Would you believe me if I told you breathing is linked to weight loss?
This concept has only recently been discovered in the West (accidentally in fact by oxygen bar owners), yet the importance of breathing has been known and taught for millennia in the East.
If we take a step back and look at the basics, we know that Oxygen is the fuel of cells. Roughly 90% of our energy and cellular functioning is derived from oxygen, and the other 10% is derived from food and water.
Therefore if oxygen levels to cells drop, the message to our brain is “feed us”.
This is why some of us experience stress eating. When we are stressed, our breathing becomes short and shallow and oxygen levels drop. The idea that smoking curbs your appetite is also linked to this idea, since smoking involves taking slow and deep inhales.
When we exercise, we exert additional energy which naturally burns more calories however equally we are breathing heavier and more frequently too, flooding our cells with oxygen which further facilitates in weight loss. Oxygen also increases circulation and speeds up your metabolism which naturally burns more resting calories. Deep, rhythmic breathing has a long list of benefits that go beyond restoring the body to a healthy and optimal weight. So make deep breathing a habit. Set time aside each day to consciously breathe. And watch how your energy levels, mood and body transforms as a result.