Why the Standardized BMI is Standardized BS

You may be familiar with the Standardized Body Mass Index table (BMI) as a way to determine if a person falls into the normal, overweight, obese or extreme obesity categories. First, let’s go back to the roots of BMI, it was developed in the early 1800’s and is a mathematical equation using an individual's body weight divided by the square of his or her height to determine body fat percentage. 

I don’t need to point out the obvious out-datedness of the BMI, but let’s look at a real life example just to gain a little perspective:

Herb, my business partner and fellow trainer is probably one of the most physically fit people I know. He stands 5’4” and weighs in at 155 pounds, placing him in the ‘Overweight’ category. Now, I personally measured his body fat and he weighs in at only 7% putting him in the good company of pro athletes. This is after he leaned out his muscle mass, dropping 20 pounds, and thank goodness because the BMI had him previously placed in the ‘Obese’ category and the weight he lost was muscle.

So my point you ask? My point is, if you Google BMI calculator and enter your height and weight, don’t be discouraged by the result. The BMI may be correct in some cases, but it doesn’t take into account Muscle Mass vs. Percentage of Body Fat. The best way to determine whether you are Normal, or Overweight is to have your body composition tested. A trained health professional can help you determine whether or not those pounds you are carrying around are healthy or hurtful.

Avoid Holiday Eating and Exercise Pitfalls

Thank you Kim for asking this question. An excellent question that I'm sure is on more than one mind out there. 

Q. Holiday eating tips. Anything to really be careful of? Also, goodie baskets delivered to the office are a trap. How to avoid walking by & snacking on empty calories all day. Help.

A. Surviving the holidays while keeping your waistline in tact is challenging for even the most disciplined eaters. However, the holidays are a time to enjoy and to indulge. How can you do both and not slip back into old habits? 

First tip: Acceptance. Accept that your life will be more hectic over the coming weeks, that your routine will be interrupted and that you will probably eat more and workout less with everything that’s going on. Know going in so you can deal with these challenges as they come up fully prepared. It’s not all or nothing.

Second tip: Stick to eating every 3-4 hours. If you’re tummy is full and your blood sugar is stable, you will be better prepared to deal with the little temptations that are scattered throughout the office. When your blood sugar is low, your cravings are physiological, which means, your body is sending messages to your head that you need to eat THAT! Right NOW! And LOTS and LOTS OF IT! When its stable, the craving is more psychological which means you want that, but you don’t necessarily NEED it, making it easier to enjoy these treats in moderation. Also, skipping meals all day because you have a big dinner that night could ruin the enjoyment of that meal. Keep your blood sugar stable, you’ll feel a lot better about all your choices through the holiday season. 

Third tip: Don’t allow yourself to fall into the mind-set that “I’ll get back on track as soon as the holidays are over.” It’s a slippery slope my friend. You are building habits, lifestyle changes, with your health. You are creating balance within yourself, that means sometimes you’re going to be ‘bad’, but being ‘bad’ has a payoff, it tastes sooooo good! The price is that, yes, your body will store some fat. Just enjoy the moments and get right back on plan with your next meal. It’s okay to have that fabulous dinner for your holiday celebration, but it shouldn’t be the catalyst to going back into bad eating habits. If you over indulge in that meal, 3-4 hours later, have a protein with a fat (exclude the carbs) and it will help to re-stabilize your blood sugar and get you back on track. Tomorrow may provide another challenge, just take them as they come. Remember tip 1? You were prepared for this. 

Fourth tip: Don’t ditch your entire workout routine. Getting back on that horse can be the hardest thing after the holidays. Keep working out. Stay active. Drink lots of water. It will help your energy level and your stress level. It’s only an hour out of your day. Make the time for yourself because YOU are the most important person. Another plus, you won’t feel guilty, another stressor you don’t need for the holiday season. 

Like I said, it's not all or nothing. You can have your cake and eat it too. I know I will over the next few weeks. 

Have a Great Weekend!

Colleen

Why Diets FAIL

Diets promise magic. They appeal to consumers because we have it in our heads that if we just lose the weight, then keeping it off will be easy. We want immediate results, a quick fix. We think we have to diet to lose weight. As a society, even as a trainer, we are taught calories in / calories out. We have a mindset that in order to get to a healthy weight, we have to restrict ourselves and give up the things we love.

I remember when I was a kid, my mom was constantly battling her weight. She had a bookshelf full of diet books. After having 6 kids she had gained probably about 25-30 extra pounds. So in her late 30’s / early 40’s she jumped on this yo-yo diet program. Weight Watchers, Fit for Life, Pritikin, Nutrisystem, these were all diet she attempted in the 70’s and early 80’s which failed her. Why did they fail her? Because of all the diet plans she tried, not one of them ever conditioned her mind on how to eat. As soon as she was done with the diet, she gained back the weight and a little extra. Then she would try the next one to come along, her weight going up and down, just like a yo-yo. 

And I am her daughter, so in my early 20’s when my clothes started getting tight, I perused her book shelf and followed suit. This is probably where my interest in Nutrition first sprouted. I tried Pritikin first and almost passed out after 3 days. I know now that Pritikin was too restrictive causing low blood sugar and starvation. I moved on to Fit for Life which, if you do the math, was the end all diet plan in the early 80’s. Fit for Life preached that all fruit had to be eaten before noon and you couldn’t mix your meats and starchy carbohydrates among other non-science based (and ridiculous) theories. I was starving myself on this plan although my takeaway was a great veggie sandwich that I loved. It was shortly after this that I became pregnant so all crazy eating habits had to stop. I took the adage ‘eating for two’ to the extreme, gaining over 60lbs during my pregnancy, lost 40 by the end of my hospital stay and carried the extra 20 around, on and off, for a good 10 years. I tried every crazy diet scheme during that time and although initially I’d lose the weight, it would inevitably come creeping back as soon as I fell off the wagon.

So here you sit on the brink of another New Year’s eve and this year is going to be your year. This year you’re going to lose the weight and keep it off right? Well before you jump into another diet plan, there are two questions you need to ask yourself:  

1.  Is my program based on correct physiology?

2.  Can I do my program for the rest of my life? 

After you gain a comprehension of Blood Sugar Stabilization, even if you choose not to implement it into your eating habits, there is no way you can answer yes to that when looking at most of the diet plans out there. To make it simple, calories in / calories out and deprivation is based on incorrect physiology and will always fail you. In addition, implementing a diet for the rest of your life is equal to a life sentence. Why would you want to give up eating the foods you like in exchange for over processed freeze dried foods? I don’t know anyone who would stick to a diet for the rest of their lives. It just doesn’t make sense. 

The Science of Why Diets Fail

Whether you’re a chronic dieter, or you want to lose 10 to 100lbs, any time you deprive yourself, restrict your eating, or cut back on calories, you’re setting yourself up for failure because you are jumping on to the Diet Yo-Yo. 

• 1^st diet = Drop weight. Hit plateau. get great initial result, weight Gain weight back + more
• 2^nd diet = Drop weight although not as much as the first diet, hit plateau, then gain weight back + more etc, etc, etc.

Each time you diet, your body is burning muscle and storing fat.

You see, your nervous system feeds off of glucose in order to control every movement, every breath, so it needs to be fed. When you feed your body in the correct way that stabilizes your Blood Sugar, it gets the glucose it needs from the food you eat. When you feed your body incorrectly, then it turns on itself, getting what it needs from your muscle. It is physiologically impossible for fat to be converted into glucose for your body. So when you’re starving, once your body has relinquished its store of glucose in the liver, it will start taking it from the muscle. 

“Now wait a minute!” You say. “I thought if I ate 500 calories less and worked out harder that my body will burn fat? That’s what I read in Cosmo?”

Well, if your Blood Sugar is stable and your body is in homeostasis (internal stability), it will convert that stored fat to ATP to be used by the muscle for energy. 

If your Blood Sugar Level is low, then the fat stays stored and the muscle gets used. The cravings come and that bad food is consumed. Sad but true. “But wait,” you say, “I have the willpower to not give in to those cravings.” Well I hate to tell you, but those cravings are not psychological, as in, all in your head. Those cravings are a physical reaction to what your body is going through, and it doesn’t care that you don’t want to devour an entire box of Krispy Kreme’s, if they’re sitting in front of you, and your blood sugar is low, you don’t have the energy to stand utilize your willpower and refuse. You want and eventually, you’ll crack.

So why do people do it? 

Because diets are easy. Let’s face it, if they package your meals up in easy to prepare frozen packages, or if the only thing on the menu is cabbage soup, you don’t have to put much thought into your eating. And they promise you’ll lose the weight. Easy.

Your health should be important enough to put a little extra effort into than that right? Just sayin...

...and that reminds me. I need to go eat. 

What's the Low Down on Fiber?

So you all know the importance of fiber in our diets. You can't get through a checkout line without seeing it on some magazine cover. But how much do you really know about fiber? Do you know why it is important to your overall nutrition and health? Or how to efficiently implement more fiber into your diet to get the most out of it? Do you even know what the definition of fiber is? Start here.

What fiber is and what it does that's so awesome

Fiber is the non-digestible portion of the 3 main types of carbohydrates; fruits, veggies and grains. Because it’s non-digestible, fiber can’t be absorbed into the body therefore it cannot be used as energy. So when you read about increasing your fiber intake, you have to take into account that you’ll also increase your carbohydrate intake. So you see how it’s important to arm yourself with knowledge about Fiber rich foods and their benefits, and work them smartly into your diet. Not yet? Well follow along.

The 2 Types of Fiber and what they do

Fiber can be broken down into 2 types; Soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber, absorbs water and swells forming a gel, filling your digestive tract and making you feel full, slowing down the digestive process. Slower digestion equals less hunger helping to control weight and keep blood sugars stable. Two thumbs up to the fact that it also holds onto more fatty acids which means they can’t be stored; they move right on by. And it also helps lower LDL cholesterol levels (LDLs are the bad ones). “Great!” you say. “Sign me up! Where can I find this wonder fiber?” Well that’s where I talk about swapping out your nutrient poor carbs for cleaner eating, but not in this blog, so here’s a list. Soluble fiber can be found in: oatmeal, oat cereal, lentils, apples, oranges, pears, oat bran, strawberries, nuts, flaxseeds, beans, dried peas, blueberries, psyllium, cucumbers, celery, and carrots.

Insoluble fiber doesn’t absorb water and passes through your digestive system relatively intact. It moves through the intestines taking the waste along with it, reducing constipation and helping balance the pH levels and the good bacteria’s that live in your digestive tract. Isn’t that good news? Both are good. Both play a key role in Digestion. So you feel like now you can go out and conquer the Lack of Fiber Monster. Well not so fast, you still need to how much and some other stuff so keep reading, but first, here’s a list of sources of insoluble fiber: whole wheat, whole grains, wheat bran, corn bran, seeds, nuts, barley, couscous, brown rice, bulgur, zucchini, celery, broccoli, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, green beans, dark leafy vegetables, raisins, grapes, fruit, and root vegetable skins.

Okay, so how much fiber do we need? 

According to the American Dietetic Association, most of us don't even come close to the recommended intake of 20 grams to 35 grams of fiber a day. Yes, besides the 29g of fat packed away in a Big Mac, the 45grams of processed carbs that also comes along with it delivers you only 3g of fiber. If you only had 3g in your lunch, (and I don’t even have to remind you that a Big Mac was a horrible choice) then the house isn’t in your favor. 

The average Americans' fiber intake is about 14-15 grams a day. So how much fiber you need between 20-35g is dependent on you as an individual. You must take into account your own health history, lifestyle and whether are not you suffer from any digestive challenges. 

If you’re a healthy active woman under the age of 50 with no digestive issues, 25grams is recommended, for a man 35-38. Consult your physician to find out the right amount for you and if you have digestive challenges, you might need more of one type then the other. 

So how do I implement more fiber into my diet without eating more carbs?

That one’s easy. Swap out your bad, processed carbs for 5 servings of Fruit or Vegetables per day and 6 servings of Grain products per day. Did you think I was going to give you something difficult to do?

To your Health!

Green Cleaning: Tips to Making your House Clean without Chemical Cleansers

"I hate the smell of bleach!" my friend Mel said crinkling her nose up in response to my comment on how to clean blood off the walls (chill out people, this discussion stemmed from watching Dexter). "My son and I both hate it and we don't even keep bleach in the house." It led me to thinking how I use to hold my breath when walking down the aisle with all the cleaning agents at the grocery store. Thinking that just inhaling the air was going to give me some form of cancer. 

For the last 10 years I've been making my own home remedy disinfectants. The concoction I use to clean off the Pilates equipment at my studio is made up of Lavender oil and distilled water; A natural anti-bacterial. Added benefit, the room smells nice and it has aroma therapy qualities. Regular anti-bacterial can break down your own immunities, but that's a blog for a different day. I prefer the natural way, I prefer to Green Clean.

Using more natural or 'Green' cleansers instead of harsh chemical cleansers can be better for your health and home, especially if you have small children or animals. At the very least they can contain synthetic fragrances which can irritate sensitive allergies, worst case, they can produce indoor pollution by off-gassing toxic fumes.

So go down to the dollar store and get yourself some spray bottles. Put away your harsh cleansers and try cleaning your home with some of these healthy alternatives:

Windows & Mirrors: 1 tablespoon of white vinegar with a spray bottle of water. Tip: Use Newspaper instead of paper towels to eliminate streaking.

Carpet Spot Cleaner: Mix 1/2 cup liquid soap with 1 cup water. Shake well. Spray on the spot, and then rinse with vinegar (I put it in my Little Green Clean Machine and use that to rinse. For immediate spills, club soda works well. Pour on the spot and blot with a rag. The carbonation in the soda brings the spill to the surface.

Hardwood floors are easily cleaned with ¼ cup white vinegar and 30 ounces of water. Lightly dampen a rag and use it to mop your floors. Also a steam mop works well at gently lifting dirt without getting your floors wet. 

Natural disinfectants include, as I mentioned above, distilled water and lavender oil. Or instead of bleach, mix 2 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of liquid soap and 20 to 30 drops of tea tree oil.

Silver tarnish can be removed with toothpaste. For bigger jobs try lining your sink or a bucket with aluminum foil, and drop in tarnished silver. Pour in boiling water, a cup of baking soda and a dash of salt. Let this sit for a few minutes. The tarnish will transfer from the silver to the foil.

            Copper pots and pans brighten up by rubbing ketchup on them. 

Bathroom and kitchen tiles can be cleaned with baking soda, sprinkle on dry the scrub with a moist sponge. For tougher stains, sprinkle on some kosher salt as an abrasive. 

For mildew or grease douse with lemon juice or vinegar, let sit then scrub with a stiff brush.

Clean your stainless steel sink, cutting boards, containers, refrigerator, and oven top with baking soda and water. Mix into a paste. This also helps to kill bacteria so it’s great for the kitchen.

After the Workout...

The first 30 minutes after your workout are the most important in making your workout count! Don't rush away to get on with your day. Take the time to ensure your workout wasn't in vain. 
Cardio Cool Down! It's only common sense, but more often than not we speed through it. Even trained instructors have a tendency to sacrifice cool down in order to get 5 more minutes into their workout. Don't do it! Make sure you always take another five minutes for the cool down. Most effective cool downs consist of the same activity only slower and less intense. By simply ending your workout, you risk becoming light-headed and dizzy.

Stretch Stretch Stretch To avoid soreness, stretch after EVERY workout! Research has proven that stretching greatly reduces soreness and increases your flexibility! During my Pilates classes I stretch after each section of muscle worked. Holding the stretch for 20-30 seconds when your muscles are warmed up also helps to increase your flexibility.



Hydrate! When your sweating away your bodily fluids, it's important to hydrate and replenish them. There is a huge controversy over what is best, water vs. sports drinks and every week a new study comes out that discounts the findings of the week before. I will tell you this, water is the staph of life and has been around much longer than sports drinks. However, for athletes and a hardcore workout, the addition of sodium helps you to absorb the water and nutrients and electrolytes are in need of replenishing. Extreme conditions such as heat and excessive sweating definitely calls for more than just water so take into account your activities and your workout and drink what works best for your situation.

EAT Within 30 minutes after your Workout After a hard workout, your muscles are hungry. Eating after a workout, when your metabolism is running high, not only burns through those calories quickly, but the resources from those calories are used more efficiently AND it helps to prevent soreness. Eating before a workout is counter productive. Since your body focuses most of it's resources on digestion, when you workout, your body pulls those resources away from digestion to move oxygen through your blood, the result is your meal just sitting like a huge lump in your stomach. This can cause you to be sluggish and even nauseated.

Remember, working out is your time. Make the most of your time and give yourself the time after the workout that you deserve!
Namiste.

Understanding the Power of Blood Sugar Stabilization

Your blood sugar levels determine how good or bad you feel on any given day. If your blood sugar is stable, you experience bountiful energy, it helps control hunger and prevents mood swings. If your blood sugar level is low, it can cause irritability, fatigue, lethargy, excessive hunger, moodiness, depression and cravings for sweets — factors which can undermine success in any health program. Scientists and Doctors alike are unleashing the power to successful weight loss and maintenance through managing your blood sugar level and for most people, this can easily be achieved through the foods we eat.

Blood Sugar is the form of Glucose within the blood stream. Your blood sugar is stable when it resides between 80mg/dl & 120mg/dl. Why does it need to be stable? Because glucose fuels our Nervous System, it creates the bulk of our Bodies energy source, ATP. Everything you do, every movement, every action is fueled through ATP. Glucose is the bodies main source of fuel.

So if our energy source is created through glucose then how does the body keep your blood sugar stable?

Your body houses a system of glands that produce hormones to regulate your body. When your body is in balance it works for you, very well. When it’s not, you experience any number of symptoms or issues and men, you are not immune. Your pancreas is your blood sugar regulator. It produces 2 main hormones to accomplish this job; Glucagon and Insulin. Glucagon’s purpose is to raise Blood Sugar, Insulin’s purpose is to lower it. There are 3 states of Blood Sugar that your body can be in: Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar), Hyperglycemia (High Blood Sugar) or Stable. 

So it’s simple right? If you feed your body correctly it will always release Glucagon and Insulin and it will stay within the 80-120 range. Your body already knows what to do, everything is as it should be… the key is feeding it correctly. 

What happens if you don’t feed it correctly? 

Low Blood Sugar / High Blood Sugar; The Spike and Crash of a bad day of eating:

Say you wake up in the morning around 6:30am and you don’t really feel hungry. You grab a cup of coffee. Your metabolism gets a jolt, you go on about your day probably consuming 1 or 2 more cups of coffee and realize that sometime around noon you’re starving. You grab your co-worker and head down to Café Topanga and are literally drooling at the smells as you walk to your table. The waiter sets down the garlic rolls and you wolf one down like you’ve been in the woods for 10 days, eying the second roll sitting on the plate, while your co-worker looks at you sideways. Still not satiated, you order the most carbs they can fit in the biggest bowl because it’s sounds sooooooo good on the menu. By the time it arrives, you’ve already consumed the other roll and the mini salad that came with your meal. At this point, if you’re thinking clearly, you’ll have them box it up to go, but since you were so hungry and so looking forward to it, you’re not thinking clearly, you’re once again in a sugar high state of complete bliss, so you manage to consume half the bowl before pushing it away feeling overstuffed and downright cranky with yourself for having eaten so much. 

So what just happened? Well, you were sleeping, your body was fasting, you awoke and needed to refuel to get going but your blood sugar was low (Hypoglycemia) so you didn’t really think about eating anything. Instead you grabbed a cup of coffee and instead your body burned a little muscle to stabilize your blood sugar. This spiked your blood sugar level up so you got an immediate feeling of good, but your body quickly crashed. If you’re anything like me, the best remedy is another cup of coffee, thus spiking again followed by another crash, now you’ve sent your body into starvation mode craving sugar (in the form of carbs, carbs and more carbs), your stomach is making obnoxious noises while it’s gearing up for some serious fat storage. Then you stock up on the bread at the table and everything else in front of you. Now you’ve consumed too many calories, carbs and your insulin is over expressed to stabilize your blood sugar all the while your body is storing all the fat it can, just in case this happens again. 

Stable Blood Sugar - Win for your body and mind:

When you wake in the morning you’re body has been fasting since your last meal. 8 – 12 hours… you do the math. The reality is you don’t even go that long during the day without consuming something. Your body needs fuel and you know this whether you’re hungry or not. So you eat something. I personally never wake up hungry so making eggs and toast sounds like more of a hassle then ‘mmmmmm’ to me, but since I know my body needs fuel, I make myself a smoothie. It’s quick to prepare and I can drink an 8 oz smoothie even if I’m not hungry. This will take me through the next 3.5 hours when I will then make myself breakfast and this is when eggs sound good. I usually opt for egg on a whole wheat English muffin with some low-fat cheese and salsa or a breakfast burrito. Now 3-4 hours later I eat my lunch. Call me old fashioned, but I do like sandwiches for lunch. A half turkey on whole wheat or tuna, or maybe even a chicken wrap. I like to add avocado for my fat and I love the olive oil mayo from Best Foods. It’s half the calories of regular mayo and no Saturated Fat (ugly word). Loves it… in moderation of course. 

What’s the difference? Well, the first example was how I use to eat and the latter is more like my day goes now. I learned to feed my body correctly stabilizing my blood sugar. My body has reached Homeostasis. I’m not perfect though. Sometimes I wake up and I take a wrong turn but I’ve learned that one little thing such as starting off with my smoothie, makes my whole day a lot easier. Once I’m on track, I continue to do the following:

1.  Eat every 3-4 hours

2.  Know my Nutrient Ratios – the right combination of Protein, carbohydrates and fatty acids combined keep me going.

3.  Look at Calories per Meal, not calories per day. Caloric intake is based on body composition. My body needs a lot more calories then you might think. None of this 1200 calorie super-model diet. I eat.
 

Your body is a feed as it goes machine. You burn as you consume. Smaller, more frequent meals, made up of the right Nutrient Ratios will ensure your body is releasing the correct amounts of glucagon and insulin to stabilize your blood sugar achieving Homeostasis and it’s benefits:

1.  Increased energy and heightened mental alertness

2.  Breakdown of body fat

3.  Increased lean muscle mass which leads to a faster metabolism

4.  Reduced sugar cravings

So when your Blood Sugar is stable, Fat is released into the blood stream. From there it is absorbed by the muscle and then burned inside the muscle as energy. 

Did you know that Every Pound of muscle burns 30-50 Calories per day? Now that you have stabilized your Blood Sugar, you have bounds more energy and what better way to burn it then at the gym! This is where I tell you to get proper exercise. So you commit yourself to a personal trainer and get to work. The only problem is now you’re hungry all the time. What you’re eating just isn’t cutting it. The good news? Add a meal. You’re building muscle and just 5 pounds of muscle, (which, by the way, takes up the same amount of space as 15 pounds of fat) is burning up to 250 more calories a day and since your blood sugar has been stable you’ve been burning fat efficiently making you smaller around the middle in spite of the fact that your food intake is getting bigger. 

Aside from the weight loss and the fact that your body is rockin’, you also notice you no longer suffer from Sugar Cravings. You have more energy, you’re more mentally alert, your stress level is much lower and your overall quality of life is improved. 

Can you change your eating habits making them better for the rest of your life? I’m pretty sure you can. If I can do it, anyone can. Get going!

Fitness Myths: Strength Training with Weights will make me Bulky

Many people, especially women, avoid weight training because somewhere along the way they heard that it will make their muscles big. This is simply a matter of misinformation. Strength training is a critical element to create muscle tone and burn fat and should not be left out of your well rounded routine.

Every pound of muscle you have burns ~ 30-50 calories more in a day. The more lean mass you have, the more calories you burn. Without some kind of weight or resistance training, you're likely to reach a plateau quickly and you won't achieve those nicely sculpted muscles. 

Light to moderate weights with between 12-20 repetitions are most effective for toning lean muscle mass. Building large muscles takes a great deal of discipline and a very strict regimen of heavier weights. Body builders work for years to get the muscle mass that they exhibit.

Stick to the moderate weights, enough to challenge your muscles at the higher reps and your muscles will be sleek and toned without any bulk. If you're still not sure, hire a personal trainer to help you decide what workout will help to reach your health goals.

Breathe Deep

There's more to breathing then meets the nose!

Your sitting in Yoga class and you are told to breath deep through your nose, exhale through your mouth. There are a lot of good reasons for this.  Emotionally, deep breathing reduces feelings of stress, aids in achieving a relaxed state, and assists us to put our busy minds to rest by inducing a meditative state, however, one of the most important reasons is purely scientific! According to Dr. Mehmet Oz, it's because of a gas called nitric oxide that's made by your nose and sinus mucous membranes. This gas is produced in small amounts, but when inhaled into the lungs, significantly enhances your lung's capacity to absorb oxygen. Nitric oxide is lethal to bacteria and viruses and is also known to increase oxygen absorption in your lungs from 10-25 percent. This is why it's important to inhale through your nose, especially when you are exercising.

Go ahead, take a deep breath!