Deep Breathing/Oxygen Helps Curb Cravings

Reducing your cravings for foods you shouldn't eat could be as easy as taking a few deep breaths. Getting enough oxygen in your blood stream is one of the best things that you can do to curb your cravings and burn more fat. Your oxygen levels can have a drastic impact on how your body processes food and how you respond to hunger.

It's a known fact that most people, yourself included, don't breathe deeply enough. We are a nation of shallow breathers and as a result, our bodies are suffering on many levels. Oxygen is vital to the proper functioning of many of the body's systems, including the digestive system. When you don't have enough oxygen, you are significantly impairing your ability to function.

When you up your intake of oxygen through deep breathing exercises, you can achieve greater states of relaxation, which helps reduce your cravings. Cravings often come as a result of an increase of the stress hormone cortisol. When you have increased cortisol levels your body is basically in flight or fight response. It puts all of your necessary systems on hold and puts your body into survival mode. You'll store more fat, in addition to craving more high fat and high calorie foods.

Oxygen is also important for powering your fat burning processes. If you have more oxygen in your blood stream, you'll burn more fat. The more fat you burn the less hungry you'll be and the less you'll succumb to cravings. In addition, you'll lose weight and won't have to eat as much on a daily basis to maintain your weight. This in and of itself can greatly reduce cravings.

Now that you know the benefits of having adequate oxygen in your system, the solution is quite simple. You just need to get more oxygen into your blood stream on a daily basis. The easiest way to do this is with deep breathing exercises.

Deep breathing exercises are simple to learn and very effective. You can start by sitting comfortably in a quiet place and emptying your lungs with an exhalation through your mouth. Then take a deep breath through your nose and fill your lungs to their capacity. You might be surprised by how far you can inhale compared to how much you normally inhale. Most people don't breathe deeply enough on a normal basis.

When you first start using deep breathing, you may notice that you develop a bit of a headache from the increased oxygen intake. You shouldn't take this as a sign to stop. Your body is just getting used to more oxygen. After a few days, you'll find that you feel better after completing the deep breathing exercises. You can also combine deep breathing with light exercise, like yoga or walking. Getting your body moving will help you breathe deeper and will also reduce your need to eat.

Deep breathing exercises will improve the levels of oxygen in your blood, which has a direct effect on your hunger. In just a matter of time you'll be craving less "bad" foods and processing the foods that you do eat more efficiently.