4 Essential Oil Suggestions for Asthma and Sleep Apnea
The following is a section out of a recent newsletter I wrote for the Amish .. I really love their questions and interaction and above everything else, dig teaching what I’ve learned on my journey through nature and wellness.
Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions about a particular health concern you’d like for me to explore and write about here.
“Annie is wondering what I would suggest for asthma or that tight, wheezy feeling from a horse allergy.
I love the way God works. I had been assisting someone, recently, with sleep apnea (a condition where a person’s breathing briefly stops while sleeping .. you may know what that is, at the same time, some people don’t). In doing my research on sleep apnea .. and there are a number of medical / dental interventions available .. yet, none of them appear to work.
So, I was conducting my usual degree of investigation when I discovered some recent research that revealed over active calcium channels in the lungs. Oddly, I was not surprised. As I frequently talk about, God has blessed the body with an ability to regulate its chemistry based on its needs. Calcium, for what we know it’s good for such as bone and teeth health, also causes contractions. This last piece of information is enough to say, we don’t take calcium for muscle spasms.
Asthma, like sleep apnea, involves contractions (spasms) which is why it is so difficult to breath. The muscles are tightening as we’re trying to take a breath. If I said nothing else, it’s clear, taking more calcium is not the answer.
Calcium and magnesium actually compete, so to speak, for assimilation. When consumed in food, the body instinctively knows what to do. This is where we thank God for this miraculous body we were blessed with. It
knows how to manage the nutrients; yet, when we take them as supplements, it no longer knows what to do.
Why is this?
Because chemicals, such as calcium and magnesium, work together and when we get our nutrition from whole foods, everything mysteriously works. It’s the manmade products that lead to problems. Therefore,
taking calcium as a supplement affects the body’s use of magnesium.
Do you know what’s interesting about magnesium? When consumed in foods, magnesium naturally assists with helping to regulate calcium use because it is used in 800 metabolic processes, including soothing the
immune reaction and hormonal production.
That said, I’ve been telling my clients for years that they would be better off tossing the calcium supplements; this includes the pills that have calcium listed as an ingredient. The United States has an increasing level of cholesterol, weight and autoimmune issues. This is all related to how calcium is being used by the body.
Stress activates the immune system which includes the use of calcium. Therefore, taking more is harmful. How can I say this given calcium is frequently recommended by many health professionals and needed for bone health, muscle cramps and more? Because scientists and the American Heart Association
have determined that adults in the U.S. have too much calcium in their blood contributing to a number of health issues.
So, when it comes to asthma or allergy related wheezing, I say eliminate every form of calcium in supplement form. That said, there is nothing wrong with getting your calcium from food sources such as dark greens,
cheese, and seeds like chia.
Why? Because these foods also have magnesium which naturally regulates calcium, relaxes muscles and quiets the immune response. If this is difficult to understand, feel free to reach out to me. In my next newsletter, I’ll say more about the immune system, histamine, estrogen and so on.
4 Essential Oil Suggestions for Asthma
1. Hyssop decumbens essential oil ~ not to be used with any type of sleep aid
2. German chamomile essential oil ~ not to be used with any medication
3. Myrrh essential oil ~ not to be used if pregnant or nursing
4. Green myrtle essential oil ~ not to be used with any type of sleep aid
Essentially, the world we live in consistently triggers the immune system to be on high alert; there is no need to activate it any further.
You may have heard of other options such as peppermint, eucalyptus; or even lavender; however, I do not recommend them for the following reasons:
1. Peppermint contains menthol which is a chemical known to increase lung tissue permeability. While this may sound good, this also increases the body’s exposure to other airborne chemicals and toxins. Using excessive amounts of menthol may further our chances of getting sick.
2. Although there are many types of eucalyptus, we don’t usually know which one it is and not all of them are suitable for children or the elderly. Additionally, there is a chemical in eucalyptus that does not mix well with medications and can be problematic with long term use.
3. Lavender, for as often as we hear about its benefits, acts like estrogen in the body. This does not mean it replaces estrogen, it simply acts like it activating the stress response and immune system. Asthma, and allergies with or without wheezing, are an immune reaction. Lavender may relieve a symptom; yet, it goes on to do much more. In all honesty, the ingredient in lavender that is so soothing and relaxing to the muscles is also in hyssop decumbens and green myrtle.
Please understand, I issue these warnings because the FDA has labelled essential oils as safe; yet, in many ways, they are and they’re not.
If you need these oils in an emergency; then use them! Just don’t use them every day. However, if you or someone you love lives with asthmatic conditions, there are alternatives which I can help you with.
Another option: magnesium gel or lotion; not a pill. Why not a pill? Because it takes a bit longer for the body to respond, plus there are many types of magnesium which could lead to digestive upset and diarrhea. The gel and lotion typically do not cause such problems.
The most important thing to remember is an allergy indicates that the immune system is on high alert. Therefore, avoid using any type of immune stimulant; herbal, oil, probiotic, or ….. The immune system isn’t failing; it’s overworking. The best way to support the immune and respiratory system is to focus on the digestive system.
1. Beets
2. Quercetin, as a supplement
3. Bone broth
4. A hydrochloric acid supplement (HCL)
5. Fresh ginger root
6. Use the oils listed above for parasites
7. Include coconut oil in your diet everyday because it helps to balance gut flora
Also consider such foods as mushrooms, beet greens, lima beans, raw cacao, almonds, peanut butter, dark greens, bananas, avocados, and pumpkin seeds all of which contain potassium, an essential mineral for calming the stress response and protecting the adrenals.
Raw milk is also a good source of magnesium; when combined with raw cacao and a sweetener of your choice, you get a yummy healthy chocolate drink!
Foods to avoid: flax seeds (I know, you’ve heard good things about them; yet, they have a chemical in them that acts like the hormone estrogen and activates both the immune reaction. Another food to avoid is soy; anything with soy in it is not advisable for the same reason as flax.”
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