Common food-based gut problems you can avoid

It's very easy to avoid caring about the gut until symptoms arise, but that's often too late to fix the problem without medical intervention. Caring about gut health is caring about what you put in your mouth and how you eat it.

There are a number of common gut problems that may have a nutrition component - the more you know the better you can avoid these problems from occuring in the first place.

Indigestion (dypepsia)

Sometimes referred to as an upset stomach, indigestion is often due to poor eating habits, ie, eating too quickly, eating too much at one time, or eating very fatty foods.

Heart burn (gastro-oesophageal reflux)

This is a burning sensation that travels from the stomach or chest up to the neck and throat. It is caused by stomach acid that splashes up and irritates the oesophagus. This may be something that occurs intermittently or can become a chronic problem. If it is a chronic problem then medical advice should be sought.

Nutritional and lifestyle advice

• Avoid excessive alcohol, and lots of caffeine-containing beverages, eg, coffee and coke.
• Lose weight if overweight – particularly if there is excessive weight in the abdominal area.
• Avoid fatty food, eg, fish and chips, many takeaways, pies etc.
• Avoid smoking and stressful situations.

Constipation

Usually defined as passing stools (faeces) 3 times a week or having to strain when passing a stool or having hard or lumpy stools.

Nutritional advice

•  Make sure a healthy meal pattern is being followed with a regular meal pattern.
• Ensure you take 6-8 cups of fluid per day, and more when exercising.
• Get sufficient exercise.
• Ensure you include adequate fibre on a daily basis.

Good sources of dietary fibre are:

• Whole meal, and whole grain breads.
• Jacket potatoes, new potatoes in their skins and baked potato skins.
• Whole grain breakfast cereals, eg, Weet Bix, branflakes, unsweetened muesli, porridge.
• Whole meal pasta and brown rice.
• Beans, lentils and peas.
• Fresh and dried fruits – particularly if you eat the skins.
• Vegetables – particularly if you eat the skins.
• Nuts and seeds.
• Whole meal flour.

Diarrhoea

If you have frequent loose bowel motions, you are probably suffering from diarrhoea. There can be many causes.

If you are experiencing a short, acute period of diarrhoea, you may have contracted food poisoning caused by bacteria, viruses or protozoa. If this is the case, make sure you have an adequate fluid intake, to replace lost fluid. It's recommended you drink electrolyte replacement drinks, eg, pedialyte, gastrolyte or oral plasmalyte.

On the other hand, if diarrhoea is an ongoing problem, it's wise to seek medical help.

Article supplied by Auckland Dietetics Service