Nishtha Patel - The Gut Expert / Functional Medicine

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Nishtha Patel - The Gut Expert / Functional Medicine

Nishtha is a clinical nutritionist and functional medicine practitioner. Specialising in Gut health

13/11/2025

What to buy at the supermarket when you have IBD 🌿

Supporting your gut doesn’t mean avoiding fibre. It’s about choosing the right kind and preparing it in a gut-friendly way.

💚 Best gentle sources of soluble fibre (soothing for the gut):

• Oats or oat bran (well cooked, porridge-style)
• Chia or flaxseeds (always soaked well before eating)
• Red lentils, split mung or moong dal (well cooked or pureed)
• Stewed apples or pears
• Soft, cooked vegetables – carrots, courgettes, pumpkin or sweet potato
• Psyllium husk (if tolerated – start with ½ tsp in water) make sure you drink plenty of water afterwards too!

🚫 Be cautious with these, especially during a flare:

• Raw greens, cabbage, broccoli stems
• Bran cereals and whole raw nuts
• Popcorn and large salads
• Excessive raw fruit

🌱 Gut Tip:

Diversity matters but be gentle. If your gut is healing, start with 1–2 new plant foods a week and build up slowly towards 20–30 different types once you’re stable.

✨ Follow for more.

10/11/2025

Should you be taking magnesium? Here’s the truth…

Magnesium supports over 300 functions in your body from energy production and muscle recovery to stress relief and better sleep. But not all magnesium supplements are created equal.

✨ Here’s a quick guide:
• Magnesium Glycinate – Gentle on the gut and great for most people.
• Magnesium Citrate – Supports healthy bowel movements.especially if you suffer from constipation.
• Magnesium Threonate – Enhances focus, memory and brain function.
• Magnesium Taurate – Supports heart health and blood pressure.

If you’re constantly tired, anxious or struggling with sleep, low magnesium could be part of the puzzle. 🌿

05/11/2025

🧀 Love cheese but worried about your gut? Let’s clear this up 👇

Not all cheeses affect your digestion the same way and choosing the right one can actually support your gut health.

🥛 Soft cheeses (like brie or cream cheese) are high in lactose, which can trigger bloating or discomfort, especially if you have IBS or IBD.

🧀 Hard cheeses (like Parmesan) are easier to digest as the lactose breaks down during fermentation plus, they’re rich in beneficial bacteria that support gut diversity.

🐐 Goat’s or sheep’s cheese are gentler on digestion and less inflammatory thanks to their unique fat and protein structure.

If dairy triggers your symptoms, it’s okay to skip it, but if you tolerate it in moderation, these options could be your gut’s best friend. 💚

✨ Curious about how to balance your gut while still enjoying your favourite foods?

Follow me for more gut-friendly tips.

30/10/2025

🍵 Love your morning matcha? You might want to rethink when you drink it…

I’m a clinical nutritionist specialising in gut health and while matcha and green tea are incredible for reducing inflammation and supporting long-term health, here’s what most people don’t know 👇

If you’re low in iron or anaemic, matcha can make things worse. Compounds in green tea can block iron absorption, especially if you drink it with meals.

If you’ve been feeling fatigued, cold, or dealing with hair loss, it might be time to check your iron levels.

✅ Here’s how to fix it:
• Enjoy your matcha between meals, not during.
• Pair iron-rich foods (like leafy greens and red meat) with vitamin C (bell peppers, lemons, etc.) to boost absorption.

Matcha is amazing, just not for everyone, all the time. Your nutrition should be as unique as you are.

🌿Follow for more.

27/10/2025

🍿 Think popcorn is a gut-friendly snack? Think again.

Yes, popcorn is high in fibre, but for many people with IBD or sensitive digestion, it can actually cause discomfort, bloating, or flare-ups.

So here is a list of snacks that are gut-friendly (Save this for later!):

Savoury:
Olives with a squeeze of lemon and chopped parsley
- Rice cakes with mashed avocado, lemon and chives
- GF sourdough toast with extra virgin olive oil and tomato slices
- Boiled eggs with sea salt and smoked paprika
- Cucumber boats filled with tuna in olive oil or hummus made without garlic
- Turkey slices rolled with rocket and mustard (no onion powder)
- Tofu cubes pan-seared in tamari and sesame, cooled and boxed
- Lactose-free cheese or dairy-free hard cheese with oat cakes
- Nori sheets as crisps with a little sea salt
- Sauerkraut or kimchi forkful with a few olives if fermented foods suit you

Sweet:
- Blueberries or kiwi with a spoon of coconut yoghurt
- Strawberries with a few walnuts or macadamias
- Chia pudding with almond milk, cinnamon and raspberries
- Baked apple wedges dusted with cinnamon
- Dark chocolate 70 to 85 percent, two to three squares with a handful of pumpkin seeds

Quick pots to batch:
- Overnight oats in small jars with chia and blueberries
- Quinoa salad cups with roasted veg and herbs
- Carrot and courgette batons with tahini lemon dip

Grab and go from shops:
- Plain olives or mini olive packs
- Lactose-free yoghurt or unsweetened coconut yoghurt
- Roasted chickpeas if tolerated or pumpkin seed snack packs
- Sushi packs with plain salmon or tuna and rice. Avoid oniony sauces

Olive upgrades
- Lemon zest and chilli flakes
- Orange zest and thyme
- Garlic-infused oil and rosemary
- Crushed coriander seed and a little cider vinegar

Portion and tolerance notes:
- Nuts: small handful. Avoid cashews and pistachios if you are keeping low FODMAP
- Avocado: up to a third of a small fruit per serve for low FODMAP
- Fermented foods: start with a forkful and build slowly
- Dark chocolate: keep it modest to avoid reflux

23/10/2025

If your body isn’t digesting and absorbing nutrients properly, your cells aren’t getting the fuel they need.

Before reaching for powders or pills, ask yourself:

🥦 Are you low in magnesium or B vitamins?
🌙 Are you getting deep, restorative sleep?
🦠 Could an underlying gut imbalance or infection be draining your energy?

Adaptogens like astragalus can help, but they’re not magic.
Healing fatigue starts with fixing your digestion first, once your gut is thriving, your energy follows. 🌿

If you missed my last post “I bet you didn’t know this about fibre,” go back and watch that one, it’ll help you understand how crucial nutrient absorption really is for your energy and gut health.

💬 Comment FIX below to book a discovery call and let’s uncover what your fatigue is really telling you.

21/10/2025

💚 Think you’re eating enough fibre for gut healing? You might be surprised…

Most people don’t realise there are two types of fibre and your gut needs a balance of both to truly heal. Especially if you’re dealing with IBD, IBS, or chronic bloating.

In this video, I break down the difference between soluble and insoluble fibre and how eating “healthy” foods like cucumbers or tomatoes might not be giving your gut what it really needs.

If you haven’t seen my previous post “5 Facts About IBD Most People Don’t Know” check that one out first (it’ll give you the context behind what I share here!)

But make sure to save this one too, because understanding fibre balance can be a real game-changer for your gut. 🌿

06/10/2025

I was recently sent the toothpaste to try. I rarely accept gifted products, but this one stood out because it’s fluoride free and uses hydroxyapatite, a mineral that helps strengthen and protect enamel.

From a functional medicine perspective, I like that it’s gentle, clean and designed with the oral microbiome in mind. The mouth really is the first step in gut health.

It leaves my mouth feeling fresh without the harsh foaming you get from most commercial toothpastes. I’ll keep using it and share any changes I notice, but for now it feels like a genuinely good option for anyone looking for a cleaner alternative. (That said, there isn’t much independent research on this exact brand yet, so I’m sharing this as an honest first impression and not a clinical endorsement!)

I also love that is made here in the UK and uses refillable packaging, which makes it a much more eco-friendly option. It’s refreshing to see oral care brands thinking about both the microbiome and the planet. 🌍

Have you tried hydroxyapatite toothpaste before? I’d love to know your thoughts 👇

31/07/2025

🥗 Your gut is the foundation of your health.
It affects immunity, mood, energy and even skin.

The right foods can help it thrive.

Here are 12 gut-healing foods and why they work:

🫐 Blueberries – rich in polyphenols that strengthen the gut lining and reduce inflammation.
🍊 Oranges – packed with soluble fibre to feed good bacteria and regulate bowel movements.
🌱 Chia seeds – form a gel-like texture that soothes digestion and helps sweep toxins from the gut.
🍍 Pineapple – contains bromelain, an enzyme that supports protein digestion and reduces bloating.
🥝 Kiwi – gentle on the stomach and rich in actinidin which helps break down food faster.
🌊 Seaweed – high in prebiotic fibre that fuels beneficial bacteria and supports gut diversity.
🥦 Broccoli – offers both fibre and sulforaphane which help detoxify the gut and reduce inflammation.
🍒 Cherries – anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich which help calm the gut and support recovery.
🎃 Pumpkin seeds – a great source of zinc which is crucial for repairing gut tissue and supporting immunity.
🍎 Pomegranate – contains ellagitannins that promote a healthy microbiome and reduce gut inflammation.
🍄 Mushrooms – naturally support immune function and feed beneficial gut bacteria.
🥑 Avocados – full of gut-friendly fats that reduce inflammation and help absorb fat-soluble nutrients.

💡 Save this as your go-to gut support list and aim to include 2 to 3 of these in your daily routine.

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http://www.thegutexpert.com/

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