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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The Curious Link Between Estrogen, Mast Cells, and Histamine

The role of mast cells and histamine in estrogen dominanceHeadaches. Anxiety. Insomnia. Brain fog. Hives. 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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How Vitamin B6 Relieves Premenstrual Mood Symptoms

PMS cure

Thank you to my nutrition professor, who first taught me about vitamin B6 (pyridoxine or pyridoxal-5-phosphate) for PMS. It is an effective, reliable treatment for premenstrual mood problems, including PMDD.

Back then (30 years ago), vitamin B6 relieved my own premenstrual symptoms so dramatically that it became my eureka moment in natural health and menstrual health. I realized that although premenstrual mood symptoms are common, they’re not normal. And going forward, I had much higher expectations of what a period should be like. 

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Endometriosis: 5 Natural Treatments That Really Work

Natural endometriosis treatmentEndometriosis is not like other period problems. It’s not a hormonal condition like PMS and PCOS. It’s affected by hormones, yes, but fundamentally endometriosis is a disease of immune dysfunction.

The medical consensus has not yet caught up with the new research into endometriosis and immune dysfunction so hormonal suppression remains the primary treatment.

There is a better way.

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