Keeping Our Respiratory System Strong

How to Clear Phlegm and Mucus for a Healthy Respiratory System

During concerns about COVID-19, we turn our attention to making our respiratory system strong and resistant to any external pathogens. There are many easy, at-home things we can do to build our immunity, clear away mucus/phlegm, and improve our respiratory system. Read on- at home tonic recipes to follow!

Here are some suggestions:

• Drink herbal tea! Peppermint, Fennel, Green Tea, Black Tea, and Eucalyptus Tea are good choices for reducing phlegm in the system.
• Consume plenty of antioxidant-rich foods and anti-inflammatory foods such as turmeric, leafy greens, blueberries, olives, walnuts, garlic, apples, onions, peppers, healthy fats, and Manuka honey.
• Try to avoid all forms of dairy, wheat, grains with gluten, eggs, and hyper-allergenic foods such as corn and soy. Cold food and drinks may also exacerbate mucus in the body.
• Engage in some form of physical activity. Exercise forces muscles to work harder, increasing the body’s breathing rate, delivering a greater supply of oxygen to the muscles, which in turn improves circulation, and facilitates the process of removing waste from the body.
• Drink plenty of fluids. Dehydration affects all the systems in your body including the respiratory system. It can cause mucus to thicken, which slows down breathing and makes you more susceptible to illness, allergies and other respiratory problems.  Sipping on lots of water (or that herbal tea!) helps to thin the mucus lining of your airways and lungs.
• Spit out the mucus rather than swallowing it. When you swallow, it allows the phlegm to be reabsorbed into the body.
• Eucalyptus essential oil is a well-known decongestant. Use it for self-massage or add a few drops to a diffuser or warm bath. For a massage, combine 1 tablespoon of coconut or other carrier oil with 2-3 drops of eucalyptus essential oil. Massage your neck and chest with gentle movements to melt the stuck mucus and relieve symptoms.
• Take a hot shower twice a day. Inhaling warm or hot water vapor helps the lungs drain mucus. When phlegm liquifies it’s easier to expel from the body. Apply a warm and wet washcloth to your face, to help return moisture to your nose and throat.

Try steam therapy:

Boil a pot of water then pour the water into a bowl.
Cover your head with a clean towel and inhale for at least 10 minutes or until the water loses its heat.
Clear the fluids that become more liquid through the nose.
Enjoy! Repeat as necessary.

Looking for easy, at-home recipes to bring the ORA tonic bar to you? See here for more tonics that help boost respiratory health!

Let us know which tonic is your favorite my commenting on our respiratory post! For more tips and recipes AND to share yours, follow #ORAfromhome.