The Mel Robbins Podcast

The Science of Your Gut: 3 Easy Steps to Reduce Bloating, Improve Digestion, and Feel Better Today

Order your copy of The Let Them Theory 👉 https://melrob.co/let-them-theory 👈 The #1 Best Selling Book of 2025 🔥 Discover how much power you truly have. It all begins with two simple words. Let Them. — What is bloating, and why don’t your pants fit after just one meal? What are the 10 foods to avoid when you feel bloated? What is gut health, and how can you improve yours? Today Mel is joined by double-board certified Dr. Amy Shah, (@saveyourselfwithdr.amyshah) who is here to explain #bloating and optimal #guthealth in a way that you can understand and easily apply to your life. Dr. Shah, a medical doctor trained at Harvard, Cornell, and Columbia University, is an immunologist and leading expert in women’s hormonal health and nutrition. She is giving you all the tools you need, including her 3-step plan to get long-term relief from bloating. Dr. Amy discusses: What bloating is; why and when it happens 3 symptoms of being bloated 10 foods notorious for causing bloating The one food that bloats everyone Why bloating can be worse during menopause or menstruation How to tell if you are bloated vs. gaining weight What “water weight” is and how to avoid it What a “distended belly” is and where it comes from 2 everyday (non-food) things that cause bloating and how to avoid them 3 foods you should not eat when you are bloated The pill you are taking that surprisingly may make you bloated One type of food that 68% of the world is intolerant of and doesn’t know Why alcohol bloats most of us Why you shouldn’t take Advil after a night of drinking Why sleep is so essential for reducing bloating What gut bacteria are and how to know when they’re upset What a food elimination diet is, why you need one, and how to safely try it Why fasting for 12 hours is essential for a gut reset Dr. Shah’s 3-F plan and why you should start your day this way to reduce bloating What the best probiotic is (hint: you can’t buy it) The surprising experience Mel’s daughter had with “bad” gut bacteria How anxiety and depression can be tied to gut health Follow Dr. Shah: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fastingmd/ Webpage: https://amymdwellness.com/ Follow the podcast: The Mel Robbins Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themelrobbinspodcast/ I’m just your friend. I am not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Got it? Good. I’ll see you in the next episode. In this episode: 00:00 Intro 02:37 Mel has never experienced this kind of bloating. 06:28 What the heck is bloating? 07:12 What bloating is signaling to you. 08:04 What is distention and why is it a symptom of bloating? 09:13 How do you know if you’re bloated or just gaining weight? 10:58 How to tell if your gut microbiome is unhappy. 12:11 What the swelling of your fingers and feet might be signaling to you. 14:42 All of a sudden Mel’s pants could not fit. How does that happen? 16:22 This doctor's biggest tip if you are feeling bloated. 23:07 Why taking Advil after a night of drinking can cause bloating. 25:02 68% of the world's population are intolerant to this food. 27:06 The brain-gut connection: why anxiety and depression may be heightened. 27:58 The 10 foods that cause the most bloating. 30:12 This is the best zero-cost way to test for food sensitivity. 32:43 Let’s talk about the connection between alcohol and your gut. 35:01 How to fast in alignment with your circadian rhythm. 39:16 Did you know 80% of your body’s function is dependent on circadian rhythm 40:01 The 3 F morning routine Dr. Shah has based on research. 43:31 This is the best probiotic (and it’s zero cost). 45:01 Here’s the perfect breakfast for improved gut and hormone health. 47:27 Dr. Shah will be back next episode for your 5-day reset plan! — Follow Mel: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melrobbins/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@melrobbins Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melrobbins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melrobbins Website: http://melrobbins.com — Sign up for Mel’s newsletter: https://melrob.co/sign-up-newsletter A note from Mel to you, twice a week, sharing simple, practical ways to build the life you want. — Subscribe to Mel’s channel here: https://www.youtube.com/melrobbins?sub_confirmation=1 — Listen to The Mel Robbins Podcast 🎧 New episodes drop every Monday & Thursday! https://melrob.co/spotify https://melrob.co/applepodcasts https://melrob.co/amazonmusic — Looking for Mel’s books on Amazon? Find them here: The Let Them Theory: https://amzn.to/3IQ21Oe The Let Them Theory Audiobook: https://amzn.to/413SObp The High 5 Habit: https://amzn.to/3fMvfPQ The 5 Second Rule: https://amzn.to/4l54fah

Mel RobbinshostDr. Amy Shahguest

Nov 27, 202348mWatch on YouTube ↗

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Beat Bloating Fast: Simple Daily Habits To Heal Your Gut

Mel Robbins, struggling with intense bloating while traveling, brings on gut-health expert Dr. Amy Shah to explain what bloating actually is, why it happens, and how to start fixing it. They break down the many causes of bloating—from gas, constipation, hormones, medications, and specific foods to circadian rhythm disruption and late-night eating. Dr. Shah emphasizes the role of the gut microbiome and introduces a simple “3 F” morning routine (fasting, fitness, fermented/fiber-rich foods) to calm gut inflammation and reduce bloating. The episode ends with a preview of a follow-up episode covering probiotics, stress, and a detailed five-day gut reset protocol.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Learn to distinguish bloating from fat or weight gain.

Rapid changes in waist size, feelings of tightness or distension, burping, farting, constipation, and overall puffiness (tight rings/shoes) usually point to bloating or water retention, not true weight gain.

Your gut microbiome is often the source of bloating symptoms.

When gut bacteria are “unhappy” due to food choices, stress, hormones, or disrupted rhythms, they produce excess gas and inflammation, leading to distension, digestive discomfort, mood changes, and cravings.

Identify and temporarily remove your personal bloating triggers.

Common culprits include cruciferous veggies (when raw or in large amounts), dairy, gluten, high sugar, artificial sweeteners, sparkling drinks, and NSAIDs like ibuprofen. A short elimination diet (1–4 weeks) followed by reintroduction is more reliable than current food sensitivity tests.

Give your gut 12 hours of rest overnight.

Eating for 16 hours a day overworks the digestive system. Stopping food and caloric drinks 2–3 hours before bed and aiming for a 12-hour overnight break (e.g., 7 pm–7 am) supports gut repair, reduces bloating, and improves sleep and hormones.

Use the 3 F’s morning routine to reset your gut daily.

Each morning, check: (1) Fasting – have you reached roughly 12 hours before your first meal? (2) Fitness – get about 30 minutes of movement, ideally outside. (3) Food – break your fast with a high-protein, high-fiber, fermented-food-rich meal (e.g., yogurt with nuts and berries, or a veggie scramble).

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

When your gut bacteria are not happy, they’re going to let you know.

— Dr. Amy Shah

One of the biggest causes of bloating is that we’re eating late at night and we’re drinking alcohol late at night.

— Dr. Amy Shah

The gold standard for food-related gut discomfort is to eliminate the foods and then add them back.

— Dr. Amy Shah

Did you know that the best probiotic, the best de-bloating, is actually exercise?

— Dr. Amy Shah

The game here, everybody, is make your gut bacteria happy.

— Mel Robbins

What bloating is and how it differs from weight gainCommon causes of bloating (food, hormones, constipation, medications, water retention)Gut microbiome health and the gut–brain–hormone connectionBloating triggers: cruciferous veggies, dairy, gluten, sugar, alcohol, gum, sparkling drinks, NSAIDsCircadian rhythm, meal timing, and the importance of gut “rest”The 3 F’s morning routine: fasting, fitness, fermented and fibrous foodsUsing elimination diets to identify personal food sensitivities

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