*X-posted* TF diet for curing asthma

[Bri'sgirl]

At the suggestion of FairyRae, I x-posted this here.

We went to an asthma class tonight to learn more about helping get our son's asthma under control. He was on Prednisone for 8 days in the last 2 weeks of June and has had 4 overnight stays in the hospital since he was 18 months old...and he's only 4 1/2, now. I read somewhere (not on MDC) that someone had cured their asthma with a TF diet. Has anyone else been able to cure their asthma (or a loved ones)?

I know that asthma medicines can either be bronchiolators (sp?), which are the quick-acting, rescue inhalers, or anti-inflammatory, which are the long term inhaled steroids. Since the anti-inflammatory ones are supposed to control things, wouldn't it be possible to eat an anti-inflammatory diet and keep things under control?

I'm trying to come up with a list of anti-inflammatory foods, as well as a list of inflammatory foods. These foods are easily incorporated into a TF diet, some even fundamental. Here is what I have so far. Please help me add to this. My plan is to incorporate as many of the first list into our diets as possible. I'll report back with any successes or failures. I'm sure it will take a few months to really notice changes, and hopefully get my son off of his daily dose of Flovent and Zyrtec. And hopefully, he'll NEVER have to use Albuterol or Predisone again!!

Top Anti-inflammatory Foods
Salmon
Olive Oil
Grass fed Animal foods
Dark green lettuce
Spinach
Tomatoes
Cruciferous veggies
Cherries
Blueberries
Turmeric
Ginger
Garlic
Green tea
Kelp
Shiitake mushrooms
Papaya
Sweet potatoes
Inflammatory Foods
Sugar
Common Cooking Oils
Trans Fats
Dairy Products (pasteurized)
Feed-lot raised meats
Red meat and processed meats (I'm not sure I agree with red meat??)


Thanks!!

[FairyRae]

I would ask about this in the allergies forum as well--there have been multiple moms over there who've dealt w/ asthma, and there is definitely a TF slant to most folks' recommendations. Sometimes, cutting particular foods *out* of the diet, even if it's not a permanant change, can make a huge difference.

I really don't know much about asthma, but hope you figure out the best thing for your ds!!!!!!! I think it's fantastic you're looking into the food aspect, which can be/is HUGE for many/most of us!!! I totally believe it's possible to minimize and even exclude the use of the medications and such in some/many cases of health issues by 'healing w/ whole foods'.

In general, from a TF slant, bone broth is super healing, as are fermented foods like cultured vegetables (Bubbies pickles is an easier one to incorperate for kids, w/out making your own) or fermented dairy. Also, good fats like butter, ghee, (both if which you may want to avoid if you're not doing dairy) coconut oil, lard (from pastured sources), etc. are very healing as well. (Not sure how they impact asthma particularly, but they are considered staples in the TF realm.)

Green smoothies (a/b a 50/50 blend of greens w/ fruit to mask the green taste) are an easy way to get greens (like spinach) into kids, if they don't like to eat them straight up.

Good luck w/ all this!

[Bri'sgirl]

FairyRae, thanks for the suggestion of posting in the allergies forum. I x-posted this, there.

I have already been making chicken broth for a while, but we don't use it every day. Actually, we have a few gallons in our freezer right now.

Bubbies is a good suggestion. We drink a lot of milk kefir and eat yogurt, but that's about the most of our fermented foods. It certainly can't hurt! And, we use a lot of coconut oil and butter around here.

I haven't made smoothies before, but maybe I should start. My ds is not the biggest veggie eater, although he does like cut up veggies with ranch. Do you just throw it all in the blender? Do you add anything else besides the greens and fruit?

Thanks!

[mbravebird]

Have you looked at the himalayan salt inhaler? That has amazing testimonials about asthma. It's just salt, not medicine, and it's based on the fact that salt miners never used to get respiratory illnesses. I think you have to do it twice a day for ten minutes, preventatively.

I just went and looked on the reviews at Amazon, and they're pretty compelling:
http://www.amazon.com/Original-Himal.../dp/B000GJQQ9O


And turmeric needs to be on your list of anti-inflammatory foods!! It's a powerhouse. The best supp version of it is Turmeric Force by New Chapter.

ETA: Oh, I see it's on there! Somehow I missed it the first time through.

[crunchy_mama]

Originally Posted by mbravebird

Have you looked at the himalayan salt inhaler? That has amazing testimonials about asthma. It's just salt, not medicine, and it's based on the fact that salt miners never used to get respiratory illnesses. I think you have to do it twice a day for ten minutes, preventatively.

I just went and looked on the reviews at Amazon, and they're pretty compelling:
http://www.amazon.com/Original-Himal.../dp/B000GJQQ9O


And turmeric needs to be on your list of anti-inflammatory foods!! It's a powerhouse. The best supp version of it is Turmeric Force by New Chapter.

ETA: Oh, I see it's on there! Somehow I missed it the first time through.

That salt inhaler is pretty cool- I will have to forward that info!

[Bri'sgirl]

Originally Posted by mbravebird

Have you looked at the himalayan salt inhaler? That has amazing testimonials about asthma. It's just salt, not medicine, and it's based on the fact that salt miners never used to get respiratory illnesses. I think you have to do it twice a day for ten minutes, preventatively.

I just went and looked on the reviews at Amazon, and they're pretty compelling:
http://www.amazon.com/Original-Himal.../dp/B000GJQQ9O

This sounds promising, especially with all of the testimonials. I wonder how a 4 yo would do with it? It's hard enough trying to keep him still while doing his 15-20 minute nebulizer treatments. This may have to wait a couple years, but I'd really like to get him to try it.

[WuWei]

Classical homeopathy cured my husband's asthma. But here are some nutritional alternatives: Where to start? Help 101


Pat

[FairyRae]

Originally Posted by Bri'sgirl

FDo you just throw it all in the blender? Do you add anything else besides the greens and fruit?

Thanks!

Yes--there are lots of recipes online--just google green smoothies. I add water, or sometimewwatered down coconut milk, sometimes w/ added minerals from 'concentrace', a cup of packed greens w/ a cup-ish of fruit.

[janinemh]

I think you are on the right track with anti-inflammatory foods. I would add grains to the inflammatory list ( and I agree with you that red meat can probably come off). For me, the GAPS diet was HUGE in healing my asthma and I highly recommend that you check it out.

[Bri'sgirl]

Pat, thanks for the link to the Where to start? page. It looks like I have a lot of reading to do!

I've also considered the GAPS diet in the past, but to be honest, it seems so restrictive, I'm not sure I could be consistent with it. My son's health is really important to me, so if it comes down to it, I will give it a try.