Are your lungs healthy? According to health coach Dr. Karen Wolfe, and the experts at the American Lung Association (ALA), the lungs are only at risk externally. Sheltered inside your body, they are rarely attacked, and very durable. It’s our environment that causes the lungs the most problems.  Essentially, lung health is linked to environmental health, especially the home environment. It is crucial that you protect your family and your health. Dr. Wolfe suggests these ways for getting back to basics:

A = Antioxidant Protection

B = Be a Wise Consumer

C = Cleanse and Detoxify Your Body

  1. Boost defenses with antioxidants. Increase intake of antioxidant-rich foods and give your family antioxidant supplements  for cell protection.
  2. Quit smoking. This is vital for active smokers and those exposed to smoke. Smoking creates harmful inflammation.
  3. Drink purer water. Use a filtration system to reduce your exposure to impurities.
  4. Opt for better body care products. Preservatives and parabens create cellular disruption through the skin.
  5. Clean with green products. Avoid contact with the hazardous chemicals in cleansing agents. Investigate less toxic options.
  6. Choose plastics carefully. Avoid toxic chemicals, like BPA, PVC, and phthalates. Be sure not to reuse single-use containers or microwave food in plastic containers.
  7. Eat low-mercury. Wild-caught seafood like salmon, tilapia and pollock, not high-mercury tuna or swordfish are best.
  8. Go organic and eat fresh. Stay away from foods with high amounts of pesticide residue, added growth hormones, or bisphenol A (BPA) packaging.
  9. Cleanse your colon. Maintain a fiber-rich diet, ingest probiotics (good bacteria and yeast), get plenty of rest, drink water, and get  plenty of regular exercise.
  10. Reduce refined sugar. High glycemic foods create inflammation. Limiting sugar and high-glycemic carbs, which the body converts to sugar, quickly decreases inflammation.

“The lungs are very durable if they’re not attacked from the outside,” notes Norman H. Edelman, M.D., chief medical officer of the American Lung Association (ALA). Take environmental measures now to ensure lung safety.