“There is NO Healing in a Sympathetic Dominant State”. There is no out-supplementing a sympathetic state. This was a major theme and take home from a recent functional medicine retreat I was fortunate enough to attend in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
The body wants to survive before it will let you thrive…every time.
As you may know, our nervous system has two different, almost opposite, modes–Sympathetic (sometimes called ‘Fight/Flight’) and Parasympathetic (“Rest/Digest”). These modes shift blood flow and activate or inactivate various activities, for instance, when the sympathetic nervous system is activated, it shuttles blood to the muscles in the legs allowing us to power up and run from the ‘tiger’ for example.
The problem is our modern day ‘tiger’ is finances or relationship stress that doesn’t go away. Instead of occasional ventures into a sympathetic nervous system mode, we live predominantly there all the time–it’s called chronic stress and it’s a Root Cause of most every modern disease.
As I mentioned, I was reminded at the retreat, that no matter how great of a supplement protocol and how savvy my treatment plan may be, until clients are purposefully activating the parasympathetic nervous system mode, true healing and wellness is not going to be attained. Sure you may feel better with some nutrients or vitamin or prescription medication, but if you don’t want to be dependent on them, spending consistent time in parasympathetic is a necessity.
Enter the Vagus Nerve.
The vagus nerve is the tenth cranial nerve and gets its name from the same prefix as Vagabond–or wanderer. The Vagus nerve is THE primary parasympathetic nerve. It has nerve endings in the ears, the throat, the skin, and the entire digestive system. It’s responsible for the gut-brain axis–a highway where the gut is telling our brain the status of our world. A few additional facts about the vagus nerve:
- ~90% of the nerve fibers are afferent meaning they travel TO the brain, not from the brain –think of a 6 lane interstate where 5 of the lanes are headed in one direction and only one is going the other way.
- It manages inflammation in the gut–by signaling the immune system to calm down
- Manages hunger signals –that’s right! You don’t need a GLP-1 medication, you can signal satiety with vagus nerve activation –and it can be FREE instead of $1000s/month
- Maintains blood pressure and breathing
- Manages digestive enzyme release and motility of the GI tract–Constipated? Check in on your vagus nerve.
Is there any way to measure your vagus nerve activity?
Actually Yes! One way to indirectly and non-invasively measure your vagus nerve status is through Heart Rate Variability (HRV). This is a measure of the variation in between each heart beat. As the vagus nerve innervates the heart and mediates these changes, measuring HRV can be used as a way to monitor your time in parasympathetic nervous system mode. Nowadays, many smart watches can do this for you (Garmin, apple watch, etc) and I believe its a great biohacking tool to be aware of. If you find your HRV is unbalanced, it may be an early wake up call to begin purposefully activating the vagus nerve. Interested in looking at your HRV and working on it in real time, consider Heartmath!
What are some ways you can ‘turn on’ your vagus nerve? As it innervates so many different body parts, you can activate it by gargling (throat innervation), humming, chanting, Cold showers/ Cold plunges, Meditation, Deep breathing, sunlight exposure, regular social interaction and more. The key is consistency. Pick one of these tasks and stick with it until its habit, then add another. Further blog posts will go into other specific tools you can use to boost your vagal tone. Want more info or think your vagus could use a tune up, sign up for a free discovery call and let’s get after it!
