria and other organisms in the
gut), and irritation and inflammation from dietary or immune triggers may lead to increased permeability in the gut lining (leaky gut), exacerbating symptoms. You may even fit the criteria for conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). See Linda Cairns Functional Medicine Practitioner, nutritionist gold coast and Integrative Medicine Practitioner to map out your symptoms, identify your likely triggers, and assess whether a strain specific probiotic or prebiotic is suited to your needs.

Probiotics and Prebiotics to the Rescue

Strain specific probiotics and prebiotic fibre can help promote a healthy gut microbiota and relieve functional gut issues. Probiotic, Lactobacillus plantarum 299v, and partially hydrolysed guar gum (PHGG) help improve constipation, bloating, pain and flatulence. These two ingredients have been shown to improve motility (make it easier to poo) and ease the associated symptoms of functional gut issues.

• PHGG: is a wonder fibre will help feed all of the health- promoting friendly bacteria in your gut and increase short chain fatty acid production to support good bowel health.
• Lactobacillus plantarum 299v: If you have been diagnosed with IBS, then you may benefit from this specific strain that has been clinically trialled to relieve symptoms such as alternating diarrhoea and constipation, and severe abdominal pain.

Simple Ways to Improve Your Poo

Get your digestive system back on track with these easy tips:

1. Include two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables in your daily diet, plus wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds. This ensures you get adequate fibre to feed the gut bacteria and help keep you regular.

2. Consume fermented foods e.g. yoghurt, sauerkraut, kimchi or kombucha to provide additional gut friendly bacteria.

3. Drink 2L of water daily. If you’re constipated, it helps moisten the stool, or can replace fluid lost with diarrhoea.

4. Exercise regularly; movement improves circulation to your digestive tract to support healthy bowel function and keep you regular.

The Strain is Over

There is no need to struggle with annoying gut symptoms anymore. Reach out to Linda Cairns a Functional Medicine Practitioner and Integrative Medicine Practitioner, Naturopath Gold Coast to discuss how probiotics and prebiotics can help you and ensure your body runs like clockwork.

To reduce your daily digestive dilemmas and improve your overall health and wellbeing, talk to nutritionist gold coast Linda Cairns today!