Let’s be real—women talk about everything, but when it comes to gut health, we tend to keep it… bottled up. Bloating, irregularity, and tummy troubles all could be telling you something important about your health! March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and the perfect time to do a gut check. This month on Let’s Chat, Dr. Bitner and Dr. Egan are joined by expert Dietitian Kim Murray, RD, LDN to teach you how to support your digestion, lower inflammation, and prevent disease.

Understanding Your GI Tract and Gut Microbiome

Our GI Tract and gut microbiome are complex processes that affect all areas of our bodies. It can be easy to lose track of what is what, so let’s break it down! Our GI tract is the pathway that runs from our mouth to our butt. Everything from our teeth, saliva, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, and rectum contributes to the function of our GI Tract. Each one plays an integral role in absorbing nutrients and efficiently eliminating waste. 

Our gut microbiome is the bacteria that lives in our GI Tract. There are trillions of different bacteria that can live in our gut and have a significant effect on our bodies’ ability to function properly. Because there are so many species of bacteria, we must be conscious of our outside world; what we consume and our surrounding environment can shift bacteria and lead to an influx of harmful bacteria. When bad bacteria is living in our gut, it can lead to minor symptoms like bloating and feeling unwell to severe symptoms like an inflamed colon, diarrhea, blood in stool, and chronic diseases. When we are intentional about what we put in our bodies, we can create a microbiome where good bacteria thrive, positively influencing all areas of our health. 

The Importance of Fiber

Fiber is your gut’s best friend. There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water,  becomes a gel-like substance in our gut, and nourishes our microbiome’s good bacteria. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve and adds more bulk to our stool, preventing constipation. It is essential to help our bodies properly get rid of waste. Most soluble fiber sources are also good sources for insoluble fiber, including: 

• All types of beans: black, lima, and pinto
• Avocado
• Vegetables: turnips, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, and broccoli 
• Fruits with skin on it
• Nuts and seeds
• Flax and chia seeds 

At true. we know that our days can be packed full of activities, and sometimes we can’t get enough of everything our body needs. Here are a few ways you can think intentionally about adding fiber to your diet:

• We recommended Sodium fiber (metamucil) and Sunfiber (good for people with IBS systems) supplements for busy days. 
• Adding chia seeds, flax seeds, or hemp seeds is an easy way to add great sources of fiber to any meal. Put them in your stir fry or yogurt bowl in the morning, or sprinkle them on your afternoon snack. 
• Focus on whole foods. How you consume food matters! Fruits are a good source of fiber but they also contain sugar. So, when you blend fruit into a smoothie, the fiber and sugar pass through your gut separately, leading to quick blood sugar spikes and crashes. Eating whole fruits instead can help stabilize blood sugar while giving you the fiber your gut craves.

Support Your Gut Through Mindful Nutrition 

When we practice mindful eating habits, we can nourish our whole body. Our gut bacteria are interconnected to other areas of our health. For women, even our vaginal health is tied to the bacteria found in our gut. It’s important to consider what and how we nourish our bodies to support our overall well-being. true. offers a free SEEDS® ebook to equip women with the knowledge needed to build healthy habits and support overall health. Nutrition looks like getting enough water and sleep, incorporating all types of foods, getting active, and strengthening our mind and body connection.  

Fiber is not the only nutrient our gut loves, and you can support your microbiome with:

• Polyphenols are natural antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables like peppers and strawberries that give them their bright colors and fuel a healthy microbiome. 
• Resistant Starch is found in cooled cooked potatoes, rice, and overnight oats and feeds good gut bacteria. 
• Fructooligosaccharides are found in foods like onions and garlic and are considered a prebiotic fiber to support the growth of good bacteria.
• Herbs & Spices are prebiotics and create a simple way to add a little gut support to your meal. 
• Fermented foods like yogurt, kimchi, kombucha, and sourdough bread have live bacteria that support our gut health. Protip: plain yogurt decreases in live bacteria the longer it is on the shelf, so next time you are at the grocery store, check the expiration date and get the newest one to get the most benefit.

Decrease Your Risk Of Colon Cancer

The colon is one of the last stops in our GI Tract. It is responsible for collecting all of our leftovers once our small intestines take the nutrients from our food. The colon removes water from leftover food and makes stool. Colon cancer is an uncontrolled growth of cells within the colon that can grow without being seen, heard, or felt. Many times, symptoms may not develop until they spread. Women tend to develop cancer in the right colon, which has a slower progression of showing symptoms. Due to colon cancer’s silent nature, it’s essential to stay ahead of the disease with healthy habits and early screenings. 

The typical screening age for colon cancer is 45 or 10 years younger than the age when your first relative was diagnosed with colon cancer. Colonoscopy is the most common and effective screening for colon cancer. It uses a camera to look for abnormalities or precancerous cells throughout your colon. Doctors look for signs of cancer as well as precancerous lesions. By detecting it early, you can prevent precancerous abnormalities from developing further. 

Other tests use a stool sample to look for microscopic blood. These tests, however, sometimes result in false positives for women due to menstrual bleeding or other irritation in the vaginal canal. There is also a risk the cancer mass is not bleeding at the time of testing. The newest FDA-approved cancer screening tool uses blood samples to look for cancerous cells in the blood and is used to screen for many types of cancer. While these are options available, a colonoscopy is the most accurate and thorough exam for colon cancer. 

true. Is Your Advocate

true. wants to walk alongside you to support your overall well-being through nutrition and healthy habits, and empower you with knowledge to age well. Our microbiome can make us feel inflamed, bloated, and not like ourselves, but we can make a big impact when we make small changes. Try implementing more fiber and other foods that nourish your gut health into your diet and make an appointment for early colon cancer screening. When we take steps now, we can age well!⠀

Five Questions For Your PCP?

1. What is my phase of ovarian function?
2. Have you asked me about my bowel movements?
3. What are my risk factors for colon cancer?
4. Where am I at with cancer screening?
5. What resources do you have to help me make better food decisions?

Five Take-Home Tips:

1. What is your picture of self?
2. It might be hard, but let’s think about cancer.
3. Fight for the health of your microbiome.
4. Think about your poop.
5. Look for resources to eat healthier. 

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