Two of my friends have died from this. Protect yourself now...

The Good Life Letter

30th April 2010

• The dangers lurking outside of your body
• Ditch the carpet!
• Don't miss out on this! How to get this 'fresh medicine' whenever you want for free...
  

If I asked you to list the most dangerous illnesses (and I mean REALLY  dangerous illnesses... ones that kill), what would you include?

Heart Disease? Probably.

Cancer? Definitely.

Maybe something a bit more exotic like malaria as well.

But would you put asthma on your list?

Hmmmm... probably not. It's one of those things that seems easily  controlled. I mean, A LOT of people have asthma and cope just fine.

But if I cast my mind back over the years (and before you say it, yes -  it's a lot of years), and think of the friends and family I've known that  have died well before their time, I can (thankfully) only recall a  handful of people.

And two of them have died from asthma. One in his twenties, and one  in his thirties. Both knew they had the illness, so it didn't sneak up on  them and catch them unawares, and both used inhalers regularly.

Yet in spite of this, both suffered fatal attacks.

And the worrying thing is, this illness is GROWING fast. The numbers  have soared dramatically over the past two decades, with an  estimated 5.4million people in this country suffering from asthma.

And the REALLY worrying thing about this statistic is that asthma can  strike at any time in your life. I have to admit - I used to think that  asthma was a condition that you developed in childhood and carried  with you for the rest of your life.

I assumed that once you were out of puberty, you were free of the  threat. But not so...

Getting asthma as an adult is imaginatively known as adult-onset  asthma, and there are a number of triggers that can cause it to strike  you...

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The dangers lurking outside of your body
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Of course, there are inherent medical conditions that can make you  more susceptible to the onset of asthma...

If there is any history of asthma, eczema or allergies in your family,  you're more likely to get it.

So too if you're pregnant, obese or if you've suffered a viral infection.

But there are influences outside of your body that can also cause you  to fall victim to asthma.

- The Modern life... changes in housing and diet together with a  more hygienic environment may have contributed to the rise  in asthma over the last few decades.

- Urban living... environmental pollution can make asthma  symptoms worse and may play a part in causing some asthma.   Think about it... I know my chest feels tighter and my breath  shorter if I'm out in a very polluted area. I once made the  mistake of leaning out of a car window in L.A. when I was on  holiday with friends years back. I couldn't breathe properly  for days!

- Irritants such as dust, feather beds, or perfume can trigger  asthma. Also substances found in the workplace (industrial  cleaners etc) can cause the onset of asthma.

Now, if you already suffer from asthma, I'm sure you're already on top  of your condition and are taking the right medication for you.  And of  course, if you suspect you might be suffering, the first thing you need  to do is consult your doctor and get professional help.

But here are a few natural remedies I've come across in my time that  seem to ease the condition (and could help prevent it flaring up the  first place)...

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Ditch the carpet!
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- If you ever want to change the flooring in your house,  consider avoiding carpet altogether. The microbes and mites  that hide in carpets are the single biggest trigger of adult- onset asthma, so go for wood or laminate flooring. Or lino  (they do some really good ones these days).

- Get Omega 3s into your diet. Omega 3 oils help prevent  inflammation in the chest and windpipe, helping you breath  more easily. Flaxseed oil is an excellent source, together with  salmon, walnuts and cauliflower.

- Your worst nightmare... aside from liver, what was the worst  thing you had to eat as a kid that was good for you? Yes -  cabbage. Even writing the word brings me out in a sweat (that  and England 23, Wales 0). But cabbage juice is an excellent  weapon against asthma. Just put on your mum's voice telling  you 'it's good for you', get some down you, then go off and  sulk in your bedroom for an hour.

- Lemon tea... lemon juice is an excellent decongestant. It helps  to break up phlegm and loosens the chest and throat so that  breathing becomes easier. I always start the day with a cup of  hot water and the juice of about half a lemon. It's good for  too many reasons to list here unless you're at a loose end till  2015. Just get the lemons in, and start your day with fresh  lemon tea. You'll swear by it in no time.

Talking of which...

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How to get this 'fresh medicine' whenever you want...
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What I'm about to recommend might sound stupid...

Or you might be a bit like me and think 'I can't be bothered to do  that'...

But I swear this is the BEST thing you can do this summer. In fact if  you give this a go I reckon you'll be writing in to thank me for nagging  you to do it...

So please, at the very least, look at the attached information and  THINK about it.

Okay?

So what am I talking about?

Well, I want you to grow your own lemons on your very own lemon  tree.

Yes, I know I mentioned this just last week - but I don't want you  missing your special 20% discount on this.  And here's the  IMPORTANT thing...

You think those lemons you get in the supermarket are proper  lemons? Well I promise you, you won't believe the difference  between those lemons and the ones that are on offer here.

The moment you try it you'll know what I mean

I won't bore you with the list of health problems lemons can fight. It'd  be quicker to list the ones they CAN'T fight.

But, it's worth mentioning again that lemon juice is a powerful tonic  against asthma attacks - this is true for young AND old.   

When taken, the juice acts as an antiseptic, killing germs that hide in  mucus, breaking up blockages in bronchial tubes and cleaning the  blood, which helps strengthen lung tissue.

So if you haven't got one of these beauties in your house yet, it's  worth looking at this right now...

http://www.lemonbook.co.uk/lemontree/

Really. Give it a go. Unless you hate plants I can't see why you  wouldn't want one of these in your home or garden.

Or you could get one for a friend (they make a great quirky gift) and  get your lemons from them!

Really. The season is perfect for these, so order one and plant one.  You won't regret it.

That's all for today. Have a great weekend, and I'll be back again on  Sunday with more news, views and tips to make your life healthier  and happier.