Have you ever had a “gut-wrenching” experience? Do certain situations make you “feel nauseous”? Have you ever felt “butterflies” in your stomach? We use these expressions for a reason. Our gut is sensitive to emotion; anger, sadness, happiness – all of these feelings (and others) can trigger symptoms in the gut. Hidden in the walls of the digestive system, our "second brain" is revolutionising medicine’s understanding of the links between digestion, mood, health and even the way you think.

The gut is imbedded with its own nervous system called the ‘enteric nervous system’ or better known as ‘the second brain’, which contains over 100 million neurons (messengers) telling the body what to do or feel.

Research is revealing the surprising ways in which our guts exert control over our mood and appetite. A troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut. Therefore, a person's stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause of anxiety, stress, or depression. That's because the brain and the gastrointestinal system are intimately connected.

Therefore it is vital to look at the mind-gut connection when treating any sort of digestive disturbance or any mental health condition. Figuring out which one is triggering the other can help us unlock the answer to the symptoms being presented. For the mind to be

In order for the mind to be functioning properly, the gut needs to be working properly.

Alison will reveal in this workshop how through a few simple changes to our diet and lifestyle, we can develop a happier mind set, enhanced immunity and a decreased risk of developing neurological diseases.

Paying attention to the mind-gut connection is the key to unlocking optimal health.