You’re exhaling fat right now - breathing doesn’t just bring in oxygen…. It influences our FAT LOSS!!
84% of fat loss leaves your body through your breath, not sweat.
Did you know that how you breathe can affect how efficiently you burn fat?
This is one of the hidden gems of nasal breathing!
Disclaimer: You must combine this with a healthy diet of whole, real foods plus physical exercise. This is not going to magically make your body fat fly away!
5 Ways Nasal Breathing Aids in Fat/Weight Loss:
Increased Oxygen Uptake: Nasal breathing imposes more resistance on the airstream compared to mouth breathing, which can result in a 10% to 20% increase in oxygen uptake. This enhanced oxygenation is crucial for efficient fat burning, as oxygen is necessary for the breakdown of fat molecules into carbon dioxide and water.
Nitric Oxide Production: The nose is a reservoir for nitric oxide, a vasodilator that improves blood flow and oxygen delivery to tissues. This can enhance metabolic efficiency and support fat loss.
Improved Exercise Performance: Nasal breathing can improve endurance during exercise by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps maintain a stable heart rate and reduces fatigue. This allows for more effective workouts, contributing to weight loss.
Stress Reduction: Deep nasal breathing can reduce stress hormones like cortisol, which are linked to fat storage, particularly in the abdominal area.
Metabolic Rate: Some studies suggest that breathing exercises, including those that emphasize nasal breathing, can increase resting metabolic rate, potentially aiding in weight loss
How does it work though?
For the body to burn fat it has to break down fat molecules into usable energy.
First Lipolysis (fat breakdown) happens.
Simply - Lipolysis is the process of breaking down fat into free fatty acids & glycerol for energy use.
(Our liver converts glycerol into glucose)
(Free fatty acids (FFAs) are sent to the mitochondria for energy)
This is NOT fat loss yet!
After Lipolysis those fatty acids have to go through oxidation to be fully burned & expelled as waste.
FFAs enter mitochondria & undergo oxidation. This process removes electrons from fatty acids, producing acetyl-CoA
.
The acetyl-CoA enters the Krebs Cycle to generate ATP (energy).
(The Krebs Cycle is what is turning fat into energy & producing CO2 to be expelled via exhale. It requires Oxygen to work!!)
The byproduct of this process is carbon dioxide and water.
The carbon dioxide leaves our body via exhale.
What does this have to do with HOW we breathe though?
Mouth breathing (yuck) limits oxygen delivery, slows our metabolism & reduces efficiency of fat oxidation.
When mouth breathing we are taking short, shallow breaths.
Our lungs aren’t fully filling with oxygen & in turn it is being delivered to the body less efficiently than if it came in through the nose.
Our focus should always be on nasal breathing.
We want nice full inhales and exhales using our nose (as God intended)
This helps us retain more carbon dioxide which is optimal for boosting metabolism!
Don’t over complicate it! Just start by sitting down daily & using your nose.
Just keep your exhale a lil longer than your inhale & you’re golden.
One of the best things you can do for yourself is to learn how to use your nose to breathe - as nature intended!
You don’t need to overcomplicate it or learn anything intricate. Rest assured, you can start by simply building the habit of sitting down from five to ten minutes a day. If you are feeling zealous? An extra five minutes at night.
Don’t know where to start and want to learn WHY we need to use our nose? Tap into Beginning Breath
Nearly an hour of video instruction
30 day plan to follow for building your first breathing practice
Simple and digestible - even children can do it at home with you!
Learn a proven technique for promoting airway health and longevity
Breathe easy & be well my friends,
P.S. I am not a doctor and am not offering medical advice
P.P.S. If you make it this far and want to get Beginning Breath at a 15% discount, DM me on twitter…!