Breath by James Nestor
Book Review
I finally finished my first nonfiction book of 2021!
If you’ve ever wondered how breathing affects your health, this book is for you. James Nestor spent years experimenting on himself and interviewing experts around the world to uncover the many ways in which the simple act of breathing affects things like athletic performance, chronic illness, sleeping, blood pressure, lifespan and more.
A few of my most interesting takeaways from this book:
—Our ancestors had perfect teeth, wide nostrils and open airways (all of which aided proper respiratory function), so why do most present-day humans have crooked teeth, small mouths and suffer from respiratory problems? Based on Nestor’s research, this is largely due to our modern diet of soft (and processed) foods… in other words, a lack of chewing has led to the evolution of less effective breathing.
—Mouthbreathing directly contributes to all kinds of issues like high blood pressure, ADHD (due to disturbance of oxygen to the brain), chronic insomnia, bad breathe, cavities and more. PSA: breathe through your nose!
—Does your partner’s snoring keep you awake at night? Try taping their mouth shut (with their consent of course 🥰). Apparently the simple act of forcing the body to breathe through the nose, rather than the mouth, drastically reduces instances of both sleep apnea and snoring. I’m trying to convince my dad to give this one a go - as his snoring could raise the dead - however, he remains skeptical… can’t imagine why. 🤔😂
—The “perfect” breathe is a 5.5 second inhale followed by a 5.5 second exhale, which equals 5.5 breathes per minute. Apparently breathing this way for even just 5 - 10 minutes per day can have substantial health benefits (much like meditation and yoga).
—Humans have the ability to raise and lower their body temperature (and thereby withstand extreme heat and cold) simply by breathing. Curious about this one? Google Wim Hoff - he’s broken 20+ world records for seemingly impossible feats (like sitting in an ice bath for nearly two hours).
In the appendix Nestor details all the specific breathing techniques mentioned throughout the book. Definitely a fascinating read!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
