Characteristics

Being a mix of two different types of respiratory disease, COPD sufferers must deal with the effects of both chronic bronchitis and emphysema for the rest of their lives. There is no cure, just treatment to ease their suffering, and allow them to live as good a life as they can with this condition. The first half of this condition, chronic bronchitis, means that the airways that would normally carry air into the lungs, the bronchial tubes, remain inflamed and generate mucus that fills those airways with fluid.

The second part, emphysema, affects the tiny air sacs within the lungs that would inflate with every breath and move air through the lungs and distributes it throughout the body. Emphysema damages those tiny air sacs, and retards their flexibility, making them unable to inflate and deflate as they should. This means less oxygen reaching the bloodstream, and the organs, muscles and tissues that would benefit from the oxygen. The two most important organs that benefit from oxygen in the bloodstream are the brain and the heart.

Causes

The majority of patients diagnosed with this condition are in their later years, usually in their sixties. This means that the condition has developed over time, and only manifested after a significant amount of damage has been done to the lungs. The primary causes that have been linked to this condition are those that are breathed into the lungs through constant use or exposure to them. These causes include smoking, dust, air pollution and chemical fumes that are caustic enough to destroy the air sacs and inflame the airways. Unlike asthma, which also affects the lungs, the breathing difficulty is always there, and medicine can only ease its effects temporarily.

There is also a genetic condition that has been found to make it more likely than not that you will develop this disease later in life. This disorder, known as an Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, causes lung infections in young children, and may increase your risk of developing emphysema in your thirties and forties. Developing emphysema that young may lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease becoming a factor before your fifties.

Symptoms

The first symptom that will present itself that hallmarks chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a constant, chronic cough. The coughing fits come on without warning, and will have a longer duration as your condition gets worse. As it progresses, you will also develop mucus in your airways, a choking hazard that just makes the chronic coughing even worse.

Chronic shortness of breath is another symptom of this condition. This shortness of breath will become more difficult, and more frequent the more you exercise or move about. As the disease progresses, you may find yourself short of breath after doing the simplest of things, like making dinner, or even getting dressed. Breathing suddenly takes more of your energy every day, and over time, it will begin to interfere with drinking and eating. This can cause you to get weaker, and lose weight as your condition worsens.

Treatment

The only true treatment for COPD is to stop or avoid the things that caused it in the first place, like smoking. There are medicines that will help you breathe easier, usually delivered through inhalation therapy. Oxygen therapy will most likely become a part of your treatment as well, because it is important to keep the level of oxygen in your bloodstream as high as possible for proper organ function.

Question: If I can buy it from the supermarket, then it must be good for me, right?
Answer: Wrong! Just because an item says low fat, low sugar or has the heart foundation recommendation for example doesn’t make it the right food for you!

Question: I eat a balanced healthy diet, so I must be eating the right foods for me?
Answer: Not necessarily – you could be eating the wrong foods entirely and you could even be craving the ones that are doing the most damage!

Question: What are the most common foods that people are intolerant to?
Answer: Grains (wheat, corn and barley), gluten, dairy, sugar and yeast are some of the main food substance culprits.

You need to know what signs to look out for…check out the following list!

1. Tiredness, drowsiness, insomnia and/or no energy
2. Frequent headaches or migraines
3. Stomach bloating, nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, flatulence, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
4. Mouth ulcers
5. Chronic cough, bronchitis, asthma, colds and flu
6. Eczema, psoriasis, acne and other chronic skin conditions
7. Aching joints and/or backache
8. Gradual weight changes (increase or decrease)
9. Tinea or Yeast (Candida) infections
10. Clumsiness and/or lack of co-ordination
11. Miscarriage and/or infertility
12. Cravings and/or addictions

Important: Some you may get now and again, whilst other symptoms on the list you may have had for years.

If you could place a tick next to at least 3 of these rows you should seriously consider looking closely at your diet and examining the foods you eat to see if they could be contributing to a general level of ill health. If you can tick most of these conditions – your next step is an elimination diet to clearly identify your trigger foods and start feeling better soon. Before starting any radical diet change you should first consult your doctor or physician to rule out any serious diseases as these symptoms have many possible causes, yet an intolerance to one or more foods could also be causing ALL of them!

When you eat foods that your body is struggling to digest your immune system is weakened leaving you prone to minor infections such as mouth ulcers, colds and yeast infections. When your body is busy trying to digest the proteins in certain foods or lacks the correct digestive bacteria and enzymes due to an infection (e.g. you have taken antibiotics) then there is little energy left to fight off real infections – put simply your body gets confused and starts to attack itself thinking it is under invasion. Symptoms of your body attacking itself can include hayfever like reactions e.g. stuffy nose, sneezing, watery eyes and headaches, even migraines.

A food intolerance can attack either your digestive or respiratory systems and often both. The result is that you get a bloated stomach, suffer stomach cramps, flatulence and Irritable Bowel (IBS), you may suffer from constipation or diarrhoea or fluctuate between the two. If your respiratory system is under attack then you’ll likely have asthma like symptoms e.g. chronic and irritating cough, wheezing, breathlessness or have a blocked nose causing you to breathe loudly and snore (you may even suffer from sleep apnoea due to swollen nasal and throat passages). You may suffer frequent attacks of bronchitis resulting in a vicious cycle of antibiotics and illness.

Many people do not realise that their skin is an organ and can be attacked just the same way as your respiratory and digestive systems. You get eczema, psoriasis, acne, dry skin etc so you just keep putting on the creams and using topical steroids to try and control flare-ups – imagine the money you will save if you never have to buy these again and get well from the inside. As already mentioned a food intolerance can cause inflammatory conditions – your joints are not immune to this inflammation – so your backache and arthritis could be linked to a food intolerance. If you struggle with weight gain or can’t put weight on no matter what you eat – chances are your metabolism has been disrupted. Undiagnosed food intolerances can trigger this upset by interfering with the function of your thyroid gland. Your thyroid is responsible for telling your body when to turn your food into energy (burn the calories) or turn it into fat and store it for later! Imagine what happens when these signals get mixed up and confused.

Fungal infections like thrush, jock itch, ring worm or athlete’s foot occurring regularly are a classic sign of a problem with yeast in your diet and are caused by your body’s defences being comprised by underlying food intolerances and allowing yeast (Candida) overgrowth in your digestive system which exhibits on your bodies surface as thrush or athlete’s foot. If this is the case for you, you will need to follow a specific Candida or yeast free diet initially and kill of the infections within before testing for other intolerances (Candida lives in all our digestive tracts but is only a problem when allowed to multiply – especially after a course of antibiotics) it is a hallmark of untreated food intolerance. Perhaps not so well known as Candida is the impact the ‘wrong’ food can have on your co-ordination resulting from inflammation of the nervous system. Sufferers may appear clumsy or unco-ordinated, even to the extent of being diagnosed with dyspraxia – children are most often affected. Switching to a correct diet and eliminating problem foods can result in dramatic improvements.

Everybody trying for a family wants to have a healthy pregnancy and a beautiful healthy baby. Having an unchecked food intolerance can interfere with your ability to conceive and have a healthy pregnancy (applies to men and women). Before embarking on expensive IVF treatments consider an elimination diet to see of it helps first – gluten and dairy are usually the biggest culprits. If there are foods you absolutely cannot live without, then that is a very positive sign that you have a food intolerance or two. Our bodies will crave the things that ultimately make us unwell as when you eat that substance the initial feeling of satisfaction can be likened to that of a drug addict getting their next fix – the initial high is always followed by a low and a subsequent craving for the next high. So, if you could eat toasted cheese sandwiches all day every day – consider a dairy and gluten intolerance!

In yogic terminology the physical body is called the Annamaya Kosha or the “food sheath”. It is constructed out of the food we eat. The vital body or etheric body is called the Pranamaya Kosha and is built out of all the energies we have assimilated from food but more specifically via our breathing. Breathing is looked upon as the primary nourishment for continuance of life, over and above the need for food and water.

The vital body or etheric body holds the pattern for the natural flow of prana or energy within the individual and acts as our shield, protecting us from outside influences through a positive radiation of abundant energy. Any disturbance in these energies brings about a reaction in a physical disturbance or health problem. Correction of breathing and respiratory difficulties is therefore of paramount importance not only for the immediate relief of the sufferer, but for assurance of his future well being.

The yogic concept is that our health is determined by our psychological states and that irregularities in health can therefore be assisted by adjustments made in our thinking and our emotional life. It is by maintaining a balanced relationship between our thoughts and our emotions, that we can best preserve our good health. In addition, we apply physical corrective measures. In the case of asthma, this would include nutritional considerations, herbal medicines, physiotherapy, inhalation of essential oils, physical exercises, correction of body posture, respiratory exercises and training in breath control.

The average person breathes approximately 23-25,000 breaths per day. Each breath has 3 aspects inhalation, retention and exhalation. These three processes determine the regularity of supply and flow of life energy or prana within the body as well as the balance of oxygen and carbon di-oxide within the blood and cells. The three processes – inhalation, retention and exhalation should be balanced as they are by the action of the sympathetic nervous system in the nature of a well balanced individual. The three processes symbolize 1) the receptive process of drawing in vital nourishment 2) the power to absorb and utilise energy 3) the expression of the creative life energies.

The asthmatic has the three processes out of balance in himself. He usually draws in and is receptive but tends to suffer from an inability to exhale and express his energies and talents, his feeling or his thoughts. In some way he is choked by his own energy intake. Fear intensifies the blockage, intensifies his discomfort and the disease itself. This is of course a generalization and you will agree that there are exceptions. However this and any other imbalance in the psychological attitude of the sufferer must be adjusted before normal, natural, rhythmic respiration can occur. We all must become attuned to harmonise with the law and rhythm which is behind the power of Nature giving us life through our breath. And our breathing is a unique process which is partly orchestrated by Nature itself and partly by our own consciousness.

The process of respiration is therefore one which has a subconscious or unconscious component and one which is controlled by conscious awareness. In order to bring the two into harmony or in the case of asthma, restore the relationship, we have to consider the subconscious fears and inhibiting factors as we apply our therapy to the mechanisms of breathing. In an adult this can be addressed reasonably directly through consultation with a psychologist, counsellor or therapist. With infants and children, the task must be largely undertaken by the parents and therapists on the child’s behalf by making opportunity for the inner thoughts and feelings of the child to be expressed and by contributing positive suggestions to help them re-programme their reactions to negative situations. We have to help them to breath properly in exercises directed through our suggestion.

Nature has given us 2 nostrils instead of one big hole – not for aesthetic reasons, (because it looks better) but to enable us to tune in or plug in to the electro-magnetic energies which sustain life and which can be seen to correspond with what we call electricity. The energy which is drawn through the right nostril corresponds to the positive and the left nostril breath to the negative energies which in Indian terms are known as ‘pingala and ida’ and in Chinese philosophy as ‘yang and yin’.

You can verify the existence of these energies by a simple demonstration. Sitting in a relaxed manner and without actually touching the hands – place them an inch apart palms facing each other, at about waist height. Pay attention to the feeling between the hands. Then with an easy rhythmic series of movements draw the hands a little way apart, say 30 cm and back again to their original position. Repeating this in a light, bellows-like fashion, many times with elbows relaxed and no tension in the hands. After a short while you will begin to feel either a certain warmth, tingling sensation or magnetic pull between your hands, depending upon the type of energy flowing through you. Although invisible, your energy is very real.

Children with no preconceived ideas will register these sensations, so please allow no scepticism to affect your sensitivity. Try to register the sensations impartially. You will find that the feelings will differ at different times and under different circumstances. If you think that it may be displaced air that creates the sensation between the hands – please experiment further and you will find that it is the back of the hands which register the air displacement through your movement.

Our body temperature and functions are balanced by these energies and when they are out of balance, we have manifestation of disease of some kind. Throughout the day there is a natural fluctuation with the air flowing first through one nostril, then the other with the right side heating and the left side cooling. Together they also maintain Nature’s air conditioning system. The process occurs through the swelling of the delicate turbinal membranes in the nostrils, which direct the air through one side or the other. There is an interval of time where the change-over occurs and both nostrils are equally open. This fact can be easily checked by using a finger to close one nostril at a time.

You have to keep a balance between not stressing out your abdominal area in order to facilitate healing and protect your stitches, and making sure your abdomen does not become stiff and refuse to work properly once you have recovered. After all, your abdomen is much more than a showcase for a decorative six-pack or washboard stomach. Incorporating your abdomen into your breathing can be very helpful, especially if you have bronchial asthma or another obstructive lung disease, as well. It is important that you will be able to use this once your stitches have been removed.

Of course, you will have to be very, very careful in the beginning. You might be advised not to breathe into your abdomen, and to confine inhalations and exhalations to your chest and upper airways first. This can be quite difficult, especially if you are used to abdominal breathing. Some patients might compensate for this by hyperventilating, a practice which carries negative side effects. You might stress out your system more, ironically tiring yourself out, all while lying in bed and “recovering.” In that case, breathing exercises may be made part of your post-op therapy.

There is a more serious danger associated with post-surgical recovery. You will probably be lying on your back for several days, if not weeks, and your lungs will not be able to expand properly. You might catch pneumonia if you do not do special exercises to keep your lungs working. This might even be a problem if you have chosen to recover at home. The point is that this kind of lack of mobility is bad for your lungs, and must be addressed while still avoiding over-stressing your body or straining your wounded areas. Pneumonia is a serious sickness, and should not be taken lightly just because you are in a hospital and have easy access to medical help. The fact that you have just recently had surgery might limit doctors’ options for treating you. For example, medicines that would have helped your pneumonia might have to be ruled out because they might interfere with medicines you are already on.

Furthermore, proper breathing exercises can help to keep your immune system functioning well. This is quite important, since many patients can catch illnesses in hospitals. They might be exposed to other patients with a contagious illness, or a doctor or nurse might bring the infection in while going from one patient to another. Hospital ventilation systems might also play a part in the spreading of diseases among patients. As far as immunity goes, it is good to keep your shields up to maximum-unless you have just had an organ transplant and fear organ rejection.

Bronchitis is mostly caused by viruses, in which case the illness clears on itself within days, without medical treatment. However, if the illness is caused by bacteria, medical treatment with antibiotics is required for overcoming bronchitis completely. Bronchitis can be either acute or chronic. The acute form of the illness generates intense symptoms, but if it caused by viruses, it usually clears up quickly. Acute bronchitis is very common in people of all ages and rarely requires medical treatment. Chronic bronchitis generates milder symptoms, which can aggravate in time. This form of illness is persistent and has a recidivating character. Chronic bronchitis needs continuous treatment until the illness is completely overcome, otherwise the symptoms will quickly reoccur. This form of bronchitis involves bacterial infection and needs specific, long-term medical treatment with antibiotics. Chronic bronchitis has a very high incidence in smokers and people with weak immune system.

Bronchitis generates symptoms such as cough, excess production of mucus, shortness of breath, chest pain, soreness and discomfort, wheezing, headache and fever. The presence of fever can point to bacterial infections and possible complications. Bronchitis is difficult to diagnose, considering the fact that its symptoms are also common to many other respiratory conditions (asthma, sinusitis). However, careful physical examinations and laboratory analyses can reveal the presence of bronchitis in most patients. Bronchitis is one of the most common respiratory illnesses among chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD). Despite its high incidence in people with respiratory conditions, bronchitis is often misdiagnosed. A clinical examination of patients with bronchitis is sometimes insufficient in revealing the actual cause of illness. Bronchitis is often misdiagnosed and confused with asthma, sinusitis or allergies.

If bronchitis isn’t caused by bacterial infections, the aim of medical treatments is to unblock the obstructed airways of the respiratory tract. Bronchitis causes inflammation of the mucous membrane, bronchial tubes and other organs and tissues involved in the process of breathing. When these fragile respiratory organs become inflamed and irritated, they produce excess mucus, in an attempt to protect themselves from external agents (dust particles, irritants). This excess of mucus clogs the airways and obstructs the access of air to the lungs, causing difficulty breathing, wheezing and cough. Medical treatments often include inhaled medicines which help unblock the airways of the respiratory tract. Such medicines are called bronchodilators and are mostly used in chronic bronchitis and asthmatic bronchitis.

Bronchitis needs appropriate treatment in order to be fully overcome. If you experience difficulty breathing or persistent cough, it is advised to seek medical help. Left untreated, bronchitis can aggravate and lead to serious complications.

Besides, it’s easy to prescribe a statin drug, but harder than blue blazes to figure out thyroid problems. So guess what you’re getting, Bunky!

Well, now there’s an oops.

Not treating thyroid problems causes big problems. Low thyroid levels-even a little bit low-when left untreated or undertreated double your risk of heart disease-along with a couple hundred other never-wished-for diseases.

It’s not the cholesterol; it’s the thyroid. Adding to the mess, statin drugs make thyroid problems worse.

When you don’t eat enough saturated fat, your liver leaps into action to create the cholesterol your brain and endocrine glands need so much. Now, that’s not as good as saturated fat in the diet, but it’s something. But the whole point of statin drugs is to march in and prevent the liver from creating any cholesterol.

So your thyroid-your entire endocrine system, in fact-doesn’t get the cholesterol it needs to be able to create the hormones that keep the ship afloat. The thyroid can’t create thyroid hormone very well. The adrenals, same thing, And so on.

By not allowing your endocrine glands to get the raw material, cholesterol, they need to do what they do, statin drugs slow things way down. To add to the merriment, your endocrine glands do their one-for-all, all-for-one thing and feverishly try to help each other. It’s futile, though, because none of them have any oomph to offer.

You want more bad news? The liver and the thyroid are an item. Going after the liver always whacks the thyroid, too.

Our thyroid hormone-even the little we can produce whilst taking statins-consists mainly of T4, a pre-hormone that’s put into action as our body needs it. And where does this activation take place? In the liver, which is under the statin gun and struggling to do anything right. Activation ain’t gonna happen.

Your health is headed south at a terrific rate of speed.

And all for no good reason. Cholesterol doesn’t cause heart disease, and statin drugs do not prevent heart disease.

Inflammation in the arteries that carry blood to your heart causes heart problems. Vitamins and minerals reduce the inflammation nicely-no muss, no fuss. But don’t plan on a doctor sharing that information with you.

Here’s how the cholesterol bogey-man came to be.

When arteries get inflamed, they develop rough spots, rashes you might call them. Well, one of cholesterol’s many functions is to keep arteries in good shape for the smooth passing of the blood. Rough spots are hard on the heart because they’re hard on the blood. So the cholesterol White Hats ride to the rescue and cover the rash.

Fatigue

Feeling tired or exhausted throughout the day or when you first wake up. Feeling like 8 to 10 hours of sleep is just not enough, or not being able to get through the day without a nap are all good indicators that you might have a thyroid problem.

Many people do feel exhausted due to work or just a heavy load throughout the day, but this might not be caused by over exerting yourself, this might be a thyroid problem. If you feel tired and miserable on a day to day basis and are questioning yourself why? Then it would be a good idea to take a further look into the problem. I am not going to say you have a thyroid problem, but this is good sign that your thyroid functionality could be at fault.

Weight Changes

Many people wonder why they never lose weight when they get on a diet, or start an exercise routine. Weight loss and weight gain are both affected by abnormal thyroid functionality. If you have joined a diet program or exercise routine and have not noticed any changes in your weight or body fat percentage, this could be an indicator of either hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.

If your thyroid is malfunctioning it can lead to abnormal weight loss or gain. Many people just don’t understand why a diet or workout regime doesn’t work but it just might not be your fault. Your thyroid regulates a lot of your bodily functions and fat cells are part of what it regulates. Take a closer look if this is happening to you.

Depression and Anxiety

Depression, Anxiety, and panic disorders, are growing dramatically in America today. If you’re are suffering from manic depression, anxiety attacks, or panic attacks and getting treatment for these issues, but they are just not working it is a good idea to look a little further into what might be causing this.

Getting on a pill program, as I like to call it, is not always the best solution. Yeah it does help for a temporary solution, but long term healing is not addressed when you are taking medication for any 3 of these disorders. Too many people think that medication is the solution to many of their problems, and that might not be the case.

Thyroid dysfunction can lead to depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. Let us not get a temporary solution to a long term problem, let’s get a long term solution. If you look deeper into what may be causing this it isn’t always a pill that will solve your problems, take a look into possible Hypothyroidism which is most commonly associated with depression, anxiety, and panic disorders.

Cholesterol Issues

High cholesterol is very common in the world today, and many diets, and medications are out there to help with this issue. Some work, and some don’t as we all know, but if you are non-responsive to diets or medication it may be an indicator of undiagnosed hypothyroidism.

If you are experiencing lower than normal cholesterol levels, which is also not too good for you, it might be a sign of hyperthyroidism. Don’t always rely on medication to solve your problems, we need to always be looking into the route of the issue and getting it taken care of permanently.

If you are not feeling like yourself or have not felt good for a long period of time it is time to take action. Thyroid dysfunction is serious and needs to be addressed. Being healthy in this world is a #1 priority to me and taking care of yourself is critical. Please act on you instinct, start to take an inventory of symptoms that you might be feeling, and take note if they are on an everyday basis.

If something is wrong with you it is not a very smart decision to let it go for a long period of time, now remember that you might not even know you have a thyroid problem so this is key to getting healthy. If you don’t know what you body is doing and you are in the dark please go and get checked out, or look into herbal remedies (not pills) and see if they make a difference. I know this might be common sense, but I am going to say it anyway; if you let a problem go to long there could be serious consequences in the long run.

A thyroid gland dysfunction can come from family history, so take a moment and ask you parents or siblings if they are experiencing any symptoms of thyroid dysfunction. If they are this is a good indicator that you may have some sort of thyroid disease, which you might not be aware of.

The symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease is the follows: Myxedematous psychosis, weight gain, depression, mania, sensitivity to both heat and cold temperatures, paresthesia, fatigue, panic attacks, bradycardia, tachycardia, high cholesterol, reactive hypoglycemia, constipation, migraines, muscle weakness, cramps, memory loss, infertility and hair loss.

It is possible that you may have some but not all of the symptoms listed above and you may not have this disease. After all, many of these symptoms can have other causes. You could have PMS, which causes a lot of emotional problems as well as pain and temporary weight gain. You could be eating foods that are high in cholesterol and this would cause the symptom. There are a number of different things that can go wrong with the body. The best thing to do is you recognize a preponderance of symptoms is to get yourself tested.

If you do have a hypothyroid, then you will need to take some medication once a day, and very likely for the rest of your life. It’s quite simple though, you just need to take a pill once a day, every day, and the symptoms will disappear.

It is important that you get tested and if you do have hypothyroidism, take your medication. There are two that are preferred for this condition. They are called thyroid hormone replacement agents; one is Levothyroxine and the other is called Desiccated Thyroid Extract. Your doctor would be able to determine which one is right for you.

The thyroid is a small butterfly shaped gland that is located in the neck under the voice box (larynx). It has a very big purpose, to keep your body healthy and well balanced by regulating the body’s metabolism. The thyroid produces triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) hormones that regulate the rate of metabolism that affect many other functions of the body. These hormones are entered into the blood stream and are carried to every tissue in the body. They are essential for every tissue and organ to function properly.

One of the many functions of the thyroid is to control the body’s tolerance to cold. Cold intolerance is usually due to the thyroid not producing enough hormones. This is an acute condition called hypothyroidism, a sign of an under active and sluggish thyroid. Cold intolerance is a physical condition where the body looses its resistance to cold, resulting in constant shivering and the inability to cope with even the slightest cold temperatures.

Hypothyroidism usually develops early and worsens progressively. It can be brought on by previous inflammation, autoimmune thyroiditis (immune system failure), surgery to or removal of the thyroid. Sensitivity to cold often tends to get worse progressively as we get older and we find ourselves constantly chilly, cold or freezing.

If you fit into this category you always want the thermostat set higher or you find you need an extra set of clothing. Cold hands and feet can be linked to hypothyroidism. You find yourself going to bed with socks on your feet or you want extra blankets on you. Being sensitive to environments and temperatures is common for people suffering from this condition, and they find themselves cold in warm weather and freezing in cold weather.

There’s a saying in Chinese medicine that goes: “Above all else, protect your digestion.” By “digestion”, they mean processing of both FOOD and FLUID.
Think about this…

If you aren’t processing foods properly, you aren’t turning food into BLOOD and ENERGY (“Qi,” as the Chinese call it) for your organs to function properly – so your organs are literally “fatigued” and can’t perform their jobs well.

Your heart can’t function. Your lungs can’t function. Your kidneys, bladder, liver, gall bladder, stomach and intestines are all “fatigued” and can’t do their job.

And, your immune system doesn’t have the energy to protect you from cancer, colds, flu, radiation, etc.

And that’s just the problems with not processing foods. If you’re not processing fluids properly…
…fluid collects in your tissues (Chinese medicine calls this condition “Dampness”.)

This fluid ultimately congeals, and becomes a condition called “Phlegm” (this includes, but is not the same as, having phlegm or mucus.)

This “Phlegm” leads to obesity, depression, urinary infections, dementia, seizures, cysts and tumors, sinus headaches, allergies, all breathing problems like sinusitis, asthma, COPD, and a host of other problems.

Furthermore… the processing of food and fluids includes elimination… so you will have problems with constipation, diarrhea and urination.

*************Sidebar****************

If you look through my website you’ll see that
all the diseases listed there have improper eating as one of the main causes of that condition.

In some cases, the problems come directly from the food itself. But, in most cases, the problem comes from how the food negatively affects your digestion, with the weakened digestion then leading to the disease condition.

************************************

So, how do cold drinks damage your ability to process food and fluids?
Here’s a simple analogy…

When you put water on the stove, it moves faster… there’s more activity.
When you put water in the freezer, it slows down (freezes)… there’s less activity.

Cold decreases activity. Heat increases activity.

Chinese medicine describes the act of digestion as a warm process. Energy (and life itself) is warm. When we are dead, we’re stone cold dead…

It has been shown through thousands of years of observation in China that, if we drink chilled or cold liquids, we decrease our digestive activity.

We hurt this warm process of digestion (cold negates heat).

FIRST OF ALL, this causes food and liquid to be digested poorly. Similar to when your car can’t completely combust fuel, food isn’t digested properly and you’re left with a “sludge” (which, in Chinese Medicine, is called “Stagnant food” and/or “Phlegm”.)

That “sludge” is often the root cause of problems such as a weak immune system, weight gain, fatigue, cysts, allergies, sinusitis and certain types of headaches.

SECONDLY, warming up the cold fluids consumes energy (heat), leaving you with a net loss of energy.

THIRD, your weakened digestion now can’t produce good quality energy from the food you eat, leaving you with less energy for your organs to function properly…

…do you get the picture? You can (and will) end up with nearly every disease imaginable.

What to do about this?

You might be lucky enough to have strong digestion and not feel too affected by cold drinks. Consider yourself blessed. But, if you’re already in a somewhat weakened state…