Tuesday, June 19, 2012

How Breathing = Weight Loss + More Energy

Ok, really? Yes really! This simple, quick trick can revolutionize your body.

Ever notice how fast we're moving these days? Fast-paced living and stress have become totally normal. Many of us live in a state of constant low-grade stress. What this means for our body is that we cortisol - "the stress hormone" - is constantly in our system. Studies show that chronic low-level stress and cortisol in our bloodstream leads to fat accumulation, especially around our bellies. If you struggle with losing those last few pounds around your middle, this might be your ticket.

When we're even a little stressed, this is what tends to happen: we eat faster, our digestion is compromised because we don't chew enough, our stomachs don't have time to register that we're full until we're stuffed, and our metabolism slows down. Our body stores fat more readily. The solution? Relax, my dearest, relax.

Right. So how do we relax? I'm going to teach you a super simple trick: When we slow down our breathing, even artificially, we signal to our body that the stress is no longer there.

Take 2 minutes (time yourself!) and try this exercise before you eat each of your next three meals and see what feels different.

I learned this as the 5-5-7 breath: Inhale through your nose for five seconds, hold for five seconds, and exhale through your mouth for seven. The exhale is a little bit longer than the inhale. That's it. For two minutes. And then you're free to eat.

What just happened? By slowing down your breathing, you reset your body into a normal state in which to receive and metabolize your food. That means more energy, better digestion, and weight loss for you! Notice that you probably eat more slowly once you've relaxed a little. Notice how the rest of your body feels. Notice your digestion throughout the day. Let me know how this goes for you!

2 comments:

  1. Weight Loss......!@!!@!!! Many people are very hard to achieve the body weight loss. Many of them are eager to reduce their body weight. We know the health benefits of exercise. Regular doing of simple exercise is helps to the body weight loss. Early morning breathing exercise is helps to reduce the mind stress and give relax to the whole body health.

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  2. Thank you for the article. Breathing exercises are very useful for the health not only physical but also makes to mentally strong. Read more about the Read more Diabetic retinopathy.

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