A common question I’m asked by patients who have been unwell for some time, is “what does a healthy gut feel like?”

A healthy gut feels calm, light, and balanced. Something you rarely notice because everything just works as it should. You digest food easily, experience minimal bloating, and have regular, comfortable bowel movements that are well-formed and easy to pass. You don’t think twice about what you eat because your body seems to handle it without issue, and you feel energised rather than sluggish after meals.

But gut health is about more than just digestion. A truly healthy gut supports your whole body, your immune system, energy, mood, hormones, and even skin health.

When your gut microbiome (the trillions of bacteria that live in your digestive tract) is balanced, it helps regulate inflammation, produce essential vitamins, and maintain the integrity of your intestinal lining. This delicate ecosystem plays a huge role in how you feel day to day.

Interestingly, even if your digestion seems fine – with regular, well-formed stools – you may still have an imbalance in your gut microbiome that’s quietly affecting your health. These imbalances can limit your ability to absorb nutrients efficiently, interfere with hormone metabolism, or contribute to fatigue, mood changes, and inflammation elsewhere in the body.

That’s why a microbiome test can be so valuable. It provides insight into the composition of your gut bacteria, helping you understand how well your gut is functioning beyond visible symptoms. With this information, you can target support for digestion, nutrient absorption, and long-term wellness, even if you don’t currently experience obvious gut issues. A healthy gut isn’t just about feeling symptom-free, it’s about thriving from the inside out.