The start of a new year is the perfect time to set goals for your well-being, and your digestive health deserves just as much attention. Whether you’re dealing with IBS, SIBO, or other gut issues, these 6 resolutions will help you take control of your digestion. Plus, with FoodMarble’s advanced digestive breath tester and app, you’ll have all the tools you need to make 2025 your healthiest year yet.

1. Find Your Trigger Foods

When your body doesn’t fully digest certain foods, your gut microbes step in and break them down, releasing gases like hydrogen and methane. The accumulation of these gases can lead to uncomfortable symptoms such as bloating, stomach pain, diarrhea, and constipation.

Knowing which foods work best for your gut is essential to improving digestive health. By identifying your food triggers, you can understand what’s causing your symptoms and make better choices for your diet.

That’s where FoodMarble AIRE 2, the world’s first digestive breath tester, can help. This innovative device measures your hydrogen and methane levels in your breath to determine which foods are hard for your gut to digest and which ones are right for you.

With these insights, FoodMarble helps you manage your digestion, simplify meal planning, and enjoy a wider variety of foods without worrying about uncomfortable symptoms.

2. Adopt a Diverse Diet

Eliminating problematic foods might seem like a simple solution, but maintaining a diverse diet is crucial for a healthy gut microbiome.

A diverse diet provides the nutrients your gut needs to function well, supporting not only digestion but also your immune and nervous system health. Fiber-rich foods, such as those containing oligosaccharides, nourish beneficial bacteria in your gut, helping it perform at its best.

Completely cutting out FODMAPs can reduce beneficial “gut-friendly” bacteria, like Bifidobacteria, which are already lower in people with IBS. Instead of eliminating these foods entirely, focus on finding your tolerance levels. This approach helps manage symptoms while supporting long-term gut health. With the FoodMarble app and RDA rings (Recommended Daily Allowance rings), you can track your FODMAP intake and stay within the limits your gut can handle.

Rather than heavily restricting your diet, focus on including a variety of fiber-rich, plant-based foods that don’t trigger symptoms. Over time, this will help build a healthier and more resilient gut microbiome.

The FoodMarble app’s FoodScanner feature  lets you quickly scan food barcodes and access detailed FODMAP content, helping you make informed choices and maintain a diverse, symptom-free diet.

3. Incorporate More Fiber Smartly

Fiber is crucial for maintaining digestive health, supporting regular bowel movements and feeding beneficial gut bacteria. However, for those with sensitive guts, eating fiber can be tricky, as some high-fiber foods are also high in FODMAPs and may trigger symptoms.

Not all fibers are the samel. Different types of fiber affect the body in unique ways. Soluble fibers, like psyllium, dissolve in water and ferment more slowly, making them easier for sensitive guts to tolerate. They help soften stools, stabilize blood sugar levels, and promote satiety. On the other hand, insoluble fibers, found in whole grains and certain vegetables, can stimulate bowel movements but may cause discomfort for some people with digestive issues such as IBS.

To add fiber to your diet without the discomfort, start slowly. Introduce fiber-rich foods like flaxseeds, oats, and low-FODMAP vegetables, giving your gut time to adjust. Understanding how fiber, FODMAPs, and fermentation interact in your gut is key to making the right dietary choices.

With FoodMarble, finding fiber options that work for your gut becomes easier. We help you identify foods that fit your tolerance levels, so you can enjoy fiber’s benefits without triggering symptoms.

4. Stay Hydrated

Proper hydration is a simple yet effective way to support gut health. Drinking enough water helps with digestion, reduces bloating, and maintains regular bowel movements. For those managing IBS or other digestive issues, pairing hydration with a balanced diet can make a big difference in relieving symptoms.

It’s important to note that the recommended daily fluid intake for people with IBS differs from those without the condition. According to an article published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, individuals with IBS are advised to consume 1.5L to 3L of fluids per day. Meanwhile, for those without IBS, the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is approximately 2.7L for women and 3.7L for men.

5. Track and Stay Informed

Knowledge is the most powerful tool in managing your digestive health. By logging meals, symptoms, stress, and sleep, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of your overall well-being. For example, tracking stress levels and sleep patterns can reveal how lifestyle factors influence your digestion, enabling you to make meaningful changes.

A great starting point is trying the FoodMarble AIRE 2 and Food Intolerance testing kit to assess your tolerance to different FODMAPs. If a specific FODMAP triggers significant fermentation for you, the FoodMarble app lets you to track your response to smaller portions instead of cutting it out entirely. Plus, the FoodMarble Food Library provides valuable information on the FODMAP content of many everyday foods, helping you create a personalized and diverse Food Library that focuses on what you can eat rather than what you can’t.

With the FoodMarble app, you can also track your daily FODMAP intake and observe how your breath scores and symptoms change over time. By logging meals, sleep, stress, bowel movements, and even medication intake, you get a comprehensive view of your digestive health. The more you log, the more informed and empowered you become in managing your gut health effectively—all in one convenient place.

6. Prioritize a Balanced Gut

A balanced gut microbiome is essential not just for digestion but for overall health. You may have heard about a term called the Gut-Brain Axis, which highlights the two-way communication between the gut and the brain. Changes in the gut microbiota, caused by factors like diet, stress, or medication, can send signals that impact mood, behavior, and even mental health. For instance, people with IBS often experience mood swings, which may be linked to gut irritation affecting brain function.

The trillions of microbes living in our gut are dynamic and constantly evolving, shaped by diet, lifestyle, and environment. Supporting your microbiome with a diverse and fiber-rich diet can promote better gut health, as diverse gut bacteria perform crucial functions, such as extracting nutrients, supporting the immune system, and producing hormones.

By focusing on diversity and balance, you can reduce symptoms while promoting long-term gut health, making every step towards a balanced gut a step towards better overall well-being.