ASTHMA - FASTING HELPS

Asthma - Fasting and use of digestive and metabolic stimulants :- Asthma is essentially a disease of over nourishment that is intake of food much in excess of one's ability to digest and metabolise. Therefore, patients of Asthma should generally observe periodic fasts. Instead of a heavy meal, the patient should take very light meals. At night, particularly, because of inactivity, when the body is at rest the power of digestion and metabolism become very sluggish. So Asthma patients should as a rule be careful to take very light food at night or even avoid taking any food at all. Apart from ginger as described before, he should use some other digestive stimulants such as black pepper and long pepper. A lighter load on the digestive enzymes and enzymes responsible for metabolism is better for Asthma patients. Whenever and whatever he needs for sustenance should be properly, and as far as possible, quickly digested and metabolised. 

Why one must avoid curd or yoghurt :- Curd or yoghurt is considered to be abhisyandi, that is, it obstructs the channels of circulation. Ayurveda therefore prohibits the use of  curd or yoghurt at night even for healthy persons. At night, the process of circulation becomes very slow because of general inactivity and curd or yoghurt, if consumed, may further slow down the process of circulation thereby impairing the process of nourishment of the body. It also causes disturbance in sleep. Even though curd or yoghurt is very good for the stomach, it is like a poison for patients of Asthma where the process of circulation is already slow, as a result of which there is inflammation and spasms or constriction in the bronchial tubes. It is, therefore, strictly prohibited.