First of all, I want to thank you for all the notes. I was offline last week for technical reasons. It sure was nice to hear from all of you. I am so glad that you are finding this information helpful! Keep giving me feedback. I love it.

Asthma is truly a chronic medical condition that affects over 20 million Americans a year. Of those affected, unfortunately, there are 5,000 deaths a year. The actual problem occurs when the tiny passages in the lungs become swollen and restricted. There is a reduction in the air that is able to go through secondary to a bronchial muscle spasm creating an obstruction in the airway. What occurs then is a reaction and a further increase in the inflammation. This inflammation will produce mucous and this mucous further decreases the passageway for air. For most people, asthma is a chronic yet treatable condition. There are things that can be done to help alleviate the symptoms.

The first thing to do to manage this condition is to find out what triggers the initiating event.  In some cases, long term medications are prescribed and short term medications are needed for an acute event. The most severe and threatening event is a shortness of breath, chest tightness or pain, difficulty with lying back or flat, trouble with sleeping because of wheezing or coughing, lung noises with exhaling, and severe bouts of coughing. All of these symptoms are made worse by a virus or a cold. There are certain tests, called pulmonary function tests and peak flow meters, that are used to measure the lung capacity.

For the most part, asthma has really increased over the last few decades. Is there a common link? Asthma is real and it kills hundreds of people a year. For the most part, we don't even know what triggers this condition for most people. In researching food allergies, it is very important to know what your triggers really are and how to avoid them.

There is a growing body of information that is proving that many chronic conditions, including asthma, cancer, heart disease, and age related dementia, are brought on by inflammation. The real question is how does this inflammation get started in our body to begin with. When researchers trace back some of the underlying conditions that start the process. What is the common thread that might tie them all together?

• Pop that is high in high-fructose corn syrup
• Diet high in processed meats-lunch meats,fast foods, canned or processed meals
• Over consumption of carbohydrates, especially genetically modified grains and wheat.
• Diets that are high in sugar, high fructose corn syrup such as pies, cakes, and cookies--yeah, the good stuff.
• Specific foods that will trigger an allergic response-some of the most common are dairy, soy, eggs, and gluten

When we eat these foods, there are many increased stresses that do occur on the body. When we do get these stresses, the body will increase the amount of cortisol that it produces.  The increase in carbohydrates and inflammatory components of the Standard American Diet (SAD) will increase the amount of insulin and the amount of cortisol. The body becomes significantly inflamed and then we get into a very reactive body.  The result is pretty commonly asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, fatigue, and the list continues.

If you have asthma, I would invite you to keep a journal of when you have an "attack". Then go back and look at what your were doing, who or what you were around, and what foods did you consume 48 hours before you got the symptoms.  We also know that a negative emotional response or emotional trauma can lead to an attack.  I would also encourage you to consider relaxation as a method to decrease the reactivity throughout your entire body.  Naturally, the Omega 3 Fatty Acids to contain natural components that do decrease inflammation. These are found in cold water wild caught fish.  The B Vitamins are critical to decreasing your inflammation.

If you do not know what your homocysteine level or your high sensitivity C Reactive Protein blood levels are, I would encourage you to have them drawn!

Tomorrow, I am going to talk about the three key items to avoid to decrease inflammation.  I will also be fair and balanced. I am going to tell you what YOU SHOULD eat!  Yes, I am not going to harp on the negative. I am going to tell you of the good things too!

Until tomorrow,

Dr. Michelle Haendiges