Never Been Well Since….. 5 Clues That Reveal Your Gut Type & What’s Driving Your IBS symptoms

Have you ever said:

“I was fine before that…”

“Before that stressful year, my digestion was normal.”

“Before those antibiotics, I could eat anything.”

“Before that surgery, I never had gut issues.”

Many people with IBS can trace their symptoms back to a turning point — a time when something changed and their gut symptoms started or got worse.

This is what I call your NBWS moment — your “Never Been Well Since” clue.

Your gut is constantly adapting to stress, infections, medications, diet changes, hormones and lifestyle. Sometimes a single event is enough to tip a vulnerable gut into a cycle of bloating, pain, constipation, diarrhoea, reflux or food intolerance that can be hard to get control over.

Your NBWS moment doesn’t diagnose the cause of your IBS, but it can provide valuable clues about which area of your gut may need the most support.

Here are 5 common IBS “starting points” and the gut type they may connect with.

The most common “Never Been Well Since” moment?

A stressful season of life.

Maybe it was:

• A stressful job

• Relationship breakdown

• Caring for someone else

• Burnout

• A major life change

Your digestive system is constantly listening to your nervous system.

When your body is stuck in a high-alert state, digestion can change:

• Gut movement can speed up or slow down

• Pain sensitivity can increase

• Bloating can worsen

• Food tolerance can decrease

The Stressed Gut Type often needs support that includes the nervous system, stress response and the gut-brain connection — not just focusing on food.

This is a very common “Never Been Well Since” story I hear.

“I took antibiotics and my gut was never the same.”

Antibiotics can be incredibly helpful when needed, but they can also influence the balance and diversity of the gut microbiome.

After antibiotics, some people notice:

• Increased bloating and gas

• New food intolerances

• Changes in bowel habits, especially diarrhoea

• More sensitivity to fermentable foods

• IBS symptoms that seem to appear overnight

The Bugged-Out Gut Type often needs a careful approach to rebuilding a healthier gut ecosystem.

And this is where “just take probiotics” doesn’t always tell the whole story — the right support depends on what is happening in your individual gut. If needed we can test your microbiome to get an accurate picture.

Sometimes the trigger isn’t dramatic.

It can be a slow accumulation of changes:

• Starting a new job

• Eating lunch in the car or at your laptop

• Skipping meals

• Rushing through food

• Working longer hours

• Less sleep

• More takeaway meals

Your digestion is deeply connected to your daily rhythms.

When eating becomes rushed and irregular, your digestive system may struggle with:

• Breaking down food properly

• Digestive secretions

• Comfortable digestion after meals

• Tolerating a wider variety of foods

The Low-Fire Gut Type often needs support to rebuild  and strengthen digestive capacity — not just remove more foods from the diet. Taking time to eat mindfully is also an important part of digestion and keeping the gut happy.

A significant gut infection like gastro or food poisoning or another illness can sometimes leave the digestive system feeling different long after the infection has gone.

You might remember:

“After that gastro bug, my digestion was never the same.”

Infections can affect the gut lining, immune response and communication between your gut and immune system.

Clues that this may be your pattern:

• New food sensitivities

• Reactions to foods you previously tolerated

• Bloating and discomfort after eating

• Changes in bowel habits

• Increased inflammation or immune symptoms

The Leaky Barrier Gut Type often needs support for calming gut irritation, rebuilding the gut lining and balancing the immune system.

Surgery can be a major stressor for your digestive system.

Even when the surgery isn’t directly related to your gut, your digestive tract can be affected by:

• Anaesthetic medications

• Pain medications (especially opioids)

• Reduced movement during recovery

• Or Adhesions- sticky bands of tissue, especially if the surgery was around the abdominal area, think C-section, laparoscopy for endometriosis, gallbladder or appendix removal or hysterectomy

For some people, the gut simply doesn’t “wake back up” properly afterwards.

You may notice:

• Constipation that wasn’t there before, or worsening of pre-existing constipation

• Feeling like you never fully empty your bowel

• Bloating that builds throughout the day

• Things can feel stuck in the gut or you can even feel the stool moving through & getting stuck

• Abdominal discomfort after meals

The Stuck Gut Type often needs support for movement and motility of the gut — helping the gut regain its natural rhythm rather than just adding more fibre or laxatives. Or specific therapies for adhesions if that is the cause.

Your “Never Been Well Since” moment is a clue, not a label

Two people can have the same IBS symptoms but completely different reasons why they developed them.

One person may need to focus on calming their nervous system.

Another may need to rebuild their gut barrier.

Another may need to restore digestive function or improve motility.

This is why restrictive diets alone often don’t solve IBS for good and can actually have detrimental effects on the microbiome and even make things worse.

The question isn’t only:

“What foods are bothering me?”

The better question is:

“What changed in my gut that made these foods a problem?”

Your NBWS moment may hold the clue for you and your gut.

Want to discover which IBS Gut Type matches your symptoms?

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The heartbeat

behind the work! 💚✨

🌿

I am Danielle Elliott a qualified Naturopath and the owner of Tummy Rescue.

I have been helping kids & adults improve their health for over 20 years, with the last 16 years concentrating on helping patients with any kind of gut disorder. I began focussing on everything gut related after my husband was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. And lucky I did……as my husband and both our kids have Coeliac Disease and my daughter has a dairy protein allergy.

So…. I am well and truly where I am meant to be!

I love being able to help people to soothe and calm their symptoms, investigate the causes and support and improve their gut function.

I also get to write educational pieces to train practitioners and am often interviewed for podcasts and summits, which is another really rewarding part of my work. I love educating people (this is something I do in every consult), because I do believe knowledge is power. It gives you the tools to make the changes you need to!

So, when you opt-in to my E-book, you are beginning on a journey of learning and discovery, of how you can reduce your symptoms of bloating, gas & pain and improve your gut health.

I would be honoured to help you along the way.

Danielle ✖️🧡✖️🧡