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Starter

The Silent Pandemic

You can survive weeks without food.

A few days without water.

But only minutes without air. 😮‍💨

And yet - most of us never think about how we breathe.

To be fair, no one really teaches us.

So we go through life with open mouths, rising shoulders, and shallow, noisy breaths that make us look (and feel) like stressed-out zombies. 🧟‍♂️

Meanwhile, something as simple as breathing through your nose could change everything:

More energy, deeper sleep, and less stress. ✅

So… what exactly is nasal breathing?

And why does something so basic matter so much?

Let’s take a breath and dive in. 👇

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Main Course

The Forgotten Art

What is nasal breathing?

This is probably going to surprise you.

Nasal breathing is the revolutionary art of... breathing through your nose! 🤯

What does your nose do?

Your nose is basically a high-tech air purification system.

The air gets filtered, warmed, and humidified, and your nasal passages produce nitric oxide - a molecule that dilates blood vessels and improves oxygen delivery. 📦️ 

But why should you breathe through it?

Because noses were literally designed for breathing.

They're our first line of defense against dust, particles, and viruses. 🛡️ 

How?

When you nose breathe, many of those particles get trapped and neutralized before they can reach your lungs. 🦠 

What about mouth breathing?

Let’s be clear: Mouth breathing isn’t bad, but chronic mouth breathing is a different story.

Over time, it’s been linked to:

• tooth decay 🦷 

• gum disease

• changes in face and jaw structure 

• sleep apnea 😴 

• crooked teeth

• hyperventilation

• chronic overbreathing 🌬️ 

What are the benefits of nasal breathing?

Nasal breathing has been shown to

• improve focus and reduce anxiety (your nervous system actually calms down) 🧠

• enhance athletic performance and endurance (more efficient oxygen delivery) 💪 

• improve sleep quality and reduce snoring (your partner will thank you) 💤 

• strengthen your immune system (natural filtration at work) 🛡️

• lower blood pressure and heart rate (nitric oxide magic) 💗 

• improve facial structure over time (yes, really) 😊 

• increase energy levels throughout the day ⚡

• reduce morning dry mouth and bad breath 🦷 

👩‍🍳 Chef Tip: Try bringing some awareness to your breath - just for a minute.

Close your mouth, breathe slowly through your nose, and feel the air move in and out. No force, no rush.

How does it feel?

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Dessert

How to Breathe Through Your Nose (Again)

Let’s be honest:

If you’ve been mouth-breathing your whole life (like me), you’re probably not going to become a nasal breather overnight.

The good news?

You can train it - just like a muscle. 💪 

Here are a few simple habits and exercises you can start doing daily to bring nasal breathing back into your life:

🩹 Tape your mouth at night

Sounds wild, I know - but it’s a total game changer.

Use skin-friendly medical tape (like Micropore) and tape your mouth shut before sleep.

It trains your body to breathe through the nose and leaves you waking up more rested and recovered. 💤 

👃 Try nasal strips

A quick fix to open your nasal airways.

Perfect for deep work, meditation, or low-intensity workouts when you want to encourage clean, effortless nasal breathing.

⏱ Practice nasal breathwork

Set a timer for 5 minutes.

Breathe slowly and silently through your nose.

The goal: with each breath, get quieter and slower. If someone can hear you breathing - you’re going too hard. 😉

📏 BOLT = Body Oxygen Level Test

Practice the BOLT every day. It helps you measure your CO₂ tolerance and improve your nasal breathing patterns.

Learn how to do the BOLT exercise here. 👈️ 

🧘‍♂️ Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)

A yoga practice that calms the nervous system and balances nasal airflow.

Inhale through one nostril, exhale through the other - then reverse.

Simple, relaxing, and surprisingly powerful.

🚶 Nose unblocking technique

Breathe in and out gently through your nose. After the exhale, pinch your nose and hold your breath.

Walk 10-20 steps (or until you feel a medium air hunger). Then breathe normally for one minute.

Repeat 5 times.

This helps reduce nasal congestion naturally.

My tip: Make breathing a priority - right up there with nutrition, sleep, and training.

It won’t change everything in one day, but consistency is the key.

Breathe better to feel better 🌬️ 

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Snacks

Dad Joke of the Week

A Deep Question

What moments help your breath slow down - and how can you choose to invite more of them into your life?

A Friendly Reminder

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Takeaway  

You aren’t satisfied yet? 

Here are my Ingredients and Recommendations for you:

🎙️ Podcasts

• The Breathing Expert: Mouth Breathing Linked To ADHD, Diabetes & Child Sickness! (The Diary Of A CEO)

• How Breathing Through Your Nose Will Change Your Life with Patrick McKeown (Dr Rangan Chatterjee)

• How to Breathe Correctly for Optimal Health, Mood, Learning & Performance (Huberman Lab)

📚️ Books

• The Oxygen Advantage (Patrick McKeown)

• Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art (James Nestor)

📺️ Videos

• Restoring Nasal Breathing - Patrick McKeown (Oxygen Advantage)

• Nose Breathing Amazing Benefits - Why You Should Breathe Through Your Nose (Dr. Eric Berg DC)

• How to breathe through your nose | Nasal breathing techniques & benefits (BBC Maestro)

• The Benefits of Nasal Breathing (Oxygen Advantage)

📑 Articles

• What Are the Advantages of Nose Breathing Vs. Mouth Breathing? (Healthline.com)

• What to know about nose breathing vs. mouth breathing (MedicalNewsToday)

• Nose Breathing vs. Mouth Breathing: Which Is Better? (Cleveland Clinic)

• The surprising power of breathing through your nose (BBC)

• Nose Breathing vs Mouth Breathing - The Science (Oxygen Advantage)

Thank you for being here 💝 

Looking forward to serving you next week.

Much love,

Benji