Why You Need to Make Breakfast a Family Priority

Adults are not the only ones who benefit from nutritious and regular breakfasts. Research has shown that children who eat breakfast perform better on tests, spend less time in the nurse’s office, and get better grades. Why is breakfast so important? 

• It improves performance.The brain needs fuel to function at its peak. Eating a balanced breakfast makes it easier to concentrate, to remember things, and to be in a good mood.
• It reduces obesity. Children (and adults, for that matter) who skip breakfast are more likely to overeat at other times during the day from hunger.
• It ensures nutrition. Many foods eaten at breakfast are good sources of calcium, fiber, vitamins C and D, and iron. Skipping breakfast will make it harder to ensure proper nutrition.

Send your kids off with a running start and they’ll be sure to succeed later. Make breakfast a family priority!

Can Condiments Make You Fat?

Eat the Good Fat First
Choosing healthy-fat appetizers may help you eat less, lose weight

If you’re trying to watch your weight, you don’t have to forgo appetizers altogether. In fact, choosing the right starter before your meal may actually help you eat less overall. So don’t deprive yourself of that fresh whole-grain bread and olive oil the next time a waiter brings it to your table. It may be your diet’s best friend.

Eating a small amount of healthy unsaturated fat – think olive oil, nuts, avocado, and fish – before a meal triggers a chain reaction in your digestive system that slows the rate at which your stomach empties, which means you feel fuller faster. It also helps keep your blood sugar levels from spiking after your meal and makes it easier for your body to absorb fat-soluble nutrients, such as vitamins A, D, E, and K, as well as lycopene and lutein.

It doesn’t take much: Just 70 calories worth will do the trick. That’s about 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, 6 walnuts, 10 almonds, 1/4 of a medium avocado, or 2 ounces of smoked salmon.

So ditch the chips and instead try some of these delicious healthy-fat appetizers.

Spicy Almonds
Makes 2 cups
Serving size: 12 almonds
Calories per serving: 89

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups dry-roasted, unsalted almonds
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons Watkins Chili Powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Watkins Cayenne Pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet until hot but not smoking, then add the almonds and stir to combine.
2. Add the Worcestershire sauce, sugar, chili powder, and salt and stir until the almonds are evenly coated.
3. Remove from heat and spread the almonds in an even layer on a baking sheet.
4. Sprinkle them evenly with cayenne pepper and allow to cool.

Savory Olive Tapenade
Makes 10 servings
Serving size: 2 tablespoons
Calories per serving: 74

1 teaspoon capers
3/4 cup green olives, pitted
3/4 cup black olives, pitted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
Watkins Granulated Black Pepper or freshly ground Watkins Peppercorns, to taste

1. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the olives are finely chopped.
2. Serve with baked whole-wheat pita chips or thinly sliced and toasted whole-wheat bread.

Zesty Pesto Spread
Makes 14 servings
Serving size: 2 tablespoons
Calories per serving: 70

1 1/2 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup fresh basil
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Watkins Granulated Black Pepper or freshly ground Watkins Peppercorns, to taste

1. Combine all the ingredients, except the olive oil, in a food processor until the mixture is finely chopped.
2. Then, with the food processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil until it’s all incorporated.
3. Spread onto whole-wheat crackers.

From RealAge.com

Eleisia
http://www.watkinsonline.com/eleisiawhitney

Help for Hiccups

Most everyone has experienced hiccups at some point in their life. This normal reflex occurs when the diaphragm muscles in the lower part of the chest go into spasm. The resulting rapid movement of the chest is harmless but can be annoying, and can last anywhere from a few minutes to as much as an hour.

If you suffer from recurring or chronic hiccups, try monitoring your food and beverage intake: Eating too quickly (or too much) and drinking carbonated or alcoholic beverages can cause hiccups. Stress, smoking and swallowing large amounts of air can also be factors. If your hiccups last more than a few days, or recur frequently, see your physician to rule out an underlying medical condition.

From www.drweil.com

Whole Grain, Whole Wheat, Multi-Grain Bread?

 

Question
Is there a difference between whole grain and whole wheat bread? Is nine-grain bread better than seven-grain?

Answer
You probably already know it’s best to eat whole wheat or whole grain bread. But when you walk down the bread aisle in the grocery store, you’re hit with multi-grain, seven-grain, nine-grain, and stone ground, too. What to buy?

First, read the label. A bread is considered whole grain if the front of the package says “whole wheat” or “whole grain” or if the first ingredient contains the word “whole” (for example, “whole rye” or “whole cornmeal”). If the front of the label says “made with whole grain,” “made with whole wheat,” “multi-grain,” “seven-grain,” “nine-grain,” etc., it’s mostly a refined grain — not a whole grain. If the package says it contains wheat flour or unbleached flour, that doesn’t mean it’s whole grain either. Bottom line: Whole wheat and whole grain breads are the real deal; the others may not be. Aim for those that contain 3 grams or more of fiber and fewer than 100 calories per slice.

Whole Grain
Whole grain breads add more texture and fiber to your diet. They also retain vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytoestrogens, lignans, and antioxidants. Bread loses those properties when grains are refined. A whole grain means that the entire bran, germ, and endosperm are intact, no matter what grain the bread is made with. The bran is a good source of fiber and B-complex vitamins, the endosperm provides protein and carbohydrates, and the germ is the only part that contains fat and is rich in thiamin. Look for varieties that say 100% whole grain.

Whole Wheat
Whole wheat bread also contains the entire bran, germ, and endosperm of the grain. The only difference? The grain used is always wheat. Stone ground wheat bread indicates the grains were ground with a stone mill rather than by steel blades. This doesn’t mean the grains are necessarily better, but the technique may produce softer bread, so they’re sometimes more expensive. For a bread to be 100% whole wheat, make sure the first ingredient is whole wheat flour.

Multigrain
This term can be deceiving. Many multigrain breads are made with the same flour as white breads, while each of the grains listed on the front of the package may make up just 2% of the bread. Look at the ingredients list: If the first grain is “enriched white flour,” it is not a whole grain bread! It may be made with many grains, but it’s mostly white flour.

Brown Bread
Brown bread does not mean whole grain, nor does it mean it’s necessarily better for you than white bread. Some companies add food coloring to their bread to make it brown. Pumpernickel, a common brown bread, is made with rye and wheat flour. It can be a whole grain, but isn’t always, so read the ingredients list, looking for the word “whole” high up.

White Bread
This is a refined grain. During processing, the bran and endosperm are removed from the wheat flour, depleting the white bread of zinc, fiber, thiamin, niacin, and trace elements. If you grew up on white bread and like the texture better, transition to wheat bread. Start with your favorite White Bread Made with Whole Grains or a Multi-Grain Bread before heading to straight-up whole wheat.

Swine Flu: Questions and Answers from Harvard Medical School

By Harvard Medical School

Swine Flu: Questions and Answers from Harvard Medical School

An epidemic of swine flu has recently developed in Mexico and the United States, says the CDC. Swine flu has killed many people, and the outbreak has features that suggest it could become a global pandemic. A pandemic is an epidemic that spreads around the whole world. Pandemics also often cause more severe disease than epidemics.

As of Sunday, April 26, the United States has declared a public health emergency, and suspect or confirmed cases are being reported from many parts of the world. If a pandemic happens, it could be very serious for human health and the global economy (which definitely does not need any more bad news right now).

Q: What are “swine flu” and “bird flu”?

A: Flu is a disease caused by the influenza virus. Humans, pigs, birds, and other animals all can be infected by influenza viruses. Typically, influenza viruses can infect only one species, so the influenza viruses of humans are different from those of pigs and birds. However, sometimes a virus can infect more than one species. For example, pigs sometimes can be infected not only with pig influenza viruses, but also with human and bird influenza viruses. Then these viruses can sidle up to one another and swap genes, creating new viruses that have a mix of genes—from human, pig, and bird viruses. That is what has happened with this new swine flu virus.

Sometimes this swapping of genes allows a virus that was originally able to infect only pigs or only birds to also infect humans. When that happens, we refer to the illness as “swine flu” or “bird flu.” This current virus could actually be called “swine/bird flu,” since it has some genes from pig flu viruses and other genes from bird flu viruses. However, for simplicity sake, it is just being referred to as “swine flu.”

Q: Are swine flu or bird flu viruses dangerous?

A: Most viruses that cause swine flu or bird flu are very hard to pass from one human to another: they don’t cause epidemics. Sometimes, however, further changes in genes create a virus that can spread rapidly among humans, and can produce a more severe illness. One reason this illness is more severe is that the virus is so new. The regular flu that comes each year is caused by a regular human influenza virus that often has similarities to the viruses that have caused the flu in years past, so people have some degree of immunity to the latest virus. The unusual swine flu or bird flu viruses that develop the ability for person-to-person spread are so different that people have little or no immunity to them. That is what some experts worry may be happening with swine flu.

Q: How bad can a global pandemic be?

A: The worst global pandemic in modern times was the influenza pandemic of 1918 to 1919. It affected about a third of the human race, and killed at least 40 million people in less than a year—more than have been killed by AIDS in three decades. The world economy went into a deep recession. The average length of life dropped for 10 years. In other words, global pandemics can be a really big deal. On the other hand, other pandemics have been considerably less serious than the 1918 to1919 influenza pandemic.

Q: Can this new swine flu virus be easily transmitted from person to person?

A: Unfortunately, the new swine flu virus can be transmitted between humans. It is not clear yet how easily it is transmitted, nor how it is transmitted. Almost surely it is transmitted by sneezing and coughing, and by skin-to-skin contact (like shaking hands or kissing) with an infected person.

Q: How sick do people get from this virus?

A: Most people infected with the virus have recovered from the illness. In fact, all of the people in the U.S. have recovered.

However, in Mexico, some people have kept getting sicker, and eventually died. The regular flu viruses that come each winter can occasionally cause severe illness and death. Most often, this happens in very young children or frail elderly people. What worries some experts is that many of the deaths in Mexico have been in young, healthy adults. In past pandemics, like the influenza pandemic of 1918 to 1919, it was also young, healthy people who were most likely to die. Experts are puzzled as to why the infection currently appears to be worse in Mexico than in the U.S.

Q: Are there treatments?

A: As of now, the new virus is killed by two antiviral medicines—oseltamivir and zanamivir. Based on experience with other flu viruses, treatment would be most effective if given within 2 days of the onset of symptoms. As long as this current swine flu virus is infecting people, it is likely that health authorities will recommend that people with more severe illness take these medicines.

On the other hand, there is no proven benefit from using the medicines before symptoms develop, and there is proven harm: unnecessary widespread use of these drugs could produce drug-resistant viruses.

There is no vaccine yet for the new virus, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has expressed doubt that this year’s regular flu vaccine will offer protection.

Q: How do I know if I’ve caught swine flu?

A: The initial symptoms of this flu virus are like those of the regular, annual flu viruses: fever, muscle aches, runny nose, and sore throat. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may be more common with this swine flu than with the regular flu. If this epidemic hits your community and you develop flu-like symptoms, it is likely your doctor will take samples from your throat or material you cough up and send them to the state public health laboratory for testing.

Q: How do I protect myself?

A: To protect yourself from catching swine flu, take the same steps you would to prevent getting any cold or flu:

Wash your hands or use alcohol-based hand cleaners frequently.

When you greet people, don’t shake hands or exchange kisses.

Avoid contact with people with flu symptoms.

And to protect others, if you develop sneezing and coughing, be sure to use tissues to wipe your nose and cover your mouth, and to throw the tissues in the trash or toilet bowl.

Q: How long are people contagious?

A: Adults should be considered contagious until at least 7 days after the start of symptoms; with children, it may be 10 to 14 days.

Q: Can you get swine flu from eating pork?

A: Absolutely not. But, as you probably know, you need to cook pork thoroughly to avoid getting other illnesses that can be spread by undercooked meat.

Q: Will there be unusual restrictions on our lives if there is a global pandemic?

A: If there is a global pandemic, for some period of time, governments may well restrict travel (indeed, some governments already have). Governments also may close schools and public places, require as many people as possible to work from home, tell any people who develop symptoms to isolate themselves at home, and tell people to seek medical attention immediately if more serious symptoms develop. What are those symptoms?

For adults, teens, and kids age 3 to 12, the most worrisome symptoms are:

Shortness of breath

Persistent vomiting

Confusion

Dizziness

For children younger than 2, the most worrisome symptoms are:

Very rapid breathing

Not interacting normally, not eating or drinking normally, being unusually irritable, or appearing unusually sleepy

High fever and rash

A bluish color of the lips and skin

Are you worried about swine flu? See where cases have been spotted by clicking here.

Heart Disease Risk Factors

Check with your doctor to see where you stand compared to these goals. If your levels are not within the goal range, consider changes to improve your heart health.

Factor	Goal
Total Cholesterol	Less than 200 mg/dL
LDL (”Bad”) Cholesterol	LDL cholesterol goals vary. Less than 100 mg/dL – Optimal 100 to 129 mg/dL – Near Optimal/Above Optimal 130 to 159 mg/dL – Borderline High 160 to 189 mg/dL – High 190 mg/dL and above – Very High
HDL (”Good”) Cholesterol	50 mg/dL or higher for women 40 mg/dL or higher for men
Triglycerides	Less than 150 mg/dL
Blood Pressure	Less than 120/80 mmHg
Fasting Glucose	Less than 100 mg/dL
Body Mass Index (BMI)	Less than 25 kg/m2
Waist Circumference	Less than 35 inches for women Less than 40 inches for men
Exercise	Minimum of 30 minutes most or all days of the week

2008 American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is committed to fightling heart disease and stroke. To learn more, visit online at www.americanheart.org or call 1-800-242-8721.

Happy Meals or Unhappy Meals?

I have a craving for fast food burgers and fries from time to time. I truly love the flavor of crisp french fries. I even like to dunk a few chicken nuggets in sweet and sour sauce once in a while.

However, I know that a steady diet of fast food is not good for my health or my pocketbook. People need to act responsibly and use common sense whether eating out or eating at home. A well- balanced diet is one aspect of achieving good health.

The more scientists and nutritionists study DNA, the human body, and our relationship with food  the more details they find about how particular substances and hormones affect us and what we eat. This new information brings up reasons why we shouldn’t eat too much of this or too much of that.

Common sense tells us that many substances are not good for our bodies. We choose to be healthy or unhealthy by what we choose to eat or ingest.

Unhappy Meals
By Liz Neporent

A few years ago, a 56-year old diabetic and double heart attack victim, filed a class-action suit against McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and KFC, claiming they were to blame for his ill health. He had eaten in their establishments for years, he said, without ever being told that their food could have a negative impact on his health.

On the face of it, law suits like this seem beyond frivolous, a way to work the legal system in order to compensate for personal lack of control and common sense. Surely everyone should realize that a Big Mac is not a health food just as they should grasp that parking yourself in front of the TV for 28 hours a week – as the average American does – is not a healthful activity.

Perhaps. But as it turns out, there is some evidence fast food may be just as harmful and addictive as tobacco or alcohol. Emerging research suggests that the brain can become hardwired to crave a hit of extra crispy chicken just as it might any addictive substance. In one study done at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, researchers found that feeding rats a diet similar in composition to the typical fast food meal — that is, high in calories, saturated fat, and sugar — lowered their ability to respond to leptin, a hormone that signals the hypothalamus gland to regulate eating behavior. The fatter the rats got, the more leptin they produced. This sent their hypothalamus glands into overdrive which in turn sent their brains the mixed up signal they were in danger of starvation. The result: overeating and excessive weight gain.

The researchers discovered that improper leptin response kicked in after the rats ate only a few high fat meals and that the fatter the rats became, the more resistant they were to leptin’s effects, and the harder it was to reverse the trend. However, the biological, psychological and social processes of eating and hunger are complex and leptin is only one factor of many that govern the process of appetite and weight gain.

To date, all legal cases brought against purveyors of fast food have been dismissed due to lack of merit. While the addictive qualities of tobacco are clear, burger-and-fries dependency remains in question. Additional research is needed before the theory of fast food addiction is proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. And ultimately, with so many forms of junk and fast foods available, it may be difficult to assign blame.

 ThirdAge Article
Health and Wellness – Nutrition

Steamed or Raw Vegetables – Which is Better?

Which Is Better: Steamed or Raw?

Nothing could be healthier for your heart than a plateful of raw veggies, right?

Actually, a little steam treatment could be even better. New research suggests that steaming might improve the cholesterol-lowering capabilities of certain produce.

When researchers tested the digestive effects of both raw and steamed veggies – beets, okra, carrots, eggplant, green beans, asparagus, and cauliflower – something interesting happened. It’s not clear why, but the steamed veggies did a better job of binding to bile acids. And that’s a good thing. It means more bile acids get excreted, which in turn means the liver needs more bad LDL cholesterol to make bile – which means there’s less LDL circulating in your body.

Raw or steamed, your goal is to eat at least five servings of vegetables every day. But if you don’t always hit that goal, here are some ways to make sure that every bite of vegetables is working hard for you:

Find out when frozen veggies are more healthful than fresh — and vice versa.

• Know when it’s worth it to go organic.
• Absorb more nutrients from salads and steamed veggies with the healthy fats in these toppings.
• Sprinkle on extra antioxidants with these herbs and spices.

3 Ways to Dress Your Veggies

A bit of unsaturated fat can help your body better absorb the fat-soluble nutrients in your vegetables. Here are three different looks to try:

• Skip the fat-free ranch dressing. Instead, toss your greens with an olive-oil-based dressing like balsamic vinaigrette.
• Make your fat crunchy. Season peppers, corn, carrots, or squash with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, and then top with slivered almonds or toasted sesame seeds.
• Create this Spicy Peanut Sauce for dipping lightly steamed broccoli and cauliflower

In a recent study, people who tossed their salads with a dressing that had some fat in it absorbed more carotenoids from the vegetables than the people who used a nonfat dressing.

Carotenoids are potent antioxidants found in brightly hued produce - red, orange, and yellow. But the small intestine needs a little fat to absorb these power nutrients. So do several other fat-soluble vitamins, including:

Vitamin E (found in spinach and broccoli)
Vitamin K (found in cabbage, cauliflower, and turnip greens)
Vitamin D (found in some fish and in fortified dairy)

When you’re dressing your veggies, remember the Brylcreem jingle: “A little dab’ll do ya.” You can nearly undo all the good in veggies by turning them into high-calorie, high-fat side dishes. So don’t drown them in sauces and oils. Think lightweight summer ensembles – a little dribble of olive oil on a sliced tomato or a smattering of chopped walnuts on your spinach salad. Or a bit of  peanut sauce on your steamed broccoli. Check out this spicy peanut sauce recipe below.

Spicy Peanut Sauce
2 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons “lite” coconut milk
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Watkins Red Pepper Flakes, or to taste

Whisk together peanut butter, coconut milk, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, and crushed red pepper in a small bowl until smooth.

RealAge Tips

To Eat or Not To Eat Meat

I like to eat meat and I would find it difficult to give up meat all together! I know fatty meats are a health concern but lean meat is one of the major food groups. Meat and beans are grouped together on the food pyramid.

The amount of food from the Meat and Beans Group you need to eat depends on age, sex, and level of physical activity. Most Americans eat enough food from this group, but need to make leaner and more varied selections of these foods.

The food pyramid recommends 2 – 4 ounces of meat or the equivalent a day for an average child. While the average adult should eat 5 – 6 ounces of meat or the equivalent daily.

In general, 1 ounce of meat, poultry or fish, 1/4 cup cooked dry beans, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, or 1/2 ounce of nuts or seeds can be considered as 1 ounce equivalent from the meat and beans group.

If you’d like to eat less meat as part of your weight loss or healthy eating plan go meatless at least once a week for ginormous environmental and health benefits.

The Benefits

Health Benefits
Compared to meat eaters, vegetarians have lower rates of diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, and obesity.
Helping the planet
Livestock accounts for 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and 8% of water use – and a meatless diet is 50% more effective at cutting CO2 than switching from a standard car to a hybrid. (According to IdealBite.com, an online community for green living)

These meatless lasagna rolls filled with vegetables and creamy cheese are tasty—and a deliciously clever way of getting the kids to eat their veggies!

Vegetable Lasagna Roll-Ups
1 package (10 ounces) spinach leaves
2 large carrots, shredded
1 cup small broccoli florets
1 container (8 ounces) ricotta cheese
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Watkins Black Pepper
6 lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Watkins Basil
1/2 teaspoon Watkins Oregano
1 can (14 ounces) tomato puree

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the spinach, carrots and broccoli in a large saucepan. Add 1 cup water, cover and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a colander and drain. Let cool.

2. Combine the ricotta, 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan, the salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the vegetables and stir to combine.

3. Cook the noodles as package directs. Place the noodles on a flat surface. Divide the filling equally and spread over the noodles; roll up.

4. Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender; stir in the tomato puree and the basil and oregano. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes. Spoon about 1/2 cup sauce over the bottom of a shallow baking dish. Place the rolls, seam-side down, on top and pour the remaining sauce over the rolls.

5. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 3 tablespoons Parmesan and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Tip
Use whole-wheat pasta for an added boost of fiber.

An Exercise in Proper Breathing

An Exercise in Proper Breathing
Take a Good Breather
By Mike Kramer

Proper breathing is an underestimated, but critical building block of good health. Slow, deep breathing gets rid of carbon dioxide waste and takes plenty of clean, fresh oxygen to your brain and muscles. More blood cells get the new, oxygen-rich air instead of the same old stale stuff. Experts estimate that proper breathing helps your body eliminate toxins 15 times faster than poor, shallow breathing. You’ll not only be healthier, but you’ll be able to perform better (mentally and physically) and, of course, be less stressed and more relaxed.

Here’s an exercise that will help you get the full benefits of good breathing. The techniques in this exercise are ones you should try to develop in your normal breathing, and that could take practice. Try to take about 10 minutes, but it can happen in five by cutting the time for each step in half. Most of it can be done anywhere you need to relax or clear your head:

1. Get Ready (2 minutes) Make the room dark, or at least darker. Lie down flat on your back, or sit against a wall. Use a pillow for comfort. Make sure no part of your body is strained or supporting weight. Close your eyes. Just pay attention to your breathing for a minute or two. Don’t try to change it, just notice how it feels. Imagine the fresh blood flowing through your body. Listen to your surroundings.
2. Stage I (2 minutes) Practice breathing in and out of your nose. Exhaling through the mouth is okay for quick relaxation, but for normal breathing, in and out the nose is best. Take long breaths, not deep breaths. Try not to force it, you shouldn’t hear your breath coming in or out. You’re drawing slow breaths, not gulping it or blowing it out. Feel the rhythm of your breathing.
3. Stage II (3 minutes) Good breathing is done through the lower torso, rather than the upper torso. Each breath should expand your belly, your lower back and ribs. Relax your shoulders and try not to breathe with your chest. Put your hands on your stomach and feel them rise and fall. If it’s not working, push down gently with your hands for a few breaths and let go. Your stomach should start to move more freely. Relax your face, your neck, your cheeks, your jaw, your temples, even your tongue.
4. Stage III (3 minutes) Feel the good air entering your lungs and feel the stale air leaving your body. “In with the good, out with the bad” is definitely true here. Make your exhale as long as your inhale to make sure all the bad air is gone. Remember, long slow breaths. Most people take 12-16 breaths per minute. Ideally, it should be 8-10. Now try to make your exhale a little longer than your inhale for a while. Pause after your exhale without taking a breath. Focus on the stillness and on not forcing an inhale. Your body will breathe when it needs to.

From SparkPeople.com