Foodie Friday - What asthma?

I was thinking on the topic of foodie Friday and what I would talk about today. I thought, hmmmm....what about a testimony, so here goes!

I had a party for my son last Sunday at Safari Nation. I wanted to go to the park but it was rainy and cold last Sunday which led the party to an indoor playground. Of course the kids had a blast and so did some of the adults. One of the adults in particular were enjoying themselves climbing through the playground and conquering the obstacle course throughout. Of course sometimes the things we want to do can lead to unpleasant experiences such as asthma attacks. Which is what this adult was experiencing after having a good time being a kid again!

I remember when I had my first asthma attack, I was 12 years old. I had no idea what was going on but I could not lay flat and breathe! I remember being scared and it was the middle of the night. I didn't want to wake my parents immediately, so I went to the recliner and tried to get some sleep. I couldn't shake this feeling of not being able to exhale and eventually woke up my parents. I remember going to the hospital and having a breathing treatment. They also gave me a shot of steroids and two prescriptions for inhalers. One to take everyday and one as an emergency inhaler to use when in an emergency. I could use the emergency inhaler every 6 hours if needed during a time that I just could not breathe. The hospital had to make sure I could walk for a solid thirty minutes without having to catch my breath before I could be discharged.

That was an interesting experience because as I got older and would have these asthma attacks things changed. I didn't have to be able to walk for thirty minutes before being discharged but I did have to breathe into this device with a certain level of force.

My last asthma attack was in 2020. I remember it like it was yesterday because I was nervous that everyone would think I had covid. It was in the beginning of covid and I was sure they were going to quarantine me for two weeks. I was nervous for nothing because I was treated as normal and sent home.

I'm sure you are thinking....what does this have to do with foodie Friday? Well every year I would have an asthma attack in the spring and in the fall. It came from allergies I have during those times of the year. When I went vegan in the spring of 2018, I did not experience my asthma attacks in the fall of that year or the spring of 2019. But then I backslid during the holidays of 2019 and ate Turkey and plenty of dairy for Thanksgiving. Which lead me down a road of trying to get back on track. I finally went back to vegan after having my asthma attack in 2020. It was the worst asthma attack I had in years.

Before I went vegan, I was able to control my asthma attacks with essential oils through a diffuser. I would still have them but after a few days of breathing in eucalyptus and peppermint, they would calm down. In 2020, that was not the case. I tried my essential oils and steam inhalations. I even tried my inhaler but nothing was working. It just kept getting worse. I finally went to urgent care and they treated me but I quickly went back to a vegan diet.

Now I am saying a vegan diet but the diet is actually plant-based. I eat vegetable, fruits, nuts, grains and beans (legumes). I try (for the most part succeed) in staying away from processed food. I only drink water because caffeine is definitely a trigger for asthma. Since switching my diet in 2020....I have successfully went through two falls and a spring without having an asthma attack. I have also added exercise to my daily routine without any issues from my asthma occurring! I am already hearing of people having issues with pollen this year and so far so good!

Diet is important and understanding our bodies. God created us and knows what's best for us. The natural laws are a part of our being. They make our bodies work to full capacity. So take time today to think about what you can do, a slight change to be a healthier you that may give you results that you didn't even think possible - like getting rid of asthma that you thought you would always suffer with!