An RD Shares Her Tips For Stellar Gut Health & Beating Bloat STAT

"If you don't have a gut that's working, you're really not benefiting from anything," Zibdeh says, adding that chronic fatigue, skin issues, anxiety and depression, and congestion can all be symptoms of underlying food sensitivities. It's difficult to say how many Americans are currently living with some sort of gut issue since they so often go unreported, but Zibdeh guesses it's over 40%.

Sugar is the first thing she tells patients to remove when they complain about gut issues since it's been shown to impede digestion and cause inflammation1. If you have a sweet tooth, try swapping your afternoon treat for one of these healthier savory options.

Beyond obvious culprits like sugar, Zibdeh has found that ingredients like onions, garlic, nuts, and certain legumes can spur symptoms in patients. So she always recommends keeping a detailed food journal of everything you're eating so you can more accurately trace symptoms back to specific foods.

Zibdeh is a fan of the collagen-rich, inflammation-taming drink, saying that it contains lots of gut-healthy nutrients that you won't find in traditional broths. Want to start making your own? Here's an easy Instant Pot recipe.

Aloe is prized for its skin-soothing properties, and the plant also has some serious gut benefits. "The gut is a continuation of your skin," Zibdeh reminds us, saying that she likes to buy aloe leaves whole, let them soak in water for 15 to 20 minutes, and cut out the white, gooey insides, which have a very neutral flavor, to add to smoothies.

Zibdeh recommends leaving at least three hours between meals and snacks to give your body time to properly digest. She compares constant snacking to an eternally dirty floor, saying, "This is kind of like if you have a lot of crumbs on the floor and you're trying to sweep it, and then your kids run around and distribute it again. You have to start all over."

Tune into this jam-packed episode to learn more about Zibdeh's food philosophy and get her take on how going Keto, eating a low-histamine diet, and intermittent fasting actually affect the gut. Over the course of the hour, she also dives into how to talk to your doctor if you suspect you have a gut health issue, how to get your kids to eat gut-healing foods, and how the shape of your poop can indicate the state of your digestion.