HEALTH AGENDA
Mental health tips: How gut health affects your wellbeing
Published September 2026 | 5 min read
Expert contributor: Nicole Pritchard, Total Wellbeing Dietitian, CSIRO
Words by Jo Hartley
Key takeaways
- Your gut and brain are closely connected, which means your gut health can influence how you feel mentally and vice versa.
- A varied diet as well as exercise, sleep, stress management, social connection and time outdoors all support gut and mental health.
- Healthy habits can improve wellbeing but aren’t a substitute for professional care.
- If symptoms persist, speak with your GP or a mental health professional.
- Eligible HCF members can access a range of tools and services to support your wellbeing.
Did you know that a happier gut can mean a happier mind? Emerging research is uncovering the gut-brain connection: try these mental health tips to support both.
We all have times when we feel low, tired or not quite ourselves. But when these feelings stick around without an obvious reason, it might be time to listen to your gut.
So, what’s the connection between our gut and brain and how can everyday habits influence both? Learn practical mental health tips to support a healthier gut and mind.
Understanding the gut-brain connection
“The gut and brain are in constant communication through a network known as the gut-brain axis,” says Nicole Pritchard, Total Wellbeing Dietitian at CSIRO.
“Messages travel back and forth between the two, which means that your gut health can influence how you feel mentally, and your mental health can affect your gut.”
This connection helps explain why stress can upset your stomach or why poor gut health may contribute to symptoms like low mood, brain fog, fatigue and difficulty sleeping.
How a gut-friendly diet can improve your mental wellbeing
Diet plays a major role in gut health. The trillions of bacteria living in your digestive system (microbiome) rely on the foods you eat for fuel and wellbeing.
“Good nutrition supports a healthy gut, which can influence overall mental wellbeing,” says Nicole. “It can also help reduce inflammation in the body, which has been associated with mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.”
Foods that can help create a healthier gut include:
- fruit
- vegetables
- nuts
- seeds
- whole grains
- legumes
- oily fish
- probiotic foods like kefir and yoghurt.
Limiting ultra-processed foods is also important to help support gut health.
“Ultra-processed foods are often low in fibre and nutrients,” says Nicole. “They’re high in unhealthy fats, added sugar and salt, which can disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut and contribute to inflammation.”
Common examples of ultra-processed foods include:
- processed meats like ham and chicken nuggets
- packaged snacks like chips and chocolate bars
- sugary breakfast cereals
- baked goods
- sugary desserts.
Top 10 tips to maintain your mental health
A diet rich in fibre and fermented foods can help reduce inflammation, which is linked to poor mental health.
Tip: Aim for plenty of fibre each day (25g for women, 30g for men). Choose whole grains, oats, beans and chickpeas. Also include fermented foods like yoghurt or kefir, which contain live bacteria to support a healthy gut.
Research shows a diet high in ultra-processed foods is associated with an increased risk of depression.
Tip: Swap out ultra-processed foods for gut-friendly snacks like fresh fruit, vegie sticks and hummus or plain popcorn.
Alcohol can irritate the gut by disrupting the balance of beneficial bacteria and causing inflammation, which can affect mood.
Tip: Reduce your alcohol consumption by changing your drinking habits. Hello Sunday Morning's Daybreak app connects you anonymously with an online peer community to help you change your relationship with alcohol and track your drinks. Eligible HCF members can also be referred to additional mental health support through Daybreak*.
Research shows that moderate to high-intensity exercise for 30 to 90 minutes, three times a week, may help improve your gut microbiome. Exercising for enjoyment during leisure time has been shown to provide even greater mental health benefits.
Tip: Aim to be active each week, with a mix of strength training and aerobic activities like brisk walking, cycling or tennis. And remember, you're more likely to stick to regular exercise if you enjoy it.
When you're sleep deprived, your hormones can become disrupted, which may increase cravings for less nutritious foods and negatively affect your gut health.
Tip: Aim to get 7 to 9 hours' sleep a night and build better sleep habits. Thanks to our partnership with Sleepfit Solutions, eligible HCF members+ can get a 12-month subscription to the Sleepfit app, designed to improve sleep and overall wellbeing.
Stress can lead to gut inflammation and reduce the diversity of beneficial bacteria. Chronic stress has even been shown to increase the severity of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Tip: Manage stress levels with regular exercise, spending time doing things you enjoy and eating a nutritious diet.
Studies show social isolation and exclusion can alter the gut microbiome and negatively impact mental health.
Tip: Stay connected with friends or family, join a local group that interests you and aim to plan at least one social activity each week, like a coffee catch-up or a walk.
Smoking and vaping are linked with a less diverse gut microbiome. Chemicals irritate the gut lining, which causes chronic inflammation.
Tip: Manage cravings by chewing gum, keeping your hands busy and avoiding triggers like alcohol when you'd usually smoke. Reach out to support groups and download My QuitBuddy for extra tools and guidance.
Emerging evidence suggests spending time outside may expose you to beneficial microbes, including beneficial bacteria that support the gut microbiome.
Tip: Build outdoor time into your day. Try a daily walk, an outdoor coffee break or a few minutes in the garden.
It can sometimes be difficult to stay on track of your mental health, and you may need extra help.
Tip: Reach out to a health professional to chat through any concerns.
When lifestyle isn’t enough
Lifestyle factors can support mental wellbeing, but they’re not a substitute for professional clinical care.
If you’re experiencing ongoing feelings of low mood, fatigue or anxiety, it’s important to speak with your GP or a healthcare professional.
How your health cover can help
Making small changes to support your mental wellbeing can be easier with the right support. Eligible members can access a range of mental health services, including an annual telehealth HealthyMinds Check-in# with a psychologist from one of our partners anywhere in Australia, as well as being able to claim on evidence-based online programs through THIS WAY UP**, a cognitive behavioural mental health service developed by psychiatrists and psychologists.
Chat with us online or call 13 13 34 to see if you’re eligible for these and other programs and services.
Eat your way to a healthy gut
What you eat can significantly affect the health and function of your gut. Need help establishing healthy eating habits? Eligible members can get access to the evidence-based CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet at a discount or at no extra cost^^. Created by Australia’s national science agency, it combines a high-protein, low-GI eating plan with exercise and proven weight management tools to help improve habits and create lifelong positive behaviours.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION
* For more information, see hcf.com.au/daybreak
+ Eligibility criteria apply. For more information, see hcf.com.au/sleepfit
# Eligibility criteria apply. For more information, see hcf.com.au/mental-support
** You should make your own enquiries to determine whether this service is suitable for you. If you decide to use this service, it'll be on the basis that HCF won't be responsible, and you won't hold HCF responsible, for any liability that may arise from that use.
^^ Eligibility criteria apply. For more information, see hcf.com.au/csiro-total-wellbeing-diet
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