Posted by Danielle Downs on Mar.30, 2009

©iStockphoto.com - Sebastien Kaulitzki

Even if you live out in the pristine country where the only stink is the sustainable dairy farm at the bottom of your mountain, you’ve been exposed to bad air at some time. People tend to think that cities are the only place where smog is a problem and air quality is low.

Remember, indoor air quality problems present a much greater risk. The EPA estimates the air inside your home to be anywhere from 5 to 100 times more polluted than the air in an industrial city. You’ve read the article on cleaning out the house, now it’s time to clean out those lungs!

Lung Detox Tips

• Drink plenty of quality water—8-10 glasses per day. Flushing your system is always a good idea. The lungs are coated with a healthy mucus that contains water and is always regenerating itself. Proper hydration improves every organ system.
• Avoid mucous producing foods such as dairy, heavy meats, or processed foods. Common allergen foods such as soy, corn, and wheat can cause excessive mucous as well.
• When you get back to better air quality, deep breathing methods such as yoga breathing practices are extremely beneficial. Exhalation in one of the primary ways our body removes waste. Check with your local weather for the particulate concentration in the outdoor air. When the air quality is good, practice breathing exercises outdoors.
• Increase your alkaline foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Keeping your body pH slightly alkaline has enormous health benefits.
• Increase chlorophyll rich foods such as spirulina, chlorella, kale, spinach, wheat grass, kelp, nori, and barley grass.
• Increase your intake of anti-oxidants: Vitamins A,C, E & Selenium. A diet rich in raw foods will ensure you are getting plenty of anti-oxidants. Remember, it’s always best to get your nutrients from whole food sources first, then add supplements as needed.
• Do your cardio! Exercise that gets your respiratory system pumping and your heart rate above 130 bpm will get things moving. This is especially important if you’ve been exposed to cigarette smoke. Cardiovascular exercise will help your body shed the unhealthy mucous layer in your lungs faster, so healthy mucous can replace it.
• Garlic, rosemary, turmeric, and ginko biloba are all beneficial to the lungs. Rosemary is an extremely helpful expectorant. Though it seems counter-intuitive, smoking rosemary dilates the bronchial tubes and can help a person breathe during an asthma attack or allergic reaction. Rosemary oil is a safer, less invasive remedy for children. A few drops added to a humidifier can improve lung congestion.
• Increase your intake of fiber to make sure your elimination system is working properly. Again, incorporating plenty of raw foods into your diet is the most sure way to keep the entire body healthy.

Remember to detox regularly if you travel often. Airplanes with their re-circulated tanked air can pick up perfumes, particulates, VOCs, and allergens. If you spend any time in a school or office building, chances are the indoor air quality is less than ideal. If you take mass transit, the exhaust that coughs on you or the stale air that accumulates in the subway tunnel can leave you smelling a little more urban than you want to. While we can’t control our air quality as much as we’d like, a regular detox regimen can go far.

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Posted under Detox For Health, Health & Fitness.