Recently the air quality index here in Albuquerque, New Mexico hit an insane level of 1240 due to all the dust and debris blowing in from all of the wildfires raging across the western United States.

It has been a long hot dry summer and it is probably a good time to talk about foods and herbs that can help soothe and heal an irritated and inflamed respiratory system.

If I have a rough, dry throat that hurts when I swallow, I would look to incorporate some cooling demulcent herbs into my daily routine. Steeping a lovely tea containing a combination of marshmallow, licorice root, slippery elm, lungwort, solomon’s seal or mullein would provide some soothing relief. (Traditional dosing would be 1-2 teaspoons of herbs into a cup of boiling water; allow to steep for about five minutes, strain and add honey if desired for sweetness.) I might make myself a warm salt water gargle to give my throat some love.

Throat soothing teas:

• Marshmallow, honey & lemon in a cup of hot water.
• Honey & Lemon syrup: Juice of ½ lemon, ½ – 1 tablespoon local raw honey, 8 oz. hot water. Mix together and drink as often as needed to soothe throat.

If I have inhaled too many irritants that have my bronchi feeling constricted, I would to create some steam inhalation therapy. This not only gives the lungs some moisture, but also your skin. This is one herbal combination that I like to use: 1 tablespoon of crushed fennel seeds, 1 tablespoon of dried peppermint leaves, 1 tablespoon dried elderberry flowers, 2 teaspoons powdered licorice root 1 quart of boiling water. Put all herbs into a heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over them. Put your face about 12 inches away from the water (careful not to scald yourself!) and cover your head with a towel, creating a tent. Inhale deeply for 5-10 minutes and gently pat your skin dry and apply a facial moisturizer to keep your skin’s absorbed moisture from evaporating. You may want to experiment with the herbs that you are drawn to such as camphor, rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus or sage.

If after taking a steam and having a nice cup of tea and the congestion is still there and nothing was moving out of my respiratory system, I might add some moistening expectorants such as bamboo, chickweed, comfrey root, flaxseed, Irish moss, licorice, maiden hair fern, marshmallow, slippery elm or solomon’s seal.

For that annoying pesky cough I might try some cough relieving herbs such as bayberry, eucalyptus, horehound, mullein, osha, thyme, apricot seeds, coltsfoot, grindelia, wild cherry taken as a tea or decoction.

I would make some cayenne and ginger cough syrup: ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ¼ teaspoon ginger (either dried or freshly ground), 1 tablespoon local raw honey, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons hot water. Combine ingredients together and take as needed to relieve cough.

With everything feeling raw and sore I might incorporate some mucilaginous foods to help heal the mucosal lining of the lungs like kombu, marshmallow, flaxseed and fenugreek.  

There is your local herb shop for lung support, look for capsules or tinctures that contain any of these combination of herbs:

• Comfrey, mullein, marshmallow, lobelia, slippery elm
• Comfrey, fenugreek
• Marshmallow, mullein, lobelia, chickweed

All of the above combinations have traditionally been used to help expel mucus from the lungs, fight infection and ease chest pain due to cough.

When working with herbs it helps to think about what you are trying to achieve.

For example, Ginger removes mucus through a drying action. Good for a runny nose and coughing up mucus.

Licorice removes mucus through a moistening action. Helpful when there is congestion, but nothing is moving and something that is demulcent will help in getting things out.

To give some love to my overworked nasal mucosal membranes which are desperately trying to keep foreign particles from getting into my system, a daily application of nasaya oil to keep things moist in my nose and to help trap the airborne irritants from getting any farther than my nose.

To help strengthen the lungs, a daily pranayama practice is very important to do. Please see my previous post on how to do alternative nostril breathing.  If that is not your thing try singing loudly and enthusiastically in the shower or while driving your car. Singing exercises and strengthens the lungs.

Food is medicine!

I would incorporate foods to support healthy lung function. Let’s have a diet that is as clean as possible, meaning stay away from processed foods, white sugar and white flour (which even when we are feeling healthy, we should only consume in moderation).

Incorporate fresh juicy vegetables, leafy greens – especially collard, kale, mustard – when you look at are sort of shaped like lung lobes (doctrine of signatures). These green vegetables are important as their levels of chlorophyll have been shown to inhibit viruses and help the lungs dispel the residues of chemicals, smoke inhalation and other toxins.

Dark green, golden and orange vegetables are protective due to their rich beta carotene content. Beta carotene has been found to protect the mucus membranes. Foods rich in beta carotene are carrot, winter squash, pumpkin, broccoli, parsley, kale, turnips, mustard greens.

Eat a diet that is light, warm and simple.  To help with my healing I would make a simple clear vegetable soup that might include kombu, garlic, onion, carrot, mustard greens and a bit of miso.  Or some cooked whole grains with steamed vegetables to which I may add pungent spices if I were looking to dispel mucus from my system. If my lungs felt extra dry, I might add ghee, raw soaked almonds with skins removed, almond milk, tahini or honey.

Don’t forget to drink plenty of water to keep your system hydrated!

Be well!