3 free little-known (and free) ways
to avoid the cold and flu season

Blazing Reader,

Yesterday, I said how I thought hydroxychloroquine was probably useless. No, I haven't turned to the dark side. I've always found it odd so many people felt any "miracle drug" was needed to deal with "COVID-19." Statistically, the scamdemic was shown to be no more deadly than the regular cold and flu season.

Well, another thing which produced more hate mail from our side of the fence than I ever received from the mainstream, was when I said masks do not deny the wearer needed oxygen. I even demonstrated this in a video of me running up and down a hill with my mouth taped shut for forty mintues — while wearing two face masks.

The masks are harmful for so many other reasons, but a thin piece of cloth isn't going to make any difference in how much oxygen finds its way into our bloodstream. Most of the oxygen we breathe in never gets used (unless you have your head underwater or are carrying a fridge uphill on your back).

Instead, most people are already breathing too much air. This is something I learned many years ago, and I believe it's one of the reasons I rarely get anything more than a passing day or two of mild cold or flu symptoms.

Last post, I said I would share three ways to reduce your chances of falling ill this time of the year. Here they are, and they all involve breathing less:

1) Breathe through your nose. First of all it's a darn good filter (far better than a mask). But there are so many other reasons why breathing in and out through your nose will keep you healthy. The foremost is that the smaller passageway raises carbon dioxide levels in your blood. CO2 is a blood vessel dilator. The wider your blood vessels the better the circulation. The better your circulation, the better your body is at removing toxins.

2) Hold your breath. Throughout the day I take breaks from breathing. After exhaling normally, I'll regularly pinch my nose closed for 30-60 seconds. This teaches the brain to breathe less, thus raising your CO2 levels. The more CO2 in your blood, the more oxygen is released from hemoglobin. It's called the Bohr Effect. It was discovered in 1908, yet a century later most people (including doctors) know little or nothing about it.

3) Do #1 (nose breathing) and #2 (frequent breath holds) while you exercise. In the morning I go for a 6-7 km run (depending on which way the wind is blowing) with my mouth closed, pinching my nose every few minutes. In the winter, this produces a fair bit of mucous. One tissue every kilometre at least. It cleans me out. Likewise, I do the same throughout the day with body weight exercises.

Most of what people have been taught about breathing, blood circulation and tissue oxygenation is demonstrably wrong. The two best books I know of that explain the theory and the practice are based around the discoveries of the late Ukranian scientist Dr. Konstatin Buteyko.

If you're in fairly good health and like to exercise, I recommend you buy The Oxygen Advantage: Simple, Scientifically Proven Breathing Techniques to Help You Become Healthier, Slimmer, Faster, and Fitter by Patrick McKeown, available through my shop: http://blazingpinecone.com/shop/the-oxygen-advantage/

If you're ill, sedentary or dealing with chronic health problems then I recommend McKeown's other book, The Breathing Cure:  Develop New Habits for a Healthier, Happier, and Longer Life, available here: http://blazingpinecone.com/shop/the-breathing-cure/

If you're not sure which one to start with, then start with The Breathing Cure.

Breathing less has helped me avoid seasonal downtime, I think it could do the same for you (plus a lot more).

—John C.A. Manley

John C. A. Manley is the author of Much Ado About Corona: A Dystopian Love Story, the forthcoming All The Humans Are Sleeping and other works of speculative fiction. Get free samples of his stories by becoming a Blazing Pine Cone email subscriber at: https://blazingpinecone.com/subscribe/