Oxygen

To live healthy your body has to have a strong foundation. So let’s start at the beginning.

The most important thing your body needs is Oxygen. I can hear you saying “Duh.” If you are alive you are breathing, right? Yes, but let’s find out why we need oxygen.

The oxygen you breath in goes into your lungs and then to your blood. The blood carries it to your cells. Your cells use it to make energy so that the cells can do their work. (http://www.flightstat.nonin.com/documents/Hypoxia,%20Oxygen%20and%20Pulse%20Oximetry.pdf)

One of the main reasons I have found that we need to address oxygen is that the lack of oxygen in our cells can cause us to become ill, including what many may consider the worst illness, cancer. Please check out the quotes on this web page http://www.info-archive.com/oxyquote.htm. Please also read the article on this website. http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/Loxygen2.htm It was a speech made by a Dr. Otto Warburg. He was a scientist who specialized in cancer research. He won a Nobel Prize for his work in 1966. http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1931/warburg-bio.html

Now that we have established the importance of oxygen, what am I saying is wrong with us or how do we need to improve? Well first many do not get enough oxygen and may not even know it. Even if you are breathing deep you still may not be getting enough oxygen to your cells. “Abuse of the body through poor eating & drinking habits (including pollutants and toxic preservatives in our water and food supply), the use of drugs (both prescription & non-prescription), the lack of exercise, along with environmental exposures such as, air pollution caused by car exhaust and factory omissions can greatly reduce the amount of oxygen available to the body cells. If enough oxygen could be taken into the bloodstream, all the nutrients could be assimilated better and all the waste materials could be eliminated properly. Cells start the deterioration process when waste products are accumulated in the body.” (http://www.touchalife.com/oxygen.html)

Can we do anything about this? First eat healthier. Drink less carbonated drinks (yes, this includes diet soda and carbonated water). These carbonated drinks have a lot of salt and salt dehydrates your body. When you are dehydrated your cells get dehydrated and they cannot function properly. They will not pick up oxygen from the blood as efficiently. Drink more water. See this article especially the section about water verses soda. (http://www.mindconnection.com/library/health/softdrinks.htm)

We also need to exercise on a regular basis. When you get your heart rate up your blood pumps through your body faster and you need more oxygen. Make sure when you exercise you breath properly. Deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. If you breath in through your mouth you will dehydrate faster. Also you tend to breath deeper if it is in through the nose.

In the morning when I wake up groggy I do a five step breathing exercise. I adapted it from a technique I learned called Body Flex by Greer Childers. http://www.bodyflex.com/ After doing her program for about two weeks I saw improvements in my lung function. I have had asthma all my life and deep breaths made me wheeze uncomfortably. But after regularly doing this technique I was able to breath deeper. Unfortunately, I may not have been doing it properly, because one day my stomach suddenly had a sharp pain like a knife had sliced me from one side to another. So I continued the program but with a few changes. I do not use it for weight loss or as a miracle exercise program. I only use it to wake me up in the morning and to get my blood flowing.

It probably is a very good addition to your exercise regime. If done properly I begin to sweat. My pulse quickens and I can tighten certain muscle groups while doing this and they get a workout as well. It is kind of hard to explain in writing but if you really want to know what to do please e-mail me and I will send you the steps.

In summery, oxygen is the most important life giving force. It is also one of the best ways to improve your health. You will be ill less often and you will exercise more fully. I promise you will notice a difference.