To balance out the gut microbiome, there are a few things you can do: 

• Increase your intake of plants
• Try more fermented foods
• Reduce your intake of ultra processed foods
• Try not to consume excess sugar or sweeteners
• Exercise
• Manage stress 
• Get some good sleep

For more answers to your questions on gut health, read here.

IBS symptoms can include:

• Stomach pain or cramping 
• Feeling bloated 
• Being constipated 
• Having diarrhoea

These may feel better or worse over time – sometimes seemingly randomly. Your lifestyle, stress levels, or the foods you eat can also affect IBS symptoms.

There’s no one food that’s best for your gut. But, including lots of fibre can help keep your digestion running smoothly and prevent constipation. Whole grain products (like brown bread, brown rice, and brown pasta), nuts, and fruits and vegetables are good sources of fibre.

However, it’s also worth noting that a high-fibre diet can aggravate IBS symptoms for some people – so introduce fibre-rich foods carefully.  

It’s believed that probiotics can keep the balance of gut bacteria healthy, too. Try fermented foods like kimchi, tofu, miso, and yoghurt to increase your probiotic intake.  

Aside from that, drinking enough water, avoiding processed foods, and getting a balanced diet with plenty of vitamins and minerals are the best ways to keep your gut in check.  

Find out more about the best foods for gut health here.

A low FODMAP diet is a way of eating that avoids FODMAP - fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols.

These are types of short-chain carbohydrates that trigger uncomfortable digestive symptoms in some people.  

A low FODMAP diet can involve removing high FODMAP foods from your diet and replacing them with low FODMAP foods.

Then, you can slowly reintroduce the high FODMAP foods one at a time to see what you react well or badly with.  

Best results are seen when sufferers have expert advice and support from a dietitian who specialises in FODMAPs.