Better Oxygen: From Tired to Terrific

Better oxygen is a cornerstone to feeling better. In a recent article on MSN.com, Alicia Potter suggests trying these ten strategies from experts in sleep, fitness, nutrition, psychology, and alternative medicine. Getting better oxygen is one:

1. See the light. Get the right light, and you’ll have lots more energy. That can be a challenge, given the poorly-lit offices we sit in and the scant doses of daily sunlight (which contains brain-activating short-wavelength blue light).
2. Get pumped with protein. Unless you plan to run a marathon, carbo-loading for energy is out; instead, eat protein to increase mental alertness and energy.
3. Lend a hand. Research shows that you get a “helper’s high,” a rush of endorphins that lasts for hours when you volunteer…
4. Breathe hard— more often. That post-workout rush of energy you feel is well-documented: movement sends oxygen through the bloodstream to invigorate cells. Gerald K. Endress, fitness director at the Duke University Diet and Fitness Center at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, suggests you break up your workouts to maximize your oxygen intake. Lift weights, roll out the exercise ball, or do five minutes of yoga in the morning. Climb a few flights of stairs at lunch and jog after dinner. To add an extra kick to your workout, breathe deeply for your first one or two minutes of cardio. Endress says: Inhale from your belly; then breathe out slowly, imagining you’re pulling your navel toward your spine.
5. Bag a new brew. Boost your energy with white tea, a delicate flavor that requires little sweetening.
6. Tackle the blahs in bursts. Shake up your routine for 15 minutes at a time to get an energy boost.
7. Could your energy be blocked? Get hands-on help. Hands-on therapies like acupuncture and Reiki (pronounced ray-key), a Japanese massage technique, may help.
8. Take a tech-free break. Being at the mercy of electronic devices keeps us in “fight-or-flight mode,” Kingsley says. You get an adrenaline zap whenever the cell phone rings or an email comes in. Over time, living off adrenaline exhausts you. Cell phones, in particular, put increased stress on women, research shows.
9. Meditate for a minute  Time-crunched? Great news: You can reap the benefits of meditation — —a hike in alertness and attention — —in three-minute minibreaks.
10. Clean up your sleep. The buzzword in sleep science these days is “sleep hygiene,” and it’s about more than clean sheets—it helps you create a restful atmosphere, so you’ll sleep well and wake up energized without the need for sleeping pills…

Better oxygen is just a click away!

Reference: Health.com: 10 Ways to Go From Tired to Terrific

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Article Name

From Tired to Terrific: Better Oyxgen

Description

Better oxygen through deep breathing is just one of the 10 suggestions in this article to help you improve your daily energy levels.

Author

Robert Woolley