Exploring Gut Health: The Connection Between Mood, Fasting, and Digestive Issues

Gut health is a topic we talk about a lot at ZOE. The gut doesn’t just fight disease, it boosts our mood, processes energy and so much more. Today’s bonus episode journeys through everything we’ve learnt about gut health so far. And what a myth-busting journey it is!

In this episode, Jonathan delves into the microbiome, highlighting the most useful tips from conversations with ZOE’s U.S. Medical Director and resident gut health expert, Will Bulsiewicz, and Tim Spector, one of top 100 most cited scientists and author Food for Life. 

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Timecodes:

00:00 - Intro

01:27 - Is bacteria bad for us?

04:10 - How is the microbiome affected by what we eat?

10:00 - What happens to the gut when fasting?

11:53 - Why bacteria eats the inside of our bodies

13:59 - What causes heartburn?

17:00 - What’s going on with gas and bloating?

19:09 - Tell-tale signs of constipation

22:42 - How to treat constipation

25:52 - Other signs of an unhealthy gut

27:20 - Why do doctors ask about your trips to the bathroom?

29:37 - Tips for tackling an unhealthy gut

31:40 - Outro

Episode transcripts are available here.

Will’s book is available to buy here.

Tim’s book is available to buy here.

Full length episodes mentioned:

• Signs of an unhealthy gut
• Gut bacteria and fasting: meet the night crew - The Big IF Dailies
• Gas and bloating: the causes and how to stop it
• Your gut is full of bugs: why this is great news
• The ultimate guide to constipation
• Heartburn: Why it happens and what you can do

Referenced in today’s episode: 

• A redefinition of constipation from King’s College London
• The State Of The Nation’s Gut, a report from the U.K.-based Love Your Gut initiative
• Epidemiology of constipation in Europe and Oceania: A systematic review published in BMC Gastroenterology 
• Recent advances in understanding and managing chronic constipation published in F1000Research
• The Bristol Stool Scale
• ZOE’s Blue Poop Challenge
• Blue poo: Impact of gut transit time on the gut microbiome using a novel marker published in Gut 

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