New Year New You with Longford's Laura Thompson: Trust your gut with Healthy Gut Plan

The health of your gut can affect not only your physical health, but also your mental health. Gut health has been linked to anxiety, depression and even dementia.

Did you know that the make up of your gut bacteria may also play a role in determining whether you will be lean or obese? Bearing this in mind, it is vital that we nourish and nurture the bacteria.

Our brain and our gut are in constant communication with each other - hence the reference to the gut as the ‘second brain’.
When we experience ‘butterflies in our stomach’ before taking an exam or giving a presentation, this is a brain-gut interaction. The brain talks to the gut and the gut talks to the brain.

It’s often hard to know what came first - poor gut function or anxiety. When we get anxious, our body goes into fight-or-flight mode, making our mouths dry and our stomachs more acidic. This can lead to heartburn, stomach upset and diarrhoea.

The gut can also relieve anxiety, as this is where serotonin - our feel-good hormone - is made.

Over the years, I have put together a healthy gut plan, which is designed to replenish all of our necessary microbes in an easy and enjoyable way.

I don’t consider my plan to be a diet - more a way of getting back to nature. Many of my clients tell me that they are enjoying the real taste of food again, while experiencing weight loss, more energy and less pain.

To find out more about the healthy gut plan, visit www.healthygutplan.com or see my website at laurathompsonhealth.com to find about other services.

Read also: Longford's Laura Thompson on how to effectively detox your body