Breathe easy

Asthma is an airway disease which is not only common but also very debilitating. The afflicted finds it difficult to live life to the best of his/her potential. The treatment or management of asthma should be holistic and well integrated to get desirable results. One should plan nutrition therapy, herbal and detox therapy, stress management, and pranayam and asanas. Nutrition therapy According to Ayurveda, asthma is a disease that results from overeating coupled with anxiety and fear. The asthmatic should avoid preserved foods, as they contain chemical preservatives one could be allergic to. Similarly, preserved foods kept for a long time in cans/packets (sometimes for months) become hyper-reactive to the body.
Foods like pickles, sour foods, chemical or artificial vinegars are also detrimental for the asthmatic. Foods which come out from the refrigerator like cold or chilled foods are also not recommended. It is best to have whole grains like dalia and whole oats, while in hot places brown rice can be taken. Include a lot of leafy vegetables and herbs and spices like cinnamon, garlic, ginger and black pepper in the diet.

Fruits like apple and papaya are also very good (avoid banana and watermelon). In exercises there are some helpful asanas such as the tadasana (when you do this asana you will feel the chest stretching and you will take in a lot of air in your lungs, but do it gently) gomukh asana, bhujang asana and dhanur asana. Some of the breathing exercises which are very good are — naadi shodhan and kapal bhati. Severe asthmatics should begin slowly and under supervision. Finally, de-stressing with the help of music, meditation groups and body massages is very effective.