Your gut microbiome is the community of bacteria and other microbes in your digestive tract that helps digest food and supports your immune system. Keeping your microbiome healthy doesn’t require a restrictive diet or expensive supplements. Small, consistent habits can support it, too.
Here are easy, expert-backed lifestyle tweaks that can support a healthier gut without turning your regular eating routine upside down.
1. Add One More Plant Food to Your Meal
Instead of completely overhauling your entire diet, try making smaller changes. Adding one more plant food to a meal each day, whether it’s berries on oatmeal, herbs on pasta, seeds on a salad, or spinach on a sandwich, can help nourish the beneficial bacteria in your gut. Mixing up your add-ins provides different types of fiber and plant compounds that nourish beneficial gut bacteria.
“When you eat a well-balanced diet, you increase your microbial diversity,” says Supriya Rao, MD, a board-certified gastroenterologist at Integrated Gastroenterology Consultants in Boston. In general, greater microbial diversity is considered a sign of a healthier gut microbiome.
Dr. Rao suggests trying to “eat the rainbow” over the course of a week, meaning choose a variety of colorful fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and herbs to add to your meals.
2. Increase Your Chewing Time
Instead of rushing through meals, try chewing each mouthful a little longer before swallowing. Chewing breaks food into smaller pieces and produces saliva, kick-starting digestion before food reaches your stomach. It may also reduce swallowed air, helping minimize bloating and gas.
It’s not necessary to count every chew; simply slowing down can make digestion easier. “There is no magic number — you don’t need to count 15 to 20 chews,” Rao says. “Just try not to eat in front of the television or while you’re scrolling. Chew slowly and enjoy your meal versus rushing through it.”
3. Consider Herbal Tea if You Have Gastrointestinal Symptoms
Unsweetened herbal tea like ginger or peppermint may help soothe an upset stomach while adding beneficial plant compounds to your day.
“Water should be your main source of hydration, but herbal tea can be a wonderful addition,” says Casandra Way, a family medicine nurse practitioner who specializes in weight loss and digestive health in Westchester and Putnam counties in New York. “Ginger tea may help calm an upset stomach and reduce nausea, while peppermint tea can relax the muscles of the digestive tract and ease occasional bloating. Both are caffeine-free options that can support digestive comfort for many people.”
Ginger and peppermint also contain antioxidants known as polyphenols that help nourish beneficial gut bacteria.If you have gastroesophageal reflux disease, also known as acid reflux, Way suggests choosing ginger instead of peppermint, which can worsen symptoms.
4. Eat Fermented Foods
Adding plain kefir, yogurt with live cultures, kombucha, kimchi, or unpasteurized sauerkraut to one meal each day can introduce beneficial microbes into your diet.
“Fermented foods are extremely beneficial for gut health,” says Alexa Mieses Malchuk, MD, MPH, a family medicine physician at Geisinger Health in State College, Pennsylvania, and a representative of the American Academy of Family Physicians. “Just note that they can create more bloating and gas, so start slow and gradually increase how much you consume. Otherwise, it could backfire with an upset stomach.”
Many of these fermented foods contain live bacteria that can support a healthy gut microbiome. To get the most benefit, look for products labeled “live and active cultures.”
5. Take a Short Walk After Eating
The next time you finish a meal, spend a few minutes walking around the block, your office, or even your home for gut and metabolic health benefits. Research suggests that walking for as little as two to five minutes after eating can help support digestion and reduce blood sugar spikes.
“Postmeal movement is fantastic, and it doesn’t have to be a marathon or a hike,” Dr. Malchuk says. “Any type of physical activity is good for gut motility. For people who deal with constipation, bloating, or gas, something as simple as walking after a meal can really get things moving and help you feel more comfortable.”
Light physical movement helps stimulate peristalsis (the wavelike muscle contractions that move food through your digestive tract), which supports healthy digestion and may ease feelings of fullness or bloating.
6. Drink Water First Thing in the Morning
Before reaching for a cup of coffee, drink a glass of water. Fluids help keep the digestive system running smoothly, and staying well hydrated keeps stool softer and easier to pass.
“Drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning helps replace fluids lost overnight and gently wakes up the digestive system,” Way says. “Staying well hydrated also helps keep stool soft and supports regular bowel movements.”
Research suggests that people who are better hydrated overall are less likely to experience constipation. And for some people, a glass of water upon wakening can help get the digestive tract moving.
7. Take 10 Deep Breaths Before Eating
Stress doesn’t just affect your mood; it can also affect your digestion. If you’re feeling keyed up, take 10 slow belly breaths before your first bite, says Way. It shouldn’t take more than a minute.
“When you’re relaxed, your digestive system functions more efficiently,” she says. “Taking deep breaths before eating can help prepare your body to digest food, especially if you tend to eat while stressed or rushing.”
Research shows that when you’re stressed, your body shifts into fight-or-flight mode, temporarily diverting resources away from digestion. Belly breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system; this encourages you “rest and digest” — to slow down and eat more mindfully — which may help reduce bloating.
8. Avoid Late Night Snacking
Giving your digestive system a break overnight may support healthy digestion and give your gut time to rest. For some people, a 12-hour fast between dinner and breakfast may improve gastrointestinal issues, says Rao.
“A 12-hour overnight fast is reasonable for most people and can give your digestive system a break,” Rao says. “Not everyone needs to fast, but avoiding constant late night snacking can give your gut time to do its job.” Late night snacking can also avoid nighttime reflux symptoms when you lie down.
During fasting periods, your body releases more of the hormone motilin, which activates the migrating motor complex (MMC). Sometimes called the digestive housekeeper, the MMC helps move undigested food and bacteria through the digestive tract between meals. Preliminary research suggests that intermittent fasting may benefit the gut microbiome, though you should discuss with your physician if this may be beneficial for you.
9. Eat Fruit or Nuts Instead of an Ultra-Processed Snack
Diets high in ultra-processed foods have been linked to a less favorable gut microbiome, while fiber-rich foods help feed beneficial gut bacteria.Trading a bag of chips or stack of cookies for a piece of fruit or a handful of unsalted nuts gives your digestive system more fiber and beneficial plant compounds.
“Bacteria in your gut responds to what you feed it, and processed snacks provide little to no nutritional value or fiber,” Rao says.
10. Incorporate Fiber
Beans are rich in fiber and resistant starch, which beneficial gut bacteria ferment into short-chain fatty acids that nourish the colon and support a healthy gut environment. If you’re not a regular bean eater already, try adding a spoonful of beans or lentils to a salad, soup, or pasta dish to increase your fiber intake and nourish your gut microbiome.
“I tell patients that fiber is best when it comes from plant-based foods like beans, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains,” Malchuk says. “Just increase your intake gradually and drink plenty of water, since adding too much fiber too quickly can cause bloating or constipation.”
Research also suggests that regularly eating legumes may also increase microbial diversity.