The article linked below describes an excellent book by James Nestor (Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. By James Nestor: Amazon https://a.co/d/4unXU0Y) and offers additional resources on this important topic.
Breath by James Nestor + Buteyko Method breathing exercises + Mouth Taping for sleep… (contents below)
We've been using breathing techniques and mouth taping described in the article and book for nearly a year. Our sleep is better and multi-weekly migraines disappeared almost immediately. Our dentist mentioned that mouth breathing can play a role in periodontal disease, tooth loss, and receding gums.
Article Contents
How We Learned to Breathe
Breath Book + Buteyko Breathing Techniques + Mouth Taping
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. By James Nestor
Excellent comment! If it wouldn't be too much of a bother, would you be willing to message me this comment? I can't save nor copy your comment, and I want to!
Are there any resources for effective breathing aids in your references? Husband got smacked a few too many times in his military service and his nose is not as straight as it used to be and he has developed the habit of mouth breathing at night.
This is of very high interest. Of course, if anyone has a way to see illustrations, please share. It is hard to read about something that begs to be seen.
Excellent. So much of my medical problems stemmed from my being the first child and my mother living far from her own mother who could have taught her how to breast feed. It is not totally intuitive. Same with my own daughter whose health problems stemmed from my ignorance and lack of instruction. In general, modern life is not atttuned to an infant’s need of 24hr maternal care.
We ate mostly from our garden & orchard when I was growing up in the 50's in USA. Unfortunately, we had milk from the grocery store which of course was pasteurized. I didn't like it & my mother was alarmed due to the big "drink milk" push. When I became adult I was sometimes able to find dairies that sold fresh milk from the cows. I have eaten from my gardens most of my life. Unfortunately, however, also have eaten quite a lot of sugar, so in my 70's my teeth have mostly broken off or fallen out. Jaws good, never had crooked or crowded teeth. Always breathe through nose. Never could understand the mouth breathers. Always stuffed up noses?
thanks, a very nice study on the issue. what would be great indeed would be a collection of things you can do to help restructure your face or help your kids. I have heard of exercises used, much like Meir Schneider based on Bates method for the eyes. 🤔
I wonder what kind of effect jaw anatomy has on Eustachian tubes that don't drain like mine.
Regarding the study with cats. My dog was fed kibble for the first two years of his life. He was then fed 100% raw, but developed spleen issues (as defined by TCM, so he still has the organ). I had to go to gently cooked at low temperatures just enough to kill all the bad stuff (I found out later that the good stuff survived temperatures under 180°F, so the cooker was set to 150°F). The incubation time was set to 'very rare'. Frequently the middle was still raw. Now that he is feeling better, he gets more raw food and raw organs with coarsely ground bone (per grinds in farm stores). I noticed that his tug toys have much less residual blood on them, which I think was from a tooth in the back of his mouth and his apples, which he loves more than regular dog treats, have no blood while eating.
I didn't go to a vet because gum problems like this are related, according to TCM, to a stomach meridian imbalance. So I opted to use food. It took a long time, but I finally got him to the point where he has pearly whites. My point in bringing this up is that his mother was kibble fed; the imbalances developed by kibble fed dogs pass on to the next generation. (note: the sire can pass this also). But it also appears that with a fresh food diet, this can be at least partially reversed. The homeopathic vet mentioned that some of his issues appear to be genetic and I'm wondering how much is real genetics (pure bred) vs epigenetics (mother or father's environment).
I'd be interested in the effect on Eustachian tubes too. I think my hearing problem is due to Eustachian tube and/or sinus problems as described in this article. As I've said before, in my 6th decade, I'm not visiting any white coats to check it out. At my age they will find something which will require their pharmaceuticals and/or surgery. Meanwhile, I do what I can to mitigate with nutrition and lifestyle.
Searched this; clacking your teeth together is good for your bones chinese medicine (Brave search)
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, gently biting your teeth together is believed to stimulate the Kidney Qi, which governs bone health, as teeth are considered the "surplus" of the bone. Practicing this technique—specifically by gently clicking the teeth together 50 times, two to three times per day—is said to help conserve energy and support skeletal integrity, particularly as Kidney Qi naturally declines with age. This practice is often recommended during the Winter season to align with the Water element’s tendency to turn inward and conserve vitality, though it can be performed daily year-round
That made me think. I have over the years sometimes clicked my teeth togther to create a tune, the beat of something well known. The one I did just now was Mademoiselle from Armentières, a song from WW1.
I have malocclusion and impacted wisdom teeth which were removed when I was 25 under general anesthetic. I was breast fed for 6 months. My 3 children were breast fed for much longer, (years) and they have broad faces and uncrowded mouths - in fact the girls as teenagers resented having gaps between their teeth and chose to have orthodontic treatment to close them!! (Peer pressure). I agree with the findings of the article having been told about Weston Price by an enlightened dentist when my children were small.
Long term breast feeding was/is a very useful management tool - always on hand, instant calmer and mood restorer. I even tandem fed which is supposed to reduce the incidence of sibling rivalry and I would concur based on my experience. Finally it should mean no orthodontic costs but as mentioned above gappy teeth are not deemed desirable either.
I would think it requires a few generations of your high test diet to start to see improved dental and overall structural health. Do our reproductive cells greatly improve in just a year or so? I don't know but I'd think it takes longer. Just opining here.
Also, I don't see how we can convert to a country (or world) of millions of small farms as per the Weston Price dreams, which would provide the nutrients necessary for their version of perfect health. We must also take into account the highly depleted soils, except for maybe an acre here or there in Japan, Ukraine or S. America. It would take much supplementation with rock dust over a couple of generations to achieve a much better soil and/or use of seaweed.
So, what's the alternative to that? We all go back to late paleolithic/early neolithic? It just might happen - it is not hard to see that an economic collapse is coming down the line. Thanks for your article.
Regenerative farming can replenish the soil in a matter of years, faster than you might think. It wasn't that long ago that the small and varied family farm was quite common. And one cow can produce for more than one family, so, we just need a community for sharing. There are many families who drive quite far for their raw milk. It needs to be a value, and if it is, the effort is worth it. I think habits and lack of clarity make it hardest. If you're accustomed to buying premade food out or in stores, it can be really hard to make a change. Still, we've all had to change sometimes, and it is a worthy challenge.
Great to hear that! The only seaweed which is really tasty, though, is dulse (in my opinion of course). I myself ate well cooked kelp with soy sauce (when I lived alone) but no way is my family going to eat that!!! So slimy.
I'd be interested to know which seaweeds you feed your family and how you prepare them. Thanks.
hi Horsea T. - actually i have often used wakame or kombu (a kelp), cooked with brown rice to mineralize the rice (or other grains) and soften the seaweed, then removed before serving, minced and tossed in almost any savory dish - it vanishes, or looks like cooked green onion bits, and no one ever complains or even really notices. these thicker types can also be used in soups and stocks.
west coast sea palm is much smaller and thinner, and can just be added when cooking other vegies, or crumbled raw (dried) over salads (or even eaten as is). also, currently i eat toasted nori sheets frequently and love it. i like dulse too, just plain dried, not cooked. i also pick fresh nori from the rocks at low tide and eat it as is or later, after rinsing to remove sand and drying on a clothesline. and i pick some other types of kelp too.
when i was 50 i had my one and only bone density test; it came back as average for a 29 yr old woman - (the metric they use) which i thought was surprising, considering the factors they say lead to low bone density (like small-boned, etc) but then i thought maybe it's the seaweed i had been eating regularly for nearly 30 yrs.
i wonder, since it sounds like you have eaten a fair bit of seaweed - have you ever noticed any bone benefits?
This was an excellent article until it mentioned the Weston Price Foundation and framed the organization as advocating for supplements instead of the foods traditional people ate. Nothing could be further from the truth. As a chapter leader, I teach and share exactly your premise that food with all its elements is what conveys health not supplements. There are 11 principles for ancestral eating and the 11th principle is nutrient dense diets for preconception, pregnancy and recommendations for exclusive and extended breastfeeding to properly develop the jaw and palate. And Whole Foods for infants not pureed. What a shame you didn’t research fully and all your work to prepare an article articulating your point went right out the window. I’ve followed the Weston Price Foundation for almost thirty years and there has been no other organization who pushed the no pill - whole food philosophy more than WAPF.
I believe you have misread what the article states. It states the opposite of what you claim:
"Price did not recommend supplements to his patients. He sent them home with butter from grass-fed cows in spring, organ meats, bone broths, raw dairy from healthy animals, fresh vegetables, seafood, and the whole-food matrix in which the nutrients his contemporaries could not yet name happened to exist. He understood the fat-soluble activators as factors in food, not as products extracted from food. The fourteen populations he documented were not taking pills. They were eating animals that had eaten plants that had grown in soil that had not been depleted, and they were eating those animals whole — including the organs, the fats, the bones, and the parts that the industrial food system threw away.
The architecture Price documented was the product of a food culture, not a supplement regimen."
They have published many books starting with “Nourishing Traditions”, “The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care”, “Nourishing Broth: An Old-Fashioned Remedy for the Modern World”, “The Nourishing Traditions Cookbook for Children: Teaching Children to Cook the Nourishing Traditions Way”, “ourishing Diets: How Paleo, Ancestral and Traditional Peoples Really Ate” and”Nourishing Fats: Why We Need Animal Fats for Health and Happiness”.
Very good thank you. I was breast fed and my mother ensured she cooked fresh for the family. My jaw is not great, I do wonder if any vaccines I had as a child (I have records for 3 polio shots towards the end of my first year and another three of other things towards the end of my second year) didn't have a damaging effect.
In any event it seems the tooth really will set you free!
And here to you see a spiritual ramification for a physical problem. For instance: Energy Circulation and Consciousness:
In traditions like Taoism, yoga, and meditation, touching the tongue to the palate (specifically the soft palate or behind the front teeth) is believed to complete the microcosmic orbit, allowing energy (Chi or Prana) to flow freely between the upper and lower body. This position is sometimes referred to as Jivha Bandha or linked to Khechari Mudra, practices said to stimulate the pineal gland, elevate inner energy, and serve as a "key to higher consciousness.” You now have to take a yoga class to do what we did naturally.
Our dog is fed raw meat and the occasional bone. Never needs vets, but when he has gone they all remark on his fine super clean fangs.
As they did with his dad.
Bet they don't tell other dog owners...
And no, not jabbed since puppy jabs
The article linked below describes an excellent book by James Nestor (Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. By James Nestor: Amazon https://a.co/d/4unXU0Y) and offers additional resources on this important topic.
Breath by James Nestor + Buteyko Method breathing exercises + Mouth Taping for sleep… (contents below)
* Article Link: https://eolson47.substack.com/p/breath-by-james-nestor-buteyko-method
* Article Short link for sharing: https://tinyurl.com/mw6vz24b
We've been using breathing techniques and mouth taping described in the article and book for nearly a year. Our sleep is better and multi-weekly migraines disappeared almost immediately. Our dentist mentioned that mouth breathing can play a role in periodontal disease, tooth loss, and receding gums.
Article Contents
How We Learned to Breathe
Breath Book + Buteyko Breathing Techniques + Mouth Taping
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. By James Nestor
Breath Book Summary (Grok ai, edited lightly)
The Problem with Modern Breathing
The Stanford Experiment
Historical and Cultural Context
Scientific Discoveries
Practical Breathing Techniques
Health Implications
Conclusion
Resources from Breath Book
Buteyko Breathing Method
What Is The Buteyko Method?
Buteyko Breathing Can Help With…
About Dr. Buteyko
Dental Health
Mouth Taping
😁👃Happy Breathing!
Excellent comment! If it wouldn't be too much of a bother, would you be willing to message me this comment? I can't save nor copy your comment, and I want to!
Done!
Are there any resources for effective breathing aids in your references? Husband got smacked a few too many times in his military service and his nose is not as straight as it used to be and he has developed the habit of mouth breathing at night.
This is of very high interest. Of course, if anyone has a way to see illustrations, please share. It is hard to read about something that begs to be seen.
We did some research with Grok, which created a summary of the Unbekoming article and helped us find many illustrations from Weston Price.
Grok link: https://grok.com/share/c2hhcmQtMi1jb3B5_865a2490-102a-4a38-b7c0-d5242925287f
This source has some of the best comparisons: https://tmdocclusion.com/home/causes-of-malocclusion/the-work-of-weston-a-price-nutrition-and-physical-degeneration/
Oh wow!
Also, another reference is Forrest Mareadys book Crooked. That has pictures.
Excellent. So much of my medical problems stemmed from my being the first child and my mother living far from her own mother who could have taught her how to breast feed. It is not totally intuitive. Same with my own daughter whose health problems stemmed from my ignorance and lack of instruction. In general, modern life is not atttuned to an infant’s need of 24hr maternal care.
We ate mostly from our garden & orchard when I was growing up in the 50's in USA. Unfortunately, we had milk from the grocery store which of course was pasteurized. I didn't like it & my mother was alarmed due to the big "drink milk" push. When I became adult I was sometimes able to find dairies that sold fresh milk from the cows. I have eaten from my gardens most of my life. Unfortunately, however, also have eaten quite a lot of sugar, so in my 70's my teeth have mostly broken off or fallen out. Jaws good, never had crooked or crowded teeth. Always breathe through nose. Never could understand the mouth breathers. Always stuffed up noses?
thanks, a very nice study on the issue. what would be great indeed would be a collection of things you can do to help restructure your face or help your kids. I have heard of exercises used, much like Meir Schneider based on Bates method for the eyes. 🤔
I wonder what kind of effect jaw anatomy has on Eustachian tubes that don't drain like mine.
Regarding the study with cats. My dog was fed kibble for the first two years of his life. He was then fed 100% raw, but developed spleen issues (as defined by TCM, so he still has the organ). I had to go to gently cooked at low temperatures just enough to kill all the bad stuff (I found out later that the good stuff survived temperatures under 180°F, so the cooker was set to 150°F). The incubation time was set to 'very rare'. Frequently the middle was still raw. Now that he is feeling better, he gets more raw food and raw organs with coarsely ground bone (per grinds in farm stores). I noticed that his tug toys have much less residual blood on them, which I think was from a tooth in the back of his mouth and his apples, which he loves more than regular dog treats, have no blood while eating.
I didn't go to a vet because gum problems like this are related, according to TCM, to a stomach meridian imbalance. So I opted to use food. It took a long time, but I finally got him to the point where he has pearly whites. My point in bringing this up is that his mother was kibble fed; the imbalances developed by kibble fed dogs pass on to the next generation. (note: the sire can pass this also). But it also appears that with a fresh food diet, this can be at least partially reversed. The homeopathic vet mentioned that some of his issues appear to be genetic and I'm wondering how much is real genetics (pure bred) vs epigenetics (mother or father's environment).
I'd be interested in the effect on Eustachian tubes too. I think my hearing problem is due to Eustachian tube and/or sinus problems as described in this article. As I've said before, in my 6th decade, I'm not visiting any white coats to check it out. At my age they will find something which will require their pharmaceuticals and/or surgery. Meanwhile, I do what I can to mitigate with nutrition and lifestyle.
good point about the white coats; i concur.
Searched this; clacking your teeth together is good for your bones chinese medicine (Brave search)
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, gently biting your teeth together is believed to stimulate the Kidney Qi, which governs bone health, as teeth are considered the "surplus" of the bone. Practicing this technique—specifically by gently clicking the teeth together 50 times, two to three times per day—is said to help conserve energy and support skeletal integrity, particularly as Kidney Qi naturally declines with age. This practice is often recommended during the Winter season to align with the Water element’s tendency to turn inward and conserve vitality, though it can be performed daily year-round
yes - the taoist "internal exercises" also promote the teeth clicking.
That made me think. I have over the years sometimes clicked my teeth togther to create a tune, the beat of something well known. The one I did just now was Mademoiselle from Armentières, a song from WW1.
Reposting new comment instead of a reply because of additional comments requesting photos...
We did some research with Grok, which created a summary of the Unbekoming article and helped us find many illustrations from Weston Price.
Grok link: https://grok.com/share/c2hhcmQtMi1jb3B5_865a2490-102a-4a38-b7c0-d5242925287f
This source has some of the best comparisons: https://tmdocclusion.com/home/causes-of-malocclusion/the-work-of-weston-a-price-nutrition-and-physical-degeneration/
I have malocclusion and impacted wisdom teeth which were removed when I was 25 under general anesthetic. I was breast fed for 6 months. My 3 children were breast fed for much longer, (years) and they have broad faces and uncrowded mouths - in fact the girls as teenagers resented having gaps between their teeth and chose to have orthodontic treatment to close them!! (Peer pressure). I agree with the findings of the article having been told about Weston Price by an enlightened dentist when my children were small.
Long term breast feeding was/is a very useful management tool - always on hand, instant calmer and mood restorer. I even tandem fed which is supposed to reduce the incidence of sibling rivalry and I would concur based on my experience. Finally it should mean no orthodontic costs but as mentioned above gappy teeth are not deemed desirable either.
I would think it requires a few generations of your high test diet to start to see improved dental and overall structural health. Do our reproductive cells greatly improve in just a year or so? I don't know but I'd think it takes longer. Just opining here.
Also, I don't see how we can convert to a country (or world) of millions of small farms as per the Weston Price dreams, which would provide the nutrients necessary for their version of perfect health. We must also take into account the highly depleted soils, except for maybe an acre here or there in Japan, Ukraine or S. America. It would take much supplementation with rock dust over a couple of generations to achieve a much better soil and/or use of seaweed.
So, what's the alternative to that? We all go back to late paleolithic/early neolithic? It just might happen - it is not hard to see that an economic collapse is coming down the line. Thanks for your article.
Regenerative farming can replenish the soil in a matter of years, faster than you might think. It wasn't that long ago that the small and varied family farm was quite common. And one cow can produce for more than one family, so, we just need a community for sharing. There are many families who drive quite far for their raw milk. It needs to be a value, and if it is, the effort is worth it. I think habits and lack of clarity make it hardest. If you're accustomed to buying premade food out or in stores, it can be really hard to make a change. Still, we've all had to change sometimes, and it is a worthy challenge.
yay - rock dust and seaweed. also we can eat seaweed. i do and have regularly for many decades. and feed it to our kids.
Great to hear that! The only seaweed which is really tasty, though, is dulse (in my opinion of course). I myself ate well cooked kelp with soy sauce (when I lived alone) but no way is my family going to eat that!!! So slimy.
I'd be interested to know which seaweeds you feed your family and how you prepare them. Thanks.
hi Horsea T. - actually i have often used wakame or kombu (a kelp), cooked with brown rice to mineralize the rice (or other grains) and soften the seaweed, then removed before serving, minced and tossed in almost any savory dish - it vanishes, or looks like cooked green onion bits, and no one ever complains or even really notices. these thicker types can also be used in soups and stocks.
west coast sea palm is much smaller and thinner, and can just be added when cooking other vegies, or crumbled raw (dried) over salads (or even eaten as is). also, currently i eat toasted nori sheets frequently and love it. i like dulse too, just plain dried, not cooked. i also pick fresh nori from the rocks at low tide and eat it as is or later, after rinsing to remove sand and drying on a clothesline. and i pick some other types of kelp too.
when i was 50 i had my one and only bone density test; it came back as average for a 29 yr old woman - (the metric they use) which i thought was surprising, considering the factors they say lead to low bone density (like small-boned, etc) but then i thought maybe it's the seaweed i had been eating regularly for nearly 30 yrs.
i wonder, since it sounds like you have eaten a fair bit of seaweed - have you ever noticed any bone benefits?
This was an excellent article until it mentioned the Weston Price Foundation and framed the organization as advocating for supplements instead of the foods traditional people ate. Nothing could be further from the truth. As a chapter leader, I teach and share exactly your premise that food with all its elements is what conveys health not supplements. There are 11 principles for ancestral eating and the 11th principle is nutrient dense diets for preconception, pregnancy and recommendations for exclusive and extended breastfeeding to properly develop the jaw and palate. And Whole Foods for infants not pureed. What a shame you didn’t research fully and all your work to prepare an article articulating your point went right out the window. I’ve followed the Weston Price Foundation for almost thirty years and there has been no other organization who pushed the no pill - whole food philosophy more than WAPF.
I believe you have misread what the article states. It states the opposite of what you claim:
"Price did not recommend supplements to his patients. He sent them home with butter from grass-fed cows in spring, organ meats, bone broths, raw dairy from healthy animals, fresh vegetables, seafood, and the whole-food matrix in which the nutrients his contemporaries could not yet name happened to exist. He understood the fat-soluble activators as factors in food, not as products extracted from food. The fourteen populations he documented were not taking pills. They were eating animals that had eaten plants that had grown in soil that had not been depleted, and they were eating those animals whole — including the organs, the fats, the bones, and the parts that the industrial food system threw away.
The architecture Price documented was the product of a food culture, not a supplement regimen."
Sally Fallon and Tom Cowan of the Price-Pottenger https://theancestralnutritionfoundation.org/ have written at least 6 books on nutrition and eating ancestral foods.
They have published many books starting with “Nourishing Traditions”, “The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care”, “Nourishing Broth: An Old-Fashioned Remedy for the Modern World”, “The Nourishing Traditions Cookbook for Children: Teaching Children to Cook the Nourishing Traditions Way”, “ourishing Diets: How Paleo, Ancestral and Traditional Peoples Really Ate” and”Nourishing Fats: Why We Need Animal Fats for Health and Happiness”.
https://www.westonaprice.org/11-principles-overview/
Photographs of examples would take this from a really interesting article to a really interesting proof of the theory.
Very good thank you. I was breast fed and my mother ensured she cooked fresh for the family. My jaw is not great, I do wonder if any vaccines I had as a child (I have records for 3 polio shots towards the end of my first year and another three of other things towards the end of my second year) didn't have a damaging effect.
In any event it seems the tooth really will set you free!
Good work, thank you!
And here to you see a spiritual ramification for a physical problem. For instance: Energy Circulation and Consciousness:
In traditions like Taoism, yoga, and meditation, touching the tongue to the palate (specifically the soft palate or behind the front teeth) is believed to complete the microcosmic orbit, allowing energy (Chi or Prana) to flow freely between the upper and lower body. This position is sometimes referred to as Jivha Bandha or linked to Khechari Mudra, practices said to stimulate the pineal gland, elevate inner energy, and serve as a "key to higher consciousness.” You now have to take a yoga class to do what we did naturally.