9 Gut Health ‘Habits’ a Surgeon Says You Should Stop Immediately

If your gut is doing the most lately—bloating, random reactions, just fully unpredictable—you might not be doing anything “wrong”…but you might be doing a few things that aren’t helping.

On Well, host Arielle Lorre sits down with Dr. Karan Rajan, an NHS surgeon who literally looks inside people’s intestines for a living, and he’s got some very specific opinions about the habits people need to drop ASAP.

☐ Prioritizing protein over fiber

“I think fiber needs the same PR that protein has,” Lorre points out. “Because protein is that girl. There is such a hyperfocus on protein and protein maxing and you rarely hear about fiber.” Dr. Rajan agrees completely. “In terms of how many different organ systems fiber affects and can improve,” he ranks it above protein for long-term health. The average American eats about 15 grams of fiber a day. Certain tribal populations eat over 100 grams and have the lowest rates of chronic disease in the world. That gap is not a coincidence.

☐ Taking a probiotic just because

“Definitely not unless you have a specific need and a specific condition,” Dr. Rajan says when asked if people should take a daily probiotic. Most commercial probiotics only contain variations of two bacteria, bifidobacterium and lactobacillus, which make up a tiny fraction of your actual microbiome. The strains you really need are anaerobic bacteria that are so hard to grow they aren’t even sold yet. His advice is to feed the good bacteria you already have with diverse fiber instead of buying more flowers for a garden you haven’t fertilized.

☐ Thinking your salad is giving you fiber

“Lettuce, kale, tomatoes, they are not high in fiber really,” Dr. Rajan explains. “If you ask a random person on the street to name three high protein foods, they’d say chicken, salmon, egg, easy. But if you ask them to name three high fiber foods, they wouldn’t be able to do it.” The actual fiber heavy hitters? Oats, chia seeds, beans, berries, dark chocolate, and even popcorn. A chia seed pudding with oats and a cup of berries gets you to 20 grams before lunch, which is already more than most people eat in a full day.

☐ Eating excessive amounts of protein

Dr. Rajan explains that if you’re eating 200+ grams of protein a day, the excess that doesn’t get absorbed in the small intestine makes its way to the colon. “The gut bacteria which are used to fermenting fiber suddenly see this protein and start fermenting protein as well,” he warns. “And the byproduct of protein fermentation are things like ammonia, indoles, all these compounds which can cause inflammation in the gut.”

☐ Drinking prebiotic sodas for your gut

“That’s got gas. It’s got carbonation. That’s going to add to your bloating,” Dr. Rajan says. Same goes for sparkling water. If bloating is your main issue, the carbonation in any fizzy drink, even the ones marketed as gut-friendly, is working against you.

☐ Ignoring how much sodium you’re consuming

Dr. Rajan bought fiber crackers at Erewhon and four crackers were 30 percent of his daily sodium intake. He also calls out the daily electrolyte trend. “Everyone’s loving their daily electrolytes nowadays with their high salt intake,” he notes. High sodium worsens bloating, full stop. If you’re already struggling, this is one of the easiest things to cut back on.

☐ Eating your biggest meals at night

“It takes 90 minutes for 50 percent of your stomach to empty into the small intestine,” Dr. Rajan explains. “So if you want your stomach to fully empty before going to bed, three hours is ideal.” If your bedtime is 10 p.m., finish your last big meal by 7. Otherwise you’re looking at acid reflux, bloating, and fragmented sleep, which then screws up your digestion the next morning. It’s a domino effect.

☐ Saving all your fiber for dinner

Dr. Rajan recommends frontloading fiber earlier in the day because your digestion is at its most powerful in the morning. “Even your bacteria, beneficial bacteria, are more active earlier in the day,” he explains. “If you align your nutrition and eating plan to earlier in the day…you can set the tone for your metabolic health at the start of the day.” More fiber gets fermented, you stay fuller longer, and you feel less snacky throughout the afternoon.

☐ Falling for parasite cleanses on TikTok

Those horrifying stringy things people hold up on camera after a “cleanse”? Dr. Rajan isn’t impressed. “It’s likely just mucus, dead cells, and the lining of the colon,” he explains. “It’s almost like an optical illusion. It is just your biological produce, but it looks long and stringy—and it looks like some worm or parasite.” You naturally excrete that stuff anyway. The cleanse just accelerated the process with what is essentially a laxative. “Unless you have a diagnosed parasite on a scan or a blood test, you do not need a parasite cleanse.”

Listen to the full episode on Well with Arielle Lorre, available wherever you listen to podcasts.

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