Quite simply, we need oxygen. When you don’t have enough oxygen in your blood, headache sets in. Lung cancer may develop. Confusion becomes painful. Your heart races and your hands clam up in a nervous fervor – anxiety becomes an overbearing monster, and…
You get the point. Here are quick ways to increase oxygen level in your blood to prevent “attacks” from happening.
1. Stop Using Salt
Diets with low sodium increase oxygenation through the kidney and blood. Oxygenation is a process of adding oxygen to our systems. Oxygen can be administered by oxygen treatment or combined medication. Replace salt with alkaline foods such as lemons, berries, mangos and grapes.
2. Exercise
Exercising often improves blood oxygen levels. When carbon dioxide in us builds, our brains’ respiration rates spike so we can get more oxygen. (This is why oxygen levels drop during exercise – if we don’t exercise often.) The more fit you are, the longer you’ll be able to exercise. Increasing your oxygen levels (by hyperventilating – which stops your body from transferring carbon dioxide out of your bloodstream). However, working out to this extreme is dangerous – and dizziness and nausea are symptoms that you should take a break.
3. Easy, Effective Meditation
Meditation slows your heart rate (which is normal – as we’re entering a relaxed, comfortable state). This means your cells require less oxygen to function, which keeps you in the “sleepy state” that’s responsible for healing tissues and cells. To reap these rewards in a short time (less than 10 minutes), deep-breathing techniques can help you get there.
One of them is basic – and incredibly powerful for relaxing you in as quick a time possible.
- Through nose, inhale for a count of 4
- Through nose, exhale for a count of 4
This beautiful technique is called pranayama, and can be done anywhere—at any time—to reduce stress efficiently.
BONUS: Daily meditation also sharpens your focus and significantly reduces stress. I personally need only 5-7 minutes on deep-breathing, deep-thinking meditation to fully calm down and relax.
4. Concentrators
Machines that provide Portable Oxygen are a life-saver when it comes to providing you with oxygen, wherever you need it, when you need it. They are particularly useful if (and especially if) any of the other suggested ways in this article are too problematic for you.
5. Correct Posture
All the way back in 2004 (can you believe that’s 13 years ago!) The National Center for Biotechnology Information revealed that our body posture and oxygen levels in the blood are linked. Whenever we slouch (whether we’re walking, sitting, or standing still), we’re affecting our breathing process negatively. The result? Less oxygen. Standing/sitting upright (straight) is an easy way to enable more oxygen in our respiratory system and bloodstream.
BONUS: Having proper posture also prevent back and neck pain.
6. Natural Oxygen
Without a doubt, the healthiest (and quickest) way to increase your oxygen levels is… surprise… to get some fresh air. This can be done simply by opening a window in your home, or stepping outside. Even talking lets fresh air into our bodies – which is useful if you breathe through a cannula or similar device.
7. Eating Right
Believe it or not, there are certain foods that help oxygen levels. The reason is because these foods contain specific, key nutrients (amino acids, iron, and B-12) that need to be a part of your diet to have any effect. These foods are:
- 1 oz. cashew nuts
- Baked potatoes
- 1/2 cup kidney beans
- Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons)
- Dark leafy greens (spinach, kale)
Conclusion
As you’ve just seen, boosting your blood’s oxygen levels isn’t hard or time-consuming. In fact, increasing those levels can be done during the first thing tomorrow morning! Simply wake up, eat any of the suggested foods, meditate for 10 minutes (while working on your posture), and begin Yoga exercises. Your oxygen levels will naturally increase, allowing you to get a jumpstart on the rest of your day. (Especially since the brain benefits most – as it requires 3x more oxygen.) The 7 ways you’ve just read about are easy if you are physically able to move normally.
