Let’s take a trip down memory lane! If I look back, I can see that my gut health was not great growing up. Picture this: endless nights tossing and turning with a sore tummy, struggling to “go” at times, and then times with the opposite issue. Fast forward to my early 20s, and my gut took a dramatic turn – bloated, fatigued, and dealing with the worst bathroom experiences (we’re talking 6-7 times a day). It didn’t matter what I ate, my gut was in full rebellion mode.

Now, 10 years later, after 7+ years of working as a gut health dietitian, my gut is much happier – a place I honestly never thought was possible. So, let’s get real: here’s what I’d do differently if I could hit reset and start my gut health journey all over again! Ready? Let’s dive in. 

1. Seek Dietitian Support and Push for Medical Referrals Sooner

As a young woman, I’ll be honest – I didn’t have the guts to speak up to doctors or medical professionals. I remember hearing things like, “Oh, those symptoms? Totally normal,” or “It’s not serious enough to see a specialist,” and my personal favourite, “A dietitian isn’t going to tell you anything that Google can’t.”

If you’re in a situation where you’re not being listened to or feeling like you’re not getting the support you deserve, take this as your sign to get that second opinion. Also, don’t hesitate to bring a buddy along for moral support – having someone there can help you stand your ground and push for the specialist and dietitian help you absolutely deserve! You’ve got this!

2. Seek Psychological Support 

If I could go back in time, knowing what I know now about the gut-brain connection, I’d tell my younger self to get psychological support way sooner. Seriously, learning to handle the stress and anxiety life threw at me would’ve been a total game changer. It would’ve helped me sleep better, feel emotionally balanced, and be way more present at university and with my friends. I can remember days where I felt physically and mentally drained, and I could never figure out which one was causing the other; was it my tummy making me feel mentally sick, or my brain messing with my stomach? Now I know those two are connected, and addressing the mental side of things sooner might’ve sped up the physical healing. Talk about a win-win!

3. Learn How to Cook (and Have Fun With It!)

Believe it or not, I had zero cooking skills as a young adult! Moving out of home and suddenly developing food allergies and intolerances at the same time was a recipe for disaster. I spent a solid 12 months living off chicken breast and roast vegetable salad. Trust me, it wasn’t as fun as it sounds after the first week.

If I could rewind time, I’d dive into learning about food, cooking, and how to make it taste amazing. Life gets so much better when the food you eat actually excites you and makes you feel good. Not knowing how to cook just added more stress, especially when I was trying to figure out how to make meals that were free of gluten, dairy, soy, and onion. I’ll admit, my grocery bills were way higher than they needed to be (not ideal on a student budget) because I’d buy every gluten-free, dairy-free thing I could find… then have no idea what to do with it! And let’s not even talk about how it ruined my relationship with food. It got so boring that I didn’t even want to eat.

So, do yourself a favour: start taking an interest in cooking! Even if it’s just finding one new recipe each week, soon enough you’ll have a bunch of delicious meals you actually look forward to eating. You’ve got this!

4. Switch to Lower-Intensity Exercise for Better Gut Health

As a girlie who grew up living for high-intensity sports, it took me until my 30s to realise the magic of lower-intensity exercise for gut health! For years, I’d rush to the bathroom mid-workout or after a game, but I never put two and two together, maybe it was the high-intensity nature of my workouts causing it. Whoops!

Fast forward to now, and I’ve discovered that the perfect balance is having a mix of both worlds – low-key movement AND high-energy workouts. For example, I love balancing 2-3 reformer pilates sessions a week with 2-3 runs. I’ve learned to steer clear of HIIT classes though… they’re a bit too much for my body and usually leave me feeling bloated for the rest of the day.

Moral of the story?

Play around with different types of exercise and find what feels best for your body. You might just discover a workout you’ve never tried that works wonders for you!

Gut health can feel like a winding road, but with the right support and a holistic approach, the journey becomes much more manageable. If I could start over, these are the steps I’d take to make my journey a little smoother. I hope sharing my experiences helps you on your own path toward healing.

Get in touch today to start working with a dietitian and discover the path to a happier, healthier gut.

Published: 9th March 2025

Author: Kelsey Paterson, Monash FODMAP trained Dietitian