How do you keep your gut healthy? Find out what Mumsnet users told Nairn’s Oatcakes

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Many of us are becoming more aware of how our gut can affect our overall wellbeing and the importance of taking care of it in order to stay healthy and happy. The majority of us have all been there when bloating and/or indigestion strikes, and this is why Nairn’s would love to hear your tips for maintaining good gut health.

Here is what Nairn’s have to say: “We’d like to think we know a thing or two about the superfood that is oats – we’ve been baking with them for over 100 years. We know how good oats are for your gut and we know that gut health as a topic is no flash in the pan either!

Oats are one of the foods that can help keep our gut healthy. They’re high in gentle fibre, which not only helps us stay regular, but also ‘feeds’ the friendly bacteria in the gut and helps keep the gut lining healthy. Oatcakes in particular can also be a good alternative to wheat-based products such as cereals and breads to keep our gut happy, as wheat can trigger digestive problems for some. The topic itself can be a bit daunting to the less familiar, so it makes sense for us to work with some lovely experts to help us spread that Good Gut Feeling in a simple, accessible, achievable way. Our website covers a number of Good Gut Health areas including The Family, Fitness and Managing a Free From Diet so do drop by and check them out. In the meantime, don’t be shy, and please share your own tips and tricks – they’ll really help others, and we can’t wait to hear them.”

What are your go-to and no-go foods and drinks when it comes to maintaining a healthy gut? How have you been eating oats outside of your morning porridge? If you already eat oatcakes, how do you eat yours? How do you encourage your family to follow in your footsteps? Did you find you had any digestive problems when you were/are pregnant and how did you deal with this? Or maybe you noticed some surprising benefits to keeping your gut health in check (e.g. a new-found spring in your step or blemish-free skin)?

Whatever your advice for maintaining a healthy gut, share your experiences on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list) and a bumper box of Nairn’s Oatcakes.

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

Live yogurt after every meal and loads of veg!

I try to avoid too much processed foods and ready meals, plenty of fibre and fruit and veg. I limit bread to no more than two slices a day, if at all, as I find it bloating and laden with calories. If I snack, I try to pick healthier options, like crackers, an apple, smoothie or crudités.

Have they stopped making the raspberry ones? I cannot find them anymore.

I constantly suffer with IBS-type symptoms and bloating is a problem with me. I didnt relaise oats like Nairs were good to be honest, so this is interesting.

I dont avoid anything, im sure if i was careful, i would suffer a lot less but i do enjoy my food so dont like to go without.

I have heart the yoghurts with good bacteria are good for the gut, like Activia, so i have tried them on occasion but it is normally too late as i think you need to act before the symptoms whereas i leave it too late and want to act when the symptoms have already arrived!

I sometimes think the no-go foods are the greasy fried foods, but then sometimes eating cucumber can trigger it off so its quite hard to find what really is stressing my gut out!

I never thought oats was a go-to food though, i will add this to my list! xx

I have to limit dairy, I've cut out citrus fruits and I have a probiotic drink daily. I also take an IBS medication 3 times a day.

I try to make sure the family follow a balanced diet and often cook dinner from scratch most nights. I make sure we eat lots of fruit and vegetables throughout the day too!

I try to eat a varied diet which isn't too processed or too fatty. I think everything in moderation is the way to go.

I have IBS and limit my intake of heavily processed, greasy or spicy foods. I have recently started the fodmap diet so have upped my intake of oats as I've had to eliminate wheat from my diet.

As I have aged, I've found I can tolerate dairy less than I used to. I generally use soya or coconut milk instead, but still like a bit of butter, cheese and yoghurt in my diet (esp the yogurt with 'good' bacteria!). I also eat a lot of Nairn's oatcakes ( my girls love them too!) as they are best for a quick blood sugar boost and to stave off hunger pains between meals. It also helps me to avoid those tempting sugary treats!

I try to eat as healthy as possible with lots of fruit and vegetables, eggs, fish and oats. But I do still eat crackers and chocolate, just in moderation.

I need strong antibiotics about every 3 or 4 weeks for a chronic bladder condition so my gut flora must be virtually non existent. I have very little gluten and wheat and between antibiotics take a strong probiotic supplement. I have porridge in cool or cold weather and oatibix when it’s warmer. I love Nairn’s finely
Milled Oatcakes with cheese and the cheese oatcakes just on their own. I have raw oats mixed into
Yoghurt or soya desserts. I stay away from cabbage, cauliflower and asparagus as they make me terribly ‘windy’ and bloated. I’m trying as hard as I can to reduce sugar and chocolate as a sweet tooth is my weakness and not good for gut health. It’s hard though.

I'm not the healthiest person and suffer a lot of acid reflux at times but I try to limit my food intake after 8pm, drink plenty of water and have a probiotic yoghurt each day.

First thing i drink boiling water to line my stomach for the day, and i also like to have a little aloe vera juice once or twice a week, leaving out fatty fried foods is a must.....

IBS had started to really take over my life. Lots of pain and discomfort. A low FODMAP diet was very helpful. But I was starting to eat a lot more meat than I liked too. And I found my diet was less healthy.

I started making kefir and taking it regularly and the effect was miraculous. I can now eat pretty much whatever I want though I am still cautious about stone fruits.

Love Nairn's especially the biscuits. Shame they aren't more widely available - I stock up when I see them.

We have all cut down on processed foods and increased our fibre intake. It is these changes that have helped my son's tummy issues and made my mummy tummy shrink.

When i was pregnant I was so worried what I ate would affect my baby so was very cautious, we went from eating mainly rubbish to eating proper meals like vegetables fish etc and only one takeaway a week. Now our lg is weaning we also incorporate this into her diet, so she will have vegetables fish chicken etc. We have porridge oats for breakfast as it fills us till dinner time, when lg is old enough she will be having oat cakes and fruit as healthy snacks.

Cook from scratch, porridge for breakfast, very little bread, no coffee

A dose of probiotics every day!

I am planning to overhaul my diet soon. I was previously diagnosed with IBS-D but recently suffered lots of symptoms which ultimately led to my gall bladder being removed. Since this, my IBS-D has actually disappeared but the health issues have scared me and I want to start looking after myself. Plenty of fiber via fruit and veg and a wide variety of foods is my plan

As I have got older i have found i seem to be intollerant to wheat - stomach cramps and bloating when i eat bread, pasta biscuits etc so I have been finding more oat based products to eat. Switching to porridge oats in the morning - or yoghurt and fruit has made a huge difference - and I know this is disgusting to say but it must have improved my gut as my poo is not as smelly and I am not as windy as I used to be!

I was chatting to my mother who used to eat a well known wheat based cereal every morning and she switched and lost 9lb in a week! we must be the same in that wheat seems to bung us up and bloat and ache and she said she never felt better!

Gluten free oatcakes are a good alternative to biscuits to fill that need for a little treat without looking like Harry Potter's Aunt Marge 15 mins later bloating and farting like an elephant!

I think it also makes weight loss a hell of a lot easier - I lost just over 3 stone by walking and dieting and giving bread and pasta a huge miss - there are plenty of alternatives and other carbs which are not bad for you. Also your gut likes plenty of liquid (the good stuff not all this sugar drinks and please dont drink coca cola - clean your loo with it instead)!

We eat loads of salads and vegetables, and drink plenty of water

We eat unprocessed food & limit red meat

I try to eat healthily and limit bread

I listen to my body and I know which foods aren't too good for my gut and I really try to limit them as much as possible though I do give into temptation occasionally. I also try and eat a lot of food which is good for my stomach and I take a daily probiotic and start off the day with lemon and hot water and these seem to help a lot.

I am struggling at the moment. I have bought some probiotics to try and improve my gut health. I do eat oats but I hate porridge - I have uncooked oats mixed with natural yoghurt, honey and walnuts - I love that. I also absolutely love oatcakes. I have them with cheese and cucumber, or hummus and mint.