Secrets to Longevity in Deep Breathing Exercises
Posted by admin on Feb 17, 2009
When an experienced pearl diver goes underwater his/her heart rate automatically slows down. Similar to the mammalian diving reflex of beavers, seals and whales etc, it allows the diver to stay submerged for up to 6 minutes. Although, only a few humans have this ability it would not be possible without conscious control of the breath, a characteristic shared with all other diving mammals. Interestingly, we have also developed the ability to prevent water rushing through our nose into the mouth cavity coupled with downward facing nostrils that may have evolved to help us dive!
These facts and many others give rise to the aquatic ape theory that suggests we humans evolved in and around regions of water.
Important to the question of longevity is the fact we get to choose how we breathe and yet at the same time we seem to have lost the ability to breathe correctly. This could be largely due to the fact we have moved away from our natural way of living to a more sedentary lifestyle. The lung capacity of a top swimmer, as of many top athletes can be up to twice that of the average person meaning fewer breaths for the required exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. In a resting state both the heart and lungs expend less energy effectively leading to a greater chance of longer life. There is strong evidence to suggest that everyone once had the ability of a modern day pearl diver, simply because our very survival depended on it. Perhaps there’s more to the mermaid myth than we might admit!
Pranayama, the yoga of breathing, talks of the length of breath. In the Gheranda Samitha, a yoga manuscript, the Rishi Gherand says
‘The body measures 96 fingers (about 1 metre 80 cm). When exhaling, the stream of air roundly measures 12 fingers (20 cm from nose to hand). When singing, its length increases to 16 fingers; when walking, to 24 fingers; when sleeping, to 30 fingers; during sexual intercourse, to 36 fingers. During strenuous exercises, to even more. By gradually shortening the natural length of exhalation, we increase our vitality, whereas lengthening the exhalation reduces vitality.’
Slowing down the stream of air during exhalation shortens the length of breath leading to increased vitality. Although not quite the same, this is akin to developing the efficient lungs of a top athlete. However, it is achieved through conscious effort and not unconsciously through long periods of strenous exercise. Indeed, the art of breathing and its unique connection between the conscious and subconscious has given some people conscious control over other subconscious functions including heart rate, for example!
Breathing for most of us, is just something we take for granted. The reality is however, it is one of the most important anti aging health secrets we can learn. Most people breath incorrectly and for this reason we never quite take in the oxygen we need. Making matters worse, those that live in large cities also have to deal with pollution.
You might remember from your school days that the atmosphere contains about 20% Oxygen. Although many people argue that oxygen in some cities can drop as low as 10% and that deforestation etc is depleting our levels of oxygen to dangerously low levels it is simply not true. The level of oxygen in the atmosphere has not changed significantly over hundreds of years. What is more worrying is the impact pollution has on our ‘internal’ levels of oxygen!
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that air pollution is probably responsible for roughly 2 million premature deaths per year. It is known that sulphur dioxide causes broncho-constriction, nitrogen dioxide damages the lining of the airways and ozone decreases the efficiency of the lungs leading to a decline in maximum oxygen uptake. Further, carbon monoxide decreases the oxygen carrying capacity of blood. Exposed to these pollutants with already poor breathing patterns it may well be we are not taking up enough oxygen.
The air that we breathe may not be the only way we miss vital oxygen supplies.
Drinking chlorinated water means a reduction in oxygen intake as does eating processed foods. It has been shown that unsaturated fatty acids are essential for the cellular utilization of oxygen. However, their shorter shelf-life has given the food industy reason to reject them in favour of synthetic fats and other less healthy processes like hydrogenation. The modern tendency for unrestrained antibiotic use not only kills bad bacteria but also the beneficial oxygen producing bacteria. It is interesting to note that cancer cells thrive in anaerobic (low oxygen) environments and several of the most common ailments facing westerners today are directly related to oxygen starvation. Asthma, emphysema and lung disease are all on the rise!
All our body’s cells require oxygen for proper function. A lack of oxygen is particularly harmful to the cells of the heart and brain. Also, lower oxygen levels causes the right side of the heart to work much harder to pump blood through the lungs. Deficiency of oxygen at the cellular level will eventually allow disease to jump in. Is it any wonder people are thinking of oxygen therapy to offset internal oxygen deficiencies.
One of the first things we should understand about breathing correctly is to breathe through the nose.
The nose ensures warm humidified air enters the lungs. It is the main organ for filtering out particles during inhalation and it provides a first line of defense for the immune system by bringing the inhaled air into contact with mucous-coated membranes containing immunoglobulin A (IgA). The inhaled air in contact with our olfactory nerves provides our sense of smell (probably more sensitive in early man) and subtler aspects of taste.
A key to longevity is high up in the nasal pharynx. It is a rich source of nitric oxide and the flow of air through the nose allows it to get into the body. Because this causes dilation of the arteries the blood flows more freely. Good circulation is essential for young looking skin and a lack of nitric oxide causes premature aging. It is interesting to note that a Dr Charles Farr, a strong supporter of the intravenous use of oxygen therapy has shown that hydrogen peroxide can also dilate arteries and increase blood flow by stimulating certain enzyme systems in the body.
So, the next time you catch yourself breathing - see that you are breathing through your nose rather than your mouth. Also, to get the maximum benefits of nitric oxide deep breathing should be practiced.
To begin the practice of deep breathing you should find a quiet place to relax. You can follow the routine in a sitting, lying down or even standing position. It is probably best to keep your eyes closed to avoid any distractions.
First slowly inhale through the nose filling the lower sections of the lungs first. Let your abdomen slowly move forward as the air begins to fill your lungs. Then fill the middle sections of your lungs letting the lower part of your rib cage expand. Finally, fill the top sections of your lungs expanding your chest slightly and letting your shoulders gently rise. Try to do all this in one continuous flowing movement.
After this, exhale slowly through the nose until your abdomen becomes deflated. Practice the whole cycle until you are familiar with the technique. Each time you practice gradually shorten the length of breath. That is, slow the cycle down but only to a point that remains comfortable.
After a period of practice you can move on to holding your breath. Although many exercises involve holding the breath after inhalation there is nothing wrong with the breath held after exhalation. Holding the breath helps regulate the heart and increases oxygen levels in the blood. Also, the psychic effects of deep breathing run deep!
To deny the importance of correct breathing lowers our chance of living a long and healthy life. It is one of the true secrets to longevity!
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Causes of Memory Loss and Age Related Forgetfulness
Posted by admin on Jan 25, 2009
Deterioration of the Brain
There are approximately 100 billion cells in the brain each receiving about 100 messages a second. The processing power we have available is immense and the brain’s ability to control many simultaneous operations is nothing short of amazing. It goes without saying that our quest for longevity should include a plan for looking after the health of our brain. This is particularly important when we analyse age related forgetfulness and the causes of memory loss.
On average we lose about 40000 nerve cells a day leading to a loss of about 10% of our cells by the age of 65. The brain in fact, loses 10% of its weight between the ages of twenty and ninety. It would seem natural that we should suffer some memory loss because of the brain’s deterioration over time but how much of this deterioration is due to lifestyle and how much can we prevent it?
Hereditary or not
What we do know is that memory loss or age related forgetfulness is only 50% hereditary. It means we can do a lot to prevent these common signs of aging even if we don’t take into account our genetic disposition. Fortunately for us we can even alter the expression of certain genes to assist in the anti aging battle. Some evidence that genetics play a part in memory loss is apparent when you consider the different symptoms shown in ageing men and women. As men get older they lose their ability to sort out difficult problems and their command of speech deteriorates. As women get older they lose their ability to process information quickly and lose their sense of spatial awareness. Research has also shown that people tend to lose competency more quickly in those areas in which they are already weak. Knowing this gives us an advantage because we can start to strengthen those areas of competency in which we are weak whilst reinforcing those areas in which we are not.
Causes of Memory Loss
Messages are sent through the brain via neurons. When the neural paths are clear and information is successfully processed we can file away memories with ease. However, a variety of conditions including, trauma or disease, cellular death or corruption, blocked or tangled neural highways and genetic disorders, can disrupt the neural pathways leading to malfunctions in the memory.
Your Genes Play a Part
Take for example, diabetes. Too much insulin in the body can cause the build up of a protein called beta-amyloid. This protein blocks neural paths leading to memory loss. In a healthy body, it is genes that are mainly responsible for how much beta-amyloid we have. By altering the way these genes express themselves we can control how much of this dangerous protein there is. There is a gene called Apo E - it is our neural highway cleaner and it goes around cleaning up the mess made by beta-amyloid. Unfortunately, there is also a gene called local Apo E4 that hinders the work done by Apo E and blocks up the neural paths even more. Both obesity and alcohol increase the expression of this rogue gene and left unchecked can lead to serious problems.
The hippocampus, deep in your brain is the main driver of memory. It processes information before it is filed away. If the neural pathways to the hippocampus get blocked up or corrupted (neurofibrillary tangles) by beta-amyloid we lose memory. Some people say this is probably responsible for Alzheimers! Fortunately for us, by taking the right action we can turn down the activity of the Apo E4 gene. Exercise does this and so does the spice Tumeric.
Give your Brain a Fighting Chance
Lack of blood to the brain and therefore the nutrients it carries causes brain tissue to shrink leading to memory loss. Arterial aging and cholesterol blocking the arteries lessen the blood flow. Eating Oats and Barley are known to reduce cholesterol levels. Some people also recommend aspirin because it decreases beta-amyloid and improves blood circulation.
Don’t forget your B vitamins. Without B vitamins, levels of the amino acid homocysteine rise. The amino acid homocysteine has been linked to both heart disease and Alzheimers. If you top up on your B vitamins and essential omega 3 fatty acids you help keep your arteries clear and improve the function of message sending neurotransmitters.
Think of your brain as a muscle. It needs to keep active to keep neural pathways open. If you don’t exercise it by lifelong learning, the paths fall into disrepair and will eventually fail. One of the main causes of Memory Loss and age related forgetfulness is a lack brain training - one anti aging health secret that should never be overlooked!
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Effective Life Extension in Oxygen Therapy
Posted by admin on Jan 15, 2009
Bio-oxidative therapy - Ingested Oxygen Therapy
Bio-oxidative therapy is a form of oxygen therapy whereby a food grade compound like hydrogen peroxide is ingested with a precise measure of water. The basic idea is that the extra oxygen atom in the compound H2O2 is released into the blood stream. The delivery of oxygen from the blood to the cells is maximised and therefore builds an environment that is inhospitable to disease.
A lot of people have acclaimed the practice as a “cure all” to many of the diseases that plague modern man. An interesting fact is that throughout the life cycle the human body actually produces hydrogen peroxide as a natural defense against germs. The immune system uses it to oxidise (see below) foreign invaders of all types thereby preventing disease.
Why is Oxygen important
The main function of the blood cells is to deliver oxygen to the body. This oxygen delivery is necessary because it allows a kind of controlled burning of nutrients to take place within the cells. In actual fact our bodies get their energy from mitochondria, hundreds of which belong to a cell. They convert nutrients from the food we eat into energy. Without this burning of nutrients we would have no energy. When mitochondria turn food into energy they unfortunately also produce waste known as free radicals - actual molecules that cause cell inflammation or damage. A bit like an old machine that pumps more and more toxic waste into the atmosphere as it gets older, mitochondria in doing it’s job is responsible for many of the aging problems we suffer.
Oxygen Deficiencies
The chemical reaction that causes damage to cells is called oxidation and it’s why as we get older we need more anti-oxidants to slow cell death.
No one would deny the bodies need for anti oxidants but maybe the spin and marketing pressure we see from the nutritional sector is overshadowing something more important.
Modern living sees a prevalency for over eating. The average person eats more food than his/her body can digest. The balance between supplying our body with oxygen and getting rid of waste is a fine line. Over eating means our cells struggle to get rid of waste and therefore toxins build up in the body. Also, the foods that many people eat are over processed and contain very low amounts of essential fatty acids. These are critical to the body’s ability to produce oxygen. Can we find a solution to this lack of oxygen in Oxygen Therapy?
Oxygen Therapy - The Good and the Bad
Bio-oxidative therapy has caused a lot of controversy because of the risk of oxidisation to good cells. It is true, both Ozone and hydrogen peroxide give up their extra oxygen atom and this does cause oxidation. Oxidisation is what causes metal objects rust or an apple once cut to go brown. It is also blamed for causing cellular aging in the body and the reason we need to take antioxidants to counter the effects. Hydrogen peroxide is itself considered a type of radical because of its high chemical reactivity and potential to damage cells.
What is not often understood is that a protective enzyme exists in every human cell making it resistant to oxidation. The key fact here is that most bacteria, viruses and disease microorganisms have no such enzyme and are therefore oxidised on contact with ozone or hydrogen peroxide. Because “good” bacteria are aerobic they flourish in oxygen rich environments.Important to note is that the cells in the body that fight infection, called granulocytes, actually produce hydrogen peroxide as a first line of defense. In a body that is oxygen deficient not enough hydrogen peroxide can be produced and disease gets the upper hand.
It has been suggested that hydrogen peroxide and ozone increase the efficiency of the anti oxidant enzyme system responsible for getting rid of free radicals in the body. Cell immunity is therefore enhanced further.
For all this it is worth noting that deficiencies in protective enzymes can allow hydrogen peroxide to attack good cells so the practice of oxygen therapy should never be undertaken without expert consultation or a comprehensive guide like the One Minute Cure.
Taking things to a Simple Level
I sometimes like to take things to a simple level. Without oxygen, life is not possible, it’s only when all our body cells are supplied with sufficient oxygen all the time that they can stay healthy and replace themselves regularly.We can survive for about four weeks without food. We can survive for four days without water but without oxygen we can only survive for about four minutes. Who can argue which is more important.
May be there is a secret to effective life extension in oxygen therapy!
Want to know more about Oxygen Therapy then see my review of “The One Minute Cure - The Secret to Healing Virtually All Diseases”.
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