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How Food Works

Food is essential to life. Check out these food proportion pictures.

EXPLORE FOOD

It is safe to say that one thing you'll do today is eat some food -- food is pretty important
to all animals. If you don't eat, it can cause all sorts of problems: hunger, weakness,
starvation... Food is essential to life.

But what is food? What's in food that makes it so important? What happens to the food
once you eat it? What is food made of? How does it fuel our bodies? What do words like
"carbohydrates" and "fats" really mean (especially on those "Nutrition Facts" labels you
find on almost everything these days)? What would happen if you ate nothing but
marshmallows for a week? What is a calorie? Why can't we eat grass like a cow does,
or wood like a termite?

If you have ever wondered about food and how your body uses it, then read on. In this
article, we'll give you all of the information you need to understand what a hamburger or
a banana does to keep your body running every day.

The Basics of Food

Think about some of the things you have eaten today -- maybe cereal, bread, milk,
juice, ham, cheese, an apple, potatoes... All of these foods (and pretty much any other
food that you can think of) contain seven basic components:

 Carbohydrates (simple and complex)

 Proteins

 Fats
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 Vitamins

 Minerals

 Fiber

 Water

Your body's goal is to digest food and use it to keep your body alive. In the following
sections, we will look at each of these basic components to understand what they really
do and why they are so important to your body.

(Note that there might be a few non-food things mixed in with what you eat, especially if
you are eating lots of processed foods. Things like artificial colors and
chemical preservatives are the most common. Those are additives, not part of the
natural foods.)

Carbohydrates

You have probably heard of "carbohydrates" and "complex carbohydrates."

Carbohydrates provide your body with its basic fuel. Your body thinks about
carbohydrates like a car engine thinks about gasoline.

The simplest carbohydrate is glucose. Glucose, also called "blood sugar" and
"dextrose," flows in the bloodstream so that it is available to every cell in your body.
Your cells absorb glucose and convert it into energy to drive the cell. Specifically, a set
of chemical reactions on glucose creates ATP (adenosine triphosphate), and a
phosphate bond in ATP powers most of the machinery in any human cell. If you drink a
solution of water and glucose, the glucose passes directly from your digestive system
into the bloodstream.
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The word "carbohydrate" comes from the fact that glucose is made up of carbon and
water. The chemical formula for glucose is:

You can see that glucose is made of six carbon atoms (carbo...) and the elements of six
water molecules (...hydrate). Glucose is a simple sugar, meaning that to our tongues it
tastes sweet. There are other simple sugars that you have probably heard of. Fructose
is the main sugar in fruits. Fructose has the same chemical formula as glucose
(C6H12O6), but the atoms are arranged slightly differently. The liver converts fructose to
glucose. Sucrose, also known as "white sugar" or "table sugar," is made of one glucose
and one fructose molecule bonded together. Lactose (the sugar found in milk) is made
of one glucose and one galactose molecule bonded together. Galactose, like fructose,
has the same chemical components as glucose but the atoms are arranged differently.
The liver also converts galactose to glucose. Maltose, the sugar found in malt, is made
from two glucose atoms bonded together.

Glucose, fructose and galactose are monosaccharides and are the only carbohydrates

that can be absorbed into the bloodstream through the intestinal lining. Lactose,
sucrose and maltose aredisaccharides (they contain two monosaccharides) and are
easily converted to their monosaccharide bases by enzymes in the digestive tract.
Monosaccharides and disaccharides are called simple carbohydrates. They are also
sugars -- they all taste sweet. They all digest quickly and enter the bloodstream quickly.
When you look at a "Nutrition Facts" label on a food package and see "Sugars" under
the "Carbohydrates" section of the label, these simple sugars are what the label is
talking about.

There are also complex carbohydrates, commonly known as "starches." A complex

carbohydrate is made up of chains of glucose molecules. Starches are the way plants
store energy -- plants produce glucose and chain the glucose molecules together to
form starch. Most grains (wheat, corn, oats, rice) and things like potatoes and plantains
are high in starch. Your digestive system breaks a complex carbohydrate (starch) back
down into its component glucose molecules so that the glucose can enter your
bloodstream. It takes a lot longer to break down a starch, however. If you drink a can of
soda full of sugar, glucose will enter the bloodstream at a rate of something like
30 calories per minute. A complex carbohydrate is digested more slowly, so glucose
enters the bloodstream at a rate of only 2 calories per minute (reference).

You may have heard that eating complex carbohydrates is a good thing, and that eating
sugar is a bad thing. You may even have felt this in your own body. The following quote
from The Yale Guide to Children's Nutrition explains why:

If complex carbohydrates are broken down to monosaccharides in the intestines before

they are absorbed into the bloodstream, why are they better than refined sugar or other
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di- or mono-saccharides? To a great extent it has to do with the processes of digestion

and absorption. Simple sugars require little digestion, and when a child eats a sweet
food, such as a candy bar or a can of soda, the glucose level of the blood rises rapidly.
In response, the pancreas secretes a large amount of insulin to keep blood glucose
levels from rising too high. This large insulin response in turn tends to make the blood
sugar fall to levels that are too low 3 to 5 hours after the candy bar or can of soda has
been consumed. This tendency of blood glucose levels to fall may then lead to an
adrenaline surge, which in turn can cause nervousness and irritability... The same
roller-coaster ride of glucose and hormone levels is not experienced after eating
complex carbohydrates or after eating a balanced meal because the digestion and
absorption processes are much slower.

If you think about it, this is incredibly interesting because it shows that the foods you eat
and the way you eat them can affect your mood and your temperament. Foods do that
by affecting the levels of differenthormones in your bloodstream over time.

Another interesting thing about this quote is its mention of insulin. It turns out that
insulin is incredibly important to the way the body uses the glucose that foods provide.
The functions of insulin are:

 To enable glucose to be transported across cell membranes

 To convert glucose into glycogen for storage in the liver and muscles

 To help excess glucose be converted into fat

 To prevent protein breakdown for energy

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica:

Insulin is a simple protein in which two polypeptide chains of amino acids are joined by
disulfide linkages. Insulin helps transfer glucose into cells so that they can oxidize the
glucose to produce energy for the body. In adipose (fat) tissue, insulin facilitates the
storage of glucose and its conversion to fatty acids. Insulin also slows the breakdown of
fatty acids. In muscle it promotes the uptake of amino acids for making proteins. In the
liver it helps convert glucose into glycogen (the storage carbohydrate of animals) and it
decreases gluconeogenesis (the formation of glucose from noncarbohydrate sources).
The action of insulin is opposed by glucagon, another pancreatic hormone, and by
epinephrine.

What you can begin to see from this description is that there are actually lots of different
things happening in your body around glucose. Because glucose is the essential
energy source for your body, your body has many different mechanisms to ensure that
the right level of glucose is flowing in the bloodstream. For example, your body stores
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glucose in your liver (as glycogen) and can also convert protein to glucose if necessary.
Carbohydrates provide the energy that cells need to survive.

For more information on carbohydrates, glucose and insulin, check out the links page at
the end of this article.

Proteins

A protein is any chain of amino acids. An amino acidis a small molecule that acts as
the building block of any cell. Carbohydrates provide cells with energy, while amino
acids provide cells with the building material they need to grow and maintain their
structure. Your body is about 20-percent protein by weight. It is about 60-percent water.
Most of the rest of your body is composed of minerals (for example, calcium in your
bones). Amino acids are called "amino acids" because they all contain an amino group
(NH2) and a carboxyl group (COOH), which is acidic. Below you can see the chemical
structure of two of the amino acids.

You can see that the top part of each is identical to the other. That is true of all amino
acids -- the little chain at the bottom (the H or the CH 3 in these two amino acids) is the
only thing varying from one amino acid to the next. In some amino acids, the variable
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part can be quite large. The human body is constructed of 20 different amino acids
(there are perhaps 100 different amino acids available in nature).

As far as your body is concerned, there are two different types of amino
acids: essential and non-essential. Non-essential amino acids are amino acids that
your body can create out of other chemicals found in your body. Essential amino acids
cannot be created, and therefore the only way to get them is through food. Here are the
different amino acids:

Non-essential

 Alanine (synthesized from pyruvic acid)

 Arginine (synthesized from glutamic acid)

 Asparagine (synthesized from aspartic acid)

 Aspartic Acid (synthesized from oxaloacetic acid)

 Cysteine

 Glutamic Acid (synthesized from oxoglutaric acid)

 Glutamine (synthesized from glutamic acid)

 Glycine (synthesized from serine and threonine)

 Proline (synthesized from glutamic acid)

 Serine (synthesized from glucose)

 Tryosine (synthesized from phenylalanine)

Essential

 Histidine

 Isoleucine

 Leucine

 Lysine

 Methionine

 Phenylalanine
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 Threonine

 Tryptophan

 Valine

Protein in our diets comes from both animal and vegetable sources. Most animal
sources (meat, milk, eggs) provide what's called "complete protein," meaning that they
contain all of the essential amino acids. Vegetable sources usually are low on or
missing certain essential amino acids. For example, rice is low in isoleucine and lysine.
However, different vegetable sources are deficient in different amino acids, and by
combining different foods you can get all of the essential amino acids throughout the
course of the day. Some vegetable sources contain quite a bit of protein -- things like
nuts, beans, soybeans, etc. are all high in protein. By combining them you can get
complete coverage of all essential amino acids.

The digestive system breaks all proteins down into their amino acids so that they can
enter the bloodstream. Cells then use the amino acids as building blocks.

From this discussion you can see that your body cannot survive strictly on
carbohydrates. You must have protein. According to this article, the RDA
(Recommended Daily Allowance) for protein is 0.36 grams of protein per pound of
body weight. So a 150-pound person needs 54 grams of protein per day. The photo
above is the Nutritional Facts label from a can of tuna. You can see that a can of tuna
contains about 32 grams of protein (this can has 13 grams per serving and there are 2.5
servings in the can). A glass of milk contains about 8 grams of protein. A slice of bread
might contain 2 or 3 grams of protein. You can see that it is not that hard to meet the
RDA for protein with a normal diet.
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Nutritional label from a bottle of olive oil

Fats

We all know about the common fats that different foods contain. Meat contains
animal fat. Most breads and pastries contain vegetable oils, shortening or lard. Deep
fried foods are cooked in heated oils. Fats are greasy and slick.

You commonly hear about two kinds of fats: saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats

are normally solid at room temperature, while unsaturated fats are liquid at room
temperature. Vegetable oils are the best examples of unsaturated fats, while lard and
shortening (along with the animal fat you see in raw meat) are saturated fats. However,
most fats contain a mixture. For example, above you see the label from a bottle of olive
oil. It contains both saturated and unsaturated fats, but the saturated fats are dissolved
in the unsaturated fats. To separate them, you can put olive oil in the refrigerator. The
saturated fats will solidify and the unsaturated fats will remain liquid. You can see that
the olive oil bottler even chose to further distinguish the unsaturated fats
between polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Unsaturated fats are currently
thought to be more healthy than saturated fats, and monounsaturated fats (as found in
olive oil and peanut oil) are thought to be healthier than polyunsaturated fats.

Fats that you eat enter the digestive system and meet with an enzyme called lipase.
Lipase breaks the fat into its parts: glycerol and fatty acids. These components are then
reassembled into triglycerides for transport in the bloodstream. Muscle cells and fat
(adipose) cells absorb the triglycerides either to store them or to burn them as fuel.

You need to eat fat for several reasons:

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 As we will see in the next section, certain vitamins are fat soluble. The only way
to get these vitamins is to eat fat.

 In the same way that there are essential amino acids, there are essential fatty
acids (for example, linoleic acid is used to build cell membranes). You must
obtain these fatty acids from food you eat because your body has no way to
make them.

 Fat turns out to be a good source of energy. Fat contains twice as

many calories per gram as do carbohydrates or proteins. Your body can burn fat
as fuel when necessary.

Vitamins

The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary defines "vitamin" as:

vi.ta.min: any of various organic substances that are essential in minute quantities to
the nutrition of most animals and some plants, act esp. as coenzymes and precursors
of coenzymes in the regulation of metabolic processes but do not provide energy or
serve as building units, and are present in natural foodstuffs or sometimes produced
within the body.

Vitamins are smallish molecules (Vitamin B12 is the largest, with a molecular weight of
1,355) that your body needs to keep itself running properly. In How Sunburns and Sun
Tans Work, we learn that the body can produce its own Vitamin D, but generally
vitamins must be provided in food. The human body needs 13 different vitamins:

Vitamin A (fat soluble, retinol) comes from beta-carotene in plants; when you eat beta-
carotene, an enzyme in the stomach turns it into Vitamin A.

Vitamin B (water soluble, several specific vitamins in the complex)

 Vitamin B1: Thiamine

 Vitamin B2: Riboflavin

 Vitamin B3: Niacin

 Vitamin B6: Pyridoxine

 Vitamin B12: Cyanocobalamin

 Folic Acid

Vitamin C (water soluble, ascorbic acid)

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Vitamin D (fat soluble, calciferol)

Vitamin E (fat soluble, tocopherol)

Vitamin K (fat soluble, menaquinone)

Pantothenic acid (water soluble)

Biotin (water soluble)

In most cases, the lack of a vitamin causes severe problems. The following list
shows diseases associated with the lack of different vitamins:

 Lack of Vitamin A: Night blindness, xerophthalmia

 Lack of Vitamin B1: Beriberi

 Lack of Vitamin B2: Problems with lips, tongue, skin,

 Lack of Vitamin B3: Pellagra

 Lack of Vitamin B12: Pernicious anemia

 Lack of Vitamin C: Scurvy

 Lack of Vitamin D: Rickets

 Lack of Vitamin E: Malabsorption of fats, anemia

 Lack of Vitamin K: Poor blood clotting, internal bleeding

A diet of fresh, natural food usually provides all of the vitamins that you need.
Processing tends to destroy vitamins, so many processed foods are "fortified" with
man-made vitamins.

Minerals

Minerals are elements that our bodies must have in order to create specific molecules
needed in the body. Here are some of the more common minerals our bodies need:

 Calcium - used by teeth, bones

 Chlorine

 Chromium

 Copper
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 Fluoride - strengthens teeth

 Iodine - combines with tryosine to create the hormone thyroxine

 Iron - transports oxygen in red blood cells

 Magnesium

 Manganese

 Molybdenum

 Phosphorus

 Potassium - important ion in nerve cells

 Selenium

 Sodium

 Zinc

We do need other minerals, but they are supplied in the molecule that uses them. For
example, sulfur comes in via the amino acid methionine, and cobalt comes in as part
of vitamin B12.

Food provides these minerals. If they are lacking in the diet, then various problems and
diseases arise.

Water

As mentioned above, your body is about 60-percent water. A person at rest loses

about 40 ounces of water per day.

Water leaves your body in the urine, in your breath when you exhale, by evaporation
through your skin, etc. Obviously, if you are working and sweating hard then you can
lose much more water.

Because we are losing water all the time, we must replace it. We need to take in at
least 40 ounces a day in the form of moist foods and liquids. In hot weather and
when exercising, your body may need twice that amount. Many foods contain a
surprising amount of water, especially fruits. Pure water and drinks provide the rest.

Fibers
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Fiber is the broad name given to the things we eat that our bodies cannot digest. The
three fibers we eat on a regular basis are:

 Cellulose

 Hemicellulose

 Pectin

Hemicellulose is found in the hulls of different grains like wheat. Bran is

hemicellulose. Cellulose is the structural component of plants. It gives a vegetable its
familiar shape. Pectin is found most often in fruits, and is soluble in water but non-
digestible. Pectin is normally called "water-soluble fiber" and forms a gel. When we eat
fiber, it simply passes straight through, untouched by the digestive system.

Cellulose is a complex carbohydrate. It is a chain of glucose molecules. Some

animals and insects can digest cellulose. Both cows and termites have no problem with
it because they have bacteria in their digestive systems secreting enzymes that break
down cellulose into glucose. Human beings have neither the enzymes nor these
beneficial bacteria, so cellulose is fiber for us.

I'm Starving...

A normal person who is eating three meals a day and snacking between meals gets
almost all of his or her energy from the glucose that carbohydrates provide. What
happens if you stop eating, however? For example, what if you are lost in the woods, or
you are purposefully fasting? What does your body do for energy? Your body goes
through several phases in its attempt to keep you alive in the absence of food.

The first line of defense against starvation is the liver. The liver stores glucose by
converting it to glycogen. It holds perhaps a 12-hour supply of glucose in its glycogen.
Once you finish digesting all of the carbohydrates that you last ate, the liver starts
converting its stored glycogen back into glucose and releases it to maintain glucose in
the blood. Lipolysis also starts breaking down fat in the fat cells and releasing fatty
acids into the bloodstream. Tissues that do not need to use glucose for energy (for
example, muscle cells) start burning the fatty acids. This reduces the glucose demand
so that nerve cells get the glucose.

Once the liver runs out of glycogen, the liver converts to a process
called gluconeogenesis. Gluconeogenesis turns amino acids into glucose (see this
article for more on gluconeogenesis).

The liver then begins producing ketone bodies from fatty acids being made available in
the blood by lipolysis. Brain and nerve cells convert over from being pure consumers of
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glucose to partial consumers of ketone bodies for energy (see this article for information
on ketone body metabolism).

Some of these alternative metabolic processes are actually used on a regular basis.

For example, Eskimos eating a traditional Eskimo diet have virtually no carbohydrates
on the menu. You may have also read about several recent weight-loss programs that
try to take advantage of ketone metabolism to "burn fat" (this article offers a thorough
description of the "ketogenic diet" as used in medicine, and this articletalks about the
"fad diets" that utilize the ketone effect). When you hear about these diets you will now
have a better idea of what they're about!

Click on the play button to see how the body digests food.

How to Control Asthma

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If you have asthma, you know the dreaded choking sensation, the faintness, the
anxiety. It's as if someone made you run around the block, then pinched your nose shut
and forced you to breathe through a straw. And you know all too well that once an
asthma attack starts, it won't go away by itself. However, there are some simple steps
you can take to reduce the likelihood of an asthma attack. After a some background
information on asthma, we will show you a variety of ways to asthma-proof your home
and lifestyle. 

Some 20 million Americans suffer from asthma. While no two people with asthma are
alike in the subtle characteristics of their condition, they do have one thing in common:
They have trouble breathing properly because of narrowing or blockage of the airways
in their lungs. Their lungs are inflamed and supersensitive; they're easily provoked into
constriction by a wide variety of outside factors, called triggers, that do not generally
cause problems for people without the disease.

The tendency to develop asthma is inherited, and it is more common among people
who have allergies. Indeed, there are two forms of asthma, allergic asthma and
nonallergic asthma, with the allergic form being more common. Allergic asthma
develops in people who have allergies, and the same substances (called allergens) that
provoke their allergy symptoms also trigger their asthma symptoms. Both the allergy
and asthma symptoms are the product of an overreaction by the immune system.
Common triggers include dust mites, pollen, mold, and pet dander.
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In nonallergic asthma, on the other hand, the triggers that irritate the lungs and bring on
asthma symptoms have nothing to do with allergies or the immune system. This type of
asthma can be sparked by dry air, cold weather, exercise, smoke (including the second
hand variety), strong perfume, stressful situations, intense emotions, even laughing.

The typical symptoms of allergic and nonallergic asthma are similar. The symptoms
may occur immediately following contact with a trigger or may be delayed, and their
severity varies among individual asthma sufferers.

While there is no cure for asthma, the good news is that asthma, whether mild,
moderate, or severe, allergic or nonallergic, can be managed. Doctors who specialize in
treating asthma can be very helpful. Every patient with asthma should see a doctor to
be sure another cause of wheezing is not present and, if asthma is diagnosed, to
develop a therapeutic program for managing the disorder.

In addition to working with your doctor, you can take measures to help control your
asthma. The key is to track down your triggers and, as completely as possible, eliminate
them from your life. In short, you can often help counter an asthma attack before it
happens.

Basic Tips

There are certain, easy steps you can take to help avoid asthma before an attack
occurs.

Smite the mite.

Dust mites, or rather the feces and dead bodies of these microscopic insects, are one of
the most common allergic asthma triggers. They're everywhere in your home, although
they love the bedroom most because they feed on the dead skin cells we constantly
shed. Banishing dust mites from your home, or at least reducing their ranks, will help
ease symptoms if you have allergic asthma triggered by these little critters. Here are
some tips:

 Enclose your mattress in an airtight cover, then cover it with a washable mattress
pad.

 Wash your sheets in hot water every week, and wash your mattress pads and
synthetic blankets every two weeks.

 Use polyester or dacron pillows, not those made of kapok or feathers, and
enclose them in airtight dust covers.
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 Avoid carpeting, which is difficult to clean thoroughly; stick to bare floors with
washable area rugs.

 Choose washable curtains instead of draperies.

 Avoid dust-catchers all over the house, especially in the bed; the less clutter the
better. If possible, avoid storing out-of-season clothing or bedding in the
bedroom; if you can't, enclose them in heavy plastic.

 Try not to do heavy cleaning, but if you must, use only a vacuum cleaner and
damp cloth to clean; dust mops and brooms stir up the dust.

 Wear a mask over your mouth and nose while cleaning, and leave the room
when you have finished.

 Run an air conditioner or dehumidifier in warm weather, especially in spring and

fall when mites multiply. Aim to keep the humidity level in your home under 40
percent but above 25 percent.

 Consider using an air purifier in the bedroom to keep the room free from dust
particles.

Minimize mold.No matter how vigilantly you clean, mold and other forms of fungi are
probably lurking somewhere in your house. Fungus is a parasite that can grow on living
and nonliving organic material in several forms, including mold, mildew, and dry rot.
Fungi reproduce by producing spores. The spores are the real problem, as millions and
millions of them float through the air to be inhaled in every breath, touching off an
allergic reaction that can contribute to asthma. To stave off the spores, take the
following steps:

 Keep your windows closed, because the mold spores can come right in through
the windows even if the windows have screens.

 Stay out of attics, basements, and other dank, musty places.

 Wear a face mask and give your bathroom a going-over for signs of mold. The
most likely spots for mold growth: dark areas, such as the backs of cabinets and
under the sink.

 Examine all closets regularly to see that molds have not set up housekeeping in
unused shoes and boots.
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 On a regular basis, have a family member or friend investigate the inner workings
of air conditioners, humidifiers, and vaporizers in your home where molds like to
grow.

 Periodically check houseplants for mold growth. This will help keep your plants
healthy, too.

Weather the weather.

Pay attention to how changes in the weather affect your asthma. You might even keep
an "asthma journal" by recording the temperature, wind velocity, barometric pressure,
and humidity on days when you suffer attacks. Knowing what types of weather
conditions can leave you gasping for air can help you avoid problems. While each
person responds to weather differently, some general trends may be noted. For
instance, people with asthma should stay indoors when it is very cold outside, since a
rush of cold air can cause a spasm in the bronchial tubes. Stay indoors if the wind is
strong, too. While gusts of wind can blow pollution and smog away, they can also blow
pollen in your direction. If you enjoy walking in the rain, you're in luck, because rain
tends to wash away roving allergens, pollutants, and irritants.

Watch what you eat.

The question of whether foods trigger asthma has yet to be answered. Some foods,
such as nuts, shellfish, milk, eggs, and strawberries, can result in an array of allergic
responses, including asthma symptoms. Sulfites in wine can have a similar effect.
Existing scientific evidence suggests that food allergies are probably not a major trigger
for chronic asthma in adults. Nonetheless, you may have noticed that certain foods
worsen your symptoms. If so, it's best to limit or avoid foods that aren't necessary for a
balanced, nutritious diet. (Ask your doctor if you're not sure.)

Allergies to certain types of food, especially milk and meat, are more often a trigger of
asthma in children. If milk and wheat seem to be causing problems for your child with
asthma, eliminate these foods from his or her diet. Check labels, and avoid foods that
list milk, milk solids, casein, whey, or caseinate as ingredients. (Talk to your family
doctor about alternate dietary sources of nutrients such as calcium.)

Eating away from home can sometimes be a problem. If you are invited to dinner and
don't know what meal will be served, eat something at home before you leave so you
won't be left hungry should the main course be a trigger food for you. If you are eating in
a restaurant, inquire about the ingredients in the dish you want to order. No matter
where you have your meal, don't overeat, don't eat too fast, and don't talk while you are
eating. Steer clear of alcohol, too, especially if you are taking medications for your
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asthma. One final reminder: Avoid so-called cytotoxicity tests and similar methods that
promise to root out hidden food allergies and cure asthma.

Protect your health.

A problem in the upper airways, such as a respiratory infection, can cause trouble in the
lower airways (the bronchial tubes) and precipitate an asthma attack. While taking steps
to avoid getting sick makes sense for everyone, maintaining good health can
dramatically reduce the frequency and intensity of asthma attacks. Stay away from
people who have a cold or the flu, drink plenty of fluids, and avoid getting overtired;
otherwise, you will be more susceptible to infections. If, despite your best efforts, you do
develop an infection, see your doctor; early use of antibiotics, when appropriate, can be
quite helpful.

Exercise your options.

For years, people with asthma have been told to avoid exercise because it would induce
attacks. Research has shown, however, that getting regular aerobic exercise increases
the amount of huffing and puffing an asthmatic can tolerate. Start by warming up with
light exercise before a more vigorous workout. Begin with short workouts and gradually
increase them. At least at first, keep a bronchodilator with you. If you feel tightness in
your chest and can't work through it, use the device. If you are out in cold or dry air,
wear a scarf around your nose and mouth to heat the air before breathing it in. Cool
down with light exercise at the end of your workout. If one type of exercise still brings on
attacks, try another form of exercise. You may not be able to tolerate running, for
example, but you may be able to swim regularly.

Avoid aspirin.

Aspirin can trigger asthma attacks in certain people. Play it safe and avoid aspirin and
products that contain it if you have asthma. Even if you have not experienced an
asthma flare from aspirin in the past, it's possible for one to occur at any time. Keep
aspirin out of your medicine chest, and check labels on every over-the-counter drug that
you purchase. Avoid those that list "aspirin" and those that contain the initials "ASA,"
"APC," or "PAC;" ask your pharmacist if you are unsure if the medication you want to
purchase contains aspirin.

According to an expert report from the National Asthma Education Program, people with
asthma should also stay away from certain nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents
(ibuprofen is one such medication) that have effects similar to aspirin's. Opt instead for
such "usually safe alternatives" as acetaminophen, sodium salicylate, or disalcid.
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You may also need to avoid tartrazine (yellow food dye #5), which is found in a number
of soft drinks, cake mixes, candies, and some medications, if it aggravates your asthma.

Take a deep breath.

Inhaling through the mouth often produces shallow, unsatisfying breaths that can
resemble panting. Practice inhaling slowly through the nose in a controlled way, instead.
Before you start breathing exercises, blow your nose to make sure that your air
passages are clear of foreign matter. Then sit in a chair in a comfortable position. Take
a deep breath and feel your breath going as far down as possible. Your abdomen
should expand as you do this exercise. Exhale slowly, feeling your abdomen relax as
your breath comes out of your nose. Repeat this exercise at least three times a day (but
never right after eating and never in a hurry, which may trigger hyperventilation).

Keep your weight down.

Exertion causes overweight people to breathe more deeply, forcing their hearts to work
extra hard supplying blood to the muscles and organs. If you are overweight, losing
weight will ease your heart's burden; unfortunately, asthma medications can cause you
to pack on pounds. If you need to lose some pounds, you and your doctor should work
together to establish a diet and exercise plan that will help you burn more calories and
reduce your calorie intake without depriving you of necessary nutrients.

Mind your mind.

The notion that asthma is "all in your head" has gone the way of many medical myths.
However, doctors believe that asthma is an illness with both physical and emotional
aspects. For example, asthma attacks can be triggered by emotional changes, such as
laughing or crying, or by stress. While you may not be able to "think away" an asthma
attack, keeping your mind at ease may prevent you from panicking at the onset of an
asthma attack, which will make a bout with breathing trouble less scary. Develop an
upbeat mind-set by committing yourself to feeling better. A positive attitude works
wonders to enhance your other coping methods. In addition, be forthright about your
asthma; others will respect your directness and, in most cases, try to make things easier
for you.

Learn to relax.

Since stress and emotional upsets can trigger or aggravate asthma attacks, it may be
helpful to set aside time each day, preferably the same time, to practice some form of
relaxation.
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Although as of yet, there is no known cure for asthma, this condition can be managed.
Tracking down and eliminating asthma triggers from your environment are key to
making life comfortable and peaceful.