Sleep Drink Breathe

October 21, 2024
“Sleeping, hydrating, and breathing well are the fastest, best ways to get back into whole-body balance,” according to this hit-or-miss guide. Psychologist Breus (Energize!) notes that getting enough sleep has been found to strengthen the immune system and reduce cravings, and he encourages readers to keep a consistent sleep schedule and turn off screens at least an hour before bed. Staying hydrated is crucial to ensuring blood is viscous enough to circulate glucose, protein, and oxygen to cells throughout the body, he explains, outlining his formula for calculating how much water a person should drink: “(Weight in pounds x 0.6) + 12 oz. per 30 minutes of exercise = Daily intake in ounces.” Breus exhorts readers to breathe through their nose, contending that the nasal passageways create a “wind tunnel effect” that leads to “an increase of up to 20 percent in oxygen intake” compared to mouth breathing. There are some useful tips, as when Breus explains that coffee should be consumed with lunch instead of breakfast because its wakeful effects come from clearing the “drowsiness chemical adenosine from brain receptors,” which have usually already been cleared out before one wakes up. Unfortunately, other suggestions are painfully obvious (“To help rid yourself of excess phlegm, cough”). It’s a mixed bag. Agent: Alex Glass, Glass Literary.