Signs that your stomach is unhappy

The stomach is central to our overall health, playing a vital role in digestion, nutrient absorption, and even our immune system. When our stomach is "unhappy," it sends signals through various symptoms that shouldn’t be ignored.

Here’s how to recognise these signs and what they may indicate about your digestive health.

Recognising digestive distress

Bloating and gas

Feeling uncomfortably full, especially after eating, is one of the most common signs of digestive distress. Bloating can result from several factors, such as eating too quickly, leading to swallowed air.

Tip: Slow down while eating, and try an elimination diet if certain foods frequently cause discomfort. Including ginger or peppermint in your diet may also help with bloating.

Stomach pain and cramps

Abdominal pain or cramping, especially if persistent, may signal digestive distress. These pains can stem from issues like:

• irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• constipation or bowel blockages
• sensitivities or intolerances, especially to gluten or lactose

Tip: Tracking food intake and symptoms can help pinpoint possible triggers. Consider consulting a nutritionist or dietitian if pain is recurring.

Nausea or vomiting

Nausea and vomiting are acute signs that something is amiss in the digestive system. These symptoms may indicate infections, food poisoning, or even food allergies. 

Tip: Ginger is known for its anti-nausea properties. Eating smaller, lighter meals may also help reduce the frequency of nausea.

Skin problems

Interestingly, digestive distress can often manifest in skin issues, like acne, eczema, or rosacea. When the digestive system is struggling to process food or is inflamed, toxins can build up and show on the skin. Food intolerances and imbalances in gut bacteria (dysbiosis) often contribute to this.

Tip: Consider probiotics to improve gut health and keep a food diary to monitor if specific foods correlate with skin flare-ups.

Eight tips for a healthy stomach

1. Favour your flavonoids

Increase your intake of berries. Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries are all full of antioxidants and flavonoids which reduce the effects of free radicals that inhibit the growth of bacteria.

2. Be cautious when taking antacids

Antacids are one of the biggest-selling drugs of all time and work by decreasing the amount of acid in your stomach or neutralising it. They do this because the antacids are bases which have the opposite effect of acids. They can be addictive and can cause stomach acid to deplete; overuse of antacids can cause the stomach to become alkaline.

3. Eliminate food sensitivities

Most food sensitivities are the result of proteins that do not get broken down completely and therefore enter the bloodstream as allergens. Protease is an enzyme that is responsible for breaking down proteins, and stomach acid also plays a major role. Pepsin is the stomach's protein acid, and when the acid in the stomach is compromised, so too is pepsin, which means incomplete breakdown of proteins contributing to food allergies.

4. Look after your sphincters

Especially your lower oesophageal sphincter. Certain foods trigger the loosening of the LES - chilli, chocolate, peppermint, citrus, tomatoes and alcohol may all be problematic.

5. Cut out processed food

Food that is fast, such as pizza, paninis, cakes, biscuits, packaged meats, cheesy chips, takeaways, etc. is going to play havoc in your stomach because of all the chemicals, E numbers, preservatives and sugars that have been added to them to make them taste good and last longer. Your stomach doesn't always recognise these pesticides and chemicals, so it can often struggle to break them down for digestion, putting strain on your digestive system

6. Get into your bitters

Bitters stimulate digestive secretions that help you break down your food, such as Swedish bitters, which you can take 20 minutes before you eat to stimulate the release of the digestive enzymes, to help you digest your food. Digestive bitters also tap into the body's lingual-neuro response that occurs when you taste something bitter. The bitter taste stimulates increased stomach acid production, as well as other digestive juices. Always follow the dosing directions on the bottle.

7. Drink your food

Mastication or chewing is the first point of digestion and if you eat your food too quickly, with barely any time being taken for chewing, you strain the acid in your stomach that is needed to break it down. Next time you chew, chew your food until it is liquid; it may not feel liquid but it's now in an absorbable form that your body can assimilate and use properly in the body. You are what you absorb.

8. HCL supplementation

While using bitters, lemon and apple cider vinegar will all help, you may need something stronger to bring stomach acid back into balance. Using a betaine HCL supplementation can help the stomach to produce its own levels of HCL.

Our stomachs have ways of telling us when things aren’t going well. Whether it’s through bloating, irregular bowel movements, or even skin problems, understanding these signs is the first step toward better health. Often, simple adjustments to diet, lifestyle, and stress management can make a significant difference in keeping our digestive system – and entire body – feeling happy and balanced.

If you experience any persistent symptoms, consult a healthcare professional or a nutritionist to address underlying issues and tailor a dietary plan suited to your needs.

Thanks for reading!