The FixMyGut blog
Short reads for real-life gut questions. New here? Start with how to keep a food and symptom diary or the Start here guide.
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IBS · Constipation · Bloating and gas · Food and drink · Poop shape and color
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Alcohol and Poop: Why the Morning After Can Be Messy Loose poop after a night out is common. Here's what the NHS says about alcohol, IBS, dehydration and your gut, plus a simple way to log it. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Best Apps for a Low FODMAP Diet: What Each Kind Does Food guide, meal logger or symptom diary? Here's what to look for in a low FODMAP app, including the Monash FODMAP app and PoopAI. 3 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Bloated After Eating Bread? Gluten, Wheat or Something Else Bread bloat can come from FODMAPs (fructans) in wheat, IBS, intolerance or coeliac disease. Here's what Monash and the NHS say. 3 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Beetroot Poop: Red Poop After Beets, or Blood? Red or pink poop after beetroot is a classic scare. Here's how to tell food color from blood, and when to get checked anyway. 3 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Bloated After Eating? Common Causes and What Helps Feeling full, tight or gassy after meals is common. Here's what the NHS and NIH say causes bloating, what helps, and when to see a GP. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Blood on Toilet Paper After Pooping: What to Do Bright red blood on the paper is often piles or a small tear, but it always deserves a check. Here's what the NHS says and when it's urgent. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05
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Alcohol and Poop: Why the Morning After Can Be Messy Loose poop after a night out is common. Here's what the NHS says about alcohol, IBS, dehydration and your gut, plus a simple way to log it. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Best Apps for a Low FODMAP Diet: What Each Kind Does Food guide, meal logger or symptom diary? Here's what to look for in a low FODMAP app, including the Monash FODMAP app and PoopAI. 3 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Bloated After Eating Bread? Gluten, Wheat or Something Else Bread bloat can come from FODMAPs (fructans) in wheat, IBS, intolerance or coeliac disease. Here's what Monash and the NHS say. 3 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Beetroot Poop: Red Poop After Beets, or Blood? Red or pink poop after beetroot is a classic scare. Here's how to tell food color from blood, and when to get checked anyway. 3 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Bloated After Eating? Common Causes and What Helps Feeling full, tight or gassy after meals is common. Here's what the NHS and NIH say causes bloating, what helps, and when to see a GP. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Blood on Toilet Paper After Pooping: What to Do Bright red blood on the paper is often piles or a small tear, but it always deserves a check. Here's what the NHS says and when it's urgent. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Tracking Constipation: What to Log, How Long, and When to See a GP A practical constipation diary: what to log each day, a 3-week plan, a sample log, how to read your pattern, and the NHS and NIDDK signs that mean see a doctor. 6 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Diarrhea After Eating: Common Causes and When to Worry Loose poop soon after meals can come from infections, intolerances, IBS or medicines. Here's what the NIH and NHS say, and red flags. 3 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Feeling Like You Still Need to Poop After Going? Here's Why That "not quite finished" feeling has a name: tenesmus. Here's what NIH and NHS pages say about causes and when to see a doctor. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Coeliac Disease or IBS? Why Testing Comes First Coeliac disease and IBS share symptoms. The NHS says adults with IBS should be tested for coeliac disease, while still eating gluten. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Does Dairy Make You Poop? Lactose, Bloating and Your Gut Running after a latte or ice cream? Here's what the NHS and NIH say about lactose, how fast symptoms start, and how to test dairy safely. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Fiber and Bloating: Why More Fiber Can Mean More Gas, and How to Fix It Why fiber can make you bloated, which fiber foods are gassiest, a slow-ramp plan, a sample log, and the NHS signs that bloating needs a GP. 6 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 FODMAP Reintroduction Log: A Simple Template for Step 2 A plain, printable way to log FODMAP challenges in step 2, based on how Monash describes them. Includes a sample week and tips. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Floating Poop: What It Means and When to Pay Attention Floating poop is usually down to diet and gas, says MedlinePlus. Here's what's normal, the rare signs worth checking, and how to log it. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Gut-Friendly Foods: Simple Swaps Backed by NHS Advice Gut-friendly foods and simple swaps from NHS advice: fiber, fluids, fats, spice and probiotics, with a fiber swap table, a sample week log, and who should go carefully. 5 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Stress and Your Gut: Why Your Stomach Feels Your Worries Stress is a known IBS trigger and a cause of constipation. Here's what the NHS and NIH say, plus practical ways to ease the load. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 How Long After Eating Does Food Affect Your Poop? How long food takes to reach your poop, why the toilet trip after breakfast usually isn't breakfast, and a look-back window table for spotting food triggers in your log. 5 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 How Much Farting Is Normal? (Yes, There's an Answer) The NIH says people pass gas 8 to 14 times a day on average, and up to 25 is normal. Here's what causes gas and when to see a GP. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 How Often Should You Poop? What's Normal for You How often should you poop? Mayo Clinic's typical range is three times a day to three times a week. Find your own baseline in 2 weeks, read changes with a simple table, and know when to see a GP. 5 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 How to Keep a Food and Symptom Diary (That You'll Actually Stick To) How to keep a food and symptom diary that lasts: what to write, a 2-week plan, look-back windows for spotting triggers, a sample entry, and how to bring it to a GP or dietitian. 5 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 How to Sit on the Toilet to Poop More Easily Knees above hips, feet on a stool, no rushing and no straining. Here's the NHS and NIH advice on toilet posture and routine. 3 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 IBS-C vs IBS-D vs IBS-M: What the Types Mean The three IBS types are defined by your poop on bad days. Here's how the NIH explains IBS-C, IBS-D and IBS-M, and how a Bristol log helps. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 IBS Flare-Up: Common Triggers and What Can Help IBS flare-ups can come from food, stress, alcohol or nothing obvious at all. Here's what the NHS and NIH say, and when to call a GP. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 IBS or IBD? The Difference, Explained Simply IBS and IBD sound alike but are very different. Here's how the NHS and NIH describe each, the symptoms that overlap, and the red flags. 3 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Indigestion or Bloating? How to Tell the Difference Indigestion and bloating overlap. Here's what the NHS says about each, the self-care that helps, and the warning signs for both. 5 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Lactose Intolerance or IBS? How to Tell the Difference Lactose intolerance and IBS share symptoms like bloating and diarrhea. Here's how NHS and NIH pages describe each and what a GP checks. 3 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Laxatives Explained: The 4 Types and How Long They Take Bulk-forming, osmotic, softeners and stimulants work differently and at different speeds. Here's the NHS guide, simply explained. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 The 3 Phases of the Low FODMAP Diet, Explained The low FODMAP diet isn't forever. Here's how Monash University describes the 3 steps, how long step 1 lasts, and why a dietitian helps. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Low FODMAP Breakfast Swaps: Easy Ideas to Start Your Day Simple low FODMAP breakfast swaps based on Monash's food list, from toast to smoothies. For step 1, ideally with a dietitian. 3 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Mucus in Poop: Common Causes and When to See a Doctor Noticed slime or mucus in your poop? Here's what the NHS and NIH say about IBS, piles and IBD, and which signs need a GP. 3 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Period Poops: Why Your Bowels Change During Your Period Many people notice looser or more frequent poops around their period. Here's what the NIH and NHS say and when to see a GP. 3 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Pooping Right After Eating: Is It Normal? Need to go soon after meals? Here's what the NIH says about eating and your bowels, when it might be IBS, and when to see a doctor. 3 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Probiotics for IBS: What the Evidence Actually Says Can probiotics help IBS? The NHS says there's some evidence, but products vary. Here's how to try them sensibly and track the results. 3 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Soluble vs Insoluble Fiber: What's the Difference for Your Gut? Soluble fiber turns to gel; insoluble fiber adds bulk. Here's what MedlinePlus and the NHS say about each, plus food lists and tips. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Why Does My Poop Smell So Bad? Normal Causes and Red Flags All poop smells, but some days are worse. Here's what MedlinePlus and the NHS say about foul-smelling stools and when to see a doctor. 3 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Sticky Poop That's Hard to Wipe: What Might Be Going On Sticky, hard-to-flush poop is common and often diet-related. Here's what to check, what MedlinePlus says about greasy stools, and red flags. 3 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Spicy Food and Poop: Why Curry Night Can Upset Your Gut Spicy food upsets some guts and not others. Here's what the NHS says, how to test your own tolerance, and when it's worth a doctor's view. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Travel Constipation: Why You Can't Poop on Vacation Travel is a well-known cause of constipation. Here's why routine changes slow things down and simple NHS and NIH tips to keep moving. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Does Drinking Water Help You Poop? What the NHS Says Not drinking enough is a common cause of constipation. Here's how much the NHS suggests, what counts and how to tell you're hydrated. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 What to Bring to a GP or GI Appointment About Your Gut What to bring to a GP or GI appointment about bowel problems: a one-page summary template, the questions doctors ask, your poop and food log, medicines, family history, and questions to ask back. 5 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 What to Eat After a Stomach Bug (and What to Skip) Fluids first, then food when you feel able. Here's the NHS advice on recovering from diarrhea and vomiting, plus when to call 111. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 What to Tell Your GP About Bowel Changes (A Simple Checklist) Embarrassed to talk about poop? Here's what to tell your doctor, what they may ask, and the red flags the NHS says need checking. 3 min read · Updated 2026-11-05 Why Does Coffee Make Me Poop? What We Know (and Don't) That first coffee sends you running? Here's what health sources do and don't say about coffee and poop, and how to see if it matters for you. 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05
FixMyGut and PoopAI are for general education and personal tracking only. Not medical advice. If something feels wrong, talk to a doctor.