Losing weight by watching your intake of…. Air?
Don’t laugh.
It turns out that breathing dirty air disrupts your gut bacteria enough to significantly boost your risk of obesity. [R]
All this to say, if you’re serious about your health and vitality, dirty air is not something to be messing with.
We are intuitively put off by dull and hazy city air, but do we underestimate how toxic it truly it is?
When you climb mountains and go camping, you immediately feel the difference.
But how long does it take to forget about it once you’re back? Not very.
It’s amazing how many things are rationalized as “normal” or “safe”.
More and more research is revealing that supposedly “safe” levels of air pollution can actually be deadly in ways we had not previously considered.
For example, did you know air pollution kills more people than smoking?
Or war?
Imagine what it’s doing to people still living.
Thankfully, there are ways to reduce your risks.
And don’t worry, it’s not by ditching your vehicle and going “off the grid.”
It starts as practical as checking if your house is properly ventilated with purified air.
If you’re not sure, reach out to a trusted HVAC company for an air quality test.
What about outside your home?
When you check the weather in the morning, take a second to also check the air pollution forecast.
Avoid outdoor areas when the pollutions levels are high.
Also, avoid exercising by busy roads and high-traffic areas. Even on clean days, some highways spread pollution up to 0.3 miles away.
If you’re a runner, consider quiet neighborhoods or trails away from major roads.
Hell, even a trip to the countryside wouldn’t hurt!
The last thing you want is your efforts going to waste by breathing air that makes you fat.
Happy breathing