Gut Health for Women: What They Don’t Tell You About Bloating, IBS & More

If you’re feeling constantly bloated, confused about what to eat, googling “gut health foods” at 1am, or wondering if you really need to cut out gluten — this one’s for you.

Let’s face it, we’ve been here before — juice cleanses, cabbage soup diets, detox teas, fat-free everything. The 90s and early 2000s were a battlefield of bad wellness advice dressed up in low-rise jeans. Now, the new obsession sounds a little more scientific — “gut microbiome”, “diversity”, “probiotic strain-specificity” — but is big wellness just repackaging our insecurities all over again?

From what I’m seeing, not much has changed. We’re still being sold “de-bloating” supplements like they’re magic pills. Probiotics are the new silver bullet. And suddenly, everyone’s selling a gut “cleanse”.

With all that noise… how do you know if what you’re dealing with is actually IBS? A food intolerance? Or just a stressed-out gut from your corporate job and trying to dodge red flags as a 30-something woman in the London dating scene?

Girl, I got you.

With a PhD in the topic and years spent working in the gut health industry, I’m here to help you filter through the hype. Because with only 2% of health and nutrition content online being accurate (facts - so 98% of the time it’s complete BS), let’s get into what the science really says — and what you can actually do to support your gut.

What Is Gut Health? Let’s Cut Through The Crap (literally)

When we talk about gut health, we’re not just talking about your digestive tract — a nearly 9-metre-long tube (starting in the mouth and going to the glamorous exit at the other end) that helps us break down and move food through our system (not the sexiest job, but a vital one).

But in research, “gut health” also includes the gut microbiome — the complex and dynamic community of microbes (mostly bacteria, but also yeasts, viruses and fungi) that live in our digestive tract.

For a long time, we thought these microbes were merely passive passengers helping us digest food. But thanks to advances in DNA sequencing in the last 10–15 years, we’ve learned that they’re doing so much more than that. The gut microbiome is now seen as a key player in our overall health and wellbeing — and it’s the real reason gut health has had such a glow-up in the wellness world.

The latest research shows that these microbes, although invisible to the naked eye, are anything but insignificant. They’re in constant conversation with almost every system and organ in the body — influencing everything from your mood and mental clarity, to the strength of your immune system, how well you sleep, how your hormones behave, your weight, and even how much your skin glows.

In short: your gut microbiome might just hold the key to unlocking your best era yet.

How Do I Know If My Gut Is Healthy?

I know I’m likely speaking to my Type-A girlies on this Substack — we’re living in the era of max-productivity and self-optimisation, so let’s start with a little reality check:

There is no such thing as the “perfect” gut microbiome.

Truly. In research, we still don’t have a defined blueprint for what a “healthy” gut microbiome actually looks like. That’s because your microbiome is completely unique — as unique as your fingerprint.

If we lined up every healthy person in the world and sequenced their gut bacteria, no two would look the same. So if you’ve been trying to match some idealised version of “gut health” you saw on social media, it’s time to take a break. There’s no such thing.

That said, scientists do agree on one key hallmark of a well-functioning gut microbiome: diversity.

Think of your gut like a rainforest. The more diverse and resilient the ecosystem — with different plants and species all coexisting in balance — the better. You want lots of variety in your gut microbiome, not just one or two dominant bacterial species running the show.

This is exactly why a so-called “gut cleanse” is literally the last thing you want to be doing.
It’s like taking a fire extinguisher to your rainforest — wiping out entire species in the name of a quick fix. Complete deforestation isn’t good for the Amazon, and it’s definitely not good for your gut.

Gut cleanses promise a reset, but in reality they can leave your microbiome depleted, unbalanced, and even more vulnerable than before. Bottom line — gut cleanses do the complete opposite of what your gut actually needs to thrive.

And when it comes to checking in on how your gut microbiome is doing?

Your poo is one of the best clues. (Yep, we’re going there.)

A healthy poo should look like a smooth or slightly cracked sausage, be brown in colour (not red, green, black or yellow) come out easily (no straining, no pain, no drama) and happen somewhere between three times a day and three times a week — everyone’s “normal” is slightly different.

And there are a few red flags we should never ignore:

Do You Really Need a Gut Health Test?

You can now test your gut microbiome from the comfort of your own home — just send off a stool sample and get a breakdown of the microbes living in your gut. Sounds legit, right?

But here’s the catch: most commercial tests only tell you who’s there, not what they’re doing. And when it comes to gut health, function matters more than just who's on the guest list.

These tests can be useful in clinical settings — for example, tracking recovery after IBD, antibiotics or SIBO — but for the average healthy person, the results aren’t always clear or actionable. That’s because we still don’t have a gold-standard definition for what a “healthy” microbiome looks like. So even if you follow a gut-friendly diet and your results change — your microbiome will simply become different, not necessarily healthier.

And let’s be honest: these tests aren’t cheap. Some cost upwards of £150–£300. Before splashing out, ask yourself:

1. Will I have access to a professional?
   If you're going to test, make sure you have guidance from a trained healthcare professional or dietitian who can help you interpret the results.

2. What will this test actually tell me?
   Most importantly, these tests cannot diagnose any medical conditions. They also only provide a snapshot from the lowest part of your gut — not the full microbial picture — and rarely tell you what your microbes are actually doing (which is what really matters).

3. Could this money be better spent elsewhere?
   A gut test might be interesting — but arguably, spending that same money on a month’s worth of fresh fruit and veg, a gym membership, or a mindfulness app is more beneficial for your gut health.

Bottom line? If you’ve got the spare cash, you absolutely can measure your microbiome —. but you definitely don’t need to. You can start supporting your gut today with simple, evidence-based steps (like upping your fibre and plant diversity), with no test required.

Bloating, Intolerances and Allergies — Gut Girl Problems Explained

Let’s Talk About Bloating

Scroll through social media and you’d think bloating is a modern epidemic — cue endless “de-bloating” teas, supplements, and influencers hawking flat-stomach smoothies. But here’s the truth: a little bit of bloating after a meal is completely normal. In fact, it’s often a sign your gut microbiome is doing exactly what it should be doing; when your gut bacteria break down fibre (which your body can’t digest alone), they produce gas as a natural by-product — hence the bloat.

Bloating Through Your Cycle

Hormonal fluctuations also play a role. In the low-hormone phase — think just before and during your period — your digestive system can slow down slightly. This means you might feel fuller, puffier, or more bloated after meals.

If you’re feeling really “stuck”, there’s no need to panic-Google a cleanse — just try this: 2 kiwis a day (you can find plenty of them in Clapham!) have been scientifically proven to help relieve constipation. Or if you’re not a fan of kiwis, try 2 tablespoons of chia seeds in water, or even a psyllium husk supplement — especially handy if you’re always on the go.

The “Office Bloat” Is Real

If you feel like your stomach suddenly balloons the moment you sit at your desk, you're not imagining it. That classic "office bloat" could have more to do with your mindset — and your outfit — than your meal.

Here’s what might be going on:

• High-waisted trousers that dig into your abdomen can physically restrict your gut, especially if you’re sitting hunched over for hours.

• Eating al-desko under stress (think Slack pings, unread emails, and back-to-back meetings) shifts your body into “fight or flight” mode. When you’re stressed, digestion slows, and your gut wall becomes less efficient at absorbing gas — so it builds up and causes that uncomfortable, trapped feeling.

Beat The Bloat

• Try to eat slowly and mindfully, with your mouth closed to avoid swallowing additional air — even if it's just for 10 minutes away from your screen.

• A short walk after meals (even around the office) can help move things along.

• Stop wearing uncomfortable high-waisted trousers — comfy waistbands are underrated gut health tools.

Do I Have a Food Intolerance?

First thing’s first, food intolerances are very real, but they’re not the same as food allergies:

• Food allergy: Involves the immune system and can be life-threatening (think peanuts or shellfish). Symptoms come on quickly — hives, swelling, difficulty breathing. These can be diagnosed with clinical testing.

• Food intolerance: Doesn’t involve the immune system. It’s usually about how your body digests (or doesn’t digest) something. Common culprits? Lactose, high-FODMAP foods, or additives. Symptoms are slower — bloating, gas, fatigue, headaches — and harder to pinpoint.

The Truth About Intolerance Tests

You’ve probably seen at-home tests that claim to detect your food intolerances by measuring immune markers like IgG antibodies in your blood. But here’s the kicker: IgG antibodies don’t indicate intolerance — they just show that you’ve eaten a food recently.
If you had eggs or strawberries yesterday, those foods will likely “flag” on the test, even if they have nothing to do with your symptoms. This leads to unnecessary food avoidance, restriction, and ultimately, more confusion.

So How Do You Figure It Out?

A structured elimination and reintroduction plan — ideally done with a registered dietitian or healthcare professional. Not only will they help you avoid cutting out foods unnecessarily, but they’ll also look beyond just diet. Because digestive issues are not always about food.

Stress alone can mimic or amplify symptoms we often label as “gut issues” — like bloating, discomfort, or urgency. This is why working with a professional (if you can) is so valuable. They’ll help you zoom out and consider all the moving parts, including sleep, movement, hormones, mental health, medications, and even how often you’re getting outside and interacting with nature.

Because your gut microbiome is shaped by way more than just what’s on your plate.

Feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin? Start with a simple food, mood and symptom diary. Track what you eat, how you feel — physically and emotionally — where you are in your cycle, and what else is going on in your day. It’s a gentle, non-restrictive way to spot patterns without diving headfirst into cutting things out.

But remember: you don’t have to figure it out alone. Bring your diary to your GP or a registered healthcare professional — they can help you make sense of the patterns and support you with evidence-based advice.

The Damage of Restrictive Diets

It often starts with good intentions — you want to feel better, less bloated, more in control. But in the age of #GutTok and “clean eating,” it’s easy to slip into restriction territory without even realising it.

I’m seeing more and more orthorexia-lite habits pop up online in wellness culture — where the fear of “triggering” a symptom leads to a diet that’s overly clean, rigid, and quite frankly, joyless.

And I get it. Gut issues can be incredibly confusing, frustrating, and at times, all-consuming. They can have a huge impact on your quality of life — and getting a diagnosis isn’t always quick or straightforward. So, many of us go at it alone. We start cutting out foods — gluten, dairy, carbs, onions, apples… even entire food groups — in the name of “healing our gut.”

But here’s the thing: more restriction doesn’t always mean more relief. In fact, it can make things worse in the long run.

Your gut microbiome thrives on diversity. It’s made up of many different bacterial species, and like fussy eaters at a dinner party, they each need different types of fibre to flourish. When you overly restrict your diet, you’re only feeding a narrow group of microbes — and starving off the rest.

Take gluten, for example. If you cut out gluten-containing foods like wheat, barley and rye without a clinical reason, you gradually reduce the microbes that know how to break them down. Then, when you “treat yourself” to a pizza, your gut panics — it’s out of practice. Cue the bloating and increased discomfort.

A Word On The FODMAP Diet

The low FODMAP diet is often thrown around online as a magic fix for bloating and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). But it’s a clinical tool, meant to be done with a dietitian and in phases.

Yes, it involves temporarily restricting high-FODMAP foods like garlic, onions, apples, and wheat — but only short-term, to identify your unique triggers. Crucially, these foods are meant to be reintroduced, one at a time, to see which ones you can tolerate. But most people skip that step and end up thinking they need to avoid FODMAPs forever. That’s not the case — and long-term restriction of these fermentable fibres can actually reduce microbial diversity and make symptoms worse over time.

What To Do Instead

So what is that your gut microbes actually want? More variety. More fibre. More colour. Think INclusion, not EXclusion and put fibre first.

Fibre is your gut microbes’ favourite food. We can’t digest it — but they can, and when they do, they produce anti-inflammatory compounds that benefit your gut, your immune system, and even your brain. Here are some easy fibre upgrades:

But remember to go low and slow if you’re new to fibre — and don’t forget to drink more water as you increase it. Your gut needs both to do its job smoothly.

The Gut Health Diaries – City Girl Edition

I’m a Registered Nutritionist who’s spent the last decade deep in the science of the gut microbiome — but I’m also just a nosy parker who loves seeing what other people eat. And I have a feeling I’m speaking to the same kind of girlies.

So here’s a realistic look at what I eat in a day: high fibre, high plants, high joy. No rigid rules. No weird powders. Just everyday meals that support my gut and my lifestyle — yes, that includes bagels and double chocolate cookies.

👉 Click here for “What I Eat In A Day” Inspo

This is shared for inspiration — not as a prescriptive plan or medical advice. Always listen to your body, honouring your own hunger and fullness cues.

TL;DR?

Gut health is having a moment — but between the noise on GutTok and overpriced cleanses, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The truth? There’s no such thing as a “perfect” gut, and you definitely don’t need a fancy test to start supporting yours. Bloating isn’t always a red flag, and restrictive diets often do more harm than good. Instead, think inclusion over exclusion: eat more plants, more fibre, more colour — and slow down enough to enjoy it. Because the real gut glow-up? That comes from a diverse, well-fed microbiome (and not cutting out pizza).

And just like that… we swapped restriction for real science.

Let me know in the comments what resonated with you most. Or if you have any questions or something you'd like me to cover next, I’d love to hear from you.

With love from London,
Dr. Emily, xo.

N.B. This content is for educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice. Screenshots are used under fair use for the purpose of commentary and critique. All rights belong to the original creators.