Animals fed on different types of fats and oils have a body fat composition chemically similar to the fats in the foods they were given to eat (this goes for you too, except you have choices). It was found that animals fed on cheap processed oils – their meat was found to be equally as toxic as the processed oils themselves. The same goes for farmed fish like salmon, their diet makes them fatter but they have far less omega-3 than their wild cousins. The natural salmon have less body fat but more omega-3! A direct association – they are what they eat.

Fish – tuna, sardines, salmon that are renowned for being high in the essential fatty acid omega-3, are this way because of their natural diet. The omega-3 comes from the green plant life in the ocean, fish further down the food chain gorge themselves on this omega-3 rich foods, they themselves become a rich source of omega-3 for fish further up the food chain.

Eggs can vary a lot – depends on what the chickens are fed. There are eggs on the market that are advertised as being high in omega-3 this due to the fact the chickens are fed a diet high in essential fatty acids.

Highly processed refined oils are not nutritious they damage enzymes and parts of our cells interfering with their energy production. Eating these processed oils and fats increase your risk of abnormal blood clotting, inflammation, immune deficiency, stroke, ageing, obesity and cancer.
What fats or oils am I talking about?

The processed vegetable oils freely found on the supermarket shelves in clear plastic bottles and in just about every manufactured food available. The majority of the oils are made from or contain in part soybeans. These highly processed oils are heated to extreme temperatures, going through several chemical processes, changing the molecular structure of the oil, causing serious free-radical damage to every cell in the body.

It is almost impossible to buy a packaged food that doesn’t contain processed oils – most often just labelled as vegetable oil, hydrogenated fat, partially hydrogenated fat, margarine or shortening. Avoid them like the plague.

Our cells, the powerhouses where everything happens are directly and indirectly affected by the types of fats you choose to consume. It would seem cells are less flexible and easily damaged on a diet of processed fats – ultimately interfering with the flow of nutrients and oxygen that should otherwise flow freely in and out of our cells.

Best fat and oils –
In a glass container
Cold Pressed
Extra Virgin
First Pressed
Expelled
Okay
Butter
Expelled Coconut oil (a good oil for heating)

AVOID THE REST IF YOU POSSIBLY CAN

I have been a Reflexologist, Naturopath and Nutritionist for longer than I care to say. However I have been a published author for much less time – 2 years ago I had a book published in the UK – End the Food Confusion, just a couple of months ago I had a book published in the USA called Simply Reflexology and in a month or so I will have my third book published – Pain, medication, relief and natural cures.

The first two books are available from Amazon and most good outlets in a lot of countries.

This book will help you to help yourself – learn reflexology on your hands and feet. Used for centuries to help all manor of problems.

Minerals are underestimated and are most often in short supply. Take for instance zinc it is needed for the correct formation of hydrochloric acid through to the correct functioning of our taste buds. A shortage of zinc can cause our food to taste bland and in such cases there can be a tendency to add too much salt to your food to compensate. This in its self can cause health problems, as salt can inhibit your enzyme activity. Zinc assists in many various enzymes actions in the body, a very important mineral that a lot of people are short of. It assists in metabolism of carbohydrates, helping to fight infections, speeding up healing of wounds, affects thyroid function, works with insulin, even helps to protect against heavy metal poisoning. However in general most of us do not get enough minerals, in general.

This is a very brief look at the various minerals.
Boron a trace mineral found in most plants, which is essential for healthy bones and muscles. Research shows boron slows down the loss of calcium and magnesium from the bones.
Calcium as we all know is needed for the bones, teeth, nerves, muscles and blood. Promotes sleep, keeps the heart beating and the muscles contracting. If you decide to take calcium, make sure you take it with other nutrients that aid its absorption. Good sources are yogurts, almonds, sesame seeds, dark green leafy vegetables. The cow gets its vast amounts of calcium from green plants (not from milk).
Chromium a trace mineral involved in the metabolism and in particular with the production of insulin, helps the pancreas. Chromium lowers cholesterol and other fats in the blood. Molasses is a good source.
Copper required in respiration to convert iron into hemoglobin. Copper utilities the amino acid tyrosine, allowing it work as a pigment for hair and skin.
Iodine is a trace element essential for the formation of thyroxine and tri-iodothyroxine. An iodine deficiency can lead to an under active thyroid, with symptoms like lack of energy, weight gain, dry skin, feeling cold and slowing down of all body functions. Before you start to panic, some of the above symptoms could be related to many different conditions including lack of sleep or too much stress, or lack of other nutrients etc. Seaweeds are a good source.
Iron used by the body to make hemoglobin, the red pigment in blood. Hemoglobin carries oxygen around the body. Good food sources are dark green vegetables and red meat.
Magnesium is a vital component of bones and teeth. It is closely involved in the release of energy and the correct functioning of the nerves and muscles. Good sources are fish, beans, nuts, seeds and green vegetables.
Manganese is essential to the function of the pituitary gland, and for the brain, plus nerve and muscle action throughout the body. Manganese is vital to the body’s antioxidant defense system. The body needs manganese to make interferon which is our natural anti-viral agent. Source – oats, nuts, buckwheat, green tea, and whole grains.
Molybdenum is essential for reproductive health and helps the body detoxify, especially chemical additives. Found in whole grains, beans and lentils, leafy green vegetables and goat’s milk.
Phosphorus is present in every cell in the body, and is involved in most of the body’s physiological chemical reactions. It is needed for strong bones and teeth. This mineral is never taken as a supplement on its own.
Potassium controls the acid/alkaline balance. Found in fruit and vegetables. Works with other nutrients to form essential electrically charged ions known as ‘electrolytes’ that make up the fluids in the body. Potassium is crucial to many functions including the heartbeat, energy production, nerve conduction, blood pressure, and muscle contraction.
Selenium important antioxidant that works in conjunction with vitamin E. Selenium boosts the immune system, keeps the liver healthy, and combats the aging process. Fish and whole grains.
Silicon (is also known as silica) is the most plentiful element after oxygen. Chemical fertilizers and food processing tend to deplete it. In the body silicon is a vital part of connective tissue, bones, blood vessels and cartilage. It helps strengthen the skin, hair and nails by improving the production of collagen and keratin, the proteins found in the joints, hair and nails. Good source – oats, barley, and brown rice.
Sulfur for healthy skin and hair. Found in eggs, onions and garlic.
Vanadium believed to inhibit the formation of cholesterol in the blood vessels. Found in tiny amounts in many foods. Good source – black pepper, dill seeds, aniseed, celery seed and fenugreek seeds.
Zinc essential to over 80 processes and enzymes within the body. It helps to maintain a healthy immune system. Involved in repair, a healthy sperm count and maintaining taste and smell. Found in whole grains, some nuts and seeds especially pumpkin seeds.

Minerals are measured in milligrams (mg), which is a thousandth of a gram, or microgram (mcg), which is a millionth of a gram.

LAUGHTER is another important activity to combat aging. A happy person looks younger and much more attractive. Our general attitude to life will have a direct effect on every cell in our body. It will have a direct effect on every aspect of our lives. Make laughter a bigger part of your life and try to make other people around you laugh. Laughter is a true gift, no other living creature on this earth is so lucky, even the laughing hyena really doesn’t laugh.

What does the research reveal about laughing –

Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol, epinephrine and adrenaline. All of these hormones, when they reach chronic levels, are destructive and will increase anxiety, pain, irritability, speed up the ageing process, and slow down healing and repair. At the same time laughter will increase levels of health-enhancing hormones like endorphins, and neurotransmitters. This means generally that you will feel better, look better, look younger, be in a better mood, and this speeds up healing and repair, and slows down aging. Also you will be a person other people want to be around. Being lonely is also aging.

Laughter increases the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T-cells. All this means a stronger immune system, and is a really pleasant way of protecting ourselves from the viruses and ‘bugs’ that are around us all the time. The safety valve – I am sure there have been times when you didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Though, they both provide physical and emotional release its more fun to laugh. A good ‘belly laugh’ exercises the diaphragm, contracts the abs and even works out the shoulders, leaving muscles more relaxed afterward. This means less aches and pains in the neck and shoulder areas that are so common today. When a person is in pain, it is draining and makes one look older. Laughter even provides a good workout for the heart – known as a ‘hearty laugh’.

Laughter connects us with others, it is a very sociable thing to do and it’s wonderfully contagious. That’s why parties can be so much fun as people are generally chatting and laughing. Bring more laughter into your life and you can help others around you to laugh more so everyone’s a winner. By elevating the mood of those around you, you can reduce their stress levels, and perhaps improve the quality of the social interaction you experience with them, reducing your stress level even more!

Laughter moves the focus away from anger, worry, guilt, stress and negative emotions. Studies show our response to stressful events can be altered by whether we view something as a ‘threat’ or a ‘challenge’. Humor can give us a more light hearted perspective and help us view events as ‘challenges’, thereby making them less threatening so we are able to deal with them more effectively. If we feel better we are able to deal with situations much better.

I wonder how and why we lose the ability to laugh so much? A recent study showed that pre-school-aged children laugh up to 400 times a day!!!! That is enviable. Wouldn’t you love some of that? How many times a day do you laugh now you are a sensible ‘grown-up’? Especially if you are in pain, you are probably thinking there is not much to laugh about. You do need to break this viscous cycle.

Make a conscious effort to

1) Buy or rent funny DVDs – you will have laughter on tap.

2) Socialize more, it’s a great way to laugh and it’s contagious. Dump the miserable friends. Have friends over for a meal, or a funny movie or a friendly card game for a laugh.

3) Try to find the funny side of situations that frustrate you. Often these situations when retold to friends later are amusing, so try to see this amusing story in your mind at the time.

4) Pretend at first. Until laughter becomes second nature. This may sound silly but really, practice laughing and certainly smile more. It works but it also has to be genuine.

5) Spend more time with your children or grandchildren, they say the funniest things, and ask some very amusing questions.

Laughter Decreases “Stress” Hormones Other research indicates a general decrease in stress hormones that constrict blood vessels and suppress immune activity. Many negative affects were shown to decrease in the study group exposed to humor. For example, levels of epinephrine were lower in both the anticipation of humor and after exposure to humor. Epinephrine levels remained down throughout the experiment. In addition, dopamine levels were also lower. Dopamine is involved in the “fight or flight response” and is associated with elevated blood pressure. Laughing is aerobic, providing a workout for the diaphragm and increasing the body’s ability to use oxygen. Laughter no doubt brings about positive emotions that can enhance our quality of life in so many ways hence it is another tool in the anti-aging ‘tool kit’. Yet most of us would rather have a moan than a good laugh! So remember you need more smiles, more laughter, and much more of a positive outlook in general. Not only will you be a better person to be with, you will have a much improved quality of life. Everyone’s a winner. Remember laughing also exercises the face muscle, laughing and smiling also disguises those wrinkles, they don’t look like wrinkles they look like laughter lines! You look just like anyone who is screwing up their face with smiles and laughter.

Before you have a shower or take a bath take the dry natural bristle brush and brush your skin lightly in medium strokes towards the heart area. Brush your whole body but always in the direction of your heart.

Do this for about 3 to 7 minutes then have a bath or shower, do this at least 4 times a week, everyday would be better. Always brush the skin lightly and in reasonably long strokes and never on sore or broken skin.

This is a very economical, simple and effective treatment. It will enhance your circulation, help your body to detox, improve cellulite, fluid retention, and your skin will look healthier in general.

The eucalyptus tree makes a welcome change in color, its stands out for its bluey silvery green, round leaves. The leaves are thick and when rubbed together in your hands release a wonderful aroma. The Eucalyptus essential oil comes from Australia, where the plant is very different, its leaves are long, thin and just a little curved. The koala bear has a diet of eucalyptus leaves, they yield very little in the way of nutrients or energy and this is probably why the bear is not very lively at the best of times.

Topical ointments containing eucalyptus oil have been used traditionally in Aboriginal medicines to heal wounds and fungal infections for centuries. Teas containing eucalyptus leaves were also used to reduce fevers. Worldwide there are about 700 varieties of Eucalyptus all bearing oils but not all equal in quality. Amazing only 11 qualify for their therapeutic value as the various oils are graded by the amount of a phyto-compound called cineole. That is not to say that some of the other varieties do not contain some healing properties, even if it is to a much lesser extent.

The therapeutic properties of the eucalyptus leaves are also believed to help reduce inflammation and fevers. In fact, one study conducted in Russia found that an alcoholic extract (tincture) containing eucalyptus leaves helps relieve chronic ear infections. Many researchers believe that the beneficial effect of the eucalyptus tincture may have been due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

Eucalyptus has been used traditionally to treat diabetes and a few studies done suggest that this has some merit. Eucalyptus is commonly used in remedies to treat coughs and the common cold, found in many throat lozenges, cough syrups, rubs, and vapor baths throughout the United States and Europe. Herbalists recommend the use of fresh leaves in teas and gargles to soothe sore throats and treat bronchitis and sinusitis. Ointments containing eucalyptus leaves are also applied to the nose and chest to relieve congestion. The pure concentrated essential oil is very rich in cineole a potent antiseptic, only a couple of drops are needed diluted.

To make a tea from the fresh leaves. Take a eucalyptus leaf and chop it up and place into a large cup add boiled water, cover with a saucer or something similar and leave for about 3 to 5 minutes. Covering the tea prevents the volatile oils from evaporating and being lost in the steam. You can drink 1cup of eucalyptus tea just for the taste or as a preventive medicine. If you have a cough, then you drink 3 to 4 cups a day, for a few days ONLY. To make tea from the dried eucalyptus leaves is not very effect as most of its healing powers have been lost.

To make your own tincture (a much stronger solution than the tea). Take 250grams of the chopped fresh leaves, place the clean leaves into a large glass jar, and completely cover the leaves with vodka (completely covered is very important) cover with a tight fitting top. Shake the mixture every day for 14 days. Then strain the liquid into a clean glass bottle. Use 1 teaspoon in some warm water three times a day, while you have a cold, flu or sore throat. This mixture can be stored for a few months in a cool dark place.

To use as an inhaler – chop some leaves at to a saucepan of cold water with a lid and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and inhale.

To use in the bath – place some chopped leaves into a piece of cotton and tight up, place the bag into the bath tub.

A word of caution – anyone with inflammation of the kidneys or gastrointestinal tract, bile duct inflammatory disease, liver disease, or high blood pressure should not use eucalyptus leaf in large amounts. Tannins in the leaves may cause stomach upset or kidney and liver damage. People with asthma should use eucalyptus with caution due to the herbs potential for triggering an asthma attack in some people.

Pregnant and breast-feeding women should not use eucalyptus.

Never take continuously for more than a few days.

Here is an interesting article I have found from the ‘what doctors don’t tell you’ website in regards to conventional treatment of asthma. Its very interesting.

How medicine treats asthma

The conventional treatment of asthma relies on a two-pronged approach. The first is to eliminate the ‘triggers’, which provoke asthma attacks in the first place. The second is to use powerful drugs to reduce the body’s response to the trigger, and to attempt to increase the size of the patient’s airways.

The doctor will focus on the upper respiratory tract, chest and skin, looking for signs (especially in children) that the thorax is hyperexpanding, and for any wheezing sounds during normal breathing, or when taking deep breaths. The doctor will also be looking for signs and symptoms of allergic rhinitis and rhinosinusitis. Diagnosing and treating these upper respiratory tract diseases is an essential part of managing asthma.

There are four major recognised symptoms: shortness of breath (especially with exertion and at night), wheezing (a whistling or hissing sound when exhaling), coughing (this is usually worse at night and early in the morning, and can also occur after exercise, and when exposed to cold, dry air) and tightness of the chest.

DIAGNOSIS

The medical profession diagnoses asthma in a variety of ways, but the process is usually based on repeated careful measurements of how efficiently the patient can force air out of the lungs, and on a thorough medical history and laboratory tests to find out what triggers the patient’s acute attacks.

Spirometry

This is an instrument that measures the air taken into and out of the lungs (it measures air flow and air volume—how much and how quickly air can be expelled after a deep breath). The patient breathes into a device called a spirometer, which traces the rate at which the air leaves the lung. If there’s something wrong with your airflow or your lungs, it will show up as a trace on the spirometer.

The amount of air you breathe out is measured as the ‘forced vital capacity’ (FVC), and the amount breathed out in one second is called the ‘forced expiratory volume’ in one second (FEV1). The ratio of FEV1 to FVC is used to find out how bad your airflow is. A lower-than-normal FEV1 is a sign that you may have a lung disease. A falling FEV1 suggests that the lung disease is getting worse.

The ‘normal’ values for FVC and FEV1 depend on a patient’s age, gender, height and race. They are higher for younger than for older people, for tall than for short people, for men than for women and for whites than blacks or Asians. Therefore, the numbers are presented as percentages of the average expected in someone of the same age, height, gender and race. This is called the ‘per cent of predicted’. Any number smaller than 85 per cent of predicted is considered abnormal.

Peak flow monitoring

This measures how the lungs are performing. The peak flow meter is a handheld device that measures how fast you breathe air out of your lungs. This is called your ‘peak expiratory flow rate’ (PEFR). If you can breathe out quickly and easily (a higher PEFR), your lungs are working well, and your asthma may not be bothering you. If you breathe out slowly and with difficulty (a lower PEFR), it can mean that your lungs are not working well. Your PEFRs are compared with charts that list normal values according to gender, race and height.

Chest X-rays

The doctor may also refer you to have a chest X-ray to rule out the possibility of your breathing problems being caused by something other than asthma.

However, a study has revealed that doctors are relying merely on chest radiographs to determine the severity of asthma, even though they have access to sophisticated equipment and techniques such as peak flow and spirometry measurements.

How severe your asthma is depends on the severity, frequency and duration of symptoms (such as coughing or breathlessness), the level of airflow obstruction and the extent to which the condition interferes with your daily life. Patients with more than two episodes of asthma symptoms per week, or with evidence of airflow obstruction between symptoms, have persistent asthma.

In very young children—less than two years old—asthma can be very difficult to diagnose with certainty. Wheezing at this stage often follows a viral infection and may later disappear without ever leading to asthma.

TREATMENT

The medical profession treats asthma in two main ways:

Environmental control

Asthma symptoms can be activated by many agents. Generally, the severity of your asthma depends on how many agents activate your symptoms, and how sensitive your lungs are to them. People with asthma react to external irritants in a way that non-asthmatics don’t. Many, but not all, asthmatics have allergies that cause their bodies to produce an abnormal array of chemicals in response to environmental allergens.

Medication

This is the mainstay of asthma treatment. Because patterns of asthma are different for different people, the specific type of drug treatment varies a lot, depending on the frequency, severity and particular triggers for each patient’s episodes.

For people with mild asthma, medication may be needed only before exposure to triggers or when they detect the onset of an attack. Those with more frequent symptoms may take daily medicine as well as using it for specific symptoms. In the case of severe and persistent asthma, patients may be prescribed two or more doses of medicine each day.

Most asthmatics use two types of medication: a preventative inhaler, which includes steroids, and a bronchodilator, which provides temporary relief from asthma symptoms, but does not tackle the underlying inflammation.

An acute, or sudden, asthma attack is usually caused by an exposure to allergens or an upper respiratory tract infection. How severe the attack depends on how well your underlying asthma is being controlled (which reflects how well the airways inflammation is being controlled). An acute attack is potentially life-threatening because it may continue, despite your having used a quick-relief medication, such as an inhaled bronchodilator.

Prolonged asthma attacks that don’t respond to bronchodilator treatment are classed as severe and you need to get to the doctor or a hospital. Severe asthma symptoms are persistent coughing, and being unable to speak in full sentences or walk without shortness of breath. Your chest may feel closed and your lips may have a bluish tint.

Drug treatment for asthma is given largely on a suck-it-and-see (or, more properly, an inhale-it-and-see) basis, ending up with the patient taking a medicine chest of potentially lethal drugs. The British Thoracic Society (BTS) has published new guidelines for following a ‘step’ approach, only graduating on to the next step in terms of potency of drugs if the step before hasn’t helped. It also advises that, when control is established with one step, consider moving down to the step below.

‘Step One’ begins with short-acting inhaled beta2-agonists for patients who experience symptoms infrequently or with only mild exercise-induced asthma. These adrenoceptor stimulants cause the nervous system to act on adrenaline (epinephrine) receptors throughout the body. But unless the drugs are highly selective, aiming to stimulate only beta2-receptors (which relax bronchial muscles and reduce the chemicals causing inflammation), they can cause the heart to race and force it to produce larger quantities of blood, thus raising blood pressure. The selective beta2-agonist drugs are sold in the UK as salbutamol, or albuterol in the US, fenoterol and terbutaline.

If the doctor feels that inhaled beta2-agonists aren’t doing the job, or you find you’re using them more than three times a week, the doctor moves up to ‘Step Two’, which includes anti-inflammatories. Children are usually started on a six-to-eight week trial of sodium cromoglycate (Intal), three or four times a day. This drug, called a ‘mast-cell stabiliser’, works by preventing the mast cells lining the bronchial tubes from releasing chemicals, causing the bronchial muscles to contract. It is effective in preventing an attack from starting, but cannot treat an attack once it has begun.

Nevertheless, the medical profession, which is mostly at a loss as to how best to treat the condition, prescribes a wide range of aggressive drugs, including anti-inflammatories such as sodium cromoglycate or short-acting beta2-agonists such as salbutamol. Newer approaches for those who work out regularly include pretreatment with longer-acting beta2-agonists, such as salmeterol, or the regular use of inhaled corticosteroids. However, these have a range of adverse effects if used for the longer term and don’t appear to be appropriate for EIA.

A similar, but more potent, drug is nedocromil sodium. Most adults (and children who haven’t been helped by sodium cromoglycate) are placed on inhaled steroids, which are supposed to reduce the daily dose and, hence, the general risks of corticosteroids. These drugs include beclomethasone and budesonide.

‘Step Three’ employs the same steroids, but a more powerful inhaler. Dry-powder inhalers have cartridges that blast the powder when you breathe in, and utilise more drug than the usual pressurised aerosol cartridges. Another possibility is the use of a spacer, which offers a ‘space’ between the inhaler and the mouth to allow more time for the propellant chemical to evaporate before the drug reaches you. There are also nebulisers, which produce a spray, slowly releasing the drug into the bronchial tubes.

If this still doesn’t control your asthma, or you have persistent symptoms at night despite all the other inhaled therapies, the BTS suggests that you move on to ‘Step Four’, increasing the daily dose of inhaled steroids and using an additional bronchodilator, such as theophylline or aminophylline, on top of the other medication. Theophylline belongs to a drug category called the xanthines, which includes caffeine. Theophylline works by relaxing the bronchial muscles and also breaking down a chemical that controls the muscles in the bronchial tubes.

Another possibility is to take oral beta2-agonists, which release more drug into the body, or a non-selective adrenoceptor stimulant like ipratropium bromide, which affects your heart as well as your bronchial muscles.

If all else fails, you are put on a course of oral steroids in addition to the other drugs in ‘Step Four’. You might even be given a trial of cyclosporin, originally developed to prevent the body’s rejection of organ transplants and now medicine’s drug of the month, investigated for everything from psoriasis to arthritis.

]]> http://asthmaalternativemethod.com/2009/07/asthma-from-the-wddty-website/feed/ 0 http://asthmaalternativemethod.com/2009/04/air-travel-and-breathing-problems/ http://asthmaalternativemethod.com/2009/04/air-travel-and-breathing-problems/#comments Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:28:39 +0000 hs http://asthmaalternativemethod.com/?p=219 Sonia Jones ND from The Haven Spa and Alternative Treatment Clinic, Boquete, Panama

You need to consider a few things before you decide to travel by air.

The air pressure in the air craft cabin is lower than you are use to, unless you live in a mountain area that is 6000 to 8000 feet high. At high altitude people’s blood oxygen levels fall and some people become a little breathless. If you already have low blood oxygen due to your breathing problems this situation will make things worse. If you are unsure about how bad your condition is, ask your doctor about some breathing tests.

I have heard if you have breathing problems you can organize oxygen for the flight but this must be done well in advance, weeks. Check with the airlines.

You might need a letter from you doctor about your condition and the medication you need to take in your hand luggage. All the regulations about what you can carry on board are so strict now. So make sure to find out about the regulations and what you need to do, in plenty of time.

If you have an inhaler, it is important to have one in your hand luggage to use during the flight, if needed, and the other one in your suite case as a spare.

Leave loads of time to get to your gate, so you can walk slowly without any anxiety. If the gate is far a way there are always airport staff that can help you.

Absolutely no alcoholic drinks before or during the flight, drink plenty of water.

If you are generally anxious about flying you will need to learn some relaxation techniques.

Do not travel if you have a cold, cough or flu, and if you have recently had a chest infection make sure you get the all clear from you doctor.

It is thought that many of today’s health problems arise from stress, I agree with that however there is an aspect that most people under estimate the effects of a poor diet, leaving the body less able to cope with stress. Stress up-sets the delicate balance and homeostasis of all your body’s functions, re-establishing a balance requires a holistic approach.

You might not have considered having massage on a regular basis to help your asthma, but it is an effective way of calming the whole system, it can be enhanced with certain essential oils added to the massage oil or cream.

Hot Stone Massage Therapy has been used for centuries to relax and treat breathing problems, ancient Ayurvedic therapy with hot river bed stones, melts away stress and tension and draws out impurities from the body.

Several studies show positive effects occur when parents massage their asthmatic children, there is less anxiety and a reduction of the stress hormone, cortisol. Learn massage or reflexology from books and DVDs.

Arsenicum album -

feeling exhausted, yet restless and anxious

breathing problems tend to be worse while lying down,

better when sitting up,

attack may begin or be the most intense between 12 and 2 a.m.

dry wheezing may progress to a cough that brings up frothy whitish fluid

thirsty and taking frequent tiny sips

generally on the cold side,

burning pains in the chest and heat in the head

warmth often brings improvement.

Carbo vegetabilis

be indicated when a person feels weak or faint with a hollow sensation in the chest coughing jags can lead to gagging

cold especially hands and feet,

feel a need for moving air, wanting to sit beside a fan or open window

gas and digestive upset are also likely, and sitting up and burping offers relief

feeling worse in the evening

worse from talking

worse for eating

worse for lying down

Ipecacuanha

coughing spasms leading to retching or vomiting

wheezing can come on suddenly with a feeling of suffocation and heaviness in the chest  mucus collects but has difficulty coughing it up and out

sweating a lot or feeling clammy

nauseous and worse from motion

worse from warmth sometimes

Natrum sulphuricum

when asthma attacks are brought on by exposure to mold and dampness

hold the chest while coughing, because it feels weak

wheezing and breathing difficulties made worse by exertion

attacks worse in the very early morning