The World's Best Book Summaries
Does medication help ADHD? Why are some people against medication? Certain medications can help manage ADHD, but there is a stigma behind taking medication for this condition. In Driven to Distraction, Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey explain that some people believe they’ll become dependent on medication if they try it. Let’s look at how the authors suggest handling these misconceptions.
What is overbreathing? What are the dangers of chronic overbreathing? Many people have a problem with overbreathing—breathing a greater amount of air than necessary. Overbreathing purges carbon dioxide from the body, which short-circuits the necessary chemical exchange and starves our cells of the very oxygen they need. Keep reading to learn about the effects of overbreathing and what to do about it.
Why do most people breathe incorrectly? How does wrong breathing affect your brain and body? According to James Nestor, the author of Breath, the breathing problems experienced by millions of people today can be traced to how our sinuses and throats evolved over the ages. As a result, we developed a tendency to breathe suboptimally. In this article, you’ll learn why our bodies are poorly adapted to breathing and the two main ways that most of us breathe wrong.
Do you have weak lungs? What can you do to strengthen your lungs and increase their air capacity? According to James Nestor, there are two aspects to strengthening your respiratory system. First off, you need to train the diaphragm muscle that drives your breathing. Secondly, you need to strengthen the muscles and bones of the face that support your vital airways. Here is what to do to strengthen your breathing apparatus.
Do you want to try the paleo diet, but aren’t sure where to start? Where can you find credible paleo resources you can trust? The paleo diet is premised on the idea that eating the way our ancestors did best aligns with our biology and promotes good health. Advocates of the paleo lifestyle believe that most chronic diseases stem from our deviation from the paleolithic way of eating due to the arrival of the agricultural revolution. If you’re interested in going paleo but aren’t sure where to start, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve compiled a roundup of the
Is it better to breathe fast or slow? How does slowing down your breath affect oxygen absorption? When we breathe “normally,” we only absorb about 25% of the oxygen we take in. On the other hand, slow breathing lets us absorb more oxygen using fewer breaths—a more efficient process for the whole body that uses less work to produce more energy. Keep reading to learn about the health benefits of slow breathing, according to James Nestor.
What role does breathing play in the regulation of bodily functions? How can the control of breathing be used to tap into the body’s latent capabilities? As scientists work to better understand the ways that breath regulates our body’s functions, practitioners of ancient traditions have used breath to control the body for thousands of years. In many cultures, breath is believed to be the energy of life, an energy that can be manipulated to spectacular effect. In this article, we’ll explore the nature of these beliefs using the example of Swami Rama, whose amazing, breath-induced control of his body was
Is nose breathing better than mouth breathing? How can you habituate yourself to breathe through your nose? Your nose and sinus cavity are specifically designed to process air in ways your mouth can’t. Breathing through the nose strengthens your airways, regulates your metabolism, and even has a positive effect on your brain. Here’s why you should try to breathe through the nose instead of the mouth.
What happens in the body when you inhale too much carbon dioxide? How can breathing CO2 help you increase your panic tolerance? Like bringing air into different parts of the lungs can trigger different responses in the body, you can also affect unconscious responses by exposing yourself to excess CO2. In particular, chemoreceptors, which act as the body’s fear alarm system, can be trained to have a higher CO2 tolerance. Here’s how you can increase your CO2 tolerance using breathwork.
Can you regulate your nervous system through respiration? How can breathwork help you calm down—or stimulate—your mind? The respiratory system is an opening through which we can consciously influence other autonomic functions. In computer terms, the lungs provide an exploit that we can use to control parts of our bodies that we wouldn’t otherwise have access to, such as the nervous system. Here’s how you can hack your nervous system by breathing.