Asthma affects millions of people regardless of their age and gender. This illness can be hereditary or has been triggered by environmental factors. It is also possible that your immune system has been compromised too which means that you may not have it as a child but later on in life. The problem is that there is no known cure for asthma but this doesn’t mean that you can’t manage it. This is where the asthma diet comes in.

The asthma diet teaches you to watch what you eat and although there is no specific plan to follow, there are certain rules to take into consideration that will help reduce your asthma attacks. Here are a few steps to follow.

Eat more green leafy vegetables

If you want to be able to keep your asthma at bay, you will need to have more leafy greens in your system. Kale, spinach, bok choy, and the like are high in folate content which can actually prevent asthma problems.

Skip foods that have sulfites

Sulfites are often used as preservatives in various foods such as wine, pickles, frozen shrimp, dried fruits, and other types of food. Unfortunately, most of us don’t pay much attention to what goes in our food hence we experience asthma attacks when we consume certain types of food. With that being said, you need to avoid these foods as much as possible or read the label so that you will be able to detect if there are any sulfites present in them.

Have sardines

In the asthma diet, you are encouraged to consume foods that contain omega-3 essential fatty acids. Think sardines, tuna, mackerel, and other types of fish. Omega-3 essential fatty acids are good for our overall health as it protects your heart, improves your immune system, and reduce inflammation too. Reducing inflammation can minimize asthma attacks significantly.

Boost your vitamin D

If you have been diagnosed with severe asthma, make it a point to increase your intake of foods that are rich in vitamin D. Eggs, milk, and certain types of fish can actually do the trick. Spend some time outdoors too as vitamin D can be synthesized by the sun.

Don’t forget your antimicrobials

Another recommendation when it comes to the asthma diet is that you should add foods that contain antimicrobials as much as possible. Fortunately, you have onions, garlic, and even mustard seeds which are known for their antimicrobial properties. You can add them in your cooking as much as possible.

Minimize consumption of foods that can cause allergic reactions

If you find yourself having asthma attacks when you eat certain types of foods then you will need to remove them from your diet as much as possible. You can do an elimination diet to find out which foods you are allergic to. 

This asthma diet plan is not full proof but it is a good start if you want to minimize your asthma attacks. It would be a good idea to try these ones out to see which one will work for you.