Module 2 – Breathing
You might not think this is important to you, but I beg to differ!
Breathing is another topic that is never talked about when it comes to health. I think we actually take for granted that we breathe, and how we breathe. But if you search deep enough, you will find lots of research on the effects of breathing a certain way, and of course we know the yogis and monks have been practicing breathing exercises for centuries. So, really this is nothing new. But I suppose we could say; Breathing is a lost art in the health industry, because almost no one is talking about it.
How we breath has a big impact on our health though. From our immune health, to our sleep, whether or not we get certain diseases, how our body responds to stress, and even our body weight.
Did you know that breathing through your mouth causes you to lose 40% more water, causing greater dehydration.
Some points about breathing that you probably didnt know;
Use your nose for breathing. It is your primary filter, your first line of defense. Even if your nose is stuffed, persist with nasal breathing. Breath right strips and some sprays are good for opening nasal passages.
If you have a hard time breathing through your nose, do some exercise and only breathe through your nose. Developing this ability is a slow process. Be persistent. It enhances the neuromuscular connection, so you remember to breathe through your nose.
This is a tough one but try to never work out harder than you can breathe correctly.
When breathing through your nose, you pull air through a labyrinth of structures. Air is slowed, pressurized and filtered. Nasal breathing increases nitric oxide, which interacts directly with viruses and bacteria.
When breathing through your nose, you pull air through a labyrinth of structures. Air is slowed, pressurized and filtered. Nasal breathing increases nitric oxide, which interacts directly with viruses and bacteria.
You can increase the size of your airway with appliances that broaden your pallet. Chewing your food helps, as does oropharyngeal exercises.
By exercising your tongue, you can help open the airway. In a study of people with chronic snoring and sleep apnea, participants did 30 rounds of simple oropharyngeal exercises. Your tongue is a powerful muscle. If you are not using it throughout the day, it becomes out of shape.
If you are not chewing enough to work out your jaw, especially when you are young, you stunt the development of the airway.
Kids with ADHD, once they start breathing through their nose, have a reduction in symptoms.
The less you use your nose, the less you will be able to use your nose - use it or lose it!
Chewing increases circulation to the brain, increases parasympathetic response, helps drain fluid from your sinuses and more.
The Framingham study found that the most accurate marker of longevity was lung size and respirator health.
It blew my mind when I can across research relating to how Cancer starts and progresses in areas of low oxygen and carbon dioxide. This is somewhat connected to how Cancer grows in areas that are restricted blood flow and oxygen during stress.
Basically, all the science and research around how we breathe is now is pointing towards (and always did point towards), nasal breathing being optimal. Most of us breath through our mouth, especially when we sleep, eat and exercise. We don’t even realize we are doing it, it’s just habit, something the has been engrained in us over the years. Which unfortunately can make it even harder to break or change the habit. But it can be done with awareness, practice and discipline.
As for fat loss
Who would have thought that the way you breath could play a part in your body weight and composition?!
Patrick McKeown, one of the worlds leading researchers on breathing (and yes he is Irish), and author of “Oxygen Advantage”, says “Breathing through your mouth leads to lower quality sleep. Many studies have shown that poor sleep is linked to increased appetite and a higher chance of obesity.”
Apart from that simple comment above, fat loss happens on the exhale and is dependent of how well we can oxygenate to break down carbon bonds and eliminate carbon molecules or CO2 from the body.
Fats are large molecules made up carbon, and hydrogen – these are known as “carbon chains” – the length of the chain will determine which macro it is. When the oxygen we breathe reaches these fat molecules, it breaks them down into carbon dioxide and water. The blood then picks up the carbon dioxide, a waste product of broken down fat cells or carbon bonds (dependent on which fuel you are burning at the time), and returns it to the lungs to be exhaled.
Therefore, the more oxygen our bodies use, the more carbon we will exhale and thus fat we will burn.
Nasal breathing is more efficient than mouth breathing in terms of supplying oxygen to the body, as well as the transfer of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the lungs and red blood cells. When performing cardiovascular exercise (or any exercise), it
Tips for better breathing
Breathe through your nose, day and night .
Limit sighing or compensate with an extra big inhale though your nose with a hold before long exhale through your nose - this will help compensate for any lost carbon dioxide.
Avoid taking big breaths when yawning or talking. If you need to yawn, try do it through your nose only.
Observe your breathing throughout the day. Good breathing during rest or non exercise times, should not be seen or heard.
Mouth tape and nasal strips are awesome, affordable and super beneficial for many people! More on mouth tape below.
Mouth tape is something I use every night and have been for the last 2 years. This has been very beneficial for my SLEEP and SINUS ISSUES.
Mouth Tape
).Benefits include;
- improves sleep quality – breathing through your mouth can be really disruptive to sleep. There is evidence that those who sleep with their mouth open spend less time in REM sleep https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3077347/
- helps with snoring https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25450408/
- improves sinus health
- improves immunity
- improves circulation and detoxification processes
- supports cardiovascular health through increased nitric oxide
- helps reduce inflammation
- reduces bad mouth bacteria
- reduces bad breath
