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Do You Have Asthma?

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It’s spring. Which means that, along with flowers blooming, allergies are hitting. As rates of asthma and allergies rise each year, so does the amount of money put into treatment. Breathing is about the most basic function needed for survival, so it’s not surprising that there are thousands of medications available, from sophisticated inhalers to all manner of nasal sprays and antihistamines. But the numbers of asthma attacks and allergies continue to rise, which shows that these medications are just a Band Aid for a larger problem. They aren’t targeting the root cause of asthma and allergies: inflammation.

Here’s where inflammation and asthma tango: Inflamed bronchial tubes restrict airways as much as the contraction of the bronchial muscles (what happens during an asthma attack). Acute inflammation of the bronchial tubes can also happen during asthma attacks, along with mucus secretion, which further clogs the airway. Many asthmatics also experience chronic inflammation of the bronchial tubes even when they aren’t having an attack; this doesn’t typically restrict breathing but it does make bronchial tubes predisposed too spasms, contraction, and acute inflammation.  So, long story short – inflammation bad – breathing good!

Asthma causes distress in the body, which leads to elevated cortisol. Can you imagine a more stressful situation than struggling to get oxygen into your lungs?  Making matters worse, persistent stress – from asthma attacks, a crazy job, mothering young children – leads to cortisol resistance and increased inflammation throughout the body, including your bronchial tubes and muscles. In fact, imbalanced hormones, whether from high cortisol, low thyroid or out-of-whack estrogen and progesterone, contribute to higher rates of inflammation all throughout the body.

Recent medical thought has put forth the idea that inflammation is the root cause of all chronic diseases. You know how much I love root causes, so let’s dive headfirst into tackling this one.  While I am all for medicine, alternative medicine is another path to becoming healthy.  Some essential oils for asthma are:  eucalyptus, frankincense, peppermint, thyme, Breath (proprietary blend), oregano, lemon, myrrh, lavender, geranium, cypress, clary sage, ylang ylang, rose, helichrysum, marjoram, and rosemary.  Diffuse in the air or inhale directly from the bottle.  Apply to the hands, tissue or cotton wick and inhale.  Can be diluted as recommended and applied to chest, throat, or back.  Add 2-3 drops to 1 TBS of fractionated coconut oil and massage onto chest, shoulders, and back.  Essential oils have been used for centuries.

 

Warm Weather and Ticks

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From may through July, people get tick bites and tickborne diseases more often than any other time of the year in the US, but many may not know they are at risk.  Not all show signs of the diseases.  Each year, nearly 30,000 confirmed cases of Lyme disease are reported to the CDC, but a recent survey reported that nearly 20 percent of people in areas where Lyme disease is common were unaware that it was a rick.  Another 42 percent of individuals reported taking no personal preventive measures against ticks.

Other key tickborne diseases include Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and babesiosis.  These diseases tend to concentrated in specific parts of the country.  Nearly 95 percent of Lyme disease cases occur in 12 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.  With 60 percent of Ricky Mountain fever cases occur in 5 states:  Arkansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee.

Reducing exposure to ticks is the best defense against Lyme disease.

1.  Avoid areas with high grass and leaf litter and walk in the center of the hiking trails

2.  Use a natural repellent (Terra Shield) from essential oils and plants – do not use Deet it is toxic to your body and more so to children

3.  Use it everywhere to include your clothing and tuck in your shirts and pants

4.  Treat your pets for ticks using the same natural repellent and they may bring ticks into the house

5.  Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors to wash off and more easily find crawling ticks before they bite you

6.  Conduct a fully body tick check using a hand held or full length mirror to view all parts of the body and remove any ticks right away

Tickborne diseases can cause mild symptoms to severe infections requiring hospitalization.  The most common symptoms of tick related illnesses can include fever/chills, aches and pains, and rash.  If you experience these symptoms after you have been outdoors look for the culprit or for the bull eye’s ring bite.  See a doctor to get tested and treat accordingly.

Aromotherapy

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Aromatherapy

 

Responding to stress is something people naturally do to help regulate the body—but staying in a constant state of stress will eventually have negative health effects. Cortisol, also called the stress hormone, is part of the body’s natural response to stress, but when released at high levels, or when is it not allowed to disperse due to chronic stress, it can decrease immunity, bone density and overall quality of life.  The body cannot manage long periods of constant stress without producing inflammation in the body as well.

Practicing consistent balance in self-care to support the body’s natural relaxation response and to keep our body’s cortisol levels balanced and healthy is essential for long-term wellness. A healthy lifestyle practice helps us to manage stress before it becomes constant. Aromatherapy is one effective method we can use to stop stress from taking root in the body.

Aromatherapy triggers the relaxation response, necessary for balance. The relaxation response can be triggered by doing something you like, such as deep breathing, walking, and massage. Triggering the relaxation response has many health benefits, including healthy cortisol levels and decreased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, improved digestion and normalized blood sugar levels.

That’s why it is important to make time for yourself every day, even if that means stolen moments here and there, such as while the kids are sleeping, in the car, washing dishes or even doing laundry. Aromatherapy is flexible and portable, and it provides a lot of diversity.
Consider using essential oils as part of your everyday health routine.

To support everyday use, try inhalation of single essential oils, or, if you have more time, creating a personal blend of essential oils. Both methods have therapeutic properties. If you choose inhalation, select essential oils with a pleasant association. Diffuse calming, yet uplifting aromas like Citrus or Bergamot Citrus and inhale deeply.  If you choose to make a blend, select essential oil with relaxing and/or uplifting properties. Anise, basil, clary sage, geranium,  grapefruit, lavender, nutmeg, petitgrain, rose, rosemary, sweet orange, tangerine, and ylang ylang are especially useful for simple, stress-reducing blends.

 

 

All Fruit Diets and Your Health

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All Fruit Diets Have Dangerous Side Effect

 

Did you hear that Ashton Kutcher went to the hospital back in January just two days prior to the first shooting for the movie of Steve Jobs?  He was suffering from severe stomach pains which they later found out was directly related to problems with his pancreas.  The cause you ask??  An all fruit diet, or the fruitarian diet, which Ashton was modeling due to his part as Steve Jobs who followed and practiced this diet.  According to Walter Issacson’s biography, “Steve Jobs”, Jobs began extreme dieting, such as the all fruit diet in his freshman year in college.  He died from pancreatic cancer which an all fruit diet has been linked to.

While all fruit diets and others are intended as a way to detox the body, many doctors and nutritionists alike are concerned about the impact following an all fruit diet may have on your overall health.  These are meant for short term and then people do the extreme for long term and can cause their own health issues.  Eating fruit for long term can contribute to a loss of many needed nutrients and minerals that the body needs to remain healthy.  One of those important nutrients is protein.  Protein are molecules made up of smaller molecules which are amino acids.  Proteins are used to build virtually everything in the body.  This includes your skin, hair, and nails to the hemoglobin in your blood which is made of protein.

Proteins can be found in meats from animals, fish and fowl.  They include nuts, seeds, beans and dairy products.  They can include whole grains containing protein, brown rice, whole wheat, quinoa, and barley.  And yes a few vegetables can be counted as protein as well:  avocado and sprouts!  Another major concern is the loss of good fats in your diet.  Good fats are essential for many bodily functions including maintaining proper hormone levels and brain functions.

Other essential nutrients the body can suffer from loss of is calcium, vitamins B & D-12, iron and zinc.

Fad diets that are not nutritionally balanced can do more harm than good.  If you need to lose weight, work with a professional who is qualified to design a nutritional food plan, exercise plan and a health coach/mentor.  Long term maintenance is the goal not short term loss.  This could be the difference between life and death in some cases.

To your health!