Asthma Diet: Foods To Avoid If You Have Asthma
sthma sufferers are typically advised to change their diet. If you suffer from asthma, you should know which foods are good for you and which foods you should avoid. A healthy asthma diet is all about making more wholesome choices. It normally includes a lot of fruits and vegetables and excludes processed foods.
A huge part of most asthma diets involves weight loss. There is a strong correlation between weight and the frequency of attacks, so if you’re at an unhealthy weight, your chances of getting asthma attacks are higher. In the interest of losing weight as well as putting quality substances in your body, you should avoid white food. Things such as white rice, white bread, refined sugar, etc. are not only processed but very starchy as well. The simple carbohydrates in white foods mean that they are burned pretty quickly by your body, making you hungrier and eat more as a result. In place of white food, eat the whole meal alternative instead, such as brown rice, whole meal bread, etc. Complex carbohydrates are also preferred by athletes as these give them better endurance and stamina. Another consideration for putting together a good asthma diet is the tendency of asthmatics to suffer from GERD or gastro-esophageal reflux disease. About 70 percent of asthma sufferers experience this discomfort with the stomach acid flowing back to the esophagus where it produces a burning sensation. Since the acid can irritate the lungs as well, it can actually contribute to the worsening of asthma. For this reason, it’s important to avoid foods that aggravate acid reflux, such as fatty or acidic food, chili and other spices, carbonated drinks, etc. If you want to follow an asthma-friendly diet, make sure that you filter your fridge to only hold food that is good for you. The first thing you should take out, of course, is food that has been in there for a long time. Food that has lingered for more than six months probably has bacteria that can be bad for your asthma. Second, get rid of sugary treats and drinks. They’re not good for your asthma, either. Canned goods and frozen vegetables are next to go. It’s really best to eat fresh and natural. Asthma is best dealt with when you combine a good diet with other things that will help your condition, like exercising regularly, practicing correct breathing, ridding your home of allergens, etc. Before long, your attacks will be fewer and farther in between, if not completely eliminated. |
|