Have you loved your gut today? We have!

Across the UK, millions of people are suffering from a range of digestive
problems. Each day some people continue to suffer in silence, too
nervous or embarrassed to talk about their situation.
Take action today and love your gut. Its easy to take simple steps every
day to help improve your gut health and detecting problems early can
increase the opportunity for successful treatment.
The Love Your Gut campaign aims to help people understand how
important gut health is to overall wellbeing and encourage them to
discuss gut issues. So what are you waiting for come and join us!

The gut is responsible for processing the food we eat, so that essential nutrients,
vitamins and minerals can be absorbed, providing vital fuel for our body.
But everyday factors such as stress, poor diet, illness, certain drugs and even the
natural ageing process can have a detrimental effect on the gut. So understanding
how it works and how to look after it can help things run more smoothly.
1 THE MOUTH breaks food down into manageable pieces.
2 THE OESOPHAGUS Powerful, muscular
contractions push food down to the stomach.
3 THE STOMACH Food mixes with gastric juices
over several hours. Enzymes begin to break
down the protein and starches, helped by acid
which also kills off bacteria. The resulting thick
liquid passes slowly into the small intestine.

4 THE SMALL INTESTINE Around 6 metres in

length, food particles move along this intricate
tubing where carbohydrates, protein and fat
are broken down into smaller molecules. These
are then absorbed into the blood stream.

5 THE LARGE INTESTINE Remaining food

spends 12-48 hours here. Water and minerals are
absorbed here while good bacteria break down
some of the undigested material into fragments
which can then be useful to us as foods.
6 THE PANCREAS which sits just behind the
stomach - secretes an alkaline juice which
neutralizes stomach acid, while its enzymes
break down protein, fat and carbohydrates.

3
6

7 THE LIVER The chemical factory and warehouse of

the body. It receives blood directly from the gut via a
special set of blood vessels, and it is the first place for
the absorbed nutrients to be processed and used.

5
4

8 THE GALL BLADDER Concentrates bile and squeezes

it into the small intestine, where it helps to digest fat.

Are you keeping regular?

One of the first indications of a digestive problem is through your
bowel movements. This is our digestive systems way of talking
to us and persistent problems should not be ignored!
But first you need to recognise your bowel habits and know that
what works for others, may not necessarily work for you. Try to
adopt the 3 & 3 rule when monitoring your bowel movements:
No more than 3 times a day
No less than 3 times a week
Bowel habits which dont follow the above could suggest a digestive
problem. Of course, from time to time, we can all suffer from diarrhoea or
constipation due to illness and then the rule does not apply. But if you find
that you are persistently irregular and suffering from the problems listed
on the back page of this leaflet, then you need to speak to a doctor.

Good Gut Health

Looking after your gut is easier than you might think. A balanced diet,
regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle can all have a beneficial effect.
DIET AND MEALTIMES
Nutritional therapist Melanie Flower offers
top tips on eating for digestive health:
Are you hungry? Eating through boredom or
unhappiness can lead to unhealthy snacking, which
will do your digestive system no good at all.
Be prepared. The smell of food sends nervous signals from
the brain to the digestive system, causing digestive enzymes
to be produced. Cook meals from scratch and the smell of
food will prepare the digestive system for whats to come.
Chew your food. Chewing mixes food with saliva, which
starts to break down starches. If food is poorly chewed, stomach enzymes and acid in the
stomach have to work harder to break it down, which can cause bloating and heartburn.
Melanie offers extended versions of these and other tips at www.loveyourgut.com

EXERCISE
Fitness expert Nicki Waterman offers
tips on taking easy daily exercise:
Leave the car at home for short journeys - walk
to the shops, school, pub or post office.
Park your car away from the supermarket
entrance the extra walk will be good.
Ban all lifts and escalators and use the stairs instead.
Plug the phone in upstairs so that when it rings you have
to climb the stairs (and then come down them again).
For more advice and a range of special digestion-friendly yoga
poses from Nicki, see www.loveyourgut.com

LIFESTYLE
Ongoing stress can be harmful to your digestive
system. Gastroenterologist and psychotherapist
Dr. Nick Read shares tips on coping with stress:
Lead a balanced life. If you can regulate your life, then you
will regulate your bowels as well. Take time off relax, listen
to music, read a book, meet friends or take a stroll.
Listen to your body. If you are exhausted and stressed out,
your body will reflect this. If your gut seems irritable, this
is your alarm bell. Pay attention to it. Take a break.
Try to find out what is making you and your bowels upset. By identifying the underlying
problem, you are on your way to finding a solution. Work out what you are really worried about.
For more tips from Dr. Read, visit www.loveyourgut.com

When to see a doctor

It is important to remember that many digestive disorders can be treated.
Whatever your age, you should see your doctor if you experience the
following symptoms, particularly if they are unexpected or persistent:

Abdominal pain before or after meals

Persistent feeling of fullness, bloating or flatulence
Nausea or vomiting
Heartburn or regurgitation
Pain or difficulty in swallowing
Loss of appetite
Continuing unexplained weight loss
Indigestion developing for the first
time in mid or later life
Persisting diarrhoea, constipation or
any alteration in bowel habit
Change in stools (bowel motions) especially if they
become black, dark, red, pale or contain mucus (slime)
Bleeding when you pass a stool
Pain when you pass a stool
Feeling that your bowels are not emptying completely
Generally feeling tired, lethargic or unwell in
association with any abdominal symptoms

Guidelines for early diagnosis of gut problems from the

British Society of Gastroenterology and Core

Love Your Gut Partners

Core the Digestive Disorders Foundation
is a national charity that funds medical
research into the prevention, cure and
treatment of digestive disorders, and provides
information for patients and sufferers.
For free information and leaflets send an SAE to:
Core
3 St Andrews Place, London NW1 4LB
www.corecharity.org.uk

Love Your Gut

PO Box 364
Ruislip, HA4 4BU
Tel:3 020 8839 3258
Fax:3 020 8839 3250
www.loveyourgut.com

Love Your Gut is an initiative of Core and

The Gut Trust in association with Yakult.
Core and The Gut Trust do not endorse any
specific commercial or pharmaceutical products.

The Gut Trust provides the only dedicated

support in the UK to people with IBS, helping
them and their families and carers to manage
their IBS and achieve an improved quality of life.
The Gut Trust
Unit 5, 53 Mowbray Street. Sheffield S3 8EN
Tel: 0114 272 3253
www.theguttrust.org
Helpline: 0114 272 3253
Monday to Friday 6pm8pm
Saturday morning 10am12 noon
All helpline calls answered by IBS specialist nurses