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Old 12-26-2013, 12:48 PM   #1  
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Default Am I fat because of lack of plants?

So, I have always had what I thought was a slow metabolsim. Never could figure out why. I exercised as a kid. Went to the gym. I am decently strong.

I have however, always been intrigued by the idea that our metabolsim is influenced by oxygen. There was an infomercial on a few years back with this lady that claimed you could lose weight via breathing. There seems to be support for this.

Exercise itself makes you take in more oxygen. Yoga and meditation are known for keeping people thin -- without strenuious exercise. It suggests it is the strong breathing that does it. It is well known that water is good for weight loss,, and so are many water like products, such as tea. Water is actually H2O... so... you are getting oxygen - it is suggested that exercising outside is better for you than in the gym...

But then I kind of realized it. I exercise almost exclusively in the gym, as a child my exercise was in a skating rink, not outside. I have no plants in my house or at my work and I work in a city and if I do go outside the air is not exactly good.

I happened to follow a blog with a girl who dropped lbs without a lot of effort... she didn't do a ton of exercise, just went for walks in the woods with her dog.

So if tomorrow I purchased a whole bunch of plants for my home and my office and spend my weekend in the woods just going for the same walk I do in the city... would my metabolsim rev?

I don't know.. whatcha think?
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Old 12-26-2013, 12:55 PM   #2  
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While I think better quality air is very important for your health, and exercising out of doors is always a good idea as long as conditions are safe, I think that the idea that more oxygen will stimulate weight loss sounds pretty silly and I wouldn't believe a word unless some peer-reviewed studies came out to that effect. Unless you have a medical condition, weight loss is all about calories out vs calories in.

But for your own health, I think some plants would be a great idea - they might even motivate you to make better choices, because they would be like little reminders!
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Old 12-26-2013, 01:19 PM   #3  
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Plants, walk in the woods and proper breathing all sound good. So does yoga and meditation. I just don't think that breathing and oxygen alone can account for a lot in metabolism. If that would be the case, the people living in higher altitudes would have metabolism issues. That said, what ever makes you feel better and live a happier and healthier life is all good! But if you expect for a big change in metabolism just because you got plants, you'll end up being disappointed and that's not good.
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Old 12-26-2013, 06:54 PM   #4  
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If that would be the case, the people living in higher altitudes would have metabolism issues.
Weirdly, I looked it up, and turns out people in higher altitudes seem to lose weight due to being in the o2 deprived environment. I am going to guess that it is because they are struggling to get oxygen and it may be a drain on every system / heart / respiration -- actually making the body work harder at every moment.

There are two studies that "suggest" that breathing can directly affect metabolism. The first one was testing if breathing via different nostrils could make a difference to metabolism (which one did) and they found it did. Though I find the study flawed because I don't see how they could adjust for a stuffed up nostril. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8063359

The other one was about sleep apena where it showed that if you didn't get proper o2 at night you were likely to have ALL the effects that being over weight will effect -- insulin resistance, weight gain, cardiac issues.

So I think there is at least some suggestion that it is something that could make a difference. I think about how in the summer I always seem to have less trouble gaining weight. Could that be because I have my windows open right next to big trees?

People tap down 6 glasses of green tea a day to make about 3% change in metabolism. What if 6 or seven plants in your house and office produced the same result?
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Old 12-26-2013, 08:22 PM   #5  
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If you want to lose a lot of weight without exercise, eat the plants specifically lots of veg.

If you want to look great and lose weight, then I would exercise, eat the plants and fish/eggs.
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Old 12-26-2013, 11:05 PM   #6  
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Plants.

My house plants make me happy in winter. I enjoy bringing in the geraniums and so on and keeping them going.

The other plants that make me happy, are the veggies, I grow in my garden! And then, I eat them!

Scientific studies are what they are. To a point they have some value. However, studies cannot account for each and every person.

The best course of action is to research and then, take the info and do what works for you!
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Old 12-27-2013, 05:21 AM   #7  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AnnRue View Post
Weirdly, I looked it up, and turns out people in higher altitudes seem to lose weight due to being in the o2 deprived environment. I am going to guess that it is because they are struggling to get oxygen and it may be a drain on every system / heart / respiration -- actually making the body work harder at every moment.

There are two studies that "suggest" that breathing can directly affect metabolism. The first one was testing if breathing via different nostrils could make a difference to metabolism (which one did) and they found it did. Though I find the study flawed because I don't see how they could adjust for a stuffed up nostril. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8063359

The other one was about sleep apena where it showed that if you didn't get proper o2 at night you were likely to have ALL the effects that being over weight will effect -- insulin resistance, weight gain, cardiac issues.

So I think there is at least some suggestion that it is something that could make a difference. I think about how in the summer I always seem to have less trouble gaining weight. Could that be because I have my windows open right next to big trees?

People tap down 6 glasses of green tea a day to make about 3% change in metabolism. What if 6 or seven plants in your house and office produced the same result?
Moving around in high altitudes is really straining. I was in St. Moritz once in the Swiss Alps and there was this hotel by the lake and to get to the entrance, you had to walk up a small slope. At sea level, it wouldn't have been a problem. Over there, I had to stop for a moment half way, because lactic acid was building in my thighs and I was out of breath! There's a reason athletes have high altitude training camps :-)

I think proper breathing technique could help with a lot of things, but that's again a separate issue from the level of oxygen in the air. I know I am a very shallow breather and should pay more attention to it, though my reasons are more spiritual and emotional than physical.

Now, I don't mean to be discouraging! :-) I love all kinds of tests and to see if small changes make a difference! Perhaps getting a lot of plants would make a difference, but it might be for a different reason. Lowering cortisol levels is always a good thing, for example. Though there's also the chance that you'd get frustrated and stressed as well :-)

I would also suggest getting fresh herbs for several reasons. The smell of basil, for example, is just lovely and you can use it in cooking.

If you're concerned with your metabolic rate, then I would try some HIIT exercises. It totally makes you want to give up and vomit your guts out, but it's very effective in raising the metabolic rate for a long time after you've already finished it and it helps with insulin sensitivity. The problem is that it's very straining, so I would check with a doctor first in case of any physical problems that might put you in harms way.
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Old 12-27-2013, 06:44 AM   #8  
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Now, I don't mean to be discouraging! :-) I love all kinds of tests and to see if small changes make a difference! Perhaps getting a lot of plants would make a difference, but it might be for a different reason..
Well, I mean it isn't my first, roll on the diet truck. Definitely have done most of the regular metabolism things. But never found it did much. I am not saying so much about o2 being in the air (just kind of kidding about the thread title) but seriously if you live your life with poor air low o2, maybe it makes just that much of a difference. Is this perhaps why eating fruits and veggies helps weight loss? Because they are packed full of water / o2?

So say your o2 rate is 97% but you change it to 98% would that perhaps raise your calories burned by 100? Possibly. If you are someone who does never go outside, never concentrates on your breathing, maybe that would be "the thing" that gets the metabolism up more. I mean is this why people in warmer areas are thinner than those in colder ones. They are more likely to get better air / o2. Walk outside. Is this why people gain weight when it is cold?

Actually I found on line yesterday "O2" in a can. Which people use at high altitudes to assist them. In fact several comments talk about using them at sea level and it helping with energy. I am a bit afraid to do that because I have seen a few studies that show pure o2 isn't good for you.

Anyway, interesting to think about for me and just wondering if it sparked anything with anyone else. I did a liquid (mostly) diet a few years back to lose the weight and the weight fell off me. I always wondered if it was due to the liquid / water and o2. I did see a slowing of the weight loss when I transitioned to hard food even though I was still eating less.
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Old 12-27-2013, 01:05 PM   #9  
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No, extra oxygen will not help you lose weight faster.

Our bodies don't work this way.
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Old 12-27-2013, 07:04 PM   #10  
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So if tomorrow I purchased a whole bunch of plants for my home and my office and spend my weekend in the woods just going for the same walk I do in the city... would my metabolsim rev?
No.
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Old 12-29-2013, 07:45 PM   #11  
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Well I know I will never convince the naysayers but for anyone else who has an open mind I have done some research on it and there are diet programs based on this and the reviews DO say it works. I am talking about Oxyicise and Body Flex. Of course, I am not saying that breathing will cause you to drop lbs and eat the same. Duh obviously but, as a factor that you might not have considered before.. maybe it would burn off about 100 more calories per day.

Ask yourself... what is your respiration? Is it a lot? That means you are taking short shallow breaths. Mine is 17.. not exactly great.

Ask yourself... do you surround yourself with fresh air? Do you frequently walk outside around plants? Or are you an indoor only person.

Ask yourself... how can Yoga be used to keep people slim? And you know people DO use it to stay slim. It is not strenuous activity. Perhaps it is because it focuses on breathing?

Ask yourself the last 30 years we have gotten more and more sedentary and also... more and more inside hunched over computers breathing shallowly.

Is exercise important because, in part, in forces you to breathe and increase oxygenation? Is that why non-vigorous exercise (such as walking) doesn't do as much as vigorous / interval.

Actually there is a pretty substantial movement out there that believes all disease is caused by lack of O2 and that many diseases could be eliminated by increased O2 oxygenation. And there are actually machines you can purchase to make you own O2. There is also this thing called O2 in a can. Though I don't plan on using any of it because too much of anything can be bad. But, still...
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Old 12-29-2013, 07:50 PM   #12  
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All I know is that hospitals wean patients off of oxygen before they leave. There's probably a good reason for that.
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Old 12-29-2013, 08:27 PM   #13  
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I can say that I had no problem staying fat even though I was outside all the time, often running, walking dogs, biking, being in my enormous backyard surrounded by mature tropical plants, hanging out on the beach. I definitely had plenty of quality oxygen, and I stayed overweight until I changed how I ate.
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Old 12-30-2013, 04:37 AM   #14  
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Ann, I'm not exactly a naysayer in this, but I would like you to consider a few things.

How much more oxygen would there actually be in your surroundings by adding a few plants? You'd have no real way of measuring it, which makes it more difficult to experiment. Also, even if you did raise the oxygen levels in your surroundings, it wouldn't automatically improve your breathing. That would be the bottleneck you'd have to address. That goes for walking outside as well. So if I'd start to make changes in this area, that's where I would personally start.

Some people might attempt to use Yoga to stay slim, but it really isn't enough as an exercise to make a huge difference in your metabolism. The slim yogis simply eat less. I just wrote here yesterday about a friend who's having problems with her waistline (due to constantly snacking and eating a lot). She's a yoga instructor who teaches several classes per week. So yoga alone will not make you slim, even if you were fully trained at it and knew the proper breathing technique. I would also like to say that I find it unfortunate that Yoga has this image of being only for flexible, slim people, when anyone can benefit from it.

You can be sedentary and have an excellent breathing technique. Meditation comes to mind (no pun intended). While I'm sure meditation can also be helpful in addressing some of the mental parts of weight gain or loss, it doesn't directly make you gain or lose weight. Well, except that while meditating you're unlikely to be eating :-)

Non-vigorous exercise might force you to breathe more heavily depending on your fitness level, but vigorous or interval exercises are likely to become anaerobic. It's well known that weightlifting and HIIT are great for raising your metabolism. Exercising becomes anaerobic, when there's not enough oxygen to create energy for the muscles and the muscles start to break down sugar and producing lactic acid.

I'm all for clean air, but if lack of oxygen was causing a lot of diseases, then the people living in high altitudes would be very sick people. Instead it seems that people who live in high altitudes actually live longer than those of us who live at sea level.

So in all honestly, I'd actually claim that in a healthy person, lack of oxygen would yield better results than having plenty of oxygen. That's because lack of oxygen forces your body to adapt and work harder.
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Old 12-30-2013, 06:57 AM   #15  
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The oxygen fresh air and getting out and enjoying nature will put anyone into a better state of mind. When you feel better you treat yourself better. So in the end oxygen and exercise will help a person make changes in there life. But buying some plants isn't going to make you lose weight... I know there is supposed to be more to this theory and I hate to come off as mean but... its basic stuff. REALLY look at what you are taking in and the amount of calories you are burning.

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