A Lung Healthy Diet

• For overall good health, eat a diet loaded with whole foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grains. These foods are high in the antioxidant vitamins C and E. Antioxidants provide protection from ailments like bronchitis and even lung cancer by attaching themselves to free radicals that attack your cells. Studies in Finland and Italy show a direct link between the intake of antioxidant rich food and a lower incidence of breathing disorders. A study in England with teenagers shows that asthma occurs more frequently in obese children and children with irregular or unhealthy eating habits (Mohammed Shamssein, University of Sunderland, UK). According to a study done with smokers at the University of Southampton, UK, the risk of developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is significantly decreased when the patient eats at least two servings of fruit and one serving of vegetables a day.
  
  Our bodies function best when we eat whole natural foods. The typical Western diet consists of highly processed foods that are high in sugar and low in nutrition. Try eating fruit and sugar-free yogurt at breakfast instead of donuts and sugary cereal. Add a salad at lunch and make your sandwiches with high fiber bread such as Nature's Own White Wheat or Ezekiel bread. Snack on almonds and macadamias or baby carrots, and make sure to add steamed veggies or a salad to your dinner. Cut down on, or eliminate, sugar snacks and foods with lots of additives or white flour. Water is critical to your well-being, so drink plenty.