Your Vagus Nerve: What Is It and How to Upgrade It

The Mysterious Vagus Nerve

Life is serendipitous. 2024 has been about me leaning into other health knowledge and practices when this email came through. I’ve been interested in reading more about holistic health and healing your body without drugs or intervention. Certain things need them, but if you could keep your body in the best shape in ALL ways, that has to be a start. Proactive, not reactive. Upgrade Your Vagus Nerve by Dr. Navaz Habib breaks down your brain’s connection to the rest of the body.

Either your mind controls your breath, or your breath controls your mind.

Upgrade Your Vagus Nerve, p. 138

But is this book one to add to the TBR?

I won’t lie, this book is rather scientific. There are terms and processes that I understood while reading it, but don’t ask me to explain it. The first section, “Identifying Stressors”, once you start going down the holistic rabbit hole feels rather self-explanatory. There were quite a few “Ah-ha!” and “YES, I KNEW THAT” moments.

This is a great reference resource, but probably more of a scientific look at the Vagus Nerve than most people would need. I would suggest it to people (and have), and I’d also lend it out to people I know would get the more scientific aspect of it.

…The importance of an optimally functioning vagus nerve, particularly when it comes to cellular and immune health. The immune system is so much more than the protection system of the body.

Upgrade Your Vagus Nerve, p. 2

The last section, Strategies for Upgrading The Vagus Nerve, is probably the most relevant part of the book for someone who doesn’t care about the scientific function hows, or if they tend to go over one’s head.

There are some good tips and it’s a good place to start optimizing your health, body, and mind to think about how they are all connected.

Let’s face it, I’m going to deep-dive into a couple more areas, but so far what I’m learning is this:

1. The body needs protein, and animal-based is the best way to get it.
2. Exercise: Weight/Resistance training is SO important as we age for stability and to help slow muscle and bone density loss.
3. Eat as naturally as possible. Processed foods aren’t going to sustain the body long-term.
4. Almost everything that big pharma and big daddy gov tells you about health is probably incorrect. (But that’s another rabbit hole for another day).

I’m excited to continue making 2024 my year of deep health learning.

I’ve quite a few more that I will be reading and reviewing over the next couple of months, so stay tuned!

J x

Upgrade Your Vagus Nerve by Dr. Navaz Habib is available on Amazon, Indigo, or your preferred retailer. This copy was gifted to me by Pacific and Court. All opinions are my own.