The key to health is the natural immunity of the body.

 

Nutritional Support for the Respiratory System

As I briefly touched upon in the previous section, cleansing is an important first step for most respiratory problems, including allergies, sinus trouble and asthma. Cleansing is not for pregnant and lactating women nor for individuals in a weakened condition, i.e., those who are pale, weak and underweight. These individuals should begin by building. But the rest of us should begin by cleansing all the channels of elimination, and by keeping these channels clear with a cleanse twice a year, ideally in the Spring and again in the Fall.

The lungs are eliminating organs. When the body’s other channels of elimination are not performing properly there is extra stress on the lungs and toxins begin to build up in the body tissues. This further affects the mucous membranes (which are also channels of elimination) leading to excess mucus and/or to thickening of the mucus and perhaps to inflammation and swelling of the membranes as well. An unhealthy internal environment results—providing an ideal place for the proliferation of microorganisms such as bacteria and yeast. The immune system, which has to continually battle these stressors, becomes weak. Allergies result, along with poor resistance, leaving us more susceptible to infections.

I recommend that all adults (except pregnant or nursing women and individuals in a weakened condition) begin with a 2-week cleanse with the CleanStart TM cleansing and detoxification program according to the directions on the package. This cleans the intestines, liver, blood and kidneys of waste material and toxins that are hindering the healing process.

		Follow the cleanse with Bifidophilus Flora Force ® to help reestablish the normal beneficial flora of the body. This is especially important if antibiotics have been used at any time in the past. Antibiotics kill the normal beneficial flora allowing yeasts and fungi to grow. Overgrowth of yeasts, such as Candida albicans, is a very common contributor to respiratory problems. Supplementation with the normal flora will help keep these under control. Individuals with chronic respiratory problems should supplement with this product for at least four months. It should also be taken any time an antibiotic is used and for at least 60 days after it is discontinued.

People who suffer from a lot of allergies can usually benefit by supplementing their diets with digestive enzymes. Proactazyme Plus,® plant enzymes, acts in the digestion of all food types and activates the body’s energy systems. It is a general purpose enzyme supplement containing protease (for protein digestion), amylase, glucoamylase, lipase, pectinase and cellulase. Proactazyme supplements the body’s production of digestive enzymes and helps break down difficult-to-digest foods. It contains no hydrochloric acid. (For individuals who may be deficient in hydrochloric acid (HCl), especially the elderly, Food Enzymes may be a better choice.)

I mentioned previously that “junk foods”—those that are high in trans-fats and sugar—can make many respiratory problems worse by increasing the body’s production of histamine. There is another food type that can cause problems for many people and that is dairy products. Not everyone is adversely affected by dairy products but it is very common. There seems to be a type of food allergy to dairy products (the IgG, or “silent” type) that causes problems in the mucous membranes, i.e., swelling of the membranes and excess or thick mucus production. The exception seems to be natural yogurt, which does not pose a problem for most people, probably because the beneficial bacteria in yogurt have partially broken down the offending ingredients.

Children particularly seem to be susceptible to this type of dairy allergy. I have seen many cases of otitis media, or chronic or recurrent ear infections, clear up when the parents took their child off all dairy products. I might mention that this type of food allergy is usually missed by the usual allergy tests, which test only for the IgE type of food allergies. (See Food Allergies.)

If you have respiratory problems and consume dairy products, I recommend a trial period of a week or two without any dairy products at all. If your symptoms improve during that time you should consider eliminating all dairy from your diet. You can add natural yogurt back to your diet after a while to see if it poses a problem, and if not, you will know that yogurt is alright for you. Yogurt contains some of the same beneficial flora that is in the Bifidophilus Flora Force product that I mentioned above so it can actually help some respiratory problems, especially for those who have been on antibiotics a lot. Don’t over do the yogurt, however, or you could end up with some of the same problems you had with the other dairy products. There is a possibility that the problems some people have with dairy products are a result of pasteurization. If you have access to raw (unpasteurized) milk, you might find it better than pasteurized milk. It might be worth a try if you can get your hands on some.

The yeast-like fungus that often goes undiagnosed and which is often involved in chronic respiratory problems is . . .

 

 Cryptococcus
 Aspergillus
 Escherichia coli
 Candida albicans

(Select the best answer and click on the “Continue” button.)