Open your window on a sunny afternoon, and what do you hear? The chirping of singing birds? The yelling of playing children? It happened to be the same scenario at Sunshine Villa when suddenly Jack, a light-eyed boy amongst the lot began gasping for breath leaving his Mom to think... �Could there be some kind of ways she�d find a fix to let him out of the asthma trap.� Certainly yes.
Asthma Trap
Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the bronchial tubes (airways) that cause swelling and narrowing (constriction) of the airways resulting in difficult breathing. Its distinctive features include shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing & chest tightness.
Asthma symptoms may be activated or aggravated by many agents. Not all asthmatics react to the same triggers. Common asthma triggers includes allergens like pollens, dust mites, additives, foods � fish, egg, peanuts, nuts, cow�s milk, soy and irritants like respiratory infections, tobacco smoke, weather changes, paint, detergents, deodorants, chemicals,exercise emotional factors such as laughing, crying, yelling, and distress etc.
What Should Be In My Plate
- As per Dutch researchers, fresh fruits packed with powerful antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin E & beta- carotene help protect against the harmful effects of pollution & promote healthy lung function.
- Green vegetables contain plenty of bio-flavonoids, which help to reduce free radicals in the body. Quercitin, which is found in ample quantities in onions, apples is extremely beneficial.
- Instead of dressing your fresh salad with heavy refined vegetable oils like sunflower or safflower oil, try pure extra-virgin olive oil.
- Do not forget to include a few servings of baked oily fish in your diet every week � this helps reduce inflammation of the lungs.
- Include a moderate amount of garlic and onion in daily diet as they help to get rid of the free radicals that contribute to asthma.
- Reduce salt intake. Instead use natural spices like basil (tulsi), fenugreek (methi), coriander, oregano and more to give your meals more flavour and taste.
- Avoid all mucus-forming foods such as dairy foods, chocolates, refined white flour, bread, cakes, and white sugar � which aggravate respiratory conditions. This is because excess mucus blocks the airways and thus aggravates the condition.
- Keeping a food diary to trace the offenders should be in practice. These could be amongst asparagus, beans (kidney, navy, black), broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage carbonated drinks, cauliflower, peas, peppers, radish & turnips.
- Weight management along with a more active lifestyle can also be of great help in improving the lung function that can serve to be effective in managing asthma.
- The diaphragm cannot work well when the stomach is full in people with chronic lung diseases such as asthma. This could be worked out better by eating smaller, more frequent meals as it reduces the chances of reflux. Refueling yourself before you hit empty would be wise on your side.
- Breathe evenly while you are chewing and eating. Stop eating if you need to catch your breath. Relax at mealtime
Soon Jack would be seen exclaiming this to his mom "I Have Asthma but Asthma Doesn�t Have Me".