Gut Health / Explainer
7 Signs Of An Unhealthy Gut (And What To Do About Each One)
1 September 2026
Your gut talks to you constantly. Most of us have just learned to ignore it.
Gut health became a buzzword, and buzzwords attract nonsense. So let's keep this practical. Below are seven common signs that your digestion isn't happy, what tends to cause each one, and what's actually worth trying. None of it involves buying a 14-day cleanse.
1. You're bloated most days
Occasional bloating after a big meal is normal. A tight, swollen belly most afternoons is not — it's usually a message. Common causes include eating quickly, fizzy drinks, alcohol sugars in "sugar-free" products, and a diet low in fibre suddenly going high in fibre.
What to do: slow your meals down to 15–20 minutes, cut sweeteners ending in "-ol" for two weeks, and add fibre gradually rather than all at once. If bloating is constant or painful, that's a GP conversation, not a supplement one.
2. Your energy dips after every meal
Feeling sleepy after a huge Sunday roast is human. Crashing after an ordinary lunch, every day, often points to meals heavy in refined carbs and light on protein and fibre — a fast rise and fall in blood sugar.
What to do: anchor lunch with protein (eggs, chicken, beans, yoghurt), add vegetables, and keep the white bread and sweet drinks as sometimes-foods. Most people feel the difference within a week.
3. You're irregular — either direction
Healthy digestion is boring and predictable. Going days without a bowel movement, or racing to the bathroom after meals, both count as signals. The usual suspects: low fibre, low water, low movement, high stress.
What to do: the unglamorous basics genuinely work — 30g of fibre a day, water with every meal, and a daily walk. Give it two weeks before judging.
4. You react to more and more foods
If your list of "foods that don't agree with me" keeps growing, don't keep cutting foods on instinct. Long elimination lists often make gut symptoms worse, because your gut bacteria thrive on variety.
What to do: keep a two-week food and symptom diary before removing anything, and if you suspect a real intolerance, get proper guidance rather than testing kits from the internet — most home "intolerance tests" measure nothing useful.
5. Your skin is complaining
Gut and skin are in constant conversation. Research links gut bacteria balance with conditions like eczema and acne. It's not the whole story — skin never has one cause — but a diet of ultra-processed food rarely shows up well on your face.
What to do: more plants, more fermented foods, fewer ultra-processed snacks. Boring, effective.
6. You're tired even after decent sleep
Most of your serotonin is made in your gut, and your gut bacteria help regulate inflammation, which affects how rested you feel. Persistent tiredness has many causes — iron, thyroid, sleep quality, stress — but the gut belongs on the list.
What to do: if tiredness lasts more than a few weeks despite decent sleep, see your GP and ask about basic bloods before self-treating. We've written more on this in Always Tired? 8 Common Reasons.
7. Sugar cravings run your afternoons
Cravings aren't a character flaw. The bacteria in your gut influence appetite signals, and a gut fed mostly sugar tends to ask for more sugar. Add blood-sugar swings and the 4pm biscuit becomes a routine.
What to do: protein at breakfast, fruit before biscuits, and give it ten days. Cravings quieten when meals stop spiking.
The pattern: almost every fix on this list is fibre, plants, protein, water, walking, and patience. Supplements can help at the margins — but nothing in a pouch outworks a diet your gut actually likes.
This article is general information, not medical advice. If symptoms are severe, persistent, or worrying you, speak to your GP or a pharmacist.