Are you dealing with digestive problems in your daily routine? Do you feel constantly bloated? Do you have a lot of stomach issues and feel like you need to know where a bathroom is at all times? Have you tried lots of different solutions for fixing your digestive problems but still haven’t found the answer?

You’re not alone.

Nowadays, more than a third of the westernized population report experiencing digestive discomfort. In other words, many millions of people worldwide are affected by a range of symptoms that include abdominal pain, infrequent bowel movements, bloating, feeling more stressed, lethargy, subdued wellbeing and low mood.

If you’re one of these people, the following beliefs about the intestine probably sound familiar:

  • I am a belly battler, I am a gut health warrior.
  • My gut is central to my health and wellbeing.
  • If my gut suffers, I suffer.

You have plenty of experience that tells you stomach issues are not just a negative gut feeling. However, in the absence of a defined medical diagnosis (when your doctor says that all your tests are normal and you are fine but you cannot get a handle on your gut health issues), your digestive problems can have a big impact on your overall health and wellbeing.

When you started experiencing uncomfortable digestive symptoms, you probably ignored them. With time, they started coming back more frequently. And suddenly you were noticing that a certain hamburger or pasta dish at dinner was not a good idea if you wanted to get a good night’s sleep.

Having lived with these symptoms for months and possibly years, they inevitably affect not only your professional life but also your day-to-day activities. Problems accumulate, and before you realize, digestive issues are stopping you from going out with friends and family and enjoying your leisure time in peace.

Every time you try to do something about it, you get lost in a jungle of information online as you try to understand what is happening to your gut. In the search for practical tips on managing digestive health, you have no idea which nutrition advice is worth following.  And the answers you do find aren’t necessarily convincing and neither do you feel able to follow all the nutrition tips on your own.

Getting hold of reliable and easy-to-understand information on gut health to help you with your digestive problems is crucial. But we know it isn’t easy, because our GMFH community is telling us how much of a challenge it is to find both science-backed and natural ways to keep your gut healthy.

So how about asking the experts? Registered dietitians are the health professionals who can help you deal with your digestive issues. They understand your symptoms but are also aware of the social and psychological importance for your wellbeing of enjoying the food you eat.

That is why we have decided to ask 5 registered dietitians for their thoughts on the burning issues, such as what is gut health and why does taking care of it matter? We have also asked them for actionable diet and lifestyle tips for maintaining or restoring gut health, which will therefore have an impact on overall wellbeing.

So stay tuned to our upcoming interviews with gut health dietitians!

In the meantime, to get started with science-backed ways to improve your gut health today, you can have a look at previous articles and infographics around food, nutrition and gut health.