Asthma and other autoimmune diseases are often aggravated by triggers. A trigger is a food or other substance that makes your immune system overreact. This overreaction can trigger a disease flareup. The key to managing your illness may be avoiding triggers. Since food is a common trigger, controlling your diet is essential. A healthy diet will also improve your overall health and boost your immune system.
Step 1
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. This will increase the antioxidants in your diet and reduce inflammation in your lungs and airways. Fruits and vegetables are natural sources of beta carotene and vitamins C and E may help control respiratory problems, reports the Mayo Clinic website.
Step 2
Add at least two servings of fish to your weekly diet. The oils in fish such as salmon contain fatty acids that reduce inflammation and boost immunity. Servings of fish will improve heart health, as well, by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol.
Step 3
Drink one or two glasses of milk each week. Milk contains Vitamin D, which is a nutrient asthmatics may lack in sufficient quantity. Other sources of Vitamin D include sunlight, eggs and fish.
Step 4
Follow the 8 x 8 rule for water consumption. Drink at least eight glasses containing 8 ounces of water each day. Staying hydrated will improve your health and thin mucus that may build up in the lungs.
Step 5
Monitor your triggers in a journal or food diary. List the foods you eat after every meal and note any changes that may indicate a trigger. For example, if you eat shrimp and have an asthma attack, write it down, so you know shrimp is a trigger.
Step 6
Read the labels on the food you eat to avoid sulfites. Sulfite is a preservative found in wine and some processed foods. Sulfites are common triggers.
Tips and Warnings
- Discuss your diet options with your immunologist or primary care physician. The doctor may want your to follow a specific diet to manage your illness.
- Eating a balanced, healthy diet is not a cure for asthma or autoimmune disease. There is no evidence that avoiding trigger foods will do more than help you avoid unnecessary disease flareups.
