Two weekends ago, I did a very good clean of the housing,
pulling everything out of the closet to dust the shelves, corners, floors,
cracks and crannies and also gave the cats a very good brushing outside. The problem with this picture is I am
allergic to cats and dust (which I think we all allergic to dust particles on
some level) so the combination of the two is a disaster for me. Normally I can just take an antihistamine,
hot shower and I am back to normal but unfortunately this time I was not so
lucky.
Starting immediately my lungs were so tight, I could barely
grasp for air and very scratchy feeling. I took my antihistamine, put on the
humidifier and went to bed.
I barely slept that night, with not able to get any oxygen,
I was coughing repeatedly and quite honestly, I was afraid of my lung
collapsing. I had never experienced this
prior, so I thought it was due to a bit of the cat dander getting deep into my
lungs, as I was up close brushing them.
So what followed this sleepless night, were 3 more, my cough
was so deep and anything I was coughing up tasted like what I breathed in from
my inhaler and also a bit like metal.
Small chunks of bright green infection were coming up. But this still wasn’t enough for me to go to
the doctor, I still thought there was no need, I wasn’t “sick”.
After a full week and weekend of the cough no improving, but
getting worst, I finally took a trip to the clinic to speak to the doctor about
the cough, to make sure that there was no infection setting in. I was starting to get worried about
pneumonia.
He listened to me cough once and immediately said that I had
lung inflammation and if I didn’t treat it immediately, I am at high risk for
bronchitis. Yikes!
So what did he do?
Gave me a prescription for penicillin BUT he actually told me to go
home, and for the next 24 hrs drink as much chicken broth, garlic and ginger
that I could and I should see the roughness of my cough lessen. I was so shocked and impressed that a medical
doctor actually recommended natural remedies before medicine.
So I headed home. Stopping at the health food store and got
a fresh juice, with carrot, heavy beat and heavy ginger with some garlic, didn't taste spectacular but I am a believer
that short term pain – long term gain!
While sipping that I stopped in and grabbed some vegetarian
pho from my local Vietnamese restaurant near my house, when you take out, they
put the broth in a separate container, so it is perfect.
Came home, put the broth on a simmer and added some fresh minced ginger and
garlic and when I say some, I mean heavy!
The soup actually tasted just shy the garlic sauce you get at a Shwarma
house with a bite to it from the ginger!
Sure enough, I slept a full night without interruption and
the cough was still there, but I didn't sound like it was coming up from my
belly button! I continued the broth this day with light on the garlic and ginger
and continued with the fresh juice for a few days and naturally I was able to
treat this inflammation without using medicine and no bronchitis to date!
Below is a list of foods that help with inflammation:
- Flax Seed
- Canola Oil (buy organic)
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Broccoli
- Hemp Oil
- Tart Cherries
- Garlic
- Onions
- Ginger
- Walnuts (soak them 8 hrs in purified water before eating)
- Turmeric
- Spinach
