More Oxygen for More Energy

Feeling low? Afternoon slump depleting your energy? Need to be uplifted? Not to worry. The power to return energy to your own body within minutes is just a few heartbeats away. All you have to do is breathe.

Energized Breathing

Deep breathing can rid your body of stress and pump up the energy level at the same time. All you have to do is breathe deeply and slowly. Your body will do the rest. According to Dr. Andrew Weil, MD, American author and physician, incorporating the following method of breathing will provide you with renewed energy:

• Keep your back straight
• Inhale through your nose slowly while you count to four
• Hold your breath to a count of seven
• Exhale deeply, through your mouth, to a count of eight
• Repeat several times

What is Oxygen?

Oxygen was identified in 1774 as a gaseous chemical that is tasteless, odorless and colorless. Humans breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. Without it, most life on earth would die within a matter of minutes. The human body cannot function without oxygen. Adequate oxygen in the body equates to more energy, lack of oxygen equates to less energy. Oxygen is hugely important to the immune system. Low oxygen is associated with a variety of moderate to severe conditions, including forgetfulness, anxiety, swollen ankles, fatigue, chest infections and shortness of breath. If the blood oxygen percentage in the body drops, energy levels can become depleted quickly, eventually leading to overall poor health and disease. Oxygen is breathed in through the lungs and immediately carried to the heart, which then signals the blood to begin pumping. Because oxygen is needed in virtually every cell in the body, the best way to get oxygen circulating throughout the body is by way of the bloodstream. On average, approximately 96 percent of the oxygen in the body is found in the blood. Recent studies conclude that insufficient oxygen in the bodys cells is perhaps the reason various diseases find root. Though evidence is inconclusive, many scientists believe that lack of oxygen may also be a cause of cancer within the body. According to Ed McCabe, author of O2xygen Therapies: A New Way of Approaching Disease, if a cell is depleted of 60 percent of its oxygen it will turn cancerous.

Oxygen During Exercise

Because oxygen boosts energy levels and keeps lactic acid from building up in your system, its vitally important to get enough oxygen during exercise. Reportedly, oxygen also helps in the repair of muscle tissue. According to Dr. John Brewer, who heads the sports science division at Lilleshall Human Performance Centre, extra oxygen also enables faster recovery from exertion.

Sources: http://women.webmd.com/features/21-ways-to-boost-energy http://www.naturalhealthweb.com/articles/JamesSLee6.html http://www.healthoxygen.com/understanding-oxygen/ http://www.everything.com/oxygen-energy-cycles/ http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/oxygen.htm