How to improve your gut health

What is gut health?

Understanding gut health begins with knowing what the gut and the gut microbiome are. Your gut includes your stomach, intestines and colon and is part of your digestive system that connects your mouth to your anus. Your gut microbiome consists of trillions of microorganisms living within it. These microorganisms are vital for digestion, immunity, and overall health.

Signs your gut might need attention

Symptoms like bloating, constipation, diarrhoea or abdominal pain may indicate poor gut health, although occasional digestive symptoms are common.

Although some bloating can be common, if it persists, seek professional advice. If you experience unexplained weight loss or blood in your stool, it’s also important to see your GP.

The best foods for gut health

What you eat plays a powerful role in shaping your gut microbiome. From fibre and plant diversity to fermented foods and ultra-processed meals, your dietary choices can either support or disrupt the balance of your gut.

Fibre, fuel for your microbiome

Following a diet rich in fibre-containing foods helps to keep your digestive system healthy.

The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating recommends aiming for 30 grams of fibre per day for men, and 25 grams per day for women. Fibre-containing foods include vegetables, fruit, legumes, wholegrains, nuts and seeds. But it’s not just about quantity, it’s about variety, so aim to include a range of colourful fruits and veggies in your meal plan each week.

READ MORE: How much fibre do you need each day?

Plant diversity builds resilience

A diverse microbiome is a resilient one. Including a wide range of plant foods, not just fruit and vegetables, but also legumes, wholegrains, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices help supports that diversity. The more different plant foods you can get into your diet, the more diverse your gut microbiome is going to be.

Fermented foods can help support balance

Fermented foods such as yoghurt, kimchi, miso and sauerkraut contain probiotics (‘good’ bacteria) which support digestive balance.

They’re not a quick fix, but they can be a useful addition to an already fibre-rich, plant-diverse diet.

READ MORE: Fermented foods for your gut health

Small swaps can make a big difference

Supporting your gut doesn’t require expensive or complicated changes. There are plenty of ways you can get creative and add more gut friendly foods to your diet.
 

• Choose brown rice instead of white
• Swap white bread for wholemeal, multigrain, rye or spelt bread
• Add a can of lentils to your Bolognese
• Include beans in tacos or salads
• Use frozen vegetables for convenience and affordability

These simple swaps can help increase fibre intake and plant diversity, two of the most important factors for gut health.

Why we should try to limit ultra-processed foods

Ultra-processed foods may be convenient, but when they make up a large part of your diet, they can crowd out the wholefoods your gut relies on. They’re often high in added sugars, salt, saturated fat and kilojoules, and low in fibre and essential nutrients, a combination linked to a higher risk of conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

It’s also not just what’s in them, but how they’re made. Processing methods and certain additives, such as emulsifiers and artificial sweeteners, may affect digestion, fullness and the gut microbiome.

Lifestyle habits matter too

Diet is one piece of the picture. Your daily habits can also influence your gut microbiome.

Move regularly

Regular exercise such as walking or cycling can stimulate the muscles of the gut to move digestive contents through the body. Exercise has also been shown to positively affect the gut microbiome.

Prioritise sleep and manage stress

Poor sleep and chronic stress can disrupt digestion and alter gut bacteria. Maintaining a regular sleep routine, limiting screens before bed and practising stress-management techniques like mindfulness or breathing exercises can help restore balance.

Build steady routines

Hydration, regular meals, regular exercise and adequate rest all create a stable environment for your gut to function at its best.

Understanding prebiotics, probiotics, alcohol and antibiotics

Your microbiome responds to what you ingest, including the medications you take.

Prebiotics and probiotics help support good bacteria

Probiotics are ‘good’ bacteria that live in your digestive system. They can help maintain and restore the natural balance of your microbiome and are found in fermented foods such as yoghurt, kefir and sauerkraut.

Prebiotics on the other hand, are types of fibre that act as fuel for beneficial bacteria. Foods such as bananas, onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus and whole grains contain them. Together, probiotics introduce healthy bacteria and prebiotics help feed them, strengthening and supporting your microbiome over time. 

Alcohol and antibiotics

Just as certain foods can support your microbiome, other things you consume can disrupt it. Alcohol can irritate the stomach lining, increase inflammation and alter the balance of gut bacteria. Antibiotics, while sometimes essential, can have a negative impact on your gut microbiome. Antibiotics aim to kill harmful bacteria when you have an illness or infection, but they don’t always discriminate between the harmful and the good and can remove some of the beneficial bacteria from your gut.

If you’ve had a course of antibiotics, or periods of higher alcohol intake, returning to the fundamentals becomes even more important: prioritising fibre, increasing plant diversity, including fermented foods and maintaining healthy routines.

The bottom line

Gut health isn’t about a single superfood or a short-term reset. It’s built through consistent, everyday habits including eating a wide variety of plant foods, prioritising fibre, moving regularly, sleeping well and managing stress.

By focusing on small, sustainable changes, you can support your microbiome and overall wellbeing over the long term.

If you’re experiencing ongoing digestive symptoms or concerns, speak with your GP or a qualified health professional for personalised advice.
 

READ MORE: How much protein do you need each day?