BREATHING
Breathing can be voluntary or Invol
untary. We can regulate our breathing
consciously or forget about 1t and still
continue to breathe. This characteristic
of breathing plays an Important role in
controlling and managing stress.
Most of us tend to breathe shallowly
with the upper two thirds of the lungs as
opposed to diaphragm breathing. By breathing
1n the upper chest, we will average 16 to
20 breaths per minute. In a 24 hour
period, chronic chest breathers will Inhale
22,000-25,000 times, while diaphragm
breathers will take only 10,000-12,000
breaths.
Even though there 1s no difference 1n
the amount of oxygen consumed by the body,
imagine the work required by the lungs.
And rapid, shallow chest breathing causes
the heart to accelerate. This can be
quite taxing on the heart. By breathing
deeply (diaphragmatic breathing), you can
1nmed1ately accomodate the overworked
heart by getting your body into a relaxed
state.
After some weeks you will begin to
notice subtle changes 1n your daily breathing
patterns. The movement will be more re
laxed and rhythmic. This leads to a greater
efficiency of both the heart and lungs, thus
reducing the amount of work required for
proper breathing.
PRACTICE
Before you go to sleep and just after
waking up, practice the following...
Place your right hand on your upper
abdomen, with the little finger directly
above the navel and the fingers spread
so that the thumb 1s almost touching the
chest. Place your left hand on the upper
chest with the little finger between the
two breasts. As you breathe, concentrate
on the air moving down Into the upper ab
domen (as 1f you are filling your stomach
with breath)-. The right hand should
rise with the inhalation and fall with
the exhalation; the left hand should not
move. You should feel a slight motion 1n
the lower portion of the chest cavity,
but the upper portion should remain still.
Within a few minutes you will become
more rested and quiet. Try not to force
the breath.
Relaxation technique taken from, Freedom
from Stress, by Phil Nuemberger, Phb.
SALT
High salt Intake Is often cited as a
cause of hypertension, although some feel
that 1t becomes a factor only when taken
1n large amounts by those already dis
posed toward high blood pressure.
Most people Dour entirely too much
salt on food. You can get plenty of
sodium from foods containing natural
mineral salts - uncooked fruits and veg
etables, nuts and seeds.
Food containing a lot of sodium should
be avoided by anyone with a tendency to
ward h1qh blood pressure. In addition to
table salt beware of catsups, cold meats,
canned
eat well
Calorie-for-calorie, tofu compares fav
orably with other protein foods. It 1s
high in protein, thiamine, and other nut
rients, while low in saturated fat and
sodium, and entirely free of cholesterol.
TOFU Meat Milk Eggs
Protein
Thiamine
Iron
Saturated Fat
Sodi urn
Cholesterol
108 85
83 31
26 11
14 35
10 16
0 24
53
45
2
78
49
13
30 24
76 166
17 337
The figures in this table are based on the
concept of "nutrient density", 1.e. they
give the amounts of nutrients provided by
an equal number of calories of each food.
CREAMY TOFU DIP OR DRESSING
>slb. tofu, cut up
l*s-2 TBS lemon juice
3 TBS salad oil
•seasonings: pepper, minced onion,
minced garlic, salad herbs like parsley,
basil, or chives
Blend first four Ingredients plus 2-3
seasonings until smooth (or mash together
and let sit for *5 hr.). Add water a lit
tle at a time, thinning to desired con
sistency. Use as a dip for vegetables
or chips (unsalted), as a spread for whole
wheat crackers, or spoon over salads.
Makes about 1*5 cups.