Why October is a better time than January to start fixing your gut

It's October, which means there are three months left of the year.

If you wrote a list back in January, it's probably still sitting somewhere. Maybe it says "sort my bloating out" or "feel like myself again", or maybe it's the trip you keep meaning to book.

For a lot of people, the plan for that list is to start again in January.

But I think there’s a better time to start: now. January is one of the hardest times of the year to start looking after your gut health.

Why January plans fall apart

Think about what January actually looks like.

You've just come out of December, which usually means work drinks, dinners out, takeaways and a lot less sleep than normal.

It's cold and dark, payday feels miles away, and everyone around you is talking about their new diet.

So you start with the strictest version of whatever plan you've got. That might be cutting out bread and pasta, going back to the shakes, or counting every calorie.

By the end of January you're tired and hungry, and by February the plan has usually fallen apart.

When that happens it's easy to blame yourself, but you tried to make the biggest change at the hardest time of year with the strictest plan you could find.

And when you repeat this every January, every failed attempt starts to feel like proof that nothing works for you.

"You tried to make the biggest change at the hardest time of year with the strictest plan you could find."

What 81 days can do for your gut

There are 81 days left of the year, and that's a long time when you stop trying to change everything at once.

You can use those 81 days to work out what actually helps your digestion, energy and day-to-day life.

That doesn't mean everything will be sorted by Christmas. It does mean you could walk into January with a few things already working, instead of starting from scratch with another diet.

"There are 81 days left of the year, and that's a long time when you stop trying to change everything at once."

Why October is a good time to start

October is usually a bit calmer before party season kicks in.

If you start now, you've got a few weeks to find out what helps before December's dinners and drinks arrive. You'll go into the busiest month of the year knowing what your body needs, instead of hoping for the best.

You also won't be doing it while everyone else is talking about their January detox.

Start with one of these this week

None of these involve cutting out bread, counting calories or surviving on shakes.

1. Have some protein at breakfast.
   Eggs, Greek yoghurt or last night's leftovers will keep you fuller for longer than toast or a cereal bar, so you're less likely to be hunting for snacks by 11am.

2. Sit down to eat your lunch.
   Get away from your desk, put your phone down and give yourself ten minutes to actually eat. You don't need another productivity hack. You need a proper lunch break.

3. Go for a short walk after your biggest meal.
   Ten minutes is enough to get you moving after eating and can help with that heavy, bloated, sluggish feeling.

4. Eat normally the day after a big meal out.
   Your body doesn't need you to compensate for dinner. It needs you to go back to your normal meals.

5. Pick one thing and stick with it for two weeks.
   Don't try all five at once. Choose the one that feels easiest, do it most days for two weeks, then add another one.

Your list is about more than your gut

Have a look at your list, because I'd bet feeling better in your body isn't the only thing on it.

It's the trip you keep saying you'll book once you feel better. It's ordering what you actually want off a menu without worrying about how you'll feel afterwards. It's the clothes at the back of your wardrobe that you want to wear again.

And somehow all of those things become things you'll do later. Once your stomach is sorted, or you've lost a bit of weight. or once you feel more comfortable in your body.

You don't have to earn any of it first, and looking after your gut over the next three months is a good way to start making those things feel possible.

And if you keep waiting until January, there's a good chance you'll be looking at the same list again next October.

"You don't have to earn any of it first."

Where to start

If you're not sure what's going on with your gut or which of these to try first, take my Gut Health Reality Check quiz. It only takes a couple of minutes and it'll help you work out where to start.

Take the Gut Health Reality Check