Vagus Nerve - The Key To Mental Health + Well-Being

During the past couple of years many wellness websites and authors have been talking about the vagus nerve and why healthy vagal tone could hold the keys to radiant health and ultimate happiness. If you are stuck on negativity, racing thoughts, chronic stress, fear and worry, the vagus nerve might be something you want to pay attention to. So, what is this miraculous vagus nerve, and how could it help to improve your well-being? 

The nervous system is a complex network of nerves and cells that carry messages throughout the body. The longest and most complex of the cranial nerves is the vagus nerve, named as it wanders through the body like a vagabond. It’s your body’s information “superhighway”. It travels all the way from the brain stem to the intestines branching out to connect the major organs. It’s part of the autonomic nervous system, which can be divided into two branches: the sympathetic (“fight-or-flight” response) and the parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) nervous system. Vagus nerve functions within the parasympathetic branch. It has a significant role in stress regulation, and impacts the ability to transition between sympathetic and parasympathetic states. When stimulated, it activates the parasympathetic nervous system and the body’s “the rest and digest response”. It’s intricately connected to mood, immune response, digestion, and heart rate.

Vagus Nerve has a critical role in the gut-brain connection - it’s considered as the main channel of communication between the GI tract and the brain. The gut-brain axis is the bidirectional communication pathway through which the brain signals to the gut and the gut signals to the brain. A healthy vagus nerve supports digestion and appetite, for instance by regulating insulin and glucose levels as well as sensation of fullness, or satiety via a hormone called leptin. It also stimulates vitamin B12 intake and nutrition absorption. Thus, healthy vagal tone can support weight management.

Vagal tone means activity of an individual’s vagus nerve - indicating how well the vagus nerve is functioning, usually described as high or low. This can be determined by measuring heart rate and the rate between heartbeats at rest. Slower heart rate and high heart rate variability means higher vagal tone. This is what you want: strong and healthy vagal tone helps to ward off the negative effects of stress and supports optimal gut health. On the other hand, low vagal tone can increase susceptibility to chronic inflammation, and mental health issues, and lead to stagnation and bacterial overgrowth in the GI tract. There can be various reasons for malfunction, such as consuming too much spicy foods, alcohol, too much processed fats, certain medications, infections and of course stress.

DAILY RITUALS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR VAGUS NERVE

Remember, there are no quick fixes! Consistency and commitment are your keys to success and healthier and brighter you. Do a little bit of these every day. 

Breath Deeply Through The Nose 

Deep diaphragmatic breathing is one of the simplest yet effective way to stimulate the vagus nerve. Focus on slow, deep, “belly breathing” that emphasises elongation of exhales. Or try mediation even just for 5 minutes a day without distraction. Allow empty space in your mind to find true calm. I highly recommend meditating in an old fashioned way without apps or other tech toys. Seriously please, give your brain and nervous system a break from EMFs - they aren’t very healthy anyways. 

If you struggle with slowing down, lie down! This is one of the easiest ways to induce the relaxation response. Your postural muscles, heart and lungs immediately reduce their sympathetic activity. I love to meditate after morning yoga: I lie down on for Savasana for about 5 minutes after which I move to a seated pose and sit still for another 5 minutes or so. Even something small like this makes a huge difference in my day: less anxiety, more inner peace, and joy. Journaling afterwards always helps to sort out the thoughts. And when you re-read your past journals you are able to put the present into perspective and remind yourself about your goals and intentions and what you have accomplished so far. 

Another great tip is to find three moments every day to take 5-10 expansive belly breaths and find the present moment. Excellent way to reset and refresh after a day at work or before meals. 

Move Gently With Awareness 

I love this quote from Joseph Pilates: “You are only as young as your spine is flexible.” Both yoga and pilates have endless lists of positive youthful effects. Gentle movement helps to improve gastric motility (the contraction of the smooth gastric muscle essential for the movement of food through the digestive tract), which happens by stimulating the vagus nerve. Always practise spinal movements - flexion, extension, rotation, later flexion - to stimulate both vagal nerve and the entire central nervous system. In classical pilates all movements of the spine are always exercised. In yoga flow through sun salutations, deep twists, backbends (camel, bridge, wheel), forward bend, and finish with simple inversions (shoulder stand, headstand).

Always practise yoga and pilates with awareness and good intentions. Like Eddie Stern explains, awareness is the most important aspect in yoga and meditation, because it’s the very thing that helps us to be good, decent, thoughtful, loving human beings. And always practise non-attachment. Let your feelings and emotions come and go, and the same applies to your physical asana practice. After all, the physical expression isn’t the most important thing. 

And get out in nature every day, and say no to the 24/7 tech connection thing. If nothing else, go for a 30-minute brisk walk to get some fresh air.

Rebuild A New Internal Landscape

Laughter and positive emotions are the best therapy for every cell in the body. We know that everything is connected. They way you think and feel creates chemical reactions in your body. As a result, operating from scattered, negative headspace can leave you physically tired and wired, and affect your digestive health and immunity. Create a positive mindset and have uplifting intentions. If you feel you’ve hit rock-bottom, here’s the good news: the only way is up! You can’t possibly go any lower. Make the most of rebuilding and rewriting your life-story. No matter what your are going through in life, there’s always something valuable to learn. Remember: there are no mistakes, only learning experiences - as cliché as it may sound. I mean seriously! And practise gratitude every day. Surround yourself with people with good vibes and warm, generous hearts. Smile to a stranger to brighten their day too. 

Nourish Your Nervous System

What you eat can have a profound effect on your nervous system. I’ve talked about gut health before, so please read my earlier posts and watch my videos. Trillions of microbes play an important role in your digestion, and are connected to your hormonal health, immunity, and cognitive health. For instance, some of the friendly gut bacteria strains help to produce specific neurotransmitters like serotonin, a happy hormone, as well as feel-good dopamine, and calming GABA. Therefore, you want to make sure you get enough probiotic and prebiotic foods to keep your GI-tract healthy.

Omega-3 fatty acids 

Omega-3s are critical for a healthy brain and nervous system. Short-chain fatty acids (ALA) are anti-inflammatory and found in plants. Great plant-based sources include walnuts, seaweed and algae, flax seeds, and chia seeds. ALA is an essential precursor of other forms of Omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, which are mostly found in animal foods.

Calcium and Magnesium 

These guys work together, and help to rebuild an exhausted system and relax the body. Excellent calcium rich plant sources include dark leafy greens, organic soy, oranges, figs, sesame seeds, and almonds. Most people run low in magnesium, because of their poor dietary choices. Magnesium does wonders for your body because it helps to convert the macronutrients (carbs, proteins and fats) into bioavailable energy. It also supports with elimination by increasing water in the intestines and relaxing the muscles. To boost your magnesium levels nourish with whole grains, dark chocolate, avocado, leafy greens, nuts, and seeds.

Zinc

By now most of us have heard how critical zinc is for our immune health along with vitamin C and D. Zinc also supports our nervous system and proper brain function, and it’s essential for beautiful hair and nails! Zinc is easy to get from plant foods like chickpeas, lentils, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and oats. 

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 has an important role in the maintenance of the nervous system and in the formation of red blood cells. Many people believe that only vegans run low in this nutrient. Yet, several studies have shown this is a myth, and many vegetarians and omnivores struggle with low B12 levels. B12 is a water-soluble vitamin and is produced by soil microbes. Animals, including humans, must obtain this vitamin directly or indirectly from bacteria. In the past, B12 from bacteria was naturally more present in plant foods. Modern industrialised farming with antibiotics and pesticides make most plant foods no longer reliable sources of this bacterial product. However, some plants still include it like certain mushrooms and seaweed. Most plant-based milks and nutritional yeast are fortified with B12.

I always believe getting the nutrients and vitamins from whole foods, but if for some reasons - like due to chronic illness, medications, or malabsorption - you struggle to get enough in, high-quality supplementing is something to consider. Food is your medicine - and I cannot emphasise this highly enough. Add slowly new healthier alternatives to your plate so that your digestive system has time to adapt. You’ll soon notice how you’ll start feeling and looking better and will crowd out unhealthy foods. How you eat is just as important as what you eat. Your body needs to be in relaxed state for optimal digestion. Eat sitting down in a calm environment and chew well. No smart-tech allowed!

Things to limit or at least enjoy only in moderation include spicy foods, alcohol, high-fat foods, an of course caffeine. These can all add extra stress and burden to the body. Weakened nervous system is hypersensitive to the overuse and abuse of caffeine, or other stimulants. These can lead your body to release cortisol. Overtime, misusing these cortisol spikes can lead to a metabolic breakdown. This can cause weight gain around your organs and abdominals, thinning hair, and inflammation. I have found that matcha green tea with some plant based milk works way better than coffee. It provides only a small amount of caffeine and releases it slowly without the jittery feeling. I typically use 1 organic Japanese Matcha Sencha tea bag, infuse it for 2-3 minutes in hot water and then add a splash of oat milk. Super simple and energising. 

If there’s just one thing I want you to take away from all this, it’s that you are in control and that you can change your life and health.

The keys to happiness and joy are at the centre of you. 

Lots of Love!