Ever feel stuck in “fight or flight” mode no matter how much you meditate, sleep, or eat well? You’re not alone, your vagus nerve might be the missing link. This powerful nerve connects your brain to nearly every organ in your body and influences everything from mood and inflammation to digestion and hormones. Today, I’m joined by “The Vagus Nerve Doc”, a functional medicine expert Dr. Navaz Habib to decode the science of the vagus nerve and show you how to strengthen it naturally for better resilience, hormone balance, and longevity.

In this episode we dive into: 

• What the vagus nerve really does and why it’s key to your “rest and digest” response

• How chronic stress keeps your immune system stuck in inflammation mode

• The 4 types of stress that quietly sabotage vagus nerve function

• Why heart rate variability (HRV) is the ultimate measure of nervous system health

• The “VAGUS” protocol to optimize brain-body communication and lower inflammation

• How mindset, breath work, and nutrition support vagus nerve function during menopause

Dr. Navaz Habib, aka “The Vagus Nerve Doc,” is a best-selling author of 2 books – “Activate Your Vagus Nerve” and “Upgrade Your Vagus Nerve” and host of The Health Upgrade Podcast. After using functional medicine to overcome his own health challenges, Dr. Habib built Health Upgraded, an online health program implementing his VAGUS protocol, to guide parents and professionals to enhance their health by unlocking the healing power of the Vagus nerve to reduce the effects of stress and inflammation.

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