WEBVTT
00:00:58.840 --> 00:01:03.000
Hello everyone, it's me, Jess VNP with Proactive Wellness for Nurses.
00:01:03.240 --> 00:01:06.359
Oh, we're gonna talk about the vagus nerve today.
00:01:06.600 --> 00:01:07.400
You know why?
00:01:07.560 --> 00:01:15.000
Because the vagus nerve is the missing link between stress, weight gain, the nervous system, and healing the nervous system for nurses.
00:01:15.159 --> 00:01:15.719
Welcome back.
00:01:15.800 --> 00:01:17.480
It's me, Jessica Veloza.
00:01:17.719 --> 00:01:19.400
I am a nurse practitioner.
00:01:19.719 --> 00:01:30.840
And I am also someone who deeply understands what it feels like to work inside of a healthcare system that asks nurses to care for everyone else while completely ignoring their own health.
00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:45.640
If you've been following the show, then you know we talk a lot about things that traditional healthcare rarely connects together, like burnout and metabolism, nervous system and inflammation, weight struggles, and the emotional toll of being a nurse.
00:01:45.800 --> 00:01:51.560
So today we're talking about something that quietly sits at the center of all of those things.
00:01:51.800 --> 00:02:09.159
Your vegas nerve, the single nerve that has massive influence over your metabolism, your ability to regulate stress, your digestion, your heart rate, your emotional regulation, your cravings, and legitimately how safe you feel moment to moment.
00:02:09.319 --> 00:02:29.159
And for nurses, especially those working shifts, juggling families, managing emotional labor, and trying to take care of yourself at the same time, vagal nerve function can be one of the biggest hidden drivers behind weight struggles, as well as fatigue and feeling constantly overwhelmed.
00:02:29.319 --> 00:02:30.840
So we're gonna break it down today.
00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:47.319
What the vagus nerve actually is, where it runs in the body, why it's so important for metabolism and weight regulation, how nursing culture damages vagal tone, and most importantly, practical things that you can start doing today to improve your vagal tone.
00:02:47.479 --> 00:02:52.120
Because healing your nervous system is not about being perfect, okay?
00:02:52.360 --> 00:02:55.640
It's about giving your body signals that it's safe.
00:02:55.800 --> 00:02:58.439
So let's talk about what the vagus nerve actually is.
00:02:58.759 --> 00:02:59.960
Let's talk basics.
00:03:00.120 --> 00:03:02.439
It is the longest cranial nerve in the body.
00:03:02.599 --> 00:03:07.960
The word vagus, V-A-G-U-S, actually comes from the Latin word wandering.
00:03:08.120 --> 00:03:09.640
That's exactly what it does.
00:03:09.880 --> 00:03:15.080
It wanders throughout the body, connecting the brain to multiple organ systems.
00:03:15.240 --> 00:03:20.360
The vagus nerve begins in the brainstem and travels down through the neck.
00:03:20.520 --> 00:03:27.880
It goes to the heart, the lungs, diaphragm, stomach, liver, pancreas, intestines.
00:03:28.040 --> 00:03:32.280
It is the main communication highway between your brain and your body.
00:03:32.520 --> 00:03:33.159
Carry it.
00:03:33.719 --> 00:03:44.040
About in about 80% of it, about 80% of its signals travel actually from the body back to the brain, not the other way around.
00:03:44.200 --> 00:03:47.719
That's like the really interestingly wild part to me.
00:03:47.880 --> 00:03:56.360
So that means that your brain is constantly listening to information coming from your organs, from your gut, from your nervous system.
00:03:56.600 --> 00:04:02.520
And the vagus nerve plays a massive role in what we call the parasympathetic nervous system.
00:04:02.680 --> 00:04:15.400
This is the system that is responsible for rest, repair, digestion, and hormone balance, fat burning, immune regulation, and emotional regulation.
00:04:15.880 --> 00:04:22.920
And when vagal tone is healthy, your body can shift out of survival mode and into healing mode.
00:04:23.079 --> 00:04:27.159
So let's talk about why nurses struggle with vagal dysfunction.
00:04:27.319 --> 00:04:32.759
Specifically because the reality is that nursing culture is incredibly hard on the nervous system.
00:04:32.920 --> 00:04:34.120
This is no secret.
00:04:34.279 --> 00:04:36.839
If you're living this life, I don't need to tell you.
00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:40.839
Think about what the body experiences during a typical shift.
00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:45.000
You might skip MILS, and I am not talking therapeutic fasting.
00:04:45.159 --> 00:04:50.920
You're running from room to room, you're exposed to all sorts of people's emotional trauma.
00:04:51.079 --> 00:04:56.839
You're dealing with alarms, emergencies, demanding families, and it's constant time pressure.
00:04:57.000 --> 00:05:02.439
You know, you may not even have time to sit down and breathe one time in that entire 12-hour shift.
00:05:02.519 --> 00:05:06.600
And this is one thing people that aren't in nursing don't quite understand.
00:05:06.839 --> 00:05:10.040
You know that night shift jacks up your circadian rhythm.
00:05:10.199 --> 00:05:17.479
It leads to sleep deprivation, it leads to elevated cortisol, which further impacts blood sugar dysregulation.
00:05:17.719 --> 00:05:21.719
And all of it leads to chronic inflammation generalized.
00:05:21.879 --> 00:05:25.959
And over time, your nervous system learns something very dangerous.
00:05:26.120 --> 00:05:29.959
It learns that the world is not safe enough to relax.
00:05:30.120 --> 00:05:34.759
And when that happens, the vagus nerve becomes less responsive.
00:05:34.919 --> 00:05:38.359
You know, you're telling it stuff, but it's like, dude, you're overwhelming me.
00:05:38.519 --> 00:05:39.639
I can't do all this.
00:05:39.799 --> 00:05:41.159
That's low vagal tone.
00:05:41.240 --> 00:05:42.680
It's kind of like, I can't do all this.
00:05:42.839 --> 00:05:48.039
Low vagal tone keeps the body stuck in sympathetic dominance, that fight or flight, right?
00:05:48.199 --> 00:05:54.680
And when the body lives in fight or flight, long term, a few things happen metabolically.
00:05:54.919 --> 00:05:58.439
Well, of course, the body is gonna hold on to fat more easily.
00:05:58.519 --> 00:06:00.039
It thinks we are in distress.
00:06:00.199 --> 00:06:01.879
It thinks we are going to need that.
00:06:02.039 --> 00:06:05.399
It also burns glucose less effectively.
00:06:05.639 --> 00:06:06.919
Bad combination.
00:06:07.479 --> 00:06:09.799
Because that means more fat storage, right?
00:06:09.959 --> 00:06:24.199
Poor vagal tone increases cravings for quick energy foods, and it shifts the fat to prioritize storing around your abdomen, your abdomen and your organs, visceral fat, abdominal central obesity.
00:06:24.359 --> 00:06:35.479
So your vagal nerve with low tone struggles to regulate the appetite hormones overall, which is why so many nurses say things like, I eat healthy, but I can't lose weight.
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I swear I don't eat too much.
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I eat healthy.
00:06:38.279 --> 00:06:41.159
I'm making really conscientious decisions.
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And I feel like my body's constantly stressed.
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I crave sugar every shift.
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I feel wired, but exhausted.
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I'm exhausted, but I get home after my shift and I can't just go to sleep, which is what my body probably really needs.
00:06:55.479 --> 00:06:57.399
I'm wired, even though I'm exhausted.
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It could be well into the hours of I should be asleep to where before I can fall asleep when my nervous system is this taste, this dysregulated.
00:07:04.919 --> 00:07:07.079
So this is not a willpower problem.
00:07:07.319 --> 00:07:13.879
The whole medical system, much of the medical system has been telling us for so long that this is a willpower problem.
00:07:14.120 --> 00:07:16.439
This is not a willpower problem.
00:07:16.599 --> 00:07:19.159
This is a nervous system problem.
00:07:19.319 --> 00:07:24.199
So let's talk about more about how vagal tone impacts weight loss.
00:07:24.519 --> 00:07:26.919
Because this is gets very interesting here.
00:07:27.079 --> 00:07:31.719
The vagus nerve directly influences several systems that affect the body.
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First being digestion.
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Healthy vagal tone stimulates stomach acid production, digestive enzyme release, and proper gut motility.
00:07:41.000 --> 00:07:45.159
So if the vagal tone is low, digestion becomes sluggish.
00:07:45.479 --> 00:07:47.000
And what does this look like for you?
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It could look like bloating, poor nutrient absorption, gut inflammation, most certainly microbiome imbalance.
00:07:55.159 --> 00:07:59.479
And then we also have the blood sugar regulation issues.
00:07:59.639 --> 00:08:03.719
The vagus nerve communicates with the pancreas to help regulate insulin.
00:08:03.959 --> 00:08:14.199
Poor vagal signaling can contribute to blood sugar instability, increased hunger, energy crashes, fat storage.
00:08:14.439 --> 00:08:18.359
And then we need to talk about the vagus nerve and safety signaling.
00:08:18.519 --> 00:08:26.199
The vagus nerve helps send signals from your gut to your brain that say, dog, I'm full.
00:08:26.439 --> 00:08:28.039
Stop, I'm full.
00:08:28.199 --> 00:08:37.799
But if that signaling pathway is disrupted, it becomes harder to sense fullness or achieve any satisfaction as far as hunger goes from any meals.
00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:41.639
So finally, the vagus nerve also impacts stress hormones.
00:08:41.799 --> 00:08:45.000
Healthy vagal tone helps balance cortisol.
00:08:45.159 --> 00:08:54.440
Chronic stress with low vagal tone keeps cortisol up, keeps it elevated, which encourages the things that we keep discussing.
00:08:54.680 --> 00:08:58.440
Accumulating more fat around the midsection in particular.
00:08:58.680 --> 00:09:05.879
It's not just about food and exercise, it's about creating a body that feels safe enough to release weight.
00:09:06.039 --> 00:09:09.159
So let's talk about practical ways to improve vagal tone.
00:09:09.320 --> 00:09:12.680
Now, the good news about vagal tone is that it's very trainable.
00:09:12.840 --> 00:09:19.639
Just like muscles respond to exercise, the vagus nerve responds to repeated signals of safety.
00:09:19.799 --> 00:09:25.560
And the best part is that many vagal exercises are simple, free, and take less than a minute.
00:09:25.799 --> 00:09:35.079
So let's walk through a few that work really well for nurses, especially busy nurses who are in the hospital or wherever you may be.
00:09:35.240 --> 00:09:46.759
Number one, we all know about deep breathing, but particularly having a slow exhale breathing is one of the fastest ways to stimulate the vagus nerve.
00:09:47.000 --> 00:09:51.000
You use slow, long exhalations.
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The vagus nerve responds strongly to these slow, long exhalations.
00:09:57.240 --> 00:10:00.840
So say inhale for four seconds, exhale for six to eight.
00:10:01.559 --> 00:10:14.199
And even doing this for one minute between your shift, go in the linen closet, go in the bathroom, but even doing this for one minute can help you improve your vagal nerve stimulation.
00:10:14.439 --> 00:10:15.319
Next trick.
00:10:15.480 --> 00:10:18.600
You know, we've got deep breathing with long exhale.
00:10:18.759 --> 00:10:20.120
Humming, humming.
00:10:20.360 --> 00:10:31.079
This one surprises a lot of people because humming stimulates this vagal nerve because it activates the muscles in the throat that the vagus nerve actually runs through.
00:10:31.319 --> 00:10:32.759
So, I mean, you can hum.
00:10:33.000 --> 00:10:38.600
You can hum in your car on the way to work, you can hum while cooking, you can hum in the shower.
00:10:38.759 --> 00:10:45.639
It sounds so simple, but it actually increases vagal activity and nitric acid production.
00:10:45.799 --> 00:10:47.960
So we've got slow exhale breathing and humming.
00:10:48.120 --> 00:10:49.720
Number three is gargling.
00:10:49.960 --> 00:10:51.720
Gargling, another interesting one.
00:10:51.960 --> 00:10:59.639
Literally, gargling, strong gargling activates the muscles in the back of the throat and that they stimulate the vagus nerve.
00:10:59.720 --> 00:11:03.480
So doing this for 30 seconds a day can improve vagal tone.
00:11:03.639 --> 00:11:05.079
30 seconds a day.
00:11:05.399 --> 00:11:10.679
I tell my patients to attempt to add it to their toothbrush routine.
00:11:10.840 --> 00:11:13.480
Like just add it to your toothbrush routine.
00:11:13.639 --> 00:11:15.480
And if you do it twice a day, awesome.
00:11:15.639 --> 00:11:21.159
So the fourth way that we can impact vagal nerve tone is by cold exposure.
00:11:21.399 --> 00:11:24.759
Brief cold exposure stimulates vagal activation.
00:11:24.919 --> 00:11:27.240
That's a whole nother podcast in and of itself.
00:11:27.399 --> 00:11:32.840
Cold exposure has so many positive benefits, but this is one of the ways that it helps very powerfully.
00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:42.360
So you can do this by splashing cold water on your face or ending your shower with 20 seconds of cold water or hold a cold compress to your face.
00:11:42.600 --> 00:11:51.720
And these cold thing exposure things activate something called the driving reflux, which signals safety and slows the heart rate.
00:11:51.960 --> 00:11:54.199
Number five, safe social connection.
00:11:54.360 --> 00:11:59.319
We've got long exhale breathing, humming, gargling, cold exposure.
00:11:59.480 --> 00:12:02.199
And now we're gonna talk about safe social connection.
00:12:02.519 --> 00:12:08.199
This might be one that's a little less convenient to go, okay, I'm gonna get some safe social connection.
00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:15.960
It's also often overlooked because the vagus nerve responds strongly, strongly to human connection.
00:12:16.120 --> 00:12:21.159
Eye contact, laughing, talking with somebody who feels emotionally safe for you.
00:12:21.319 --> 00:12:26.759
And this is why community and support matter so much for nervous system healing.
00:12:27.000 --> 00:12:36.199
And honestly, this is one of the reasons I believe nurses need spaces where they feel seen and supported, not judged and criticized.
00:12:36.360 --> 00:12:46.360
And I just want to make a strong point here that small moments matter because this is the most important thing I want you to understand.
00:12:46.600 --> 00:12:52.919
Nervous system healing does not require hours of meditation or perfect routines.
00:12:53.159 --> 00:12:57.799
It happens through small signals repeated consistently.
00:12:58.120 --> 00:12:59.480
That's the hard part, isn't it?
00:12:59.639 --> 00:13:01.480
Consistently, so annoying.
00:13:01.639 --> 00:13:18.439
But think about these little things that you can do that that add up to make a major impact on your vagal tone, which makes an impact on your nervous system, which just very likely might help you step into a place of relaxation where your body can learn that it's okay to release weight.
00:13:18.679 --> 00:13:30.840
You can do consistently just take a deep breath, attempt to engage in laughter, humming, humming for a few seconds, take a pause between eating, pray over your food.
00:13:30.919 --> 00:13:35.720
You do not have to be religious to bless and wish well your food.
00:13:35.960 --> 00:13:36.279
Okay?
00:13:36.679 --> 00:13:42.199
These tiny inputs add up and they tell the body, you're safe, dog.
00:13:42.279 --> 00:13:43.960
You're safe, you're safe.
00:13:44.279 --> 00:13:48.120
And when the body begins to feel safe, everything changes.
00:13:48.360 --> 00:13:58.120
Digestion improves, inflammation decreases, cravings stabilize, your energy returns, and then weight loss becomes easier.
00:13:58.279 --> 00:14:05.720
And it's not because you're attempting to force your body to lose weight, it's because you're working with your physiology instead of against it.
00:14:05.879 --> 00:14:13.639
So if you're a nurse listening to this and you've been struggling with weight, stress, burnout, I want you to hear this clearly.
00:14:13.799 --> 00:14:15.639
Said it before Emma, say it again.
00:14:15.720 --> 00:14:16.679
You're not broken.
00:14:16.840 --> 00:14:24.519
Your body is simply adapted to the high stress environment that it's been in for so long, okay?
00:14:24.759 --> 00:14:30.039
And healing, healing begins by giving your nervous system signals that it's been missing.
00:14:30.199 --> 00:14:39.480
It's been craving small movement, small moments of safety, small moments of regulation, small moments where your body can can finally exhale.
00:14:39.720 --> 00:14:41.639
Gus been waiting to exhale for solo.
00:14:42.679 --> 00:14:50.919
Because when your nervous system heals, the metabolism also follows most often.
00:14:51.079 --> 00:15:00.600
So if this episode if this episode resonated with you, make sure you subscribe to the podcast and share it with another nurse who might need to hear the story.
00:15:00.840 --> 00:15:05.399
Like we really need conversations like this to be happening more frequently.
00:15:05.559 --> 00:15:09.799
And remember, taking care of yourself is not selfish.
00:15:09.960 --> 00:15:11.000
It's essential.
00:15:11.159 --> 00:15:15.480
I want you to know that I love you already, and I will see you next episode.
00:00:58.840 --> 00:01:03.000
Hello everyone, it's me, Jess VNP with Proactive Wellness for Nurses.
00:01:03.240 --> 00:01:06.359
Oh, we're gonna talk about the vagus nerve today.
00:01:06.600 --> 00:01:07.400
You know why?
00:01:07.560 --> 00:01:15.000
Because the vagus nerve is the missing link between stress, weight gain, the nervous system, and healing the nervous system for nurses.
00:01:15.159 --> 00:01:15.719
Welcome back.
00:01:15.800 --> 00:01:17.480
It's me, Jessica Veloza.
00:01:17.719 --> 00:01:19.400
I am a nurse practitioner.
00:01:19.719 --> 00:01:30.840
And I am also someone who deeply understands what it feels like to work inside of a healthcare system that asks nurses to care for everyone else while completely ignoring their own health.
00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:45.640
If you've been following the show, then you know we talk a lot about things that traditional healthcare rarely connects together, like burnout and metabolism, nervous system and inflammation, weight struggles, and the emotional toll of being a nurse.
00:01:45.800 --> 00:01:51.560
So today we're talking about something that quietly sits at the center of all of those things.
00:01:51.800 --> 00:02:09.159
Your vegas nerve, the single nerve that has massive influence over your metabolism, your ability to regulate stress, your digestion, your heart rate, your emotional regulation, your cravings, and legitimately how safe you feel moment to moment.
00:02:09.319 --> 00:02:29.159
And for nurses, especially those working shifts, juggling families, managing emotional labor, and trying to take care of yourself at the same time, vagal nerve function can be one of the biggest hidden drivers behind weight struggles, as well as fatigue and feeling constantly overwhelmed.
00:02:29.319 --> 00:02:30.840
So we're gonna break it down today.
00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:47.319
What the vagus nerve actually is, where it runs in the body, why it's so important for metabolism and weight regulation, how nursing culture damages vagal tone, and most importantly, practical things that you can start doing today to improve your vagal tone.
00:02:47.479 --> 00:02:52.120
Because healing your nervous system is not about being perfect, okay?
00:02:52.360 --> 00:02:55.640
It's about giving your body signals that it's safe.
00:02:55.800 --> 00:02:58.439
So let's talk about what the vagus nerve actually is.
00:02:58.759 --> 00:02:59.960
Let's talk basics.
00:03:00.120 --> 00:03:02.439
It is the longest cranial nerve in the body.
00:03:02.599 --> 00:03:07.960
The word vagus, V-A-G-U-S, actually comes from the Latin word wandering.
00:03:08.120 --> 00:03:09.640
That's exactly what it does.
00:03:09.880 --> 00:03:15.080
It wanders throughout the body, connecting the brain to multiple organ systems.
00:03:15.240 --> 00:03:20.360
The vagus nerve begins in the brainstem and travels down through the neck.
00:03:20.520 --> 00:03:27.880
It goes to the heart, the lungs, diaphragm, stomach, liver, pancreas, intestines.
00:03:28.040 --> 00:03:32.280
It is the main communication highway between your brain and your body.
00:03:32.520 --> 00:03:33.159
Carry it.
00:03:33.719 --> 00:03:44.040
About in about 80% of it, about 80% of its signals travel actually from the body back to the brain, not the other way around.
00:03:44.200 --> 00:03:47.719
That's like the really interestingly wild part to me.
00:03:47.880 --> 00:03:56.360
So that means that your brain is constantly listening to information coming from your organs, from your gut, from your nervous system.
00:03:56.600 --> 00:04:02.520
And the vagus nerve plays a massive role in what we call the parasympathetic nervous system.
00:04:02.680 --> 00:04:15.400
This is the system that is responsible for rest, repair, digestion, and hormone balance, fat burning, immune regulation, and emotional regulation.
00:04:15.880 --> 00:04:22.920
And when vagal tone is healthy, your body can shift out of survival mode and into healing mode.
00:04:23.079 --> 00:04:27.159
So let's talk about why nurses struggle with vagal dysfunction.
00:04:27.319 --> 00:04:32.759
Specifically because the reality is that nursing culture is incredibly hard on the nervous system.
00:04:32.920 --> 00:04:34.120
This is no secret.
00:04:34.279 --> 00:04:36.839
If you're living this life, I don't need to tell you.
00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:40.839
Think about what the body experiences during a typical shift.
00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:45.000
You might skip MILS, and I am not talking therapeutic fasting.
00:04:45.159 --> 00:04:50.920
You're running from room to room, you're exposed to all sorts of people's emotional trauma.
00:04:51.079 --> 00:04:56.839
You're dealing with alarms, emergencies, demanding families, and it's constant time pressure.
00:04:57.000 --> 00:05:02.439
You know, you may not even have time to sit down and breathe one time in that entire 12-hour shift.
00:05:02.519 --> 00:05:06.600
And this is one thing people that aren't in nursing don't quite understand.
00:05:06.839 --> 00:05:10.040
You know that night shift jacks up your circadian rhythm.
00:05:10.199 --> 00:05:17.479
It leads to sleep deprivation, it leads to elevated cortisol, which further impacts blood sugar dysregulation.
00:05:17.719 --> 00:05:21.719
And all of it leads to chronic inflammation generalized.
00:05:21.879 --> 00:05:25.959
And over time, your nervous system learns something very dangerous.
00:05:26.120 --> 00:05:29.959
It learns that the world is not safe enough to relax.
00:05:30.120 --> 00:05:34.759
And when that happens, the vagus nerve becomes less responsive.
00:05:34.919 --> 00:05:38.359
You know, you're telling it stuff, but it's like, dude, you're overwhelming me.
00:05:38.519 --> 00:05:39.639
I can't do all this.
00:05:39.799 --> 00:05:41.159
That's low vagal tone.
00:05:41.240 --> 00:05:42.680
It's kind of like, I can't do all this.
00:05:42.839 --> 00:05:48.039
Low vagal tone keeps the body stuck in sympathetic dominance, that fight or flight, right?
00:05:48.199 --> 00:05:54.680
And when the body lives in fight or flight, long term, a few things happen metabolically.
00:05:54.919 --> 00:05:58.439
Well, of course, the body is gonna hold on to fat more easily.
00:05:58.519 --> 00:06:00.039
It thinks we are in distress.
00:06:00.199 --> 00:06:01.879
It thinks we are going to need that.
00:06:02.039 --> 00:06:05.399
It also burns glucose less effectively.
00:06:05.639 --> 00:06:06.919
Bad combination.
00:06:07.479 --> 00:06:09.799
Because that means more fat storage, right?
00:06:09.959 --> 00:06:24.199
Poor vagal tone increases cravings for quick energy foods, and it shifts the fat to prioritize storing around your abdomen, your abdomen and your organs, visceral fat, abdominal central obesity.
00:06:24.359 --> 00:06:35.479
So your vagal nerve with low tone struggles to regulate the appetite hormones overall, which is why so many nurses say things like, I eat healthy, but I can't lose weight.
00:06:35.639 --> 00:06:37.319
I swear I don't eat too much.
00:06:37.399 --> 00:06:38.199
I eat healthy.
00:06:38.279 --> 00:06:41.159
I'm making really conscientious decisions.
00:06:41.319 --> 00:06:44.120
And I feel like my body's constantly stressed.
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I crave sugar every shift.
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I feel wired, but exhausted.
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I'm exhausted, but I get home after my shift and I can't just go to sleep, which is what my body probably really needs.
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I'm wired, even though I'm exhausted.
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It could be well into the hours of I should be asleep to where before I can fall asleep when my nervous system is this taste, this dysregulated.
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So this is not a willpower problem.
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The whole medical system, much of the medical system has been telling us for so long that this is a willpower problem.
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This is not a willpower problem.
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This is a nervous system problem.
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So let's talk about more about how vagal tone impacts weight loss.
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Because this is gets very interesting here.
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The vagus nerve directly influences several systems that affect the body.
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First being digestion.
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Healthy vagal tone stimulates stomach acid production, digestive enzyme release, and proper gut motility.
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So if the vagal tone is low, digestion becomes sluggish.
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And what does this look like for you?
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It could look like bloating, poor nutrient absorption, gut inflammation, most certainly microbiome imbalance.
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And then we also have the blood sugar regulation issues.
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The vagus nerve communicates with the pancreas to help regulate insulin.
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Poor vagal signaling can contribute to blood sugar instability, increased hunger, energy crashes, fat storage.
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And then we need to talk about the vagus nerve and safety signaling.
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The vagus nerve helps send signals from your gut to your brain that say, dog, I'm full.
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Stop, I'm full.
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But if that signaling pathway is disrupted, it becomes harder to sense fullness or achieve any satisfaction as far as hunger goes from any meals.
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So finally, the vagus nerve also impacts stress hormones.
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Healthy vagal tone helps balance cortisol.
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Chronic stress with low vagal tone keeps cortisol up, keeps it elevated, which encourages the things that we keep discussing.
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Accumulating more fat around the midsection in particular.
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It's not just about food and exercise, it's about creating a body that feels safe enough to release weight.
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So let's talk about practical ways to improve vagal tone.
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Now, the good news about vagal tone is that it's very trainable.
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Just like muscles respond to exercise, the vagus nerve responds to repeated signals of safety.
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And the best part is that many vagal exercises are simple, free, and take less than a minute.
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So let's walk through a few that work really well for nurses, especially busy nurses who are in the hospital or wherever you may be.
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Number one, we all know about deep breathing, but particularly having a slow exhale breathing is one of the fastest ways to stimulate the vagus nerve.
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You use slow, long exhalations.
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The vagus nerve responds strongly to these slow, long exhalations.
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So say inhale for four seconds, exhale for six to eight.
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And even doing this for one minute between your shift, go in the linen closet, go in the bathroom, but even doing this for one minute can help you improve your vagal nerve stimulation.
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Next trick.
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You know, we've got deep breathing with long exhale.
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Humming, humming.
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This one surprises a lot of people because humming stimulates this vagal nerve because it activates the muscles in the throat that the vagus nerve actually runs through.
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So, I mean, you can hum.
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You can hum in your car on the way to work, you can hum while cooking, you can hum in the shower.
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It sounds so simple, but it actually increases vagal activity and nitric acid production.
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So we've got slow exhale breathing and humming.
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Number three is gargling.
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Gargling, another interesting one.
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Literally, gargling, strong gargling activates the muscles in the back of the throat and that they stimulate the vagus nerve.
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So doing this for 30 seconds a day can improve vagal tone.
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30 seconds a day.
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I tell my patients to attempt to add it to their toothbrush routine.
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Like just add it to your toothbrush routine.
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And if you do it twice a day, awesome.
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So the fourth way that we can impact vagal nerve tone is by cold exposure.
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Brief cold exposure stimulates vagal activation.
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That's a whole nother podcast in and of itself.
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Cold exposure has so many positive benefits, but this is one of the ways that it helps very powerfully.
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So you can do this by splashing cold water on your face or ending your shower with 20 seconds of cold water or hold a cold compress to your face.
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And these cold thing exposure things activate something called the driving reflux, which signals safety and slows the heart rate.
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Number five, safe social connection.
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We've got long exhale breathing, humming, gargling, cold exposure.
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And now we're gonna talk about safe social connection.
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This might be one that's a little less convenient to go, okay, I'm gonna get some safe social connection.
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It's also often overlooked because the vagus nerve responds strongly, strongly to human connection.
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Eye contact, laughing, talking with somebody who feels emotionally safe for you.
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And this is why community and support matter so much for nervous system healing.
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And honestly, this is one of the reasons I believe nurses need spaces where they feel seen and supported, not judged and criticized.
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And I just want to make a strong point here that small moments matter because this is the most important thing I want you to understand.
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Nervous system healing does not require hours of meditation or perfect routines.
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It happens through small signals repeated consistently.
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That's the hard part, isn't it?
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Consistently, so annoying.
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But think about these little things that you can do that that add up to make a major impact on your vagal tone, which makes an impact on your nervous system, which just very likely might help you step into a place of relaxation where your body can learn that it's okay to release weight.
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You can do consistently just take a deep breath, attempt to engage in laughter, humming, humming for a few seconds, take a pause between eating, pray over your food.
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You do not have to be religious to bless and wish well your food.
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Okay?
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These tiny inputs add up and they tell the body, you're safe, dog.
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You're safe, you're safe.
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And when the body begins to feel safe, everything changes.
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Digestion improves, inflammation decreases, cravings stabilize, your energy returns, and then weight loss becomes easier.
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And it's not because you're attempting to force your body to lose weight, it's because you're working with your physiology instead of against it.
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So if you're a nurse listening to this and you've been struggling with weight, stress, burnout, I want you to hear this clearly.
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Said it before Emma, say it again.
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You're not broken.
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Your body is simply adapted to the high stress environment that it's been in for so long, okay?
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And healing, healing begins by giving your nervous system signals that it's been missing.
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It's been craving small movement, small moments of safety, small moments of regulation, small moments where your body can can finally exhale.
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Gus been waiting to exhale for solo.
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Because when your nervous system heals, the metabolism also follows most often.
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So if this episode if this episode resonated with you, make sure you subscribe to the podcast and share it with another nurse who might need to hear the story.
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Like we really need conversations like this to be happening more frequently.
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And remember, taking care of yourself is not selfish.
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It's essential.
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I want you to know that I love you already, and I will see you next episode.
