If you suffer from anxiety, insomnia, chronic inflammation, or autoimmune issues, enhancing your Vagus Nerve just might be the key to feeling better. Today the brilliant Dr. Navaz Habib tells us all about the very mysterious and completely necessary Vagus Nerve. Actually, there are two vagus nerves that travel from your brain, down either side of your neck (near the carotid arteries) then branch out to every organ in your body. Most of the Vagus Nerve signals travel FROM your organs back TO your brain. Your brain needs good signals from the Vagus Nerves in order to make decisions about your organ function and decide what to do next to optimize your health. Some major roles of the Vagus Nerve include: Controlling inflammation Boosting your immune system Improving your Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Connecting your microbiome and your brain The Vagus Nerve is a crucial part of the parasympathetic nervous system, the state when you “rest and digest.” Healing your body ONLY occurs in the parasympathetic state. You can’t heal if you are stuck in the sympathetic nervous system, the flight-flight state. Dr. Habib shares with us some of the best ways to enhance the Vagus Nerve: Eat “green, clean, and lean.” Avoid highly processed foods, especially soy, corn oil , canola oil , and other inflammatory oils like seed oils. Find ways to incorporate movement into your day. The key is to move just a little more each day. Dr. Habib says, “Movement is life!” Practice deep breathing techniques, especially the 4-7-8 pattern. Make sure your breathing is nasal, diaphragmatic, and includes long exhales. Try using Noninvasive Electrical Vagus Nerve Stimulation. Dr. Habib uses a device called Truvaga. This small handheld device will help you shift from the sympathetic state to the parasympathetic state. (Disclosure: Dr. Habib does speak on behalf of Truvaga.) Dr. Habib says the best way to measure your Vagus Nerve function is to measure something called Heart Rate Variability (HRV). A high HRV is associated with better health and increased resilience. Reduced HRV is associated with poorer health including cardiovascular disease, anxiety, stress, and autonomic dysfunction. Devices that measure HRV include: Chest strap devices Fitbit and Garmin Apple watch and Samsung watch Oura ring Dr. Habib owns an Oura ring, while his wife prefers the Apple watch. You can reach his website at https://www.drnavazhabib.com.

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