This cold, dry season is often accompanied by a variety of symptoms, such as coughing, breathing difficulty, and other lung ailments. Add to the mix that by midlife, many people have compromised their lung health by smoking or by breathing urban air with its bounty of toxic pollutants. Studies show that lifespan is directly proportional to lung capacity. Take these tips to increase your lung health, expand your longevity, and quit your coughing.

1. Antioxidants benefit breathing
Broccoli, apples, and other antioxidant-rich vegetables and fruits can help restore and protect your lungs. One study indicated that people who ate more than five apples a week had better lung function than those who ate none. It's also been shown that the antioxidant isothiocyanates in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower substantially reduce lung cancer risk.

Other foods that nourish and protect your lungs include green leafy vegetables-particularly kale, mustard greens, green and red cabbage. Other lung-nourishing foods include green and yellow bell peppers, daikon radish, carrots, yams, pumpkin, squash, figs, sesame seeds, almonds, apricots, ginkgo nuts, tangerines and other citrus foods.

2. Increase lung capacity for a long life
Our life expectancy is directly proportional to our lung capacity. If our lungs aren’t optimally working to supply the body with oxygen, all the metabolic processes go haywire. An effective way to increase your lung capacity is to play up a wind instrument—a saxophone, trumpet, flute, or even a recorder. Practicing for as little as 10 or 15 minutes a day will give you expanded results for your lungs!

3. Stamp out dampness in the lungs
Mucus or phlegm is often the source behind a chronic cough. In Chinese medicine, diet and digestive weakness is seen as directly related to a buildup of dampness and phlegm that accumulate in the lungs. In many cases, reducing and clearing out the mucus will ease the cough. Start by stopping your consumption of mucous-producing foods including dairy products (especially ice cream), cold and raw foods, sweet foods containing simple processed sugars or processed flour, and soft drinks.

4. Press here for healthy lungs
In Chinese medicine, acupuncture is regularly used to treat lung conditions. You can stimulate the same acupuncture point on yourself with a technique called "acupressure". Instead of a needle stimulating the point, you can use your own fingers. Locate the acupoint called Cubit Marsh. Bend your arm at the elbow. The point is located in the elbow crease, on the outer side of the large tendon in the middle of the crease. Apply moderate pressure with your thumb until you feel soreness. Hold for 2-3 minutes. Repeat on the other arm. This point has classically been used to sooth breathing, redirect lung energy downward, and stop coughing.

Remedies to sooth a cough
Whether due to a cold or changing weather conditions, a cough is a nagging reminder that something is out of balance in your airways. Stop a cough in its tracks with these tips:

For all kinds of coughs, boil a pot of water and turn off the stove. Add 10 drops of Tonic Oil, which consists of oils of camphor, peppermint, eucalyptus, fennel, and wintergreen. These are traditionally used for opening passageways. Inhale fumes deeply for 10 minutes with a towel draped over you, covering your head and the pot.

Nourish the lungs. Core one pear apple (Asian pear), add 1 tbsp honey to the center, and steam or bake for 10-15 minutes. Eat two to three daily to nourish lungs and sooth a cough. 

For dry cough, finely chop 2 cups each of green and red cabbage, add one pear apple or Asian pear, and boil in 6 cups of water for 30 minutes. Drink this broth three times a day.

For cough with excess mucus, boil two oranges, peels and all, in 4 cups of water for 30 minutes. Drink the water and eat the oranges.

Supplements that can help treat a cough include Vitamins C, E, and B complex, bromelain, garlic, zinc, and iron.

For a cough accompanied by a cold, try our specially prepared natural cold-slaying formula, Cold&Flu.

I tell my patients that if a cough persists beyond a month without improvement, they should immediately see a lung specialist for further examination. As always, speak with your doctor before beginning any new health regime.

I hope that this article has you breathing easy! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

--Dr. Mao

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To learn more about Dr. Mao and other natural health tips, go to askdrmao.com.

To purchase Dr. Mao's book, "Secrets of Self Healing," click here.