NBC Reporter on the Gut Symptom She Ignored at 25 | Chloe Melas

Women will talk about IVF, career setbacks, even losing a home, but almost never about their gut. What happens when the thing you’re too embarrassed to say out loud is the thing your health depends on?

Chloë Melas, NBC News correspondent and co-author of The Girl’s Guide to Guts. She’s known for her reporting at CNN and NBC News and her 15-year fight with ulcerative colitis. We talk about resilience, relentless work ethic, and the IBD warning signs she ignored at 25. Blood in your stool is never normal. See a GI now, and keep asking questions until you get answers.

What we explore:

- How childhood bullying builds lifelong resilience.

- Why rectal bleeding at any age means seeing a GI.

- How antibiotics and lifestyle trigger ulcerative colitis.

- What to eat to manage IBD flares.

- How to handle nerves and imposter syndrome.

Chapters:

00:00 How Childhood Bullying Builds Resilience in Adults

09:57 Why Consistency Beats Talent: Showing Up Every Day

15:28 IBD and Gut Health: Why Women Stay Silent

22:00 Blood in Stool at 25: Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms

25:20 Ulcerative Colitis and Depression: Laxative Dependence Explained

28:40 Is IBD Genetic? What Causes Ulcerative Colitis Flares

31:46 Rectal Bleeding: When to See a Gastroenterologist

36:13 How to Talk About IBD When Dating

40:06 Best Diet for Ulcerative Colitis: Foods to Avoid

43:04 What a Stool Test Reveals About Gut Health

49:30 How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome and Nerves

54:20 Infertility, IVF and Motherhood: Lessons in Resilience

About Chloë Melas: 

Chloë Melas is an NBC News correspondent and former CNN entertainment reporter who has spent nearly two decades breaking stories and doing serious investigative work. After years of living quietly with ulcerative colitis, she now uses her platform to break the stigma around IBD, IBS, and colon cancer, so no one has to figure this out alone.

Connect with Chloë Melas:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chloemelas

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The Gabby Reece Show

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