Health Advice for Women

There is no cure for asthma but after years of trial and error, I finally came up with a solution that worked miracles for me.

After suffering from asthma for most of my life, and switching from one medicine to another, I decided to research the root cause of my asthma. Instead of constantly treating my asthma, I looked for ways to prevent it in the first place. Some of the obvious things I changed in my life included removing wall-to-wall carpeting in my home and replacing it with hardwood floors, living pet free after my aging dogs passed away, and keeping my bedroom as clean as possible.

The most profound results came when I started changing my diet. After reading about the possible benefits of removing dairy from the diet, I decided to try giving up milk. Having been a very hearty milk drinker for years, this was a huge change and one that did not come easily. I decided to give up milk for a month just to see if I felt better. The change was almost immediate. My allergies and asthma all but disappeared within the first month after I gave up milk. I also cut out yogurt and cut back on ice cream. I now substitute plain soy milk for cow milk and eat soy ice cream in place of regular ice cream. I couldn’t give up cheese completely, but so far, continuing to eat cheese has not adversely affected my progress at eliminating my asthma.

Another change of note included eliminating processed foods, fast food and basically anything with ingredients that I couldn’t pronounce! Whole foods, fresh foods and natural foods make up the bulk of my diet now. After five years on a milk free and mostly chemical free diet, I now breeze through the seasons with only mild seasonal symptoms. I am completely off asthma drugs and only take allergy medicine in the spring and summer as needed.

I love living free of asthma drugs and feel much better now that I don’t have to pump myself with medicine just to get through my day. I keep an inhaler handy just in case I have symptoms, which is rare these days. If you or your child suffers from asthma and allergies, here are a few things you can try to see if diet is a trigger for your symptoms.

Good luck and good health!

Must read books:
Fed Up With Asthma by Sue Dengate

Natural Relief for Your Child’s Asthma: A Guide to Controlling Symptoms & Reducing Your Child’s Dependence on Drugs

Strong Woman Eat Well by Miriam E Nelson, Ph.D.

I always loved reading the 5 things people can’t live without, i.e. their favorite painting, late model Lexus, house on the beach, etc. For people that have chronic health issues the five things I can’t live without list usually looks a lot different! I’m allergic to just about everything. So being in an environment that doesn’t make we cough, sneeze, itch, and have headaches is something I treasure! You can take away everything I own, just give me a place to sleep and work that is allergy free. Here’s my list of 5 things I can’t live without, I’d love to hear about your list, so leave a comment!

1. No one touches my hepa filter, good air quality is what I live for. Real Goods has my favorite brand of air purifier, Austin Air’s Health Mate Plus. They are around $550 and I have two.

2. Next would be my hikes in the mountains!

3. All the wonderful organic food I’m able to get in Boulder County. Here’s a few places on-line to find organic foods -Kalyx.com Natural Foods Marketplace and MotherNature.com has a great selection of natural products and they offer free shipping! I’ll let you know as I find more great on-line shops.

4. The dry climate here in Colorado.

5. My three colorful kids. Wake me up when they are out of their teens!

Do you want the real answers on how to improve your allergies? When I was gobbling down decongestants and taking allergy shots in the 1970′s my allergist told me he cure my allergies. Wrong! Thirty five years later I have learned more about “improving my allergies” than you want to hear, so I’ll impart my wisdom in the “Reader’s Digest” version.

Allergy symptoms. Allergies can cause everything from a runny nose, congested head, itchy eyes, nose and throat, headaches, joint pain, fatigue, vomiting, stomach aches, coughs and a variety of other things. Our bodies all react differently, but the allergy symptoms are your body saying “help”!

Avoid. If we could live a glass bubble with filtered air, those of us with air-born allergies would be a lot better off, but we can’t! It’s really hard to avoid all the things we are allergic to and knowing what one is allergic to is a science in itself. If allergies are wreaking havoc in your life, take charge of your life and clean up your environment, start with my list of 10 things to improve your allergies.

1. Kill your carpets, rip them out and install tile or hardwood- this is the #1 thing I recommend! Buy your hardwood or tile online at Fastfloors.com FREE Shipping, their prices are great and they offer free shipping.

2. Install Air Filters, they are a life saver! I’ve tried dozens of brands and varieties. I recommend the HealthMate Air Filters and you can find them online at Real Goods, they will clean your air and leave you feeling so much better. They are expensive, but worth every cent.

3. Remove as many allergens or toxins from your home and work environment. Mold and dust mites are usually the biggest problems, but below are some other big problems and you need them out!

4. Perfume or scented products- read the label, if it says “fragrance” throw it out. You may have trouble finding unscented shampoo, lotion, soap and cosmetics. MotherNature.com has a great selection of natural products and they offer free shipping! You can now buy CLINIQUE make-up online, it’s fragrance free too

, click on the pink box and you get a free gift with purchase!

5. House-hold cleaning products, only buy the natural kind and unscented. Fantastic, Comet, Windex and their close relatives are all made with harsh chemicals, not good! Here’s a link to my favorite products MotherNature.com. You will also want to avoid fertilizers in your grass, flowers and plants, it’s pure poison to you and the environment.

6. Laundry soap- you need to toss your Tide, Cheer, etc. It’s made with petrochemicals and not good for you. Go buy the natural kind that’s not made with chemicals, here’s a link to buy them online and the shipping is free! Chemicals are bad for you, and over periods of time they weaken your system.

7. People with allergies do best with leather furniture vs. cloth, try to take the minimalist approach. No drapes, feather pillows and avoid synthetic materials. Install blinds instead of drapes that hold dust, JustBlinds.com has the best prices I’ve found on the web for all varieties of blinds. I prefer organic cotton for bed spreads, sheets and comforters that I can wash a million times. I love to shop at Gaiam, they have a great selection of organic bedding, pillows, and towels. Free Shipping on $25 or more at Gaiam.com. Use code AFSUM.

8. Exercise every day! ~ It’s just that easy, start walking and move up to more cardiovascular exercises that get your heart pumping. You want to strengthen your body, lungs and heart. The stronger your body is the better it will handle those nasty allergies.

9. Eat real food! I’m talking fresh veggies and fruits, lean meats, nuts, legumes. Stay away from frozen or processed foods, that’s right no fast food and restaurant food only on occasion. Go organic if you can.

10. Last, but not least. Your body needs to get stronger and desensitize. I’ve tried everything from allergy testing, allergy shots, homeopath, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, yoga, elimination diets, vitamin’s and the list goes on. I will spend more time on this in another article, but until then feel free to leave me comments. I found some great doctors that helped me heal along the way, but I also found some doctors that were of no help. This will be frustrating, but we are here to help!