FIRE PROTECTION: SIMPLE SOLUTIONS TO PROTECT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
Extreme wild fire seasons in California have become a thing to expect. We can now seem to count on days inside, high risk air quality and rolling black outs. I know in my family we have struggled with coughing, burning eyes, cabin fever and fear of fires starting all around us. We are the blessed ones though. As our friends to the north of us and in the Pacific have endured so much loss and disruption to their lives. Please consider donating to the Red Cross if you have the resources to do so. We must take care of each other at this time.
In the following simple guide, I hope to point out and help to remediate some of the dangers associated with smoke and fine particulate exposure. This guide is in no way complete, but is a place to get started and to reduce risk of exposure today. The following recommendations can be initiated easily and almost immediately.
Keep the lungs moist and clear. Do this by drinking lots of water. Aim for 1/2 your weight in ounces and maybe a little more. The goal is to make the fine particulate matter easy for your lungs to remove. Dehydration causes sticky mucous. The fine particulates can be so small that they pass through the lining of your lungs and into your body. These fine particulates carry damaging and cancer causing toxins. Keep the mucous in your lungs thin, hydrated and easy to move so the particulates can not be trapped. You could make a decoction as shared by the brilliant Lauren Gauthier, M.S.
Lung Clearing Formula
This tea helps to break down gunk in throat and lungs from being in smoke.
Pears strengthen and lubricate the lungs which makes them great as a seasonal fall fruit. Pears hold cooling compounds to moisturize and energize the lungs. The sour property helps to eliminate phlegm as well. In Chinese medicine, it is used as a cooling agent, anti-inflammatory and helps to keep the lungs free of pathogenic bacteria. During times of lung stress adding the anti-inflammatory components of ginger and spices is especially helpful as well.
1 medium pear with skins
1-2 TBSP fresh ginger
Option: add cinnamon, cardamon and cloves
2 cups of water
Simmer for 10 - 15 minutes to make a very strong tea or decoction
Strain
ENJOY!
2. Keep mucous thin and the anti-oxidants high. My favorite thing to support both detox and break down stubborn mucous is NAC. It is cheap and easily accessible at most health food stores.
N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is a supplement form of cysteine. Consuming adequate cysteine and NAC is important for a variety of health reasons — including replenishing the most powerful antioxidant in your body, glutathione. These amino acids also help with chronic respiratory conditions, fertility and brain health.
Dose Recommendations: 600 mg 3 x day
*take with vitamin C to make it a power house anti-oxidant combo. We carry a powerful Rose Hips Syrup that is loaded with anti-oxidants and vitamin C. It would pair great with NAC to enhance glutathione (or super hero antioxidant) in your body during this time.
3. Prevent DNA damage.
Broccoli Sprouts or Sulforaphane has an amazing amount of research behind it in preventing cancer and helping to keep the body safe from damage.
While Broccoli Sprouts are the highest source of Sulforaphane. You can also obtain through broccoli soup.
You can also make the soup with bone broth to added extra protection to the gut lining and further aid detoxification. You can definitely make your own or you can come pick some up from most local stores like Sprouts or Whole Foods.
You may also want to add a sulforaphane supplement to your diet for the next couple of months to promote continued protection and detoxification.
Dose: 1 - 2 caps daily
See the protocol link below for access to this supplement.
4. Support your lungs. Consider an herbal tea or syrup that helps to clear and support the mucous in your lungs. Adding herbal lung healing agents can make you more comfortable, less stressed and keep the lung tissue healthy. See the protocol below for what we recommend.
4. Clear your indoor air. Use MERV 16 filters.
There is a lot of hype out there about what kind of air filters are best. However, a simple MERV 16 filter (that fits into your air return) is all you need to filter out 95% of the smallest particulates. Remember it is the small particulates that get stuck in the lungs and pass into the body. You can clear your home of most of them with the MERV 16 filters.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23590456
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4133967/
I hope that this simple guide has been helpful to you. If you feel like you would like more assistance with your health or have any questions please feel free to reach out. We have staff available most of the week for 15 minute FREE consults.
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You will be prompted to enter an email to access the protocol.