Overindulged? Gut Health Specialist talks gut health and mindful eating

Overindulged during the festivities? Feeling bloated after a meal and don’t know where to start? We’ve got your gut covered.

We ask the expert, Danielle Françoise, a Gut Health & Mindset Coach who works on helping clients heal from the inside out through breathwork, meditation, and gut cleansing.

Here, Emirates Woman asks all you need to know to keep your gut health in check and why digestive issues start showing up in your 30s.

Danielle Françoise, Gut Health & Mindset Coach | Photo: Instagram @coachedbyfrancoise

What happens to your digestive system when you enter your 30s?

Once we hit 30 the amount of stomach acid we produce starts to decrease more rapidly which is why around this age heartburn and acid reflux is more common and finding it harder to digest certain foods. By eliminating gluten and dairy while minimising alcohol and coffee consumption (swap out for a healthier energy boost like matcha) a lot of people see improvements pretty quickly. Being intuitive and making these adjustments as we age means we can stay in control of how good we feel – working with our bodies and not against them.

Do debloating, probiotic, and pre-biotic supplements work? What should we be looking out for?

The key thing here is unfortunately not all supplements are made equal. I swear by taking both pre and probiotics to produce and feed good bacteria in the gut which will improve your digestion but you need to look for clean ingredients and no bulking agents – this goes for any supplement you are buying.

I don’t personally take or recommend any debloating pills as I believe in helping clients get to the root cause of their issues as bloating is very common but definitely not normal. It’s your body giving you a signal that your digestive system is not happy and we really shouldn’t ignore it.

Aside from supplements, how can we look after our gut health?

The gut needs and loves diversity.. so I always challenge my clients to work towards eating 30 different plant-based foods a week alongside their chosen protein sources – this includes fruit, veg, nuts, seeds, legumes, and fresh herbs. I’m also a huge fan of bone broth as it’s full of natural collagen which helps to heal and restore the gut wall lining. Start with a mug full every other morning on an empty stomach or if your gut really needs some TLC, have it every day for 2 weeks. It won’t be long until you start to feel better, it’s very powerful stuff.

What should we be adding to our diet to reduce bloating and maintain a happy digestive system?

Everyone is different which is why I work with clients on a 1:1 basis or create a personalised gut health plan after an in-depth online consultation, but gluten and wheat can be the devil for most, whether you get bloating symptoms or not. Especially in things like bread which just isn’t made the same as it used to be years ago and can play havoc on our digestive system. I would always encourage someone to go gluten and wheat free for a month and nearly everyone reports back on how amazing they feel – lighter, brighter, clear-headed, more energy, less or no bloating. Focusing on adding in lots of variety and colour to your diet alongside gut-loving fermented foods, live cultures, kombucha, bone broth and also making sure to actively minimise stress and do things that make you happy which is super important for a healthy thriving gut.

Swipe through the gallery below to shop 9 of the best digestive supplements below to improve your digestion and gut health: