A 30-day gut habits checklist: fiber, fluids, meals and sleep

Why these six

When gas is the problem, NIDDK says doctors may suggest changing eating and drinking habits to reduce gas symptoms: eating slowly, eating smaller and more frequent meals, and limiting fizzy drinks. The fiber and fluid habits come from MedlinePlus, and regular movement from the NHS.

Each habit is small enough to keep for a month, and none of them needs a supplement. If bloating is already here, our answer on what helps bloating fast, naturally covers the quick steps and which supplements have evidence.

The checklist, six habits

Each habit comes from a public health source, named under it. Keep the list for 30 days and note what you notice.

1. 01

   Fiber from food, added slowly

   Adults should eat 21 to 38 grams of fiber a day, and the average is about 16. Adding fiber slowly, instead of all at once, can help reduce gas. Too much, too fast can make gas and bloating worse.

   MedlinePlus; Cleveland Clinic

   Daily
2. 02

   Fluids through the day

   Water helps fiber pass through the digestive system. MedlinePlus suggests plenty of fluids, about 8 glasses a day.

   MedlinePlus; NHS

   Daily
3. 03

   Eat slowly, sitting down

   Eat slowly and, when you can, sit down to eat instead of eating on the run.

   NIDDK

   Each meal
4. 04

   Smaller, more frequent meals

   Choose smaller, more frequent meals instead of large ones.

   NIDDK; NHS

   Daily
5. 05

   Regular movement

   The NHS lists regular exercise among the everyday ways to reduce bloating. A daily walk is an easy start.

   NHS

   Daily
6. 06

   Fewer fizzy drinks

   NIDDK suggests limiting how often you drink fizzy drinks and drink through a straw, and the NHS advises against drinking lots of fizzy drinks.

   NIDDK; NHS

   Daily

Two things in this page's title are not covered yet: no reference source for a sleep habit has been added, and there is no week-by-week fiber plan. This page gives no advice on either.

What people ask

In shoppers' own words, from public posts. They show what people were wondering, not what anyone thought of a product.

How to use the 30 days

Pick a start date and keep the list where you will see it. Tick each habit on the days you manage it, and write a few words each week about how your gut feels.

Change one thing at a time, so you can tell what made a difference. If a habit does not fit your day, adjust it rather than dropping the whole list. At the end of the month, look back at your notes, and bring them to your doctor or a dietitian if something still bothers you. Not sure whether what you notice is ordinary? Our read on signs of an unhealthy gut separates the common signs from the ones that need a doctor. If you want to add fermented foods during the month, our read on fermented foods vs probiotic supplements covers which ones still carry live cultures and how to start slowly. If bone broth is on your list, our read on bone broth and gut health compares its protein, sodium and fiber with yogurt and lentils. For how many grams of fiber a serving of beans, oats or berries holds, see high-fiber foods for gut health. If you are thinking about a probiotic supplement as well, do probiotics work? sets out what studies show and do not show. If you came here looking for a gut reset, how fast gut bacteria shift when you change what you eat, and what cleanses do, is in how to reset your gut.

Sources

1. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Fiber. medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002470.htm
2. NIDDK. Eating, diet, and nutrition for gas in the digestive tract. niddk.nih.gov
3. Cleveland Clinic. How to get rid of bloating. health.clevelandclinic.org
4. NHS. Bloating. nhs.uk/symptoms/bloating