Breathing Is Essential For Life: It is at the top of the totem pole regarding essential needs for life!

Our lungs bring oxygen-rich air into our bodies and expel the CO2. Envision the inhalation like a fuel injection of gas into your car! This is a major reason why you want to exercise on a regular basis. It is a good idea to keep this important life sustaining mechanism in good shape – at any age. Your heart and lungs work together even though we consider them separate organs and tend to focus on them on an individual basis.

Together, both organs are the cardiovascular pump that keeps us alive and gives us energy to do fun things! Our cardiovascular system needs to be challenged for short intervals, it must have good stamina and endurance too. Walking in the Park is fine, but the next time you run for a bus on 5th Ave you want to make it!

This life-supporting mechanism is so important, yet often not considered at all when addressing breast cancer radiation, chemo, aging, resilience against infection, chronic illness, adrenal fatigue, allergies, exhaustion and heart stress.

Heart attacks are still the #1 killer of women.

If you have any ailment that compromises your breathing, heart and lung health, your body is in high stress mode, this is called ‘Fight or Flight’ mode. It is demanding on the adrenals glands, the sex hormones, the immune system and the digestive system, never mind the brain that is fighting for perceived ‘survival’. This affects all functions of your body and really stresses the nutrient reserves in the body, which depend on a steady supply of O2 and a strong heart.

Your adrenal glands that regulate how you adapt to daily and chronic stress, are also adversely affected with any lung health compromise (including environmental allergies). This will affect your ability to detox, lose weight and feel vibrant as it also directly affects your energy reservoir.

We think of our lungs mostly within the concept of breathing, especially when we pant after a sprint or spin class. We also become more aware of our lungs if we have a chest cold or bronchitis, or if we suffer from spring allergies or asthma. Dealing with asthma is a whole other ballgame! That is in the category of a disease associated with a chronic inflammatory condition.

It is essential to consider:

• How healthy are your lungs?
• Are you exercising regularly making your lungs and heart work, keeping them strong?
• How toxic is the air you breathe in your work and living environment?
• Are you breathing properly, etc…. it all matters. Do consider your lung health in your daily detox regimen.
• Are you using an inhaler (steroid) on a regular basis?
• Are you smoking?

When you breathe in, you inhale oxygen into your lungs—from where it gets distributed into every cell of your body. When you breathe out, your lungs expel Co2 and airborne toxins that have accumulated inside your body. We want the constant respiratory ‘garbage removal.’ Exercise with increased breathing will promote expelling of toxins via the lungs.

What types of lung disease are most common in women?

Three of the most common lung diseases in women are asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer.

KNOW YOUR POISONS: Common Toxic Culprits

Today there are so many synthetic air fresheners used in stores. I frequently have to avoid the shopping stores, as I am very sensitive to chemical exposures. Especially at Christmas time, one popular home goods store pumps this fake cranberry scent throughout the store. It makes me feel like I cannot breathe – and my head feels ‘funny’!

Personal care products, hidden mold in the air conditioning units, fragrance, industrial and household chemicals, candles, cosmetics, carpet shampoo, gases and potpourri—all are common in our environment today. For all the Golf fans, do be aware that golf courses are rife with pesticides and all other toxic ‘cides’. Other culprits include:

• Air (and noise) pollution with busy traffic, chemtrails in the air, factories emissions
• Chemical inhalants including personal synthetic fragrances, hair products, perfumes, gas stations, air fresheners in stores, carpet shampoos, dry cleaning, household detergents, pesticides
• Toxic exposures: Radon (even in the fabulous granite counter), aluminum in cooking ware and personal care
• Mold in buildings or homes from water damage or environmental mold exposure
• Emotional toxicity that comes from the heart. This includes unhealthy and stressful relationships, angry emotions, loss, and grief. On an energetic level, all directly affect the health of the lungs.
• Radiation in the environment, airport screenings, and medical radiation
• Never mind the terrible air in airplanes.

Healthy Tips: To Reduce Your Toxic Exposures

1. Do consider use of an air purifier in your work or in your home if you are in a polluted area or moldy building. With any respiratory ailment, including asthma or allergies, an air purifier is essential to decrease environmental allergen and toxic exposures. Breathing cleaner air will decrease your burden on the immune system, clear your head, and it will increase your energy!

2. Do change your A/C filter on a regular basis, especially when you live in a humid environment. The humidity is a great environment for mold spores that can contribute to your chronic allergies, chronic sinusitis and chronic respiratory problems. (Brain fog, chronic sinusitis and neurological symptoms can also be implicated.)

3. you suspect mold exposures in your home: Consider doing the ERMI home test or get a home inspector to check out your home.

4. If you send your clothes to the dry cleaner, go ‘organic’. The toxins used in commercial dry-cleaning have also been implicated in breast cancer.

5. Switch all household products into ‘green’ products. To keep it easier on your budget, each time—when an old product is finished—replace it with a ‘green’ one!

6. All personal care products – you do breathe them in too: Go organic. There will still be toxins, however, a much lesser amount. The less toxins, the better!

7. Instead of perfumes, use essential oils. They certainly do attract attention – welcome attention. However, do not use when exercising or in hot temperatures, as it will accentuate the aroma and not everyone can handle it.

The fragrance industry (like the personal care products industry) is not regulated.

Context – More than 2,500 fragrance ingredients are used in perfumes and perfumed consumer goods, such as cosmetics, detergents, fabric softeners and other household products, to give them a specific (usually pleasant) smell. They can sometimes cause skin irritations or allergic reactions.  A list of 26 substances that have to be identified on products to inform consumers was established in 1999. Is this list sufficient, or is it necessary for additional fragrance ingredients to be added to the list?

What about foods? Can food make respiratory ailments worse?

Certainly, I would consider taking a look at the following chart, especially as we are going into allergy season.

What foods in your daily diet can increase inflammation in your lungs – affecting breathing capacity, clearing of infection, detoxification and daily energy?

If you imagine how many times a day you breathe in and out, it certainly matters what you breathe into your body. All toxins must be broken down by the liver, be it perfume, nail polish or chemical air fresheners. New cars, new upholstery, paint, these all are supertoxins too, so do an ‘air out’ as best as you can to get rid of the initial toxic ‘air blast’. Your body and brain will thank you.

Get out into fresh air, exercise, Go-Green when you clean and enjoy yourself. Deep breathing exercises are a great way to de-stress while using your full breathing potential. If you have any questions, do contact me at the below email. In the meantime, enjoy the spring weather.

“Happy Breathing!”