Peak goal setting season puts personal wellbeing under intense scrutiny, encouraging people to replace unhelpful routines with habits they believe will improve their health. With awareness of digestive function growing, better gut health is firmly on the agenda for many people in 2026.

Health and nutrition expert Dr Megan Rossi, also known as The Gut Health Doctor, says that enthusiasm can be useful. However, she warns that social media trends sometimes spread more quickly than the science supporting them, allowing gut health myths to flourish.

Rossi has identified five popular habits that may appear to nurture the gut but could instead leave the digestive system unsettled. Her warnings cover sudden dietary changes, intermittent fasting, indiscriminate probiotic use, excessive exercise and unnecessary gluten restriction.

The first concern is increasing fibre intake too quickly. Research indicates that regularly eating plant based foods increases the diversity of health promoting gut bacteria, helps create a more resilient microbiome and makes it easier to reach the recommended daily fibre target.

Those benefits do not mean people should introduce large numbers of unfamiliar ingredients at once. Rossi says a dramatic overnight increase in fibre can trigger excess gas and bloating, even though a varied diet rich in fibre can benefit gut microbes over the longer term.

Instead, fibre intake should rise gradually so the body has time to adjust. Rossi advises building toward a daily intake of 30g of fibre at a comfortable pace, rather than forcing the digestive system to process a sudden and substantial increase.

Intermittent fasting is another potentially troublesome trend. Some people find the approach valuable, while others experience it as highly restrictive or harmful, and Rossi urges anyone considering it to proceed with extreme caution.

‘A January favourite, but restrictive eating windows can lead to what I call ‘fibre dumping’,’ reads her Instagram post. Limiting the hours available for eating can push people to consume a large amount of fibre at once instead of spreading it across the day.

That concentrated load can place excessive strain on the digestive system and cause discomfort. Rossi compares expecting the gut to manage it with running a marathon without training, and recommends consuming smaller quantities of fibre at regular points throughout the day.

Anyone considering intermittent fasting should first speak with a GP or nutrition expert. The aim is to make sure a restrictive eating window does not lead to missing essential nutrients or placing unnecessary stress on the digestive system.

Probiotics present another marketing trap because one product is not suitable for every person or digestive need. Rossi says 77% of people taking probiotics through this general approach report no significant benefit.

Her advice is specific: ‘You need the right strain (specific bacteria), at the right time (for a defined need e.g. reducing your risk of thrush recurrence), in the right format (capsule, liquid, powder, depending on your target).’ People who are uncertain should consult a dietitian, nutritionist or GP.

Exercise can support digestive function because research suggests movement may enrich the diversity of microflora in the gut. It may also help the body protect itself against gastrointestinal disorders and disease, but Rossi cautions that more intensity is not always better.

Too much strenuous exercise without sufficient recovery may push the gut into what Rossi describes as stress mode, with digestive symptoms often following. NHS guidelines advise at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week, including at least two resistance based sessions.

The final warning concerns copying dietary restrictions that other people follow, particularly eliminating gluten without a medical reason. Nutritional needs differ, and unnecessary restrictions may prevent the body from receiving nutrients it needs to function optimally.

Rossi says people without coeliac disease or a diagnosed intolerance may miss fibre rich wholegrains by removing gluten. Those foods support digestion, can be particularly helpful for avoiding constipation and also contribute to heart health, making professional guidance important before adopting restrictive habits.