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I went back and forth for a week on whether to share this, because it’s a little TMI.

I decided to share it for one reason: whenever I think something might help even one person, I want everyone to have it. So here it is, unfiltered.

For about a month now, I’ve been a perfect 3 or 4 on the Bristol Stool Scale. Every. Single. Day. Sometimes 2 to 3 times a day.

If you just read that and thought “wait, what does that even mean,” here’s the short version.

At first I figured 7 days straight was a fluke. Now, a month in, I know it isn’t.

Here’s my honest caveat: I don’t know the precise reason. I have speculations, not a controlled experiment. But I’ve been doing 5 specific things every day, and I’m convinced they’re why. Let me walk you through all 5, and why each one actually works.

1. A full can of beans a day

Yes, really. I eat an entire can of beans or lentils every single day.

I don’t do it in one sitting. They are spread it across 3 meals. My rotation: lentils, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans. An organic can runs about $1 to $1.50, and for that you get a serious hit of both protein and fiber.

Here’s why this one matters so much. Beans and lentils are loaded with fiber and resistant starch, the kind of carbohydrate your body doesn’t digest but your gut bacteria love. When those bacteria ferment it in your colon, they produce short-chain fatty acids, especially butyrate.¹ Butyrate is the primary fuel for the cells lining your colon. It strengthens your gut barrier and helps calm inflammation.² Regularly eating beans is essentially running a 24-hour butyrate factory in your own gut.

Make note, because this is the honest part: if you’re not used to beans, a whole can a day will likely make you gassy and bloated at first. That’s normal, and it fades. The research shows that gas and discomfort from legumes diminishes with regular intake as your fiber-digesting microbes multiply. Start with a couple of tablespoons and build up over days or weeks. Rinse canned beans well. Don’t go from zero to a full can tomorrow and blame me.

2. Probiotic consistency

Consistency is the word that matters here.

I take two GOOD GUYS probiotics from Gutbyome every single day. I deliberately wanted to test them at a lower strain dosage before rolling out anything stronger, and it’s working beautifully.

A probiotic isn’t a one-and-done thing. Most strains don’t permanently colonize your gut, which is exactly why taking them daily matters more than taking a mega-dose occasionally. Steady, consistent intake is what keeps supporting your beneficial bacteria over time.

Bonus, and this is very me: I don’t really eat candy, and these give me that little chewable-treat vibe I sometimes crave. Small joys.

3. A 10-minute walk after meals

This summer I got obsessed with walking my lake (about 5 miles) every morning after breakfast. I’m riding that out until the cold chases me indoors, when I’ll switch to my walking pad.

But the lake walk isn’t the secret. The secret is what I do after every other meal: I walk for 10 minutes. Sometimes it’s nothing official, just me wandering the house with a podcast in my ears for 10 to 15 minutes.

A short, gentle walk after eating helps move food through your digestive tract and can ease that heavy, sluggish, post-meal feeling. It’s one of the simplest, most underrated things you can do for digestion, and it’s completely free. It has genuinely changed how I feel after I eat.

You don’t need 5 miles. You need 10 minutes, after meals, most days.

4. Dairy (yes, dairy)

Brace yourself, because you might fall over.

I’ve been eating a massive bowl of organic Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and frozen blueberries daily. I literally just finished one as I write this.

I know. For a gut-health person, dairy is supposed to be the villain. But I can’t lie to you: this bowl is a treat, it makes me feel fantastic, and I’m not giving it up. In the beginning I sprinkled a scoop of FODZYME over it, then forgot for a few days and still felt great.

Here’s the honest lesson in this one, and it’s the most important thing in this whole post: gut health is not one-size-fits-all. Dairy wrecks some people and nourishes others. Greek yogurt and cottage cheese also happen to bring protein and, in the yogurt’s case, live cultures. What matters is what your body tells you, not what a rule on the internet says.

I’ve also made this bowl with Truvani strawberry protein layered in, dark chocolate chips, or frozen raspberries, and most days I add a scoop of Tummy Soothe because, well – this is a proven gut-immune boost.

5. Digest Plus

Last, and my secret weapon.

I started taking 2 Digest Plus daily again. To be clear, I am not trying to replace Rifaximin, so I don’t need the full Herbal Stack. But Digest Plus is the single supplement that’s carried me from there to here since I healed my SIBO in 2019.

It’s the one I keep coming back to.

You don’t need to buy anything to start

Let me say this straight forward, because I mean it: this is not an ad for my supplement line.

You could start with just numbers 1, 3, and 4, the beans, the walks, and (if your body tolerates it) the dairy bowl, and see how you feel. Not an extra dollar required. Those three alone are the backbone of what changed things for me.

The supplements are what I use, and I’ll always tell you what’s on my own shelf. But the free habits are where the real foundation is.

The honest bottom line

I can’t hand you a controlled study proving which of these 5 things deserves the credit. What I can tell you is that doing all 5, every day, put me on the daily “+poo train” for a solid month, and I feel incredible.

Try one. Try three. Or try all five. Then listen to your own body, because it’s the only expert that actually knows you.

And honestly? This wouldn’t be an A Gutsy Girl post if I didn’t overshare a little for your benefit. 😉

Xox,

SKH

P.S. I love sharing off-the-cuff stuff like this. If you want more of it, leave a comment and tell me what. I’m listening.

This post is my personal experience, not medical advice. If you have ongoing digestive issues, a new or lasting change in your bowel habits, or any blood in your stool, please see your doctor.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

1. The Bristol Stool Scale, explained
2. How I Healed SIBO Long Term
3. Why You Feel Fine in the Morning but Bloated by Noon

1+: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/bristol-stool-chart

1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9100130/ ↩︎
2. https://beaninstitute.com/beans-fiber-and-the-gut-microbiome/ ↩︎