Happy Satiated Saturday!I first learned of the vagus nerve when I was researching for my published thesis, Cultivating a Relationship with the Gut Brain. Learning about this amazing wandering nerve in our body was a game-changer for me and optimizing my digestion. The vagus nerve runs through our intestines, stomach, up into our lungs, heart, throat, esophagus, and into our brain. You can think of the vagus nerve as the highway of communication between the gut brain and the head brain. The vagus nerve plays a role in our Parasympathetic Nervous System aka our relaxation and rest and digest response. So if we have experienced a trauma or are processing wounds or even an increase in stress, this can affect our digestion and ability to assimilate any food with ease. You could be eating the "healthiest" foods in the world but if you're eating them in a stress response, ​digestion will shut down where it feels harder to assess our hunger and fullness cues leading to less satisfying meals. Lack of satiating eating experiences can lead us to overeat, binge, or self soothe with food because of the lack of pleasure we're receiving when we eat to fulfill our physical hungers. In this week’s episode, I offer 5 ways to stimulate your Vagus Nerve before or after you eat to create more satiating and peaceful eating experiences and enhancing your digestion. You can also read the transcript to this week’s episode here. If you play with some of these vagus nerve stimulation tools before or after you eat, email me at support@stephaniemara.com and let me know how it went! With Compassion and Empathy, Stephanie Mara FoxSpecial thanks to Bendsound for the intro music in this episode. www.bensound.comSupport the showKeep in touch with Stephanie Mara here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_stephaniemara/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniemarafoxWebsite: https://www.stephaniemara.com/https://www.somaticeating.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmara/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephaniemarafoxContact: support@stephaniemara.comSupport the show:Become a supporter of the show here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/809987/supportCheck out my favorite water filter: https://www.pureeffectfilters.com/#a_aid=somaticeatingCheck out my favorite protein powder and receive 15% off when you use the code STEPHANIEMARA at checkout here: https://www.equipfoods.com/discount/STEPHANIEMARA?rfsn=7433250.c99684Use my Amazon Affiliate link when shopping on Amazon: https://amzn.to/448IyPl Special thanks to Bendsoun...