Frequently Asked Questions (Miscellaneous N-Z)

Dear Mike I see in your most recent edition of the newsletter, you mention that you will include the topic of nutrition from time to time. I think that is a good idea, but I would like to give you some feedback on that...from a consumer's perspective.

Firstly, just exactly what are the nutrition basics? Let me give you a quick example of how confusing this is to many of us. Today on TV, I happened to be watching a program about dieting...I think I would categorize it as an infomercial program. The program was discussing why the official FDA recommended diet...20% protein, 25% fat, and 65% carbohydrates...was all wrong. There are so many claims of what is right and what is wrong that the average person is nearly defenseless.

Even when one understands the basics, the next problem is how does one apply the basics. Trying to read food labels is next to impossible, not because the food labeling isn't clear, but because different words can be used to confuse truth. Fruit juices, for example, that say they are 100% fruit conjure up a certain image, but when you read the label carefully, you often see that the product contains 27% fruit juice.

We are bombarded by commercials extolling the virtues of orange juice, yet you, yourself, point out the amount of sugar in orange juice.

I know we have truth in advertising laws, but for practical purposes, they mean nothing. IF you want to help, give us some concise about the basics. Should we drink 8 glasses of water a day? For practical purposes, should water be our beverage? Is grape juice really good for the bladder and kidneys? Is grape juice too full of sugar?

Claim after claim after claim, many in conflict with one another bombard us every day. The often used basis for extolling the virtues of something..."studies show"... I am amazed that the number of well-educated people who have apparently forgotten their Introduction to Research Methods class in college and are ready to believe any claim based on studies they know nothing about other than what someone says about them.

The traditional medical industry, the health food industry, the alternative treatments and therapies industry, YOUR industry, are all making claim after claim, but most of us are totally in the dark about these things. Yes, I think we should all know and practice the basics, but I ask again, what are the basics?

Thanks, Larry H

From Mike:
Well said Larry.

Add multilevel hype to that and you have quite a challenge. I will be adding my own comments and links to various health professional colleagues from time to time. For starters, if you are not super thin and obviously suffering from severe mal nutrition, do a cleanse. Try feeding your breath.

And stay subscribed the Optimal Breathing Times.

From Mike:
To Gay Hendricks
Seems I recall you writing or saying that an issue was always handled by something in this life time and that past lives were perhaps too far fetched. and often put the person out of taking responsibility. They could now put their problems off onto someone or something else. At least that was the implication to me. Is this accurate and/or addressed in any of your writings?

From Gay:
Yes, I have found that people who are concerned with past lives are always out of touch with something they need to be focusing on in their present lives. The past life is a way of avoiding contact with the present pain. I regard concern with past lives as the problem, not a solution. I see plenty of things from this life and from being inside your mother during her life and from being an egg inside your mother when she was inside her mother. You don't need a fanciful explanation outside genetics--there's plenty to work on there.

Recommended product

I have briefly perused your great website. I am looking forward to reading it in-depth. This probably sounds silly. I have not asked anyone else this question. I feel very inhibited by the pollution in the Northeast US. I have chronic sinusitis and definitely need to do breathing, but I feel like I am also taking in more pollutants (indoor and out)! Can you show me the flaw in my thinking here? Thanks for the information and support.

From Mike:
No flaw. You are in a classic double bind. Wanting to breathe better and worried about what it is that you are breathing. Feed it, develop it and protect it.

I have been suffering with chronic hyperventilation for years...I'm 5 weeks postpartum...it disappears during pregnancy...any ideas?

From Mike:
Several exercises in my Recommended Product work quite well.

Dear Mike

I am currently enrolled in the psychophysiology course at...college, and was wondering if you have any research or information that could be helpful to our research. Thank you for you time. J H.

From Mike:
Dear JH

I have lived psychophysiology for the last 25 years. Look closely at the website and you will see that. The bibliography page may also be helpful

1. You must practice specific breathing exercises and get the #191 Secrets of Optimal Natural Breathing.

2. Share the study with your instructors. Put it to class scrutiny.

3. Study the website and stay on the email newsletter.

Do ALL of this. Reading and writing about it is not even close to experiencing it. You MUST experience the breath to know, understand, benefit from it and then be able to speak with authority and integrity. Full-bodied experience is the essence of integrity.

Mike Recommended product

michael, i would appreciate something in the range of comparison between differences in athletic breathing for men and women. regardless of equality claims, it seems that reality discovers subtle differences in all other areas. perhaps there are none but at this point i am unsure. thanks for the spinning article it should be very helpful to your readers. by the by, i prefer the CLEAR PASSAGE strips which i feel are an improvement upon the original product. should you and others continue to push breathe right, they will be gone and i shall have to make my own. personally, i find the gym bike to be a boring entree to fitness. my primary task in that area is on the speed and heavy bags which i preface with a little Tibetan caffeine. in between 3-round sets on the heavy bag i do abbreviated sets of lat pull downs, dumbbells, and leg machine routines.

From Mike:
I observe that women breathe deeper, easier and more balanced in general. I suspect that historically less stress and having babies gets the breath back in balance or stronger, unless C Section intervenes. But these days stress is hitting the female sex as well. Women's lib is getting hoisted on its own petard and it is also a good thing that women are getting more freedom to be who they want to be. But that comes with a price and the price is the stress of the hunter/warrior that the man used to get to shoulder. We must ALL learn to re-establish and maintain our maximal breathing ability.

Mike