📚 This Book Saved My Life, 10 Best Reading Quotes, and more.

A&B #301

June 28, 2026

👋 Hey everyone,

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📚 Book Summary:

Thank you for voting in last week’s newsletter.

The winner was “Breath” by James Nestor, so here’s an in-depth summary of it.

This book literally saved my life.

For years, I would wake up with a dry throat, headache, and never feel fully rested even with 8 hours of sleep. Then I read this book and learned about the harmful health effects of mouth breathing, and took action to fix it.

If anyone in your life snores, has sleep apnea, or breathes through their mouth, give them this book.

Note: This information is for educational purposes only; this is not medical advice.

📖

1) The Harmful Effects of Mouthbreathing

You have two ways to breathe, through your nose and through your mouth.

Your mouth, however, is a backup option. It can do the job, but it’s not built for it.

Just like how a car has a spare tire, it can be used for a while. But if it’s used for too long, it will cause problems.

For instance, mouthbreathing is the number one cause of cavities, even more damaging than sugar.

Mouthbreathing can also make you dumber.

A Japanese study found that rats who had their nostrils obstructed and were forced to breathe through their mouths developed fewer brain cells and took twice as long to make their way through a maze than nasal-breathing rats.

It’s estimated that about 50% of the population are habitual mouthbreathers.

The reason people tend to breathe through their mouths is that they have some type of nasal obstruction. About 75% of humans have a deviated septum (I’m one of them).

Nestor writes that “No amount of snoring is normal, and no amount of sleep apnea comes without risks of serious health effects.”

Here are just a few of the negative health effects of snoring and sleep apnea:

  • ADHD

  • Diabetes

  • Dehydration

  • Bed-wetting

  • High blood pressure

  • Erecticle dysfunction

But there is a way to fix it.

📖

2) How To Fix Your Snoring

Nestor went from snoring 4 hours a night to just 10 minutes with one simple hack–mouth tape.

Nestor was skeptical at first, but after talking with a Stanford doctor who specialized in breathing disorders, he decided to give it a try. Nestor writes that mouth taping has worked not just for him, but for hundreds of other people that he’s spoken to.

Taping your mouth trains the tissues inside the nasal cavity to flex and stay open.

Nasal breathing is also a lot healthier and more effective than mouth breathing. The nose filters, heats, and moisturizes air, making it easier to absorb. Nasal breathing absorbs 18% more oxygen than mouth breathing.

I’ve been using mouth tape for several years now, and it’s completely changed my life. With mouth tape, I sleep longer, deeper, and wake up feeling more refreshed.

It takes a few days to get used to it. I suggest trying it on by taking a nap with it first, but after that, it will become a regular and crucial part of your routine.

I know it sounds crazy, but before you consider getting surgery to fix your nasal obstruction, I highly recommend giving mouth tape a try.

📖

3) How Chewing Gum Can Improve Your Breathing

Our ancient ancestors chewed for hours a day, every day. Because they chewed so much, their mouths, teeth, and faces grew to be wide and strong.

Today, however, the majority of the food in our diet is soft or mushy and doesn’t require much chewing at all. Foods such as bread, cereal, smoothies, apple sauce, etc.

This lack of chewing has led to 90% of the population having some form of malocclusion–misalignment of the upper and lower teeth when the jaws close. When teeth get crowded and jaws get misaligned, breathing problems often follow.

But there is hope.

Nestor writes that the simple act of chewing gum can help strengthen your jaw, stimulate stem cell growth, and open your airways.

You can use any chewing gum, but he recommends Falim or Mastic gum.

The harder the texture, the more of a workout you’ll get and thus more benefits. Nestor warns that these gums may not taste the best, but they are effective and deliver results.

✅ Actionable Advice:

1) Stop breathing through your mouth and start breathing through your nose.

2) If you or someone you know snores or breathes through their mouth while sleeping, get them to try mouth tape.

3) Try chewing Falim or Mastic gum daily and see if that helps improve your breathing.

💎 Weekly Gem:

My friend John Glanville has been reading books for 50+ years.

He’s spent the last few months curating lists of his favorite books for dozens of different subjects, such as:

He has 1,000+ book recommendations on his site and each one has a short summary. The site is free to browse. Visit his website here.

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-Alex & Books

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