A Dose of Health

The other day at the grocery store checkout line, I got to watch the thin woman in front of me place her items on the conveyor belt. She was dressed in white shorts and an aqua blue top. All of her clothes were form fitting.

Although she had an attractive figure for an exceptionally thin woman, something struck me as odd. I did a quick glance up and down and realized what it was. This woman did not have a hint of a muscle anywhere on her body (at least from what I could see).

Her arms and her legs lacked muscle tone. Yes she was thin, but she probably had a high percentage of body fat. When she walked, her thin little calves jiggled.

You Are What You Eat (Or Don’t Eat)

I then looked at what she was purchasing. It gave me a clue as to how she developed such a physique. She had in her cart 4 cases of Diet Pepsi, two packs of gum and 3 boxes of something that I couldn’t figure out what it was.

If she had on long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, I probably would have thought her to be a fit individual. However by exposing her toneless arms and legs I quickly came to a different conclusion.

Thin at What Cost?

We live in a weird society that glorifies being thin. There’s no doubt that too much extra weight can tax the heart and other organs and systems in the human body, but being an unhealthy thin is no better. The type of thin the grocery store woman displayed made me wonder how long her bones were going to be able to carry her small frame without breaking.

Although she was very thin, I would bet that her body fat percentage was high. After all, she barely had any muscle. Muscular calves don’t jiggle, fatty ones do. Check out this article on skinny fat people and this one about being fat even when you’re not overweight .

Is there a purpose to this post?

Yeah, there is a purpose to this post somewhere in all the verbiage. What I’m getting at is that being thin isn’t the be all and end all. Being healthy is. If you’re packing a few extra pounds but you have healthy bones and muscle tone, I’d take that any day over being artificially thin (living on diet soda and cigarettes) and jiggly.

Just my opinion.

What Triggers an Asthma Attack?

It can be triggered by airborne allergens, food reactions or even burning the candle at both ends and not getting proper rest. A run down body is more susceptible to illness than a healthy rested one. It usually presents itself by shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing. My son would have a harsh never ending cough. No matter how much cough medicine or tea I would give him, it would not resolve the cough. Anyone with a child that suffers from asthma recognizes the cough.

Relief would begin when the cough would finally break up accompanied by a more rattely mucousy sounding cough. As unattractive as it would sound, I knew that it was the beginning of his getting better.

Usual Treatments

There are a variety of treatments for asthma depending on the severity. I’m most familiar with nebulizing albuterol and pulmicort. There are also the portable inhalers for a quick treatment when the nebulizer isn’t available. We could never leave the house for a soccer game without the cleats, plenty of water and the inhaler.

Alternative or Supplementary Asthma Treatments

While some foods can trigger an asthma attack, others can help to stave of an attack. I don’t recommend throwing away the inhaler and nebulizer, but I do recommend modifying the diet to help reduce the need for the prescribed medicines. Is there documented proof that this stuff works? There are small studies that give credence to some of the dietary changes, but I believe the medical community wants more proof before they make recommendations. I’m not part of the medical community, I’m only sharing my beliefs and some of my experience, so don’t consider me an authority on the subject.

The Asthma Thought Process

I usually look at afflictions and illnesses and diseases by how they work. If an asthma attack is caused by the inflammation of airways in the lungs, it makes sense to try to find foods and natural ingredients that helps to reduce or prevent inflammation (prevention is always better – an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure).

Anti Inflammatory Spices

Not recommended for the little ones, but spicy foods help to dilate the passages in the lungs thus helping to improve breathing. If you’re in the mood to nibble on chili peppers, sprinkle cayenne on your food or eat hot mustard (to name a few airway opening foods), you might find that you can breathe a little easier.

Inflammation Reducing Fish Oils

A little easier on the palate and probably a better alternative for the little ones, fish oils have an anti inflammatory properties because they’re high in Omega 3 fatty acids. Some  small studies suggest that Omega 3 is helpful in preventing the inflammation associated with asthma, and Omega 6, on the other hand does just the opposite and can contribute to exacerbating asthma symptoms. Before you go out and start eating tons of fish, do your homework. You don’t want to trade asthma symptoms for mercury poisoning.

For you guys who prefer a more technical explanation of the Omega 3 and Omega 6 balance check out Asthma World’s Omega 3 and Omega 6 Pathways – Inflammation and Asthma article.  Or, for a more simplistic approach to omega 3 and omega 6 balancing read  Essential Fatty Acids: Omega 6 & Omega 3.

Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and Inflammation

From my experience with ACV, it does wonders with mucus and the sniffles, and also helps with snoring. Does it work on preventing asthma inflammation? There are folks who swear by it,  but honestly speaking, I don’t know for sure because I don’t suffer with asthma and I stumbled upon ACV well after my son’s asthma symptoms had all but disappeared.

My Story

When my son was diagnosed with asthma, in addition to the doctor prescribed albuterol and nebulizer, I changed his diet. I removed as many processed foods as possible and made most foods from scratch. The whole milk was substituted for soy milk and all dairy products were low or no fat.

Over time, there was a reduction in frequency of asthma attacks. Was it the change in diet? Who knows for sure, but as a mom, I tried to be proactive because watching an otherwise healthy 2 year old suffer an asthma attack was just as painful as watching him squirm and complain while being forced to sit at the nebulizer.

He’s just about all grown up now and in the last 8 years he has had one incident that required a nebulizer about a year ago. I think that’s pretty good considering that he initially would have to nebulize daily on regular intervals.

Lesson I Learned

Finding optimal health is a matter of making the best out of the deck of cards dealt to you. Sometimes it’s a combination of traditional medicine supplemented with common sense and good nutrition. Asthma isn’t anything to play around with. Before you throw away your traditional asthma relief methods, in favor of a natural approach, do extensive homework and keep your doctor in the loop.

A few shots from an inhaler and some nebulization may help with the symptoms, but it doesn’t change the underlying causes. That’s where nutrition and healthy choices come into play.