So barbecuing kills asthmatics? Well blow my socks of and call me Nelly! My mother moved to the county to improve her asthma. She ended up worse than ever with oil rape seed causing her to have to go to hospital every week and suck through a whole basket of medication each and every day, three times a day, including three half hour sessions of vaporiser medication which caused her to sound exactly like Darth Vader. She would cough so hard int he night that she would crack her ribs and have to go to hospital again. She was about to go on a list for a heart and lung transplant as she was chronic and was almost completely housebound, and as a measure of last resort took a course at Newcastle university on alternative medicine. She learned about diet, essential oils, foot massage, body massage and more. One year later she was cured. Her specialist doctor was so worried that she had never returned to hospital and was amazed when she told him she needed no more treatment as she was now fine. He called her in for tests which revealed she had no asthma symptoms. He later tried to open an alternative therapy ward, but was refused by the establishment. My mother continues to survive the allergy now fifteen years after doctors told her she may only have a short time to live. She has had two relapses that I know of, which she used a typical ventalin inhaler to cap totalling two puffs of it in all those years. Otherwise she is fine and continues to limit her intake of the target food additives which cause the majority of asthma sufferers to go on suffering. Smoke has had no affect on her asthma whatsoever. She lives in Crete now where the majority of traditional cooking is done over wood flame, and she has known no effects of casual cooking smoke.
My mother will always tell anyone that asthma is as it says, an allergic reaction. The difference to her as well as other alternative therapists is that they all believe from experience that the triggers for asthma are largely unnatural elements, which when combined with even some natural elements can cause attacks.
I think the key ingredients my mother avoided was number one dried fruit or jam preservatives. I forget now, but I believe it could be sulphur…something. Whatever it is, it is dry, yet turns to gas when activated by saliva (water) in the mouth and when breathed in aggravates the lungs in an asthmatic. Cockroaches and some other pests most asthmatics are allergic to, and can be found in most varieties of chocolate. My mother has since re-introduced chocolate into her diet though, since relieving herself from many preservatives and no longer has a problem with it. My mother has even smoked local Greek cigarettes casually and has suffered no side effects since eliminating most food additives.
The diet in Greece (Crete) is largely all natural and the majority of food is unprocessed and farmed locally. This has been the biggest benefit to my mother’s health according to her. I too felt a great health boost when I spent a few weeks there eating naturally, still containing much meat in my diet.
I know of course that science has done little to determine the effects of additives on particular immune systems and perhaps is even hindered at times by certain companies which have vested interests. I can swear though that my mother has indeed gone from a dire and chronic situation regarding her health to a normal functioning person. I don’t believe in miracles and I don’t need some religious person telling me its a gift. My mother has also given up religion as she has discovered that only she has made the change to her life.
It takes effort to make a change in this sort of situation. I know though that even my mother would say that banning BBQs is stupid. She would lose some of her favourite healthy dishes if they did that in Crete!