Healthy Diets for Asthmatics

Asthma is a disorder that causes the lungs' airways to become obstructed. Typically, this occurrence is because of allergens that cause an overreaction in the body. Food allergies and additives can promote asthma attacks. By changing your diet and eating patterns, you can reduce asthma symptoms.

Food Elimination Diet

• By taking out specific foods from your diet, you determine if you suffer from a food allergy. Many times, blood and skin testing fail to determine food allergies. The only way to be sure is to go on this diet. Write in a food journal everything you consume on a given day. Dairy, gluten, yeast and corn syrup are the usual culprits. It takes a while to get these foods out of your system, so eliminate each one for at least a month. Check all food labels. Gluten and corn syrup are in almost anything processed. Refrain from eating fast food or food you do not prepare yourself. When your asthma attacks begin to subside, make a note and talk to your doctor.

Diet

• Eat a diet full of fresh fruits, whole grains, vegetables and protein. Incorporate garlic and onions into meals. They contain quercetin and mustard oils, which inhibit the enzyme that helps release inflammatory chemicals. Be careful when consuming gassy foods such as legumes, broccoli and cauliflower. Gas can put pressure on the diaphragm, which exacerbates asthma symptoms. When eating carbohydrates, make sure they are of the whole-grain variety such as brown rice, whole wheat bread, rice pasta and buckwheat. The right complex carbohydrates help maintain a normal level of blood sugar.

Eating Patterns

• People with asthma should eat five small meals throughout the day. Heavy meals cause shortness of breath, which puts greater strain on the diaphragm. Have a healthy meal in the morning, such as buckwheat pancakes with fruit. Enjoy a snack of hummus and whole-wheat pita chips or an apple. Eat a filling lunch of fish or lean meat. Always have lots of vegetables with your food.

  In the afternoon, eat another snack of fruit salad. Dinnertime can include turkey or fish. Refrain from eating cold foods or drinking ice-cold beverages. The cold can cause the bronchial tubes to go into spasms.