19/04/2022
🌱 The Vagus Nerve and Digestion:
🧖♀️ How Relaxation Can Help 💆♀️
If you are suffering from an intestinal disorder, you are not alone. Experts estimate that between 60-70 millions Americans suffer from some form of digestive disorder. One survey suggests that 74% of Americans live with “digestive discomfort.” What exactly is going on here? It could be caused by a weak vagus nerve.
🥘 VAGUS NERVE AND DIGESTION
Your gut consists of both large and small intestines. Your gut is connected to the brain through a nerve called the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is the largest nerve in the body and is often called the “wanderer nerve,” as it travels from the brain to organs throughout the body. Think of it as an “information superhighway,” allowing your brain to receive important information and to deliver an appropriate response.
When you digest food, the vagus nerve senses changes in the microbiota in your intestines and sends this information to your brain. When the vagus nerve is working properly the brain sends back the right response immediately.
🌽 For example, if you eat a food that triggers intestinal inflammation, the vagus nerve detects the inflammation and notifies your brain. Hey brain. We’ve got some inflammation here. Do something! The brain then sends information back to the intestines initiating a biological process that decreases the inflammation. Like dispatching the fire department to put out a fire. Amazing right?
If your vagus nerve is weak or if you have vagus nerve damage, the signal is weak and the flow of information between your gut and brain is impeded. Imagine talking on a cellphone 📱 with poor reception. You might get some of the information but could miss something important! If the vagus nerve can’t alert the brain to inflammation, the brain can’t “send the fire department.”
The inflammation continues to grow or in some cases, become chronic.
When your vagus nerve is not stimulated, it is said to be “low.” When low, the nerve can’t effectively foster communication between the body and the brain. This not only contributes to digestive disorders, but can also affect other parts of your body including the heart, liver, kidneys and even the tongue. A vagus nerve disorder can even contribute to high blood pressure. It is also part of the sympathetic nervous system, responsible not only for digestion but for emotional well-being. Yoga and Meditation Can Ease the Symptoms of Digestive Disorders
👉🏻An increasing number of studies are coming to the conclusion that relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, pranyama (yogic breathing) and other mindfulness practices help to tone the vagus nerve, restoring clear lines of communication between the brain and the gut. This is something yogis have know for thousands of years. And even better, its free! Once the vagus nerve is strong and healthy, the symptoms of digestive disorders like IBS and Crohn’s disease improve. And that’s not all. A toned vagus nerve has been shown to help with other inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
And because it is part of the parasympathetic nervous system, it can improve the symptoms of depression, PTSD and generally promote feelings of well-being.
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So, We've discussed a few ways the vagus nerve can affect your healthy in negative, as well as positive ways.
🏋️♀️ "Toning" the Vagus Nerve doesn't happen overnight, it takes a little practice. HOWEVER, The good news is, that you can "cheat" along the way and help bring your body back into alignment faster.
💧 One of the first ways, is with Whole Flower CBD drops or spray. The instructions for use, are to simply take 1-2 drops....ONLY ONE OR TWO DROPS - and put it beneath your tongue and let it sit.
The CBD drops on their own will help to naturally bring in the Vagus Nerve stimulation and help you get out of "fight or flight" and into "rest and digest".
One word of caution - be careful when you do this....as you might end up REALLY, REALLY relaxed.
After you have taken a drop or two - lie down on your back, close your eyes, and simply focus on your breathing. You can add humming if you would like, as controlling your breath is the key to controlling pretty much your entire life. By controlling your breathing you are controlling your stress response and overriding the signals coming from it, and sending "relaxation" signals instead.
See, your body's signals and input/output mechanisms can be overridden with conscious intention at any point. By controlling your breathing - you're also consciously controlling your reaction to situations around you.
💭By focusing on breathing slow, controlled breaths, you'll be able to not only better navigate stressful situations - but you'll also start to "set the tone" for your body and the stress level it should be responding at.
Digestion: Another HUGE problem with a "Locked Vagal Complex" (aka chronic fight or flight) is that your digestion is likely hampered. When you're in fight or flight, your body actually decreases the amount of stomach acid and bile your body will release to digest your food. This can feel a lot like "heartburn", or "too much stomach acid" - when in reality, 90%+ people have too LITTLE stomach acid to digest their food.
🌶This makes it feel like you've got "heartburn" - because the food simply sits in your stomach and putrefies instead of digesting. This then alters your microbiome, which lowers your immune system, which then raises stress, which then lowers digestive acids......you get the idea.
Simple solution?
🌺 Along with the Whole Flower CBD drops - you can add whole-food digestive enzymes to help break down your food better. This means your body will be under less stress have less stress, digestion will be supported, your microbiome will improve, your metabolism can increase, your adrenals will be under less pressure - AND you'll be able to absorb more nutrients from your food (and thus, have less stress).
This can ALSO result in weight loss - because when your body is stressed out, your metabolism is going to be slashed drastically.
⚡️Between both the whole-flower CBD and Whole-food digestive enzyme/probiotic blend, you've got two really powerful tools to start adding to your controlled breathwork to help reset your Vagus nerve and gain Conscious Control over your life once again.
(Breathwork is best done for at least 5-10 mins 2-3x per day to start to form the memory synapses and reprogram the body out of chronic fight for flight)
🌱 To learn more about vagal tone and how it can impact your overall health, join here ➡️ https://www.facebook.com/groups/356096459860665/?exp=4a9f
