vagal nerve

Hey EF Fam,

If I was asked “what is the simplest, easiest and most cost efficient/time efficient way to improve my health, what would it be?”

I would have a simple answer to that… but before I tell you there is an awesome video linked below form Dr. Rhonda Patrick, PhD about unbelievable impact heat and cold can have on your health specifically the sauna and a cold plunge.

My answer to the first question is… A cold shower.

and to take that even further…

Contrast conditioning (going from hot to cold) has unbelievable benefits to the nervous system, the cells and energy production. Cold showers as well as contrast conditioning also helps to tone the vagus nerve, the 10th cranial nerve, which is the longest nerve of the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for mostly all unconscious functions of the body. Jumping from the sauna to a cold shower is a great way to hack on the nervous system. A stronger vagus nerve can help you relax faster after stress, who wouldn’t want that?

“The vagus nerve starts in the brainstem, just behind the ears. It travels down each side of the neck, across the chest and down through the abdomen. ‘Vagus’ is Latin for ‘wandering’ and indeed this bundle of nerve fibres roves through the body, networking the brain with the stomach and digestive tract, the lungs, heart, spleen, intestines, liver and kidneys, not to mention a range of other nerves that are involved in speech, eye contact, facial expressions and even your ability to tune in to other people’s voices.

It is made of thousands and thousands of fibres and 80 per cent of them are sensory, meaning that the vagus nerve reports back to your brain what is going on in your organs. Operating far below the level of our conscious minds, the vagus nerve is vital for keeping our bodies healthy. It is an essential part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for calming organs after the stressed ‘fight-or-flight’ adrenaline response to danger. Not all vagus nerves are the same, however: some people have stronger vagus activity, which means their bodies can relax faster after a stress. The strength of your vagus response is known as your vagal tone and it can be determined by using an electrocardiogram to measure heart rate. Every time you breathe in, your heart beats faster in order to speed the flow of oxygenated blood around your body. Breathe out and your heart rate slows. This variability is one of many things regulated by the vagus nerve, which is active when you breathe out but suppressed when you breathe in, so the bigger your difference in heart rate when breathing in and out, the higher your vagal tone.

Research shows that a high vagal tone makes your body better at regulating blood glucose levels, reducing the likelihood of diabetes, stroke and cardiovascular disease. Low vagal tone, however, has been associated with chronic inflammation. As part of the immune system, inflammation has a useful role helping the body to heal after an injury, for example, but it can damage organs and blood vessels if it persists when it is not needed. One of the vagus nerve’s jobs is to reset the immune system and switch off production of proteins that fuel inflammation. Low vagal tone means this regulation is less effective and inflammation can become excessive, such as in Maria Vrind’s rheumatoid arthritis or in toxic shock syndrome, which Kevin Tracey believes killed little Janice.”
CLICK HERE OR WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW TO GET EDUCATED 🙂

Use of Sauna and Cold to Increase Net Resilience, Mitochondrial Biogenesis, Mood and Longevity

Committed to your success,

Ian

P.S. I have been asked to be an ambassador of Inov8 shoes. It was an easy decision since they are my favorite workout shoe ever since I tried one on about 6 years ago. I used to where nothing but Nike until I put on a pair of Inov8. I have clients asking me all the time about the best workout shoe and I always recommend them. Look out for an email from me about a Inov8 workshop Feb. 28th where all EarthFIT clients will get an opportunity to check out these shoes and see if they are a good fit.

P.P.S. On Feb. 21st Holistic Dr. Moshe Dekel will be doing a workshop on optimizing health using natural approaches. More info to come.

Ian Hart is a Body-Mind Transformation expert, the creator of EarthFIT Training Systems, co-creator of BACK PAIN RELIEF4LIFE, and founder of BEAUFORTPERSONALTRAINING.COM and MYBACKPAINCOACH.COM. Ian and his team help people get into optimal shape in the safest, fastest and most effective way possible, using cutting edge science.