7 Ways to Support the Vagus Nerve and Improve Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

soothing vagus nerve

The vagus nerve is a cranial nerve that activates the parasympathetic nervous system and increases levels of oxytocin and the calming neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Supporting the vagus nerve and thereby improving parasympathetic tone promotes relaxation, sleep, digestion, and healing.

Activating the parasympathetic nervous system dials down the sympathetic nervous system or fight-or-flight response. In that way, the vagus nerve acts as a built-in “stress-reset button.”

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Why a Vegan or Plant-Based Diet Can Be Bad for Periods

A vegan or exclusively plant-based diet can make periods lighter and less painful, which is good. Over time, however, an exclusively plant-based diet can cause irregular or heavy periods due to impaired ovulation and low progesterone.

The main problem with an exclusively plant-based diet is that it cannot provide an adequate supply of nutrients such as zinc, iodine, iron, vitamin A, and taurine.

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The Curious Link Between Estrogen, Mast Cells, and Histamine

The role of mast cells and histamine in estrogen dominanceHeadaches, anxiety, insomnia, brain fog, hives, and nasal congestion. These are just a few of the symptoms of mast cell activation or high histamine.

Histamine symptoms are more common in women and often track with the menstrual cycle, occurring when estrogen is high at ovulation and then again just before the period. 

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What Dairy Does to Periods

cow's dairy and periodsMore than twenty years ago I discovered something: When I stopped having dairy, I stopped having period pain.

Since then, I’ve worked with thousands of patients who have had the same result. For many women (not all), stopping dairy can dramatically improve period pain, heavy periods, endometriosis, acne, and PMS.

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