Oxygen. Ah, oxygen is a gift from nature that most of us take for granted. But, oxygen is vital for good health.
Oxygen:
- Increases your survival;
- Improves exercise stamina;
- Increases your energy;
- Provides a good night’s sleep;
- Improves your mood;
- Increases mental alertness.
This all sounds good to me.
Low O2 Levels
What causes your oxygen levels to decrease, which in turn, damages your health?
Low O2 levels typically creep up on you, although sometimes, a child can be born with low O2 levels if something goes wrong during birth.
Lifestyles can lower your oxygen levels, such as:
- alcohol abuse
- drug addiction
- poor eating habits
- obesity
- sedentary lifestyle
- smoking
- sleep apnea (shallow breathing)
- pollution
Solutions To Increase Your Oxygen Level
Whether you have trouble breathing, or not, here are some great lifestyle additions to benefit your health:
Drink more water
Every cell in your body should ideally float in water, keeping your body totally hydrated. If you are dehydrated, you will have thicker blood, which means less oxygen will reach your cells.
Monitor Your Diet
Make sure you eat a balanced diet with plenty of raw veggies. Increasing plant-based foods, like dark leafy greens, lemons and limes, which helps your cells absorb more oxygen from your blood.
Plant More Plants
There are several plants that produce more oxygen at night as opposed to others, but one of my favs is Sansevieria, also known as the snake plant or mother-in-law’s tongue. Most plants actually take oxygen away at night, but the Sansevieria gives off oxygen at night. They also filter formaldehyde and gasses from the air.
And, the Sansevieria grows well indoors.
That’s pretty neat.
Exercise Regularly
Exercising regularly has many health benefits, but one of the most beneficial is expanding your lungs, letting more oxygen in to circulate throughout your bloodstream.
Remember that exercising doesn’t mean that you have to go to the gym – exercising means simply moving your body enough to increase your heart rate and O2 levels.
Start with getting outside more – it exposes you to more motion, sunshine, and oxygen.
It is common if you are overweight to have shallow breathing and a lower O2 level, so exercising is a vital way to open up your lungs, and drop some unwanted pounds.
Swing Your Arms
While we are on the topic of exercising, swinging your arms, like when you’re walking, stimulates your body’s lymphatic system, which helps you detox and uptake more oxygen into your tissues.
Hit The Beach
A trip to the ocean is healthy in many ways, and one primary benefit is the ozone (O3) in the sea air. O3 (3 atoms on the oxygen molecule) are filled with negative ions, that these accelerate your ability to absorb oxygen. These ions also balance your mood because they boost the production of serotonin.
Take Deep Breaths
You have alveoli in your lungs – tiny air sacs – so if you take slow, deep breaths through your nose, you will absorb more oxygen.
If you practice taking more slow, deep breaths throughout the day, more O2 will pass from your lungs into your blood vessels (capillaries), so more O2 will circulate throughout your bloodstream.
You will have more energy and feel better when you raise your O2 levels.
Breath deeply as you exercise on the beach amid the Sansevieria – you’ll love the way you feel and will sleep better, too.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only, and is educational in nature. The FDA may not have evaluated some of the statements. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please discuss with your own, qualified health care provider before adding supplements or making any changes to your dietary program.
Before taking vitamins, consult your doctor; pre-existing medical conditions or medications you are taking can affect how your body
