About this episode

Dr. Fiona Lovely interviews Dr. Navaz Habib about the role of the vagus nerve in managing menopausal health and chronic inflammation.

What if the key to reducing stress, taming inflammation, and building true resilience was already wired inside you? In this illuminating episode, Dr. Fiona Lovely welcomes fellow chiropractor and functional medicine expert Dr. Navaz Habib, bestselling author of Activate Your Vagus Nerve and Upgrade Your Vagus Nerve, to explore the body's most underappreciated healing pathway. Dr. Habib shares his personal journey from chronic health struggles to discovering functional medicine, which led him to a powerful realization: uncontrolled inflammation is the common thread behind most chronic illnesses, and the vagus nerve holds the master switch. He breaks down why eighty percent of vagus nerve signals travel from the body to the brain—not the other way around—and how this changes everything for women navigating perimenopause. Listeners will learn why declining estrogen leaves them more vulnerable to inflammation, how heart rate variability serves as a window into nervous system health, and why protecting sleep is non-negotiable. Dr. Habib also delivers a memorable distinction between comfort and safety, explaining why scrolling a phone may feel soothing but never truly calming. He then…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Fiona Lovely

Guest: Dr Navaz Habib

Topics covered

• nervous system regulation
• menopausal health
• chronic inflammation
• vagus nerve
• functional medicine

Keywords

• menopause
• vagus nerve
• chronic illness
• inflammation
• heart rate variability
• breathing techniques

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Activate Your Vagus Nerve, Upgrade Your Vagus Nerve

More episodes of Not Your Mother's Menopause with Dr. Fiona Lovely

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• Ep. 226: Mental Health and Iron, what's the connection with Dr. Fiona Lovely · July 7, 2026 · 30 min
• Ep. 225 - Menopausal Medicine Update with NP Shelby Sheppard · June 30, 2026 · 1h 27m
• Ep. 224 -Patriarchy Stress Disorder and Menopause with Jeffrey Tambor · June 23, 2026 · 1h 17m
• Ep. 222 - Protein, Aminos, and Creatine for Midlife with Liz Baker Plosser · June 9, 2026 · 1h 11m

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