for Better Lung Health
Take a deep breath. In. And out. In. And out. That simplest of actions is the essence of life.
You are completely dependent on your body’s ability to draw in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide to go on living. Each breath draws in essential oxygen from the surrounding atmosphere and pulls it deep into your lung tissue. Large passageways branch into increasingly smaller and more intricate structures. Eventually, air is funneled into microscopic channels ending in specialised alveolar sacs that are surrounded by a complex network of interlaced capillaries. The surface of these little spherical bellows is where gas exchange takes place. The average human has about 700 million of these sacs that do this miraculous work. And yet, you probably never think about breathing.
Why? Because it’s automatic. Your pulmonary system is receiving instructions from a part of your brain that isn’t fully connected to conscious thought. And thank heavens! Who wants to remember to breathe when there are so many other things to think about? Or who could sleep if breathing were a conscious act? Just because breathing is automatic doesn’t mean it should be forgotten. Healthy lungs lead to a long and healthy life. So while you probably know a thing or two about keeping your heart healthy, many of us have little idea how to keep our lungs in top shape. Well, here are a few tips and tricks for everyone.
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SEPTEMBER 2018 | MELALEUCA.COM
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