WHEN YOUR GUT FEELS UPSIDE DOWN…

When your gut feels

Reset after overindulging

L… you need to show it a little more love. Temper the season’s excesses by adding some key ingredients (including chocolate) to restore the harmony within, says Ella Dove

istening to Dr Megan Rossi speaking about gut bacteria, it feels like she’s telling me about millions of tiny friends. ‘Each one likes different things,’ she says. ‘Like humans, they have different taste preferences. You have to think about eating a range of foods with every meal – not just the foods you like, but what your bacteria will like, too. If you look after them, they’ll help you out, but if you don’t, they’ll get kinda grumpy. They might turn on you – and trust me, no one wants that.’

With her sunny Australian accent and flawless skin, it’s easy to take Dr Rossi’s advice on board. After qualifying as a dietician in 2009, she went on to do a PHD in gut health at the University of Queensland, and has worked as both a clinical dietician and a sports nutritionist for the Australian Olympic synchronised swimming team. In 2017, Dr Rossi started her own business, The Gut Health Doctor, and opened a clinic in London’s Harley Street earlier this year. She is also a research fellow at King’s College, London. Her knowledge on the subject is inimitable and her passion is clear.

When we think of gut health, many of us assume the usual advice – cutting down on fats, and getting our five-a-day. And while this is certainly a solid baseline for healthy eating, I soon learn that gut health should not be thought of in terms of limitations. In fact, Dr Rossi explains, it’s all about diversity. ‘It’s not a case of eating 10 top foods,’ she says. ‘It’s about adding in, not taking out. Instead of always having red peppers, get the green and yellow ones, too. Instead of chickpeas, buy a full bean mix. You can be an omnivore and you can eat meat, as long as you side it with some form of plant-based goodness.’

At Christmas in particular, our digestive systems are hit with constant excess, with the seemingly endless carousel of alcohol, pigs in blankets, chocolate – and much more. Rather than simply cutting out the selection box, by accompanying our usual Christmas lunch with mixed grains and a variety of vegetables – think sweet potato and courgette as well as the usual roast potatoes – we can be kinder to our guts. As Dr Rossi explains: ‘Just like any football team, the most successful isn’t the one with all super-star strikers, but the one with a range of players’ skills to provide balance.’

Variety is all well and good, but when it comes to sugar intake, surely we should ease up on wolfing down the chocolate tree decorations? ‘One of the nutrition myths out there is that sucrose (aka sugar) is bad for your gut microbes,’ says Dr Rossi. ‘Like most things, small amounts as part of a balanced diet won’t harm your gut lining or microbes.’ Meaning there’s no need to ditch your chocolate Advent calendar.

It’s not just about what you eat, it’s also about how you eat it. ‘Taking your time to chew is a really helpful way of preventing bloating,’ says Dr Rossi. ‘When we’re enjoying our food, we often just vacuum it up, but we should be chewing each mouthful between

10 and 20 times. Digestion starts in the mouth – as well as the physical act of chewing, we have chemicals in our saliva that start to break down food.’

Okay, so we may be thinking about our post-christmas groaning tummies just now, but besides that, why is gut health so important? ‘It affects literally everything,’ Dr Rossi explains. ‘The gut is linked to the kidneys, the heart, the brain – there’s even a link with mental health. Studies have shown that people who are suffering the greatest levels of stress are also the ones suffering the most significant gut issues.’

Take Christmas bloating. It’s very common, but is not just a result of the large quantity of food we are likely to consume. ‘It can also happen as a result of feeling super-stressed – with endless preparation, 50 Christmas parties to go to and not enough time to do our work,’ Dr Rossi says. She recommends ‘15 minutes a day of gut-directed yoga flow, which can relax the gut muscles that trigger bloating’. This is a practice that consists of four parts: warm-up, breathing, moves and then calm. ‘All parts help manage the physical and psychological symptoms of stress,’ she explains. ‘Many of my patients who suffer with Ibs-related tummy pain have found implementing this practice hugely beneficial in preventing the symptoms from escalating.’ Breathing and specific yoga moves, such as Child’s Pose, Cat-cow and Happy Baby are good for your gut, and also try the Humming-bee Breathing exercise, left.

Sleep is another crucial factor. ‘If you aren’t getting enough sleep, it can change your gut bacteria. Aim for at least seven to nine hours a night. Keep a worry diary to help combat insomnia and, as soon as you wake up, expose your face to light to help regulate your body’s routine,’ says Dr Rossi. Bacteria, she explains, have their own body clock, just like we do. By eating well, finding balance and retaining your body’s natural rhythm, you can give your gut the merry Christmas it deserves.