Art of Breathing

The Art of Breathing

From the moment you are born to the moment you die you have to breathe. We take Breathing for granted, no one teaches you how to breathe. Just like singing and dancing, there are some who are good at it and some who are not so good. We have lessons for those who want to teach, and those who want to learn.

What we need to be aware of is that every thought, word, or action has to be synchronized with our breath. When we observe nature, we learn that those creatures that breathe fast have a short lifespan compared to those creatures that have a slower rhythm of breathing.

The average person breathes 21,600 times in 24 hours. This is 900 breaths an hour, 15 a minute, and one breathes every 4 seconds. Every breath we save goes to prolong our life. 

In Yoga, the art of breathing is known as Pranayama.  Here we learn that the mouth is for eating and tasting, whereas the nostrils are for smelling and breathing. When your nose is blocked your can not smell, and if you cannot smell, the chances are you cannot taste.

The nostrils are connected to nadis, which are channels of breathing. In Yoga, they are called the Ida and Pingala nadis. The right nostril represents, the element fire and ruled by the Sun, and the Left represents the element water, and the Moon. The other miracle of nature is that the nostrils control the body temperature. When we breathe through the right nostril it raises the internal body temperature, and when we breathe through the left, our body temperature is lowered.

It is rare to find both nostrils equally opened. This is because as the body temperature falls, the left nostril gradually closes allowing less air to go through, whilst at the same time, the right nostril remains fully opened allowing more air into the body, resulting in a rise in body temperature. The opposite is true when the body temperature needs to be lowered when we are hot.

 We know that the lungs are divided into three sections; The upper, middle and lower regions. When we do thoracic breathing, the air is directed into the upper regions of the Lungs and it’s known as a shallow breath. In Yoga, we practice to breath slowly through the nostrils, directing the breath into the lower abdomen, the region below the Navel. By doing this, it enables us to draw more air and perform what is known as the complete breath. This allows you to fill all 3 regions of the lungs. To achieve this the breath must be slow, rhythmic and deliberate.

With each breath we take, 20% of the air is oxygen, and 80% nitrogen. The oxygen is used to oxygenate the blood and carry nutrients around the body resulting in revitalizing and repairing, and with each exhalation the body gets rid of the water and carbon dioxide, resulting in cleansing.

Although the body needs oxygen, oxygen causes constrictions, oxidation, and free radical damage in a similar way to what happens to metal when exposed to air, causing rust, and over a period becomes brittle and disintegrates.

According to Dr.Buteyko (Method of breathing), it is wrong breathing that causes Asthma. The more the intake of Oxygen, the tighter the chest becomes, and the more we exhale and hold, and the longer the period of the hold, the more Dilators we produce, and the less breathlessness we suffer.

Dr. Ignarro,  Nobel prize Laureate for discovering  Nitric Oxide(Systematic name

Nitrogen monoxide), claims that when you exercise, the body uses the amino acid l-Arginine  and nitrogen to produce Nitric Oxide (NO).  This causes dilators in the body.  In the past, when we suffered cramp and angina pains we used Nitroglycerin ( GTN) under the tongue to produce the same effect.

Best NO (Nitric Oxide) does not come from a tablet or spray, rather from exercise when it is produced naturally. This is why marathon runners speak of the second breath.

Free radical damage is one of the main reasons for ageing in the body.  The less oxygen we demand the longer we live. This is why people who live in high altitude generally have a longer life span.

My approach to Anti-aging is a proper diet, breathing exercises along with yoga, meditation, earthing, and the sun gazing which I include in my Classes.

In Yoga, we are taught to breathe slower and rhythmically which has a relaxing effect on the body and promotes healthy brain waves. (E.g. Alpha and Theta brain waves to relax, and Beta brain waves for adrenaline, activity and energy production). This can also be encouraged by slow rhythmic breathing whilst be listening to music composed to effect the production of these brainwaves.

We can also promote healing in the body through controlled breathing. Imagine with each breath that you are not only taking in Oxygen and nitrogen but also, ‘Prana’ otherwise know as 'Chi' or the ‘Universal Lifeforce’. Where you direct your mind in the body, Prana will flow, where Prana is present, blood will flow, where there is blood, there will be nutrients resulting in repairs and healing. Such is the power of thought and positive thinking.

In Yoga, similar to the Martial Arts, we are thought to concentrate on the breath and life force, and direct it to various parts of the body where bamboo sticks and  concrete slabs can be broken, or iron rods bent and moulded. Here we see Prana or Chi in action. Never underestimate what can be achieved through controlled breathing and the power of thought.

The average person not only breathes through the mouth but breathes into the Chest. If you watch, most adults breathe into the Lungs, you see their chest expand and contract.  When you watch an infant breathe, you will notice it’s the abdomen that inflates and deflates with each breath. In Yoga, this is the proper way to breathe. Practicing abdominal breathing encourages the mind to be focused, and the body is centralised. Thoracic breathing is shallow breathing, whereas abdominal breathing is deeper. By this I mean you can take 2 to 3 times more air, with each breath, bringing strength into the muscles and along with Yoga exercises, it encourages  the muscles to be more elastic, resulting in stamina.

On the whole, Women live longer than Men, one rule of thought is because women have more stamina, whereas men have more strength. When we indulge in demonstrating Strength, our body can only do it for a short while whereas with Stamina, the activity can be performed over a much longer period.

To develop undulating muscles it shortens your lifespan, and when you elasticate your muscles you will have more stamina and encourage your body to live longer. This is my view, and I would like to have an update from anyone who has carried out clinical tests to this effect.

When you visit a spiritual Healer, you find that a lot of thought is on the breathing. Beautiful music, the ambience of the room, and special aromas enhance the effects. This is also adopted in the Churches and Temples when hymns are sung, and candles are lit along with burning incense. All this affects the way we breathe and think in those surroundings, they go hand in hand. Take a thought, and breath knowingly.

Nelson Brunton

Naturalhealingcentre@gmail.com

Garlic Allium sativum

Garlic Allium sativum 

Garlic has anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti- biotical and anti-fungal properties

Its volatile oil has sulphur-containing compounds and other useful compounds. It contains enzymes including alliance, B vitamins, and minerals flavonoids. Garlic is antimicrobial, diaphoretic which has the power to increase perspiration, cholagogues: The agent that causes an increased flow of bile into the intestine, it is hypotensive and anti-spasmodic.

The volatile oil in Garlic is an effective agent excreted via the lungs, hence it aids in infections of the respiratory system such as chronic bronchitis, respiratory catarrh, recurrent colds and influenza...
Helpful in the treatment of whooping-cough and bronchitic asthma.

Garlic generally used as a preventative for most infectious conditions of the digestive and respiratory system.
 For the digestive tract, it has been found that Garlic will support the development of the natural bacterial flora whilst be killing pathogenic organisms

In addition to these amazing properties, Garlic has an international reputation for lowering both blood pressure, blood cholesterol levels and improving the health of the cardiovascular system. Experiments have indicated that the essential oil of Garlic is distinctly hypo-lipidemic, which is a lipid-lowering drug (LLD), it has the fat reducing, action in both healthy people and patients with coronary heart disease.

An interesting use of Garlic is in ear ache.  Slice a clove of garlic, heat briefly in a small amount of virgin olive oil and let it cool, strain the mixture then use a drop of two in the affected ear

Make an Ointment out of garlic. Use a clove of Garlic for wounds, cuts, athlete's foot, or any external skin irruption, or infection.  Also, try a few drops of the Oil on a toothache to relieve the pain.

Use Garlic on wounds, ulcers, skin infections, flu, athlete's foot, on viruses such as the streptococci, worms, respiratory ailments, high blood pressure, for blood thinning, cancer of the stomach, colic, colds, kidney problems, and bladder problems.

Garlic is believed to cure worms in both people and animals.

Garlic is scientifically-proven to possess medicinal properties. 

Nelson Brunton
naturalhealingcentre@gmail.com

VITAMINS A, C & E

VITAMINS A, C & E

Are you fighting an infection? Expecting to have the surgical operation? On a detox? Working on an anti-ageing program? Then it will be wise to consider the 3 great anti-inflammatory Vitamins. They are vitamins A, C & E.

By, Nelson Brunton

What is Vitamin A?

Vitamin A is known as Retinol;

1) Retinol is absorbed when eating animal food sources, it is a yellow, fat-soluble substance.

2) Retinal, (vitamin A) is in herbivores and omnivore animals which possess the enzyme required to convert these compounds to retinal.

3)Retinal also has four carotenoids including beta carotene. The carotenes are; alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, gamma-carotene; and the xanthophyll beta-cryptoxanthin

Why do we need Vitamin A?

Vitamin A promotes normal growth and health of the bodies cells and keeps skin healthy. There are animal sources (retinol) and vegetable sources (carotenoids) of vitamin A in foods as well. However, only a few of the carotenoids in foods are converted to vitamin A in the body.

Beta-carotene is the most familiar carotenoid, it, like several other carotenoids, acts as an antioxidant. Antioxidants help slow or prevent cell damage. By protecting cells

from damage, antioxidants may reduce the risk for certain cancers and heart disease.

What are the signs of deficiency of Vitamin A?

Inadequate intake of vitamin A can cause night blindness, dry, scaly skin, increased risk for infections, and poor growth.

How much vitamin A do we need?

The recommended intake of vitamin A is given as "Retinol Activity Equivalents" (RAEs). Using RAEs helps account for the difference in activity between carotenoids and retinol. It takes about 12 units of beta-carotene or 24 units of other carotenoids to make 1 unit of retinol in the body.

How can we get enough vitamin A?

We get vitamin A from eating a variety of fruits and vegetables that contain carotenoids, and from dairy products fortified with vitamin A. Vitamin A is also found in liver and egg yolks. Here are some foods and the amount of vitamin A they contain;

l       Some Food containing Vitamin A (RAE*) *Retinol Activity Equivalents

l       Sweet potato, cooked, 1 medium 1400

l       Carrot, raw, 1 medium 600

l       Pumpkin, cooked, ½ cup 305

l       Cantaloupe, cubed, 1cup 270

l       Milk, low fat, with vitamin A, 1 cup 140

l       Broccoli, pieces, cooked,1 cup 120

l       Apricots, 3 medium 105

l       Egg, cooked, 1 large 85

l       Cheese, Cheddar, 1 ounce 75

What about supplements?

We don't need supplements, since vitamin A is so widely available in foods, and is easily stored in the body, pregnant women especially should avoid taking retinol supplements. High doses during pregnancy can cause birth defects. Look for beta-carotene as the only vitamin A source in prenatal supplements.

How much is too much?

Taking large doses of retinol can cause nausea, vomiting, headache, and dry scaly skin. More severe health problems from storing excess vitamin A in the body are liver damage, osteoporosis, and nervous system disorders. Vitamin A toxicity can kill you! Keep your total vitamin A intake less than 3,000 µg per day from retinol.

What is Vitamin C?

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, has a wide variety of uses in the body. It helps slow down or prevent cell damage, it is needed to maintain healthy body tissues and the immune system. Vitamin C also helps our bodies absorb iron from plant foods.

Vitamin C or L- ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate is not a complete Vitamin C. In nature Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species and comes in a package of Factors J, K, P and Copper. In living organisms, ascorbate acts as an antioxidant by protecting the body against oxidative stress. It is also a cofactor in at least eight enzymatic reactions including several collagen synthesis reactions that cause the most severe symptoms of scurvy when they are dysfunctional. In animals, these reactions are especially important in wound-healing and in preventing bleeding from capillaries.

What happens if we don’t get enough vitamin C?

Scurvy is an avitaminosis resulting from lack of vitamin C, since, without this vitamin, the synthesised collagen is too unstable to perform its function. Scurvy leads to the formation of brown spots on the skin, spongy gums, and bleeding from all mucous membranes. The spots are most abundant on the thighs and legs, and a person with the ailment looks pale, feels depressed, and is partially immobilised. In advanced scurvy there are open, suppurating wounds and loss of teeth, eventually resulting in death. The human body can store only a certain amount of vitamin C, and so the body stores are depleted if fresh supplies are not consumed. The time frame for onset of symptoms of scurvy in unstressed adults switched to a complete vitamin C free diet may range from one month to more than six months, depending on the previous loading of vitamin C

Vitamin C is found in many foods we eat and deficiency is rare. Scurvy, the disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, was common generations ago. Sailors who lived at sea for months at a time and ate no fresh fruits or vegetables often suffered from it.

How can we get enough vitamin C?

The best way to get enough vitamin C is through foods rather than supplements. Fruits and vegetables are the best sources. Rich sources of this vitamin include citrus fruits and citrus fruit juices, sweet peppers, papayas, and strawberries.

Some Food Sources of Vitamin C.(mg/serving)

l       Papaya, 1 medium 300

l       Potato, baked, 1 medium 200

l       Strawberries, halved, 1 cup 165

l       Cantaloupe, ¼ medium

l       Melon 140

l       Orange, 1 medium 130

l       Red or yellow sweet pepper, raw, medium 120

l       Broccoli, cooked, ½ cup 90

l       Cabbage, raw ½ cup 35 mg = milligrams of vitamin C,

What about fortified foods?

Some juices and cereals have vitamin C added. The amount of vitamin C in each product varies. Check the nutrition label to see how much vitamin C the product contributes to your daily need.

How should foods be prepared to retain vitamin C?

Vitamin C is easily destroyed during preparation, cooking, or storage. To retain vitamin C in foods, follow these tips:

l       Eat raw fruits and vegetables as soon as possible after buying them.

l       Cut vegetables just before eating or cooking.

l       Cook vitamin C-rich foods quickly in as little water as possible.

l       Microwave, steam, or stir-fry vegetables to retain the most vitamin C

l       DO NOT OVERCOOK.

What about supplements?

Healthy individuals who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables rarely need vitamin C

supplements. On the contrary to popular opinion, taking vitamin C supplements does not

prevent colds. However, some studies show that vitamin C supplements may decrease

the duration of a cold.

How much is too much?

If you do take a supplement, do not get more than 2000 mg/day of vitamin C from foods and supplements. Although excess vitamin C is mostly eliminated in the urine, high doses can cause headaches, frequent urination, diarrhoea, and nausea. People with a history of kidney stones should avoid high levels of vitamin C.

What is Vitamin E?

Vitamin E is used to refer to a group of fat-soluble compounds that include both tocopherols and tocotrienols. There are many different forms of vitamin E, of which y-tocopherol is the most common in the North American diet. Y-tocopherol can be found in corn oil, soybean oil, margarine and dressings. A-tocopherol, the most biologically active form of vitamin E, is the second most common form of vitamin E in the North American diet. This variant of vitamin E can be found most abundantly in wheat germ oil, sunflower, and safflower oils. It is a fat-soluble antioxidant that stops the production of reactive oxygen species formed when fat undergoes oxidation.

Why do we need vitamin E?

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps protect the body from the effects of free radicals. Free radicals are substances that can damage the body’s cells. However, free radicals may increase the risk of heart disease and cancer.

Vitamin E deficiency causes neurological problems due to poor nerve conduction. These include neuromuscular problems such as spinocerebellar ataxia and myopathies. Deficiency can also cause anemia, due to oxidative damage to red blood cells.

Vitamin E deficiency is rare and is almost never caused by a poor diet. Instead, there are three specific situations when a vitamin E deficiency is likely to occur. It is seen in persons who cannot absorb dietary fat, has been found in premature, very low birth weight infants (birth weights less than 1500 grams or 3.5 pounds), and is seen in individuals with rare disorders of fat metabolism. People who don’t get enough vitamin E may have higher risks for heart disease and cancer.

How much vitamin E do we need?

In food, vitamin E is found in many forms. The form that is most usable in our bodies is called alpha-tocopherol. Vitamin E often is measured as milligrams (mg) of alpha-tocopherol. It also can be measured as International Units (IU). Supplements usually show vitamin E content as IU.

 

How can we get enough vitamin E?

Vegetable oils, salad dressings, and margarine are the richest dietary sources of vitamin E. Other good sources are nuts and green leafy vegetables. Fortified cereals also are good sources of vitamin E.

 Some foods and the amount of vitamin E they contain:

l       Cereal, fortified, 1 cup 20-40 30-60

l       Sunflower seeds, dry, 1 oz 14 22

l       Almonds, dry roasted, 1 oz 8 11

l       Wheat germ, ¼ cup 3 4

l       Peanut butter, 2 Tbsp 3 4

l       Vegetable oil, 1 Tbsp 3 4

l       Mango, raw, 1 2 3

l       Mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp 2 3

l       Broccoli, frozen, cooked, ½ cup 2 3,

l       Turnip greens, frozen, cooked ½ cup 1 2 mg = milligrams IU = International Units oz = ounces Tbsp = tablespoons

What about supplements?

Foods can supply the recommended amount of vitamin E for good health. Many people choose to take a vitamin E supplement. Recent studies do not support the use of vitamin E supplements for prevention of heart disease.

Before deciding to take a supplement, talk with your doctor. He/she can tell you how much to take and if there may be interactions with other drugs or supplements that you take. For example, vitamin E  supplements can be harmful if you take blood-thinning drugs like warfarin (Coumadin“), or aspirin.

How much is too much?

You should not get more than 1000 mg (1500 IU) of alpha-tocopherol per day from supplements. Doses above this amount increase the risk of bleeding problems. When bleeding occurs in the brain it can cause a hemorrhagic stroke.

Nelson Brunton

naturalhealingcentre@gmail.com