Firstly, we have common dietary prebiotics such as bananas, onions, garlic, chicory, Jerusalem artichoke, asparagus, leeks, and grains including wheat and barley. Now these foods contain specific non-digestible elements such as inulin and FOS (fructo-oligosaccharides) which are thought to feed our good bacteria. There are many different herbal remedies that can have a positive effect on your fungal skin infection symptoms. Some solutions may be more focused on your external symptoms whilst others will look at improving your immune function and maintaining a good gut environment. If you are getting indigestion, wind, cramping after nearly every single meal or for some women, it's after every time they have a drink as well, then this isn't good. It can be a feeling of just being full. Some women say that it feels like after they've eaten, the food just sits in their stomach and it doesn't seem to shift for ages. And for those of you that wish to know a little bit more to see whether you're passing the right type of stools, there is something called the Bristol Stool Scale, and if you Google it, you'll get lots more advice there.

Signs which could indicate that your digestive system isn't working well include, upset stomach and indigestion, changing bowel habits, sleep disturbances and low mood, skin problems and bad breath. There are some key signs which tell you that your digestive system is not working as well as it should. 1. Upset stomach Let's talk more about skin health Skin health Skin conditions An introduction to skin conditions Acne Eczema Ichthyosis Psoriasis Rosacea Skin infections An introduction to skin infections Fungal skin infections Scabies Warts Skin problems An introduction to skin problems Ageing skin Dry skin Hives Oily skin Sunburn Diet & lifestyle An introduction to diet and lifestyle 5 drinks you should avoid for clearer skin Are fermented foods the secret to glowing skin? Can vitamin D deficiency affect your skin? Vitamins for our skin Is your diet making your skin itchy? How do you detox your skin? The bitter truth about sugar and your skin Explore more skin topics 10 tips for a winning smile 10 ways to avoid bad winter hair days Are you suffering from wine face Why does my skin flare up at night Why are my nails soft Can stress cause spots What foods cause spots 10 ways to keep your nails in tip top condition 9 ways to rejuvenate tired skin 6 fantastic ways exercise benefits your skin 6 homemade beauty tips for dull skin Could stress be fuelling your skin condition?Does stress make you look older? How can I care for my skin in winter? How can I keep my skin hydrated in summer? How can you protect your skin during the hayfever season? How do allergies affect your skin? How do you keep your skin healthy when travelling? How do your sex hormones affect your skin? How does face mapping work How safe is your suncream? How to exercise if you suffer from a skin condition! How to get into a rhythm with your skin Is beauty sleep real? Is sweating good for your skin? Is your liver the most important organ for your skin? Natural ways to minimise wrinkles around your mouth Reduce wrinkles around your eyes Show off your summer skin The amazing skincare benefits of comfrey revealed The gut-skin connection The real reason you get problem skin What could be causing your skin irritation? What secrets are your skincare products hiding? What does your immune system do for your skin? Why the sudden itch? Why is your circulatory system so important for your skin? Did you know? So what can be done to rectify an imbalance in gut bacteria? This is where prebiotics come in. What are prebiotics and where can I find them? However, the intriguing benefits of these bacteria go beyond the level of the gut and they are often used to ferment foods. Is lactose involved?Molkosan ®: Approximately 70% of your immune cells can be found in your digestive tract so it’s only natural that you should try to support that area of your body. Molkosan ®is a prebiotic that is rich L+ lactic acid and can work to build a positive environment for your friendly gut bacteria Also, finding large particles of undigested food in your stool can be another indication. Now, one really important thing here, and please don't ignore this. If you find blood in your stool, this is something that needs medical attention. So please, do go and see your doctor about this one. 3. Sleep disturbances & low mood Now that we know what to avoid, what should you be drinking more of to help keep those symptoms at bay? 1. Water There are a variety of approaches so it’s important that you consider what is likely to work best for you. Home remedies Make sure you eat plenty of fibre-rich foods. That's your root vegetables, a little bit of fruit, plenty of greens, eat these with every single meal if you can. If you can include some kind of vegetables with every meal, then you're really going a long way into giving your digestion all the fibre that it needs daily. Exercise regularly

Especially in women, fluctuating hormones, for example as a result of PMS or menopause, can easily give rise to bloating. Targeting the underlying hormonal issue is often the first port of call, whilst digestive solutions such as Molkosan Fruit may also be a useful addition to your regime. What’s the significance of gut bacteria? It's about not getting cramped and feeling comfortable. And a lot of women say that they get up in the morning, they can put their trousers and their skirts on and everything's fine. And then by night-time, everything's so tight that they have to take them off or undo the buttons, or the zips. And that's an indication that there's a lot of bloating going on. It's also about not getting cramps, either when you're eating or when you're emptying your bowels, and that's really important.Dysbiosis is an imbalance of your good gut bacteria. If you don’t have sufficient levels of good bacteria, bad bacteria can soon flourish and this can give rise to a whole number of symptoms including some of the symptoms of IBS: constipation, diarrhoea and bloating. Hormones In the past, the trend has been to use probiotics for digestion problems. However, the difficulty is that if the internal environment hasn’t changed, probiotics will be killed off just as the original friendly bacteria were.

I hope you found this one helpful. If any of you out there have any other tips that have helped with your digestion or foods that you include regularly that help you, then please share them with us. Key points to take away from this blog: Specific strains of bacteria and beneficial yeasts including Saccharomyces boulardii have been found to be especially useful when helping to calm diarrhoea ( 1)and may also help to protect against instances of traveller’s diarrhoea. Recurrent indigestion could be a sure sign that your stomach secretions aren’t sufficient. We need adequate stomach acid to help breakdown the food we eat, and without it we may experience delayed gastric emptying (resulting in a full, nauseated feeling) and bloating, as our recent meal starts to ferment. If these symptoms sound familiar, try taking a herbal bitter tincture such as Yarrow, 5-10 minutes before meals in a small splash of water. Constipation Another sign to look out for is changing bowel habits. So, if you find that you're going three or four times a day, if you're getting diarrhoea, or if you're getting constipation and your bowels are not moving regularly, these can be an indication that there's something not quite right going on. Whilst some people primarily struggle with diarrhoea, for others, constipation is an everyday issue.I can’t stress enough the importance of water. Out of everything, water is most likely to make the biggest difference to your symptoms and we need to drink more of it – simple!