Learn how to exhale, the inhale will take care of itself. ~Carla Melucci Ardito
Living with Asthma, you need all the help and support that you can get. Having a great health support team ( Doctors, Pulmonologist, etc..) if possible is a priority because asthma is a disease of the lungs and is not to be taken lightly. Secondly supporting ourselves through personal health maintenance is also an absolute to manage asthma.
[ The beauty of the color green, it represents cholrophyll the substance that makes veggies green and where the healing properties are! ]
[ Danica & Alex like to keep it fun while staying active by tumbling and stretching in the outdoors! Exercise doesn't have to be a chore try dancing to your fave tunes! ]
Keeping the lungs stretched and open through exercise ( something as simple as walking provides a huge benefit not only for asthma but for the whole body as well). Being mindful of your environment, the wheather,your emotional health, what you eat consuming whole natural foods( WITHOUT Chemicals or Additives ) that provide your body with proper nutrients, especially ones that support lung health is optimal! :D For more information on asthma health and management see my blog posts under
[ Asthma Health & Care and Allergic Living ].
We can toss in even more support for asthma with the use of natural Herbs (always seek the advise of your health care support before consuming any herbs that you are unsure of, especially if pregnant or taking medications).
[ Want to brighten up your mood, slice up some fresh ginger root and inhale the joy! ]
One of the most well known herbs is a root, Ginger. it's delicious, it's spicy, its completely anti inflammatory!! Consuming herbs and foods with anti inflammatory properties help to reduce inflammation in the bronchial airways to prevent constricted airways that bring on asthma attacks.
Ginger can be added to meals, desserts [ but remember to watch those sugars when controlling asthma! :) ], teas, through juicing the root, stay tuned for a near future blog post on things to do with Ginger Root! Here's an easy way to make natural ginger tea:
Ginger Tea:
Cut 1 or 2 inches of ginger root (or if powdered use 1 teaspoon)
Dice into small pieces and place into 1 or 2 cups of water,
Set to simmer for 10 -15 minutes
Strain and enjoy!
Feel free to add lemon slice rounds into the ginger tea mixture, cloves cinnamon, a little pure honey, you can make this tea your own.
Drink often throughout your day
Garlic is considered a medicinal herb! That's great news because who doesn't love garlic? :D This tasty herb too, is an anti inflammatory and can help to loosen and clear out congestion in the lungs. Furthermore, it has anti viral and antibiotic properties to help fight off infections and boost immunity that can make asthma worse.
Some people enjoy eating raw garlic cloves, but I can't go there! LOL However, we all know how to add it to our meals for delicious flavor and nutrients. There are also garlic supplements available but i would recommend you talking to your health care provider before taking. There is a recipe for Garlic Milk! I know, not the most appetizing I can imagine, but it's popular and it's also used as an Ayurvedic tonic for overall health., and is used to reduce inflammation in the Sciatic Nerves.
Garlic Milk is prepared by:
[ You want to add WHAT to my milk??!! ]
Adding 1 cup of milk (Ayurveda uses whole unprocessed cow's milk, but you can sub any plant milk
1 cup of water
Peeled and minced garlic cloves about 4 or 5
2-3 tsp of sugar
Boil the garlic milk mixture until it reduces to half its amount
Strain the milk and add in sweetener
You can also add spices such as 1/2 tea spoon cumin seeds, coriander seeds, whole cardamom or ground, turmeric
I think I'm going to try this...I'll let you know what I think!!
Oregano, the common herb we've all used in our pasta sauce, and other dishes is a powerful healer. Again, all of these herbs contain anti inflammatory properties but oregano also contains Carvacrol and other flavonoids that help to cleanse the lungs. To get even more our of your oregano, try an oregano Tea (tea the great comforter & healer!).
[ Tea is a divine herb. ~Xu Guangqi ]
Oregano Tea:
Add 3 teaspoons of dried oregano into 1 cup of hot water. Steep for 5-10 minutes. Strain before drinking and feel free to add honey or any sweetener you like. Drink 2 to 3 cups daily when suffering with an asthma flare.
Oregano can also be juiced in a juicer with other veggies and fruits, as well as tossed into smoothies. You can purchase Oregano oil to take directly or mix into water. Oregano oil can be purchased at your local health market to online such as Amazon.com or iHerb.com.
Turmeric the beautiful orange spice ( I know but I had to include it because it's such a great one for asthma! ) that gives that deep color to curries and other dishes. This spice has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. It serves to give relief from inflammation from asthma by dilating the blood vessels in the bronchial tubes for a better air flow. Turmeric also helps to relax muscle spasms that come with asthma attacks. [If you are on blood thinners or pregnant do not take as this spice can thin the blood, if you have concerns talk to your doctor.]
Now I urge you to take some food. You need to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head. ~Acts 27:34
Parsley, remember when this herb was mainly used as a filler for salad bars and on dinner plates? :D Oh, if only we knew then what a health inducing herb parsley was!! Parsley acts as an expectorant so it can help with coughing that often accompanies an asthma flare by releasing extra mucous that becomes trapped in the bronchial airways. Parsley can be juiced, added into smoothies, salads, but it's most effective when you really need it for asthma drama as a tea, see a pattern here? Herbal teas are health inducing.
You can make your own tea by steeping parsley leaves (a small bunch) in hot filtered water (you always want the purest water for making teas) for 5-10 minutes. Again, you can sweeten as you like or just enjoy it straight! I've always loved the flavor of wild or flat leaf parsley. I make a salad of just parsley and cilantro or other herbs and its delicious. I also love to juice parsley with pears or apples, I like the sweet-herbal flavors together!
Anise Seed comes from a plant native to the Middle-East and Mediterranean regions. It is a brown kernel like seed and Star Anise that we're all probably more familiar with is shaped like a little star or flower that comes from an herbal plant. Anise seeds have a very distinct licorice flavor that comes from the essential oil in the seeds called anethole. As with most herbs and spices this herb is full of anti oxidants ( like vitamin C & A) and calcium, iron, potassium, and copper ( important for red blood cell production). Anise has been long used as a remedy for asthma, coughs, bronchial issues and digestive disorders such as flatulence, bloating and tummy aches.
[ Alice and her cohorts could use a few cups of healing teas for their 'odd' dispositions!]
For asthma, anise seed is a powerful expectorant, as it helps to eliminate congestion in the respiratory tract. For a simple Anise tea,
Put 1 teaspoon of Anise seeds into boiling water and steep for about 5 minutes or so.
Sweeten as you wish or drink straight. This would be really good with the addition of cinnamon! ( Cinnamon also helps to slow down the blood sugar from the sweeteners you want to use! Bonus!! ) I just love spices and herbs!!
If you really like the flavor of anise as I do, you can add 1 to 2 teaspoons to baked goods for a pop of flavor! (Pregnant women should refer to their doctor before consuming anise seeds)
I like to boil these pretty seeds in water with lemon slices and cloves for a lovely natural room scent!
Cloves, those aromatic little bark like herbs usually destined for fall time recipes are another potent fighter in lung health management. Cloves have been shown to help bring relief to upper respiratory issues which includes asthma because they have an anti inflammatory effect on the body. I love tossing in a few cloves with my teas while they steep, and I especially enjoy them simmered into ginger tea or turmeric (Golden) milk. They blend beautifully with the other warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, anise and even fennel.
These are just some of the plentiful natural herbs that were placed here for us to enjoy and for our health. Our Lord has always provided for us with the land and the blessings that we take from it. #grateful :{}
In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. ~Job 12:10
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