anti-inflammatory

Timeless Healing, Anti-Harley, and 2 Rules to Improve Your Breathing

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. Breathing Exercises Lower Inflammation and Change Gene Expression

“In those who practice breathing exercises, levels of inflammatory proteins in the blood are significantly lower, especially under certain types of stress. Mobilizing the power of the breath has also been shown to turn on anti-inflammatory genes and turn off pro-inflammatory ones, including genes that regulate energy metabolism, insulin secretion, and even the part of our DNA that controls longevity.”

- Michael J Stephen, MD, Breath Taking

I have nothing useful to add here, except, of course, one of these: 🤯

2. These Two Simple Rules Will Improve Your Breathing Forever

If I could give anyone any advice for everyday breathing, it’d be this:

  1. Breathe through your nose, especially during sleep.

  2. Make your breathing quiet.

You’ll get massive benefits with minimal effort using these two simple rules.

3. Timeless Healing: Slow Breathing + The Relaxation Response

“To evoke the relaxation response, you need to follow only two basic steps. You need to repeat a word, sound, prayer, phrase, or muscular activity, and when common everyday thoughts intrude on your focus, you need to passively disregard them and return to your repetition.”*

- Herbert Benson, MD, Timeless Healing: The Power and Biology of Belief

It’s that simple. And the word or phrase? Dr. Benson says, “The choice of a focused repetition is up to the individual. If you’re a religious person, you can choose a prayer. If you’re a non-religious person, choose a secular focus.”*

I’ve been using it this week in my slow breathing practice. I inhale and then repeat “be the change” in my head while exhaling at a 5 breaths/min pace.

I’ve never been a big fan of mantras (and I’m still testing different ones), but I’ve genuinely enjoyed this. It’s straightforward and highly effective.

Give it a shot and see how you feel.

4. My Fake Words, and Breathing as the Anti-Harley-Davidson

“Orfield Laboratories, run by Steven Orfield, is a small Twin Cities business that leverages the power of perception to help companies build better products. Harley-Davidson, for example, once hired Orfield to calculate the exact engine tone and decibel level that would give riders the impression that its motorcycles are powerful.”*

- Michael Easter, The Comfort Crisis

How crazy is that!? Harley-Davidson actually hired a company to ensure their engines gave “riders the impression that its motorcycles are powerful.”

I think breathing is the anti-Harley-Davidson. You just relax and breathe. If it’s powerful, it’s powerful. If it’s not, it’s not. No fake impressions needed.

***

P.S. Although I take pride in this newsletter, sometimes I feel like Orfield Labs trying to make breathing sound perfect. It’s not. But it is truly powerful. So, don’t just read my words, try it out and feel its strength for yourself.

Extra Thought:

5 Easy Breathing Exercises You Can Use for Better Sleep Tonight

I wrote a guest blog called “5 Easy Breathing Exercises You Can Use for Better Sleep Tonight” for The Breather, hosted by ResBiotic.

It’s a quick 4-minute read. I hope you enjoy it!

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“When we focus on the breath, we become mindful of the universal nature of all beings.”

- Bhante Henepola Gunarantana

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Meditation & Relaxation Response

Answer: A trademark physiological result of meditation and/or the relaxation response is that the body consumes less oxygen, also known as this.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is hypometabolism?

In good breath,

Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
“Breathing is the compound interest of health & wellness.”

P.S. Science can catch these hands

 
 
 

* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

Each Monday, I curate and synthesize information from scientific journals, books, articles, and podcasts to share 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer (like "Jeopardy!") related to breathing. It’s a fun way to learn something new each week.

 
 

Wim Hof vs. Wim Hof, the Three P's, and Breathing like Journalists

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. The 3 P’s of Breathing

  1. Physiology: The impact breathing has on your body.

  2. Psychology: The impact breathing has on your mind and emotions.

  3. Philosophy: The impact breathing has on how you live your life.

***

P.S. You can’t have any one P without the others : )

2. A Revolutionary Finding: The Two-Way Street of Breathing and Emotions

“Lo and behold, the participants started to feel the emotions that corresponded to the breathing patterns. In other words, when they took deep, slow breaths, the participants felt calm. And when they took rapid, shallow breaths, they felt anxious or angry. The finding that we can change how we feel by using our breath is revolutionary.” * (my emphasis)

- Emma Seppälä, Ph.D., The Happiness Track

We know that how we feel affects our breathing. However, research tells us it’s a two-way street: We can change our breathing to change how we feel.

Quite revolutionary, indeed.

***

P.S. This falls into the the 1st and 2nd “Ps” above. And if you apply it regularly, then the 3rd one as well : )

3. Wim Hof vs. Wim Hof: Which of His Components is Most Important?

A 2020 study that’s still in preprints (so it hasn’t undergone peer review yet) shed light on the individual components of the Wim Hof Method (WHM).

Here’s what they did:

  • One group practiced the breathing only.

  • One group practiced cold exposure only.

  • One group practiced cold and breathing.

  • One group was trained by Wim Hof.

  • One group was trained by a researcher.

Then, all the groups were injected with endotoxin, like the first WHM study.

Here are a few of the key findings:

  • Breathing by itself reduced inflammation significantly, but did not reduce flu-like symptoms.

  • Cold by itself reduced flu-like symptoms, but did not reduce inflammation. (This doesn’t mean cold exposure doesn’t reduce inflammation in general. It just means it didn’t lessen the acute ramp-up of inflammation brought on by the endotoxin.)

  • The combination of cold and breathing reduced inflammation even more. (So, cold exposure wasn’t helpful on its own for inflammation, but added a boost when combined with the breathing.)

  • The results were the same whether Wim trained them or not (this was most surprising to me).

As a breathing nerd, this paper was super satisfying to read.

But remember it’s still in preprints, so it could turn out there was a major flaw or bad data or something. But, still fun to geek out on nonetheless : )

4. Breathing Like Journalists: Slow Breathing for Everyday Life

“I call this approach, in which you fit deep work wherever you can into your schedule, the journalist philosophy. This name is a nod to the fact that journalists…are trained to shift into a writing mode on a moment’s notice”

- Cal Newport, Deep Work

Let’s adopt this journalist philosophy to our slow deep breathing practice, fitting it into our schedules wherever we can. This will allow us to flip the switch on our physiological and emotional state anytime, anywhere (see thoughts 1 & 2).

Here’s to becoming breathing journalists, today : )

Bonus Thought: Join a Breathing Experiment

My good breathing friend AJ Fisher is looking for participants for a breathing and exercise experiment. Essentially, you get her 8-week Breathography Course for free in exchange for some pulse oximeter measurements (that’s it!).

If you’re interested, you can learn more and sign up here:

Learn More about the Experiment

And, you can learn more about AJ and the amazing things she does here:

AJ’s Corectology Website

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“There is a force within that gives you life. Seek that.”

- Rumi

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Designed for Breathing

Answer: Paradoxically, the narrower passages of the nose reduce this during sleep.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is upper airway resistance?

In good breath,

Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
“Breathing is the compound interest of health & wellness.”

P.S. Me for the next 3 months:

P.P.S. ☝️My wife will attest that this is actually quite accurate for me…

 
 
 

* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

Each Monday, I curate and synthesize information from scientific journals, books, articles, and podcasts to share 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer (like "Jeopardy!") related to breathing. It’s a fun way to learn something new each week.

 
 

Wim Hof vs. Slow Breathing, Part 2: The Famous Endotoxin Challenge

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. Slow Breathing = Deep Meditation?

“When researchers at Harvard, Yale, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology scanned the brains of experienced meditators, they discovered increased thickness in regions of the brain's cortex, or grey matter, related to focus and attention…But what's intriguing about this study is that breathing rate was used to determine how deep in meditation the subjects were able to get. The slower the breathing rate, the deeper in meditation participants became. And, the more pronounced their increase in grey matter.” *

- Leah Lagos, Heart Breath Mind

That deserves a 🤯

If slower breathing rates are a byproduct (and measure) of deeper meditation, I wonder if we can reverse engineer it…

2. The Deep Breath Hypothesis

“The Deep Work Hypothesis: The ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. As a consequence, the few who cultivate this skill, and then make it the core of their working life, will thrive.”

- Cal Newport, Deep Work

And similarly, this couldn’t be any truer:

The Deep Breath Hypothesis: The ability to perform deep breathing is becoming increasingly rare at precisely the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable to our physiology. Consequently, the few who cultivate this skill, and then make it the core of their waking life, will thrive.

3. Wim Hof vs. Slow Breathing, Part 2: The Famous Endotoxin Challenge

I’ve called Wim Hof’s endotoxin study the “4-minute mile” of breathing.

So, you can only imagine my excitement when I found a study basically doing the exact same thing, but with slow breathing (it was perhaps the most excited I’ve ever been reading a paper, lol).

I produced an in-depth comparison of the studies here.

But, here are some of the take-home messages:

  • The WHM reduced fever and all other flu-like symptoms.

  • Slow breathing reduced headaches and eye sensitivity to light, but did not reduce fever or other flu-like symptoms (e.g., nausea and chills).

  • Slow breathing improved autonomic functioning as measured by HRV, suggesting participants had greater resiliency. HRV was not measured during the WHM experiment.

  • The WHM significantly reduced inflammatory cytokines. Slow breathing did not.

  • The WHM significantly increased anti-inflammatory cytokines (by up to 194%). Slow breathing did not.

There are many (many) caveats and differences between the studies, so if you’re interested, see the full write-up for more details and additional thoughts.

But based on these results, the WHM was decidedly more effective than slow breathing at reducing acute inflammation and fighting off flu-like symptoms.

4. How to Change Our Species (hint: breathe)

“And I would argue that we humans are most human when we’re improving ourselves. We, unlike any other animal, can consciously change ourselves, to improve ourselves in ways we choose. This distinguishes us from every other species alive today and, as far as we know, from every other species that has ever lived.” *

- Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool, Peak

We are the only species that can consciously change ourselves to improve in ways we choose. We’re also the only ones that can consciously change our breathing in ways we choose.

Maybe that’s a coincidence. But then again, maybe it’s not…

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“Happiness lies in your own heart. You only need to practice mindful breathing for a few seconds, and you'll be happy right away.” *

- Thich Nhat Hanh

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Breathing Rates

Answer: These aquatic mammals breathe around 1.5 - 2.5 breaths per minute at rest.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are bottlenose dolphins?

In good breath,

Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
“Breathing is the compound interest of health & wellness.”

P.S. haha anyways what’s up

 
 
 

* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

Each Monday, I curate and synthesize information from scientific journals, books, articles, and podcasts to share 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer (like "Jeopardy!") related to breathing. It’s a fun way to learn something new each week.

 
 

Wim Hof vs. Slow Breathing, and How to Start Something Meaningful

 
 

Get This In Your Inbox Every Monday

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4 Thoughts


1. How to Start Something Meaningful (hint: exhale)

“If you watch anyone on the verge of starting something that matters, you'll see them settle into the moment by taking a deep breath in and exhaling….It's the body rolling up its metaphorical sleeves and saying, ‘Okay.  It’s time. Let’s do this thing.’”*

- Michael Bungay Stanier, How to Begin

Starting something meaningful this year? Or just sending an important email or text? Roll up those metaphorical sleeves by taking a deep and relaxed breath in, and a relaxed and slightly longer breath out. “Let’s do this thing.”

2. Build Your Best Breathwork Practice

“You don’t have to build the habits everyone tells you to build. Choose the habit that best suits you, not the one that is most popular.”

- James Clear, Atomic Habits

Similarly:

You don’t have to use a breathing technique everyone tells you to use. Choose a method that best suits you, not the one that is most popular.

***

P.S. The next thought shows you why—two different methods, similar results.

3. Wim Hof “vs.” Slow Breathing, Part I: Indirect Comparison for Chronic Inflammation

A 2019 study looked at the full Wim Hof Method (breathing, cold, and meditation) in people with axial spondyloarthritis. They found that it reduced chronic inflammation, concluding:

“…our results are indicative that voluntary modulation of the immune response may not only be possible in acute inflammatory response due to microbial stimulation but also in chronic inflammation related to immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.”

A 2021 systematic review examined HRVB (aka slow breathing) in people with various chronic illnesses. They found evidence that there is an inverse relationship between inflammation and vagal nerve activity:

“…an increase in efferent vagal activity could suppress pro-inflammatory factors suggesting possible anti-inflammatory effects of HRVB.”

The point? Two wildly different approaches, two somewhat similar outcomes. It brings to mind the Chinese proverb, “There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view is always the same.” Choose which path is right for you.

***

P.S. I put quotations around “vs” because there’s no competition in breathing 😊Also, the word “indirect” in the title is critical. I’m being simplistic here and comparing apples to oranges, but I think the overall message is still helpful.

4. Operationalize Your Breathing Practice

“To make operational. To make ready for ‘live’ or ‘kinetic’ action.”

- Steven Pressfield

That’s Pressfield’s definition of “operationalize,” and it’s exactly what we need to do with our breathing. Make it ready for live action—for real life.

Of course, let’s use our practice as an escape into calmness, but let’s also remember to operationalize it so it’s useful in our everyday lives.

***

P.S. Everyday examples of how I operationalize breathing in my life:

  • Slow breathing while walking the dog.

  • Various slow and fast methods when I’m out surfing.

  • Slow, long exhales when my daughter throws a tantrum.

  • I’m not always successful with these, especially the last one : )

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“Along the way of life, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate. This can only be done by projecting the ethic of love to the center of our lives.”

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Nose and Smell

Answer: Cells responsible for scent regenerate this frequently.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 30-60 days?

In good breath,

Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
“Breathing is the compound interest of health & wellness.”

P.S. when your only friend is busy

 
 
 

* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

Each Monday, I curate and synthesize information from scientific journals, books, articles, and podcasts to share 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer (like "Jeopardy!") related to breathing. It’s a fun way to learn something new each week.