Recently, a sporty 6-year-old girl in Delhi complaint to her mother saying, “Mom, I feel no breath”. Now, this is alarming and also sad for the people in the capital city who are confined inside the four walls of their home. People are being warned from stepping out for workouts, cycling and runs.
A new study by the most reputed medical journal-‘Lancet’ in 2015 indicated that India topped the list of countries with pollution-related deaths, with 2.51 million people dying prematurely in the country that year due to diseases linked to air, water and other forms of pollution. India also topped the list of deaths linked to polluted air (1.81 million) and water (0.64 million). One-quarter of the world’s population now breathes unsafe air, according to the 2014 Environmental Performance Index (EPI).
Is this a new phenomenon for the Delhi-ites? No, the situation hasn’t changed in the last two years. It has only gotten worse from what it was, people claim. Delhi is indeed declared the most pollutant city in the world by the World Health Organisation and the people of Delhi are facing a public health crisis. The relationship between filthy air and poor health is frightening. Delhi’s bad air is already causing a spike in the people with asthma and reduced lung function. There is evidence of a spectrum of health problems, ranging from allergies and respiratory conditions, malformations, growth restrictions, all of which is a result of pollution.
Given this scenario, how do you save your lungs?
Lung Detox is something that Luke Coutinho, M.D., and master coach at GOQii recommend.
Lung Detox Plan
-Previous night – soak 1 tbsp fenugreek (Methi) seeds in half cup water
-Wake up to 250ml warm water with lemon and a dash of cayenne pepper
-Drink the fenugreek water and chew on the seeds.
-10 mins later – 2 cloves of garlic crushed and consume with 1 tbsp raw honey or Manuka honey
Steam Time
-Boil some water, put into a large bowl, add 5-10 drops of pure eucalyptus oil or 1 drop peppermint oil, cover your head with a towel and do steam inhalation for 5 mins. Gentle deep inhalations and slow exhalations.
-Breakfast as normal, but add 300 ml fresh carrot juice with 1 tsp pure cold pressed coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil.
-Magic Lung breathing exercise (check method below)
-Post breathing exercise prepare a litre of the following concoction and have one cup warm.
Magic Tea –
- 1 inch piece ginger /1 tsp dried ginger powder, cinnamon stick, ½ tsp basil/tulsi (fresh/dry), 1 tsp oregano dry (or fresh leaves), 3 peppercorns, 2 crushed elaichi, (optional , 1 -2 cloves crushed garlic), 1/4th tsp fennel seeds, pinch of ajwain, 1/4th tsp jeera (cumin)
- Boil for 10 mins and simmer, strain and sip warm ( can add pure honey or jaggery to sweeten)
Lunch
-30 mins post lunch – 250 ml lemon water with a dash of cayenne pepper
-2 hours later – 300 ml fresh carrot juice with 1 tsp pure cold pressed coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil plus an evening snack
-30 mins later: Magic breathing exercise followed by a cup of lung tea concoction.
-Light walk or yoga
-30 mins before dinner: 250 ml lemon water with cayenne pepper
-Dinner plus 300 ml carrot juice as above
-Post dinner: 30 mins – one more cup of lung tea
-1 hour before bed – steam with 5-10 drops of eucalyptus oil for 5 mins
-Castor oil pack or rub (details below) for 30 mins
-Before bed – magic lung breathing exercise, meditate, sleep
Magic lung breathing cleanse
Take a standing position. Keep your arms at your sides and your feet slightly apart. Relax.
- Take a few deep breaths and exhale through the nose.
3. Now breathe in through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth until you cannot exhale any more. But do not stop here, because there is still air remaining in your lungs.
Some of the air remains in the lungs and is not replaced as we breathe. Now, force your diaphragm to exhale all the air from your lungs with wheezing. Several times exhale through the mouth with a “ho, ho, ho ho, ”
Until you feel there is no more air in the lungs. At this point, you will feel you have pulled in your belly toward the spine.
Through the nose, slowly inhale fresh, clean air in your empty lungs. Fill your lungs with air completely, and then hold your breath for 6 seconds, counting them slowly.
At this point, the oxygen has filled your lungs.
Again exhale through your mouth until there is no air left in your lungs and repeat the “ha…ha…” to expel the stale air out of the lungs.
Repeat the whole procedure as many times as you like. Besides purifying the lungs, this exercise has another benefit: your stomach will eventually become strong and toned skin will look radiant with a glow as you have helped remove excess carbon dioxide.
Here is small video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTbbua0iOSU&t=) by Luke Coutinho M.D, where he explains all about what lungs are and how they function and finally how can we detox our lungs and keep it clean.
A timely video, when people across the country are suffering from air pollution around them.
