The Vagus Nerve and the Mind-Body Connection

 The vagus nerve plays an important role in the mind-body connection, and according to La Jolla physicians, acupuncture has been found to stimulate the vagus nerve. Here we explore the benefits of vagus nerve stimulation.

The vagus nerve begins at the tenth cranial nerve in the brain and travels down the front of the neck, and envelopes the digestive system, visceral tissues, the heart, and the lungs. It literally connects the brain to the major internal organ systems of the body. The surface area of the vagus nerve is vast and it carries information between the mind and body at a rate that puts the world wide web to shame!

The tone of the vagus nerve regulates the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the part of your autonomic nervous system commonly associated with rest, relaxation, and digestion. It’s the opposite of the sympathetic nervous system, which is in charge of the fight-or-flight mechanism (the stress response). The vagus nerve influences your digestive system, reproductive system, endocrine system, cardiovascular system, neurological system, and the ability of your body to repair itself during sleep.

During the early days of modern medicine, doctors would cut the vagus nerve as a treatment for acid reflux and heartburn. It was believed that acid regurgitation was the result of having too much acid in the stomach, and it was known that the vagus nerve influenced the body’s ability to produce stomach acid. Now we know that acid reflux is not actually caused by producing too much stomach acid, but we also know more about the function of the vagus nerve because people who have their vagus nerve snipped suffer serious long-term side-effects on multiple organ systems.
Stimulation of the vagus nerve can have a profound effect on mood and healing. It increases stomach acid and digestive enzyme production so you can digest your food properly. It increases bile production for a well-functioning gallbladder and ability to digest and utilize fats for energy. Having enough stomach acid is also critical for killing bacteria, viruses, and molds that may have found their way into your food.

Stimulation of the vagus nerve also lowers blood pressure. If you suffer from hypertension or unstable blood pressure levels, your doctor will likely never tell you that this is a result of being in a constant state of fight-or-flight. Simple stimulation of your parasympathetic nervous system via the vagus nerve pathway can lower blood pressure naturally.

Proper tone of the vagus nerve has also been found to alleviate migraine headaches, depression, and anxiety. This is not profitable for the pharmaceutical companies that thrive on selling consumers anti-depressants, anti-anxiety pills, and pain relievers, so they would rather you not know this little secret about the vagus nerve.

There are several different ways to stimulate the vagus nerve to promote strong vagal tone. However, these simple vagus nerve toning techniques are not things that most of us do on a daily basis. That’s why it’s so common to experience digestive problems, anxiety, mood imbalances, and headaches! To tone your vagus nerve, you can practice humming for 5 - 10 minutes a day, meditation for 5 - 10 minutes a day, and taking slow, deep breaths for 5 - 10 minutes a day. Once a week, get acupuncture in Del Mar, CA! Over time, the tone of the vagus nerve will strengthen and your overall health should improve remarkably.

How To Get the Most Benefit From Your Acupuncture Treatment

Scientific studies show that some individuals seem to benefit from acupuncture more than others. In this article, we explain how you can get the most benefits from your acupuncture treatments. 

1. Wear Comfortable (Loose) Clothing

Unlike massage therapy, it’s not necessary to completely disrobe for an acupuncture treatment. Most people tend to feel most comfortable in loungewear, yoga pants, and other types of clothing made of natural fabrics that are soft to the touch and not tight anywhere on the body. If you show up to your acupuncture treatment wearing Spanx, pantyhose, a corset, and a zip-up dress, you will need to completely disrobe for your acupuncture session. Know this before your appointment so that if you’re uncomfortable completely disrobing, you can remember to bring some comfortable, loose clothing to change into when you arrive for your acupuncture in Del Mar, CA.

2. Do not drink caffeine before your acupuncture appointment, especially if you are getting acupuncture for the treatment of pain.

Research in the Journal of Chinese Medicine confirms that consuming caffeine prior to receiving acupuncture reversed the analgesic (pain-relieving) effect of acupuncture. There is some reason to believe that caffeine may inhibit other healing mechanisms of acupuncture as well. In order to get the most benefit from your acupuncture treatments, it would be a good idea to refrain from using caffeine prior to your treatment. A small amount of caffeine that may be present in decaffeinated coffee, decaffeinated tea, or chocolate is not enough caffeine to reduce the effects of acupuncture, so feel free to indulge in a square of dark chocolate and a cup of rooibos tea in La Jolla, CA before your acupuncture appointment!

3. Refrain from using pain-relieving over-the-counter medications prior to your acupuncture treatment.

If you are getting acupuncture for the treatment of a pain condition, you probably use an over-the-counter or prescription pain reliever throughout the day to alleviate the pain. Unfortunately, the chronic use of pain relieving medications can build up a tolerance in the body, causing you to need higher and higher amounts of the pain relieving substances to produce any effects. This can be a terrible experience for anyone dealing from chronic pain, whether it’s rheumatoid arthritis, migraine headaches, or an old injury that causes frequent, nagging pain. Among headache sufferers, daily usage of pain relievers can even lead to an increase in the number and severity of your headaches! That is reason enough to consider the alternatives to pain relieving drugs when you have a chronic pain condition. Discovering the underlying cause of the pain is a good first step. Trying acupuncture is another intelligent decision. However, it’s important to avoid using a pain reliever prior to your acupuncture appointment. Pain relieving medications, like caffeine, can inhibit the analgesic effects of acupuncture. Therefore, to get the most pain-relieving benefit from acupuncture, don’t pop a Tylenol before you go in for your appointment!

 

5 Reasons Why Soy May Be Harming Your Health

Soy is commonly touted as a health food by some vegans and vegetarians, as well as the manufacturers who profit from the soy industry. However, there are important things you should know about soy and how it may be harming your health. 

Proponents of soy claim that it has many health attributes, such as heart disease and cancer prevention. Anyone who also has environmental concerns about meat production may also want to consume soy in place of meat and dairy as a way to decrease their ecological footprint on the Earth. However, soy milk, tofu, soy veggie burgers, and other soy products may not be as healthy or environmentally friendly as previously thought.

If you are seeking acupuncture in Del Mar, CA, then you are probably conscientious of your diet and try to make healthy choices at least most of the time.

Like corn, gluten, and tree nuts, soy is also a common food allergen or substance that our bodies react negatively to. It finds its way into just about everything on the grocery store aisles: milk substitutes, baby formulas, salad dressings, spaghetti sauce, chocolate, cakes, cookies, low carbohydrate bread, nutrition bars, nutrition drinks/shakes, and even body care products and candles! Most factory farmed animals are also fed a formula containing some soy, so some soy proteins may make their way into your meat. Here are the top 4 reasons why that is not a good thing.

1. Over 90% of the soy grown in the US is genetically modified using gene splicing in a lab.

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are much different from hybridization in that the modification occurs under laboratory conditions. The gene from a bacteria is inserted into the DNA of the seed of the soybean to make the crop resistant to high doses of pesticides. If this doesn’t sound very appetizing to you, then avoiding soy on your plate should be a top priority. If you absolutely must have soy, choose soy products that are labeled organic and the many are now also touting the official label of being “Non-GMO”.

2. Soy contains estrogen mimickers.

Too much estrogen (often referred to as estrogen dominance) can create a variety of premenstrual and menopausal symptoms in women. In men, it can cause gynecomastia or “man boobs.” In both men and women, too much estrogen is associated with cancers of the reproductive system. It’s probably not a good idea to be getting a dose of estrogen in your food, especially since we also have other estrogen mimickers in our environment such as plastics. Soy-based infant formulas are quite worrisome, especially since we’re now seeing some female infants get their first “period” and experience breast development.

3. If you have a gluten sensitivity, you probably also have a soy sensitivity.

On a molecular level, soy protein closely resembles wheat protein (gluten). Therefore, if you have sensitivities to gluten, it’s likely your body will react similarly to soy. If you’ve gone gluten-free and are still having unusual, vague symptoms, check all your foods and supplements for soy ingredients.

4. Soy can kill your thyroid.

Soy is one of the most goitrogenic (goiter causing) foods on the planet. It blocks your thyroid gland’s ability to absorb iodine, making it impossible to produce enough thyroid hormone to power your body’s cells and regulate your metabolism. If you’re getting acupuncture for weight loss and still not losing weight, ditch the soy. Your thyroid will thank you.