MDW Features/Audra BearI thought I had more or less heard it all when it came to unusual eating habits. Turns out I had barely scratched the the surface. Breatharian, anyone?.
A 25-year-old woman has spoken out about her ‘breatharian’ lifestyle, claiming she no longer needs solid food to keep her energy levels up.
Audra Bear, from Minneapolis, practices ‘prana’ and ‘breatharianism’, whereby she allegedly gets most of her energy from from breathing exercises and being out in nature.
The term ‘prana’ means energy and Breatharians like Audra believe they inhale both air and prana while breathing. They claim to be nourished by air, without the need for solid food.
Now, I am all for going for a lovely long walk in the woods on a summer’s day, breathing in a lungful of good clean air. But, if I’m being honest, this usually leads to me working up even more of a ravenous appetite.
I write this while sucking down an ice pop as long as my arm, so I’m probably not the best person to try and relate to a person who proclaims to get their nourishment in this alternative manner.
Far from turning into a hangry monster, Audra believes her lifestyle brings her ‘so much abundance, health and happiness’.
Audra has explained how ‘prana is another word for energy, also known as Qi or Chi’:
Prana is another word for energy, also known as Qi or Chi. It is a life-giving force that flows in, through and around all things, it’s in the air we breathe, the sunshine, nature, connections with people and all living things.
It is a powerful energy that actually has the ability to fuel and sustain us as humans.
Living a pranic lifestyle is about shifting your focus from nourishing your body with denser sources (food) to less denser sources (energy), all the while keeping in mind that food is not bad, you can enjoy food if you want to.
Audra is committed to practising breathing rituals on a daily basis for one to three hours, which she claims leaves her preferring smoothies, tea and juices to solid meals.
Audra ‘occasionally’ eats solid food when out with family or friends for dinner, but aside from this she gains her calories mostly from pureed fruit and veg and, erm, air. Audra claims her longest fast – where she solely consumed juices and smoothies – lasted for a full 97 days.
Audra, who views sunshine and natural environment to be a natural energy booster, has apparently found herself to be more relaxed, energetic and healthy since embracing a pranic lifestyle eight months ago.
According to Audra:
I wouldn’t recommend anyone to fast, cleanse or restrict without first learning about the breath. You can also experience prana through time in nature, sunbathing, earthing, creating and playing.
You can eat if you choose to, for entertainment or social settings, know your energy is sourced from the life-force all around you. Most days I just drink teas, fruit juices, green juices and fresh coconut waters. I do eat occasionally now, but more for celebratory reasons.
Even though Audra seems happy with her new lifestyle, nutrition experts have cautioned against others following her example.
Consultant Dietitian Kirsten Jackson told UNILAD:
This diet could be extremely harmful and mislead for many reasons. Firstly, the concept that you get any nutrients from breathing is just impossible so I am actually quite impressed at the creativity in that claim!
And the idea that nature gives us nutrition, yes this is true as we eat plants and animals. I guess you could argue that the sun allows us to make vitamin D? But apart from that – wow the fad diets really are getting quite creative!
Pureeing your diet is really not recommended unless you have a swallowing problem. When you puree your food it actually dilutes the nutritional content and can lead to malnutrition. In case where a pureed diet is needed for medical purposes, we actually end up fortifying the diet with things like cream and butter just to get enough calories in to the individual.
There is reportedly no scientific evidence to back up the breatharian diet, which really could prove harmful if followed for a sustained period of time.
Remember, it’s always best to do your research and seek expert advice before many drastic changes to your diet.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via [email protected]
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.