Boost Vagal Function to Improve Chronic and Autoimmune Conditions
Did you know that your stamina, gut health, blood sugar levels, heart rate variability, inflammation, emotional well-being, and even your ability to create lasting positive social connections, are all directly influenced by your vagus nerve?
The Vagus Nerve
The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the body. It is either one of two cranial nerves which extend from the brain stem all the way to the intestines. It connects the brain to many important organs including the heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, liver, and gallbladder. It’s involved in controlling the immune, cardiovascular, respiratory, and endocrine systems.
The Toll Of Stress On Your Overall Health
With our world in the midst of a pandemic and our lives at an unprecedented halt, it’s no secret that many of us are experiencing stress like never before. Every day we are faced with new health issues and circumstances that many of us have never had to navigate before. While anxiety induced by these changes is normal, it’s important to remember that too much of it can have a negative impact on your immune system putting you at a greater risk for health issues.
The Impact of Stress on the Immune System
Stressed out? Lonely or depressed? Don’t be surprised if you come down with “something”.
While we don’t know all of the implications of high stress on the body, we do have an understanding of some of them. Psychology Today states that “the brain and the immune system are in constant communication,” and that “this delicate balance…can be disrupted by any kind of physical and emotional stress.” Some believe that as many as 90% of diseases and illnesses, such as heart disease and cancer, have stress as a causative factor.
Relaxed Like a Baby
Did you know that 80% of us struggle with stress on a regular basis?
Stress is your body’s reaction to a physical, mental or emotional strain or tension. It is brought upon by physiological, psychological and environmental events that the body perceives as challenging, threatening or demanding. These events are called stressors.
Untreated chronic stress can result in serious health conditions including anxiety, insomnia, muscle pain, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system. Research shows that stress can contribute to the development of major chronic conditions, such as heart disease, depression and obesity. Some studies have even suggested that unhealthy chronic stress management, such as overeating “comfort” foods, has contributed to the growing obesity epidemic
Don’t Mess with Your Immune System
The immune system is made up of many different kinds of cells that protect the body from germs, viruses and other invaders. These cells need to co-exist in a certain balance for good health to be maintained. Many factors, including diet, lifestyle, and exercise can tip this balance, creating immune cells that can harm, rather than protect, our bodies.
Here are a few habits that may leave you vulnerable to disease:
You’re ALWAYS stressed
This is Your Immune System on Stress
Are you constantly struck down by colds, flu and other infections – no matter how well you look after yourself?
If yes, then perhaps your stress levels are to blame.
Stress is the body’s reaction to a physical, mental or emotional strain or tension. It is brought upon by physiological, psychological and environmental events that the body perceives as challenging, threatening or demanding. These events are called stressors.
When stressors are present, your body’s “fight-or-flight” reaction gets turned on. Your brain sends defense signals to the endocrine system resulting in an onslaught of stress hormones being pumped around the body. While these hormones are useful in acute situations, their ability to interfere with the immune system can result in inflammation, reduced white blood cells, and a higher susceptibility to infection and tissue damage.
Stress and Weight Gain – The Inevitable Connection
Stress negatively impacts our bodies and can be blamed for spiking the blood pressure, weakening the immune system, and increasing the risk for heart disease and stroke. But did you know that stress can also be the culprit for unwanted weight gain?
According to a Gallup poll, 8 out of 10 Americans are afflicted by stress, and similarly, 7 out of 10 Americans are overweight. This is more than a coincidence. There’s a direct correlation between stress and obesity.
When we encounter a perceived threat, the stress response system within our body is triggered, surging us with adrenaline, preparing us for fight or flight. Cortisol—the stress hormone—is released within the body, and it’s responsible influencing, regulating, and replenishing our system in response to stress. This is essential for the maintenance of homeostasis, but when stress is chronic, cortisol is continuously secreted, and that brings disturbance in our lives.
Science News: Nature’s Xanax is Making a Comeback
While the popular song suggests “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” for some, this statement doesn’t ring true. The holidays are times of peace and joy, but for many, the season is filled with anxiety. According to a poll by the American Psychological Association, nearly a quarter of Americans reported symptoms of extreme stress during the holidays. A survey, conducted by Healthline in 2015, revealed that 62% of respondents describe their stress level as “very or somewhat” elevated during the holiday season.
What is the treatment for anxiety?
While there are prescription drugs available that are designed to treat anxiety, such as Xanax, most of the conventional medications can not only be costly but also harmful for you. Besides the risk of addiction, these pharmaceuticals contain severe side effects including paranoia, suicidal thoughts, impaired memory, judgment, and coordination. The good news is that there are natural solutions for anxiety.
Science News: How Gratitude Physically Rewires Your Brain
Don’t forget to say thank you. Throughout our childhood years, most of us had been prompted with this statement—or variation of it. Many have assumed saying Thank you was simply a polite, socially-customary interaction. But research is revealing much more. Showing thankfulness has been proven to affect your entire being. Actually, this basic virtue holds the power to physically rewire the brain.
Gratitude helps the individual focus on the positive, training their mind to concentrate on the good areas of their life. Living in a state of constant thanksgiving impacts the brain and consequently, the emotions. A study, published in 2016, required some participants to write notes of gratitude and the rest to write expressive thoughts. After twelve weeks, those in the gratitude condition reported significantly better mental health than those in the expressive condition.
Science News: Poor Posture is Killing Your Confidence!
Posture is the structural framework of your body. It is not a position, but a dynamic pattern of reflexes, habits, and adaptive responses to anything that resists you being more or less upright and functional, such as:
Gravity
Awkward working conditions
Abnormal anatomy
Athletic challenges
Posture is also more than the sum of those parts. It is the way you live, the shape of your flexible “container,” the physical manifestation of your comfort zone.
Candida Overgrowth—A Root Cause or Symptom?
Candida. Most people associate this word with annoying, vaginal yeast infections, and while that’s true, there’s so much more to this common fungus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it’s estimated that approximately 46,000 cases of candida-related infections occur each year in America, but did you know candida is present in everyone—both male and female?
What is candida?
Candida is a kind of fungus or yeast that we all have living throughout our gastro-intestinal tract and in other areas of the body. Usually, candida coexists with good bacteria in the body’s system and isn’t problematic. Trouble occurs when candida outnumbers the good bacteria and sends the system into chaos. Dysbiosis, also called dysbacteriosis, is the term for a microbial imbalance or maladaptation inside the body, and in this case, having a candida overgrowth.