Natural ways to cleanse your lungs

Lung cleansing allows you to detox this important organ of tar and toxins, reduce the risk of infection and cancer, increase lung capacity and improve the general health of the respiratory tract.

The cleansing of lungs is especially recommended for smokers, both active and passive, and people who live in areas with polluted air.

There are four basic methods by which you can clean your lungs

1. Breathing exercises

Breathing exercises are one of the best ways for cleansing your lungs. We do not mean the usual “deep” breathing, for it takes a lot more than that to keep the lungs clean.

There are several types of exercises for detoxifying the lungs; we will describe one of them.

This exercise will thoroughly cleanse your lungs, and if you do it in the morning, when the air is clean and fresh, it will provide you with a great start to the day.

1. Take a standing position. Be relaxed. Keep your arms at your sides and your feet slightly apart.

2. 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 anymore. 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 “ha … ha … ha …” 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.

 

4. Through the nose, slowly inhale fresh, clean air in your empty lungs.

5. Fill your lungs with air completely, and then hold your breath for five seconds, counting them slowly. At this point, the oxygen has filled your lungs and every cell in the body!

6. Again, exhale through your mouth until there is no air left in your lungs and repeat the “ha … ha … ha” to expel the remaining air out of the lungs.

Go back to step 4.

Repeat as many times as you like. Besides purifying the lungs, this exercise has another benefit: your stomach will eventually become strong and straight.

2. Inhalations with essential oils

Regularly (two or three times per week) perform inhalations with essential oils of eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary or thyme. This will help you quickly cleanse the lungs of toxins and excess mucus.

For such inhalation, it is not necessary to buy a special device. Simply heat some water in a large pot, add a few drops of natural essential oils and throw a towel over your head as you inhale.

Inhalation of hot steam with essential oils is pleasant and relaxing and will immediately relieve breathing problems.

It can be used not only for detoxifying the lungs, but also in cases of flu, colds, bronchitis, laryngitis, and other respiratory illnesses.

3. Improvement of diet

Like all other types of detoxification, lung cleansing includes dietary changes.

A healthy diet is important because it stimulates the natural cleansing mechanisms of the body and strengthens the immune system.

During the cleansing, it is recommended that you consume more water, fruits, and vegetables.

Some foods, in particular, contribute to the health of the lungs.

Chili

Spicy foods like chili help to break down excess mucus in the lungs and the body in general.

That is why when you eat spicy foods, you can immediately feel that your nose is starting to run. In the same way, spicy foods affect the excess mucus and tar in the lungs, helping our body to eliminate them more easily.
Water

Yes, plain water is the best means of cleansing! Try to avoid sodas, coffee or alcohol. Give preference to ordinary clean water. Good hydration is a key to health.It speeds up the process of detoxification.
Onions

This universal plant is rich in many essential nutrients. It prevents many diseases, including cancer and lung infections, and it helps break down mucus and expel toxins from the body.

4. Plants that help remove the tar, toxins and excess mucus

Watercress

Many holistic doctors consider watercress crucial in the process of cleaning the lungs.

Watercress is used for making simple and delicious soup, which efficiently cleanses the lungs of toxins.

It is recommended to consume this soup twice a month, especially if you are an active or a passive smoker.

Watercress soup:

•     1 kg of watercress (flowers and stems)
•     2 cups of dates
•     4 cups of water

 

Preparation:

If the foam starts forming at the surface of the soup, remove it with a spoon. Once the soup is ready, season it according to your taste.

This soup is very tasty. You can serve it with rice and other dishes.

Note: It is very important to use the correct ratio of ingredients and cook the soup for a minimum of four hours. After such long cooking, the soup becomes tasty, nutritious and effective in detoxifying the lungs.

Ginger

Ginger is a powerful tool for detoxification of the lungs. You can use it in many ways.

Ginger root tea mixed with lemon facilitates breathing and promotes the elimination of toxins from the respiratory tract.

You can also create a warm bath with powdered ginger. The bath should last at least twenty minutes. The ginger bath  opens pores and stimulates sweating, which helps eliminate toxins.

The steam you inhale goes directly into the airways and eases the process of purifying the lungs.

With every meal, eat a small piece of ginger. This will improve your digestion and will contribute to the process of cleansing the body.

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Tea made from mullein brings relief to people whose lungs are clogged with toxins and tar, which is a common condition in smokers.

Be careful to appropriately strain the tea – tiny hairs on the leaves of mullein can have an irritating effect if you swallow them.

Uva Ursi and coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara)

After you quit smoking it is essential to cleanse the lungs of all the toxins, which carry a potential risk of cancer.

Coltsroot and uva ursi are very popular among smokers, because they allow this kind of detoxification. And on top of that these plants strengthen and nourish the entire respiratory system.

Other plants

Common horehound (Marrubium vulgare), nettle, lotus root, fenugreek, eucalyptus, goldenseal and peppermint are also very useful in detoxifying the lungs.

What to avoid during lung cleansing?

Avoid eating processed foods, especially white flour and sugar, and dairy products, because they stimulate the formation mucus in the body.

Get rid of stress.

If you are trying to quit smoking, you must avoid the company of smokers.