Energy is the engine that drives you to do whatever it is you do, personally or professionally. Without it, any purpose to living goes unfulfilled and nothing gets done. The engine requires quality fuel to power it, such as positive motivation, pure water, healthy foods, and regular exercise. The forgotten factor is often ignored because we do it automatically, without planning or any thought whatsoever. Yet, it is the ultimate life force…breathing.

It’s possible to survive without exercise for a lifetime, with no food for 3 weeks, or lacking water for 3 days. If breathing stops for more than 3 minutes, most of us will not continue to live.

Why should we put any attention on breathing, if it happens continually and involuntarily? Simply, most people do not breathe deeply enough. Breath is the spark that ignites the engine. Imagine your lungs as an 8 cylinder engine, with only two spark plugs firing. According to Dr. Roger Janke, CEO of Health Action Inc., “Most people utilize just 1/4 or less of lung capacity.” The oxygen intake is woefully inadequate to even start our engines.

Deeper breathing is the foundation to a healthy well-functioning circulatory system, the intricate network that transports oxygen and nutrients to all cells in your body. It’s the only way to fully oxygenate the body and stimulate each and every cell. Breathing also controls the lymphatic system, which removes waste. If this system were to shut down for 24 hours, you would die from trapped toxins and excess lymphatic fluid around the cells. The only way lymphatic fluid moves: deep breathing and muscular movement.

Dr. Jack Shields, a lymphology specialist in Santa Barbara, CA, conducted a study where he placed mini-cameras inside the bodies of several people to see what effected toxic waste removal. Conclusion: deep breathing is the most effective way to eliminate waste. And deep breathing via exercise can accelerate the process exponentially, by as much as 15 times.

It doesn’t take an Einstein to know that of all the necessary components of optimal health, oxygen is the most critical by far. The first step to better health is to become conscious of your breathing, especially when under stress, and notice if you can barely fog a mirror. This is when a breathing reminder is crucial, in order to release stress out of the body. Get up, stretch, move, and breathe if you’ve been sequestered behind a computer for lengthy periods.

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!

For more about “How to Become Energy Efficient”: www.terrybraverman.com/energy.html