Asthma

[raeannasun]

I've noticed on days that I'm 100% raw that my asthma acts up. I haven't had a lot of problems with asthma since I was about 13-14. Usually it's just that I have to take my inhaler during season changes or strenuous workouts. This morning I work up with a lot of mucus in my nose and wheezing. Does anyone have experience with relieving wheezing while raw?

[Rawkinlocs]

Hi Reanna,

Now, you said, on days that you're 100% raw...does that mean there are non-raw days and if so, on the days that you're not, are there things you're eating that your body could possibly be detoxing from on those 100% raw days? Are there grains in your diet at all - raw or otherwise? If so, may need to eliminate those.

I don't have any suggestions for your wheezing, though - sorry :-| Sounds like you may be retracing, but I'm not exactly sure.

[Sharon in Colorado]

Could be, when your body isn't having to deal with anything mucous producing, it's cleansing and throwing out extra stored mucous. Try drinking a lot of water and more juicy fruits to move it along.

[rawpriestess]

This is what happens with me, so it might be what's happening to you also.

When I used to eat cooked all the time, my body always had asthma symptoms.

Then I went 100% raw, and my body detoxed for 1 day only, and then I was clear after that, what a surprise.

Then after 2 months, I ate some cooked, and the next day (when I went back to 100% raw), my body detoxed again, only this time it took about 3 days, and I had real challenges, worse than before.

The ONLY thing that works for me, besides drugs, which I will not take, is a sauna, and breathing eucalyptus oil, works in about 20 minutes, like magick.

Okay, so after another week raw, I ate cooked again, (duh!?) and the next day, asthma symptoms again, so I went back to 100% raw, and it took me about 3 days to detox again.

So, I think it's like when a smoker wakes up in the morning, coughing and hacking all over the place, then they go have a cigarette, and no more coughing, they say the cigarettes keep them from coughing, when in actuality, the cigarette is so toxic, that their body keeps the protective mucus in place in the lungs and air passages, to protect them from the smoke.

Probably the same with you and me and the asthmas.

Anyway, it's definitely NOT the raw food that is causing it. IT has to be something else.

The number one asthma causer is dairy products, milk, cheese, ice cream, half and half, whey, these are pretty much is ALL processed foods, even hash browns have sugar, salt, oil and whey in them, go figure.

[Helen Of Tennessee]

Hi RaeAnna,

Sounds like detox. At Tonya's seminar yesterday, she mentioned retracing when detoxing. Here is another post on retracing (hence the reason you're having problems that you had so long ago:

Go down to Zsuzsa's post:
http://www.rawfoodsupport.com/read.php?f=1&i=24832&t=24747

Since you are having asthma problems, I thought you might want to read some of these testimonies on those who overcame their asthma with eating all raw:

Roe Galleo – Asthma, Allergies, colds, pneumonia
http://www.roegallo.com/PB2index.html go to her bio
http://www.livingnutrition.com/rawfoodarticles/asthma.html

Dr. Tim Trader – Asthma & Allergies
http://www.vegetarianusa.com/rawenergy/

Lisa – Asthma, Allergies, Hayfever
http://www.shazzie.com/raw/transformation/lisa.shtml

Valya – from Raw Family
http://www.rawfamily.com/valya.htm
it doesn’t say too much on the website, but you can read more in their books.
I know you have these books, RaeAnna, but for those that don't, you can read the first chapter of their books at:
http://www.rawfamily.com/products.htm

Dru (19 yrs) & Mihir (18 yrs) – Asthma since birth
http://www.rawfood.com/forum/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=000006

Since I've been high raw, I haven't had much problems with my exercise induced asthma. But what I have noticed now, when I eat bread, it's hard for me to breath; like immediately after eating it. I think I'm becoming more sensitive to the bad foods!!!!

Hopefully in time, asthma will be something of the past for you. You have done so well on eating raw!!!!

<>< Helen of Tennessee

[raeannasun]

Rawkinlocs, I start every day with the intentions of being 100% - what I usually mess up on is dressings, non-raw nuts, breath mints, gum.
I figured the asthma was a detox sign - all the more reason to be 100% raw 100% of the time! :)
It has become easier to be 100% the longer I work on it. Tonya said that the transition time is usually 1 to 2 years. When I fall off the wagon, I'm proud of myself that I get back up after dusting myself off! :)
I'm going to try eucalyptis (sp?) when I feel the symptoms again. RP, have you ever put some drops in boiling water and inhaled the steam? I might try that next time. (And give myself a facial!)
Thanks for the help ya'll!!!

[swingbolder]

Your symptoms could definitely be detox. My asthma has cleared up a lot since going raw but I do have detox episodes every so often during which time I get very wheezy. I know a lot of old stuff is getting cleared out.

Natural ways to help with asthma:

Number one, when you are wheezing (and in general), breathe through your nose NOT your mouth. It seems counterintuitive but when you breathe through your mouth you are not getting more air, you just start panting, hyperventilating which brings on the panic response, making your wheezing seem a lot worse than it is. Also:

-I second the Eucalyptus. Make a steaming pot of it and hold your face down near it (don't get burnt).

-when you start to wheeze, lie down and put a hot compress over your chest for about 15-20 minutes. It will loosen the phlegm up in your chest so that it can be expelled more readily

- these yogic breathing exercises helped me a lot (must be practiced daily):
http://www.yogajournal.com/health/127_1.cfm

-cardio exercise done on a regular basis will strengthen the lungs

-hot tea

-drink tons of water

-"mucus-buster formula" -- blend: 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, juice of one grapefruit, juice of one lemon, 2 drops of pure peppermint oil. warning: it will go down feeling like turpentine. Follow with a mug of warm water and some rapid, panting-type breathing through the nose (for about 45 seconds). Do this daily for a week or two. Sounds wacky but it really stirs things up in the lungs. You want that green stuff OUT.

-don't overeat in general, don't eat late at night

-try an enema

-consider fasting on water or juices only for a day or so whenever you start wheezing.

All of these these things have helped me tremendously. Good luck!

[Revvell]

Number one, when you are wheezing (and in general), breathe through your nose NOT your mouth. It seems counterintuitive but when you breathe through your mouth you are not getting more air, you just start panting, hyperventilating which brings on the panic response, making your wheezing seem a lot worse than it is.


I don't agree with this. Depending on whether you are just wheezing or really having an attack ~ I learned during a VERY bad attack, to slowly sip air in through my mouth and blowing gently out. This technique kept me alive. In order to do this, one is not hyperventilating or panicing ~ exactly the opposite. It is slow, conscious breathing. I'm thinking if folk who are heavily asthmatic would do this, rather than "try" to breathe normally, there would be fewe deaths. Other than that, I almost always breath through my nose.



-when you start to wheeze, lie down and put a hot compress over your chest for about 15-20 minutes.

I don't know about anyone else yet, when I was having breathing problems, laying down was the last thing I could do. I use to sleep sitting up. I do agree with the hot compresses though.



-try an enema

DO enemas. Do enough so that the water runs almost clear and you don't feel as though you have to eliminate anything else.


So, now you've got "some" conflicting info here. Obviously, you have to make your own decisions.

Also, in my experience, asthma can be caused by emotions. If you find out what the root cause is, you might eliminate it altogether. Now, how fun would that be?

Revvell

[swingbolder]

>>I don't agree with this. Depending on whether you are just wheezing or really having an attack ~ I learned during a VERY bad attack, to slowly sip air in through my mouth and blowing gently out. This technique kept me alive. In order to do this, one is not hyperventilating or panicing ~ exactly the opposite. It is slow, conscious breathing. I'm thinking if folk who are heavily asthmatic would do this, rather than "try" to breathe normally, there would be fewer deaths. Other than that, I almost always breath through my nose.<<

You could have done the very same thing through your nose and gotten the same results; the important thing is to slow the rate of breathing way down.

The problem is that to many asthmatics, breathing normally means breathing through the mouth, it becomes a habit, bc the belief is that since the mouth is bigger than the nostrils, you're getting more air that way. Asthmatics in general tend to breathe through their mouths for this reason. When you're wheezing, you continue to breathe through the mouth, only bc you're trying to get more air, so you start gulping, faster and faster -- it's a natural-feeling, very unconscious thing -- and you end up with carbon dioxide overload which creates a panic response in the body. It's much easier to fall into this when you breathe through the mouth than through the nose, simply bc it feels a lot less natural to breathe quickly through the nose than it is through the mouth. The other reason nose-breathing is superior is that air that goes through the nose is filtered better than when it comes in through the mouth. It's also heated more, which is better for asthma (cold air constricts the lungs, in other words, the bronchial passages become smaller).


>>I don't know about anyone else yet, when I was having breathing problems, laying down was the last thing I could do. I use to sleep sitting up. I do agree with the hot compresses though.<<

The important thing here is to have that hot compress on the chest. I should have clarified to say "semi-reclining" bc yes, if you are totally horizontal it can be very uncomfortable while wheezing, but obviously if you are sitting all the way up it's hard to keep a compress on your chest since gravity wants to pull it down!

About asthma and emotions, this is very true. That's why learning slow, meditative breathing techniques can be very helpful. The other thing that helped me was using visualization techniquesl. Instead of fearing and loathing my wheezy lungs, I would sit with spine straight, close my eyes and breathe slowly, facing my wheezing head-on instead of being scared of it or trying to change it. It was very uncomfortable at first but it was a very effective way of making peace with my lungs, bc after a few minutes of this I would feel very calm and accepting of them.

[Revvell]

Exactly.......



About asthma and emotions, this is very true. That's why learning slow, meditative breathing techniques can be very helpful. The other thing that helped me was using visualization techniquesl. Instead of fearing and loathing my wheezy lungs, I would sit with spine straight, close my eyes and breathe slowly, facing my wheezing head-on instead of being scared of it or trying to change it. It was very uncomfortable at first but it was a very effective way of making peace with my lungs, bc after a few minutes of this I would feel very calm and accepting of them.