Back to Breathing

18/10/2026

17/10/2026

❤️

14/10/2026

💚 **STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND OUR BREATHING. HAVE YOU EVER STOPPED TO THINK ABOUT THE CONNECTION?** 🌿

We talk a lot about breathing, nutrition and movement, but there's something else that deserves just as much attention. **Our emotional and mental well-being.**

Stress isn't just something happening in our minds. It affects our entire body, including our breathing, heart, muscles, digestion, sleep and immune system.

And sometimes we become so accustomed to living with stress that we don't even recognise it anymore.

**💚 WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS WHEN WE'RE STRESSED?**

When our brain perceives a threat, whether it's a real danger, financial worries, relationship problems, health concerns or simply feeling overwhelmed, our nervous system responds.

Our body releases stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, preparing us to deal with the situation. This is often called the *fight-or-flight response*.

Our heart beats faster, our muscles tighten, our breathing may become quicker and shallower, and our digestive system can slow down. This is a perfectly natural response designed to protect us.

But what happens when the stress doesn't go away?

When we're constantly worrying, rushing, overthinking, sleeping badly or living in fear, our body may spend too much time in this heightened state of alert.

And over time, that can affect our physical and emotional health.

**💚 THE CONNECTION BETWEEN STRESS AND BREATHING**

Have you ever noticed how your breathing changes when you're upset, frightened or anxious?

Perhaps your chest feels tight. You start breathing faster. You feel you can't get enough air.

When we're anxious, we may unconsciously breathe more rapidly or use our upper chest muscles more than usual.

Breathing too quickly can lower carbon dioxide levels in the blood, sometimes causing dizziness, tingling, palpitations or a feeling of breathlessness.

Now imagine already living with a respiratory condition such as COPD.

You become breathless, which makes you anxious. The anxiety changes your breathing, making the breathlessness feel even worse. That increases the fear, and before you know it, you're caught in a cycle.

**Breathlessness creates anxiety, and anxiety can intensify breathlessness.**

But here's something important. Not every episode of breathlessness is anxiety. Changes in breathing can have physical causes that need attention, too.

Learning to recognise the difference is part of becoming more self-aware.

**💚 WHAT ABOUT DEPRESSION?**

Living with a chronic condition can sometimes change the way we see ourselves and our future.

Perhaps we stop doing things we once enjoyed because we're afraid of becoming breathless. We avoid social situations, become less active, lose confidence or feel that life is getting smaller.

Over time, isolation, frustration and fear can affect our mood.

And depression isn't simply feeling sad. It can affect our motivation, concentration, energy, appetite, sleep and even how we experience physical symptoms.

Stress, anxiety and depression can overlap, but they're not all the same thing.

And depression isn't a sign of weakness or something we can always overcome simply by thinking positively. Sometimes we need additional support, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

**💚 WHAT DOES LONG-TERM STRESS DO TO OUR BODY?**

When stress becomes chronic, it can influence many aspects of our health.

It may disturb our sleep, affect digestion, contribute to muscle tension and headaches, raise blood pressure, and influence inflammation and immune function.

It can also change our everyday habits. We might move less, eat differently, drink more alcohol, withdraw from people or struggle to find the energy to look after ourselves.

And here's where I believe we need to look at the bigger picture.

Our thoughts, emotions, breathing, nutrition, movement and rest are not separate from one another.

They're all connected.

**💚 SO WHAT CAN WE ACTUALLY DO?**

First, become more aware of what is happening in your own body.

Notice your breathing when you're stressed. Are your shoulders raised? Is your jaw clenched? Are you holding your breath without realising it? Is your mind constantly racing?

Sometimes we don't recognise just how much tension we're carrying until we begin paying attention.

**Breathing:** Give yourself a few quiet moments to breathe gently and comfortably. Relax your shoulders and allow your exhalation to be unhurried. There's no need to force deep breaths or hold your breath. The aim is to find a calmer, more comfortable rhythm.

**Movement:** A gentle walk, stretching, Qigong, dancing or simply moving your body in a way that feels comfortable can help release tension, improve mood and support your overall well-being.

**Meditation:** Even a few minutes of sitting quietly, observing your thoughts without judging them or bringing your attention back to the present moment can help us respond differently to stress.

**Nutrition:** What we eat matters here too. Regular, nourishing meals, adequate hydration and being mindful of excessive caffeine and alcohol can support our physical and emotional health.

**Rest:** Sleep and recovery are essential. When we're exhausted, everyday challenges can feel so much harder to manage.

**Mindset and self-awareness:** Perhaps most importantly, begin recognising what triggers your stress. What situations, thoughts or habits leave you feeling tense, fearful or overwhelmed? And what can you change, even in small ways?

We can't always remove the things causing stress, but we can learn different ways of responding to them.

And if anxiety or low mood is persistent, affecting daily life or feels overwhelming, speaking with a qualified mental health professional can be an important part of caring for ourselves.

**💚 SOMETHING I LEARNED THROUGH MY OWN EXPERIENCE**

I've experienced stress, anxiety and depression myself. I know what it's like to feel overwhelmed, to have your thoughts running away with you and to feel as though you're no longer in control of your own life.

I was prescribed medication to manage it all. But for me, there came a point when I felt the medication was controlling me rather than helping me take control of my life.

And that was when I began asking myself a different question.

Instead of simply asking how I could make these feelings go away, I started asking WHY I was feeling this way in the first place.

What was happening in my life? What was I allowing to affect me? How was I responding to difficult situations? What could I change?

That's when I began to understand the importance of self-awareness.

I couldn't always change what was happening around me, but I could begin changing how I responded to it.

Through breathing, meditation, movement, nutrition, rest and changing my mindset, I gradually discovered that I had tools within my own reach to support my emotional and physical well-being.

And that's what I want people to understand.

I'm not saying medication doesn't help others, because everyone's circumstances are different. But I don't believe we should overlook our own ability to make meaningful changes in our lives.

**Sometimes we spend so much time looking outside ourselves for answers that we forget to look within.**

**💚 IT ALL BEGINS WITH AWARENESS**

For me, this is what Back to Breathing is really about.

Not simply focusing on a symptom and asking how to make it disappear, or what to take or what can the doctor prescribe me but becoming curious about WHY we're experiencing it.

We cannot control everything that happens in life. We cannot prevent every illness or stressful situation. But we can begin to understand our bodies, recognise our patterns and make everyday choices that support our physical, mental and emotional well-being.

Sometimes the first change isn't what we do.

**It's becoming aware of what we're doing, what we're feeling and how it's affecting us.**

Healing starts from within, and self-awareness is a powerful place to begin.

Have you noticed how stress or anxiety affects your breathing? And what helps you find your calm again?

I'd love to hear your experiences. 💚😘

12/10/2026

💚 **MISSED THE DEADLINE FOR THE FREE BACK TO BREATHING RETREAT? THERE'S STILL TIME!** 💚

Hello beautiful people! 😘

Applications officially closed last Friday, 9th October, but I still have a few places available for my FREE 6-week online Back to Breathing Retreat, starting Saturday 7th November.

So if you were thinking about joining but didn't quite get around to applying, here's your chance! 😂💚

For six weeks, we'll be exploring how our everyday habits, thoughts and choices can influence our health and well-being, through the 6 Elements of Back to Breathing:

💚 Mindset & Self-Awareness
💚 Meditation
💚 Breathing
💚 Nutrition
💚 Movement
💚 Rest

The first three weeks are about exploring and understanding these elements, and the final three weeks are our **3-week Reset**, where we start bringing everything together into everyday life.

And remember, this isn't about sitting back and watching videos! 😂 I'll be there with you throughout, sharing, answering questions, encouraging discussions and learning together.

**If you'd still like to join us, please send your application to:**

📧 [email protected]

**Subject: BACK TO BREATHING RETREAT**

Please include your name, age, country and Facebook name (or profile link), along with your answers to these five questions:

1. Tell me a little about YOU. Where are you in your journey, and what brought you to Back to Breathing?
2. Why would you like to join the retreat?
3. What would you most like to change or improve in your life right now?
4. Can you commit to the six weeks and put what we're learning into practice?
5. Are you willing to participate, share your experiences and support others in the group?

No essays required! 😂 I just want to get to know you a little.

**There is absolutely no cost to participate.** All I ask is that you're genuinely willing to show up, get involved and give yourself those six weeks.

I've already welcomed some lovely people who will be joining us, and there's still room for a few more! 💚

Let's get Back to Breathing! 💚😘

11/10/2026

💚 **WHY ARE WE FRIGHTENED TO BE HONEST WITH OUR OWN DOCTORS?** 🤔

This is something I've noticed coming up time and time again in our group, and I think it's about time we talked about it!

People saying they're frightened to tell their doctor they've stopped taking a medication.

Others worrying about admitting they've reduced an inhaler, tried something different or decided against a recommended treatment.

Some are even anxious about asking questions because they don't want to be made to feel difficult, irresponsible or foolish.

**Hang on a minute! Since when did having a say in our own health become something to be frightened of?**

We're talking about OUR bodies, OUR health and OUR lives!

Now, before anyone misunderstands me, I've never told anyone to stop taking their medications or inhalers, and I have never told anyone to continue taking them either.

Those are personal decisions, and I believe everyone deserves to understand the potential benefits, risks and alternatives, including the possible consequences of continuing a treatment that doesn't seem to be helping.

**What I encourage is asking questions, educating ourselves and being actively involved in decisions about our own health.** 💚

💚 **LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY OWN EXPERIENCE.**

For eight years, I followed my doctors' instructions.

I took the medications and inhalers I was prescribed, trusted what I was being told and carried on.

But instead of getting healthier, my health continued to decline.

And it wasn't just my emphysema!

During those eight years, I developed a whole collection of health problems:

- Sciatica
- High blood pressure
- Sleep apnoea
- Diabetes
- Piles (haemorrhoids)
- A constantly blocked right nostril
- Depression
- Severe stomach cramps, diarrhoea, nausea and fainting
- Cervicalgia (neck pain)
- Arthritis

And all of this alongside my emphysema!

Every time I went back to the doctor, it seemed to be another prescription or another inhaler to try.

At one point, I was taking **eight medications and three inhalers**.

Eventually, I thought, enough is enough!

I started educating myself, looking at everything I was doing in my everyday life and questioning what wasn't working for me.

And believe me, it was practically EVERYTHING! 😂

My eating habits were terrible, I was barely moving because even the slightest activity left me out of breath, I wasn't sleeping properly because of sleep apnoea, I was constantly stressed and, on top of everything else, I was depressed.

I felt like a walking zombie from all the medications I was taking!

I was exhausted, miserable and struggling just to get through everyday life. The less I moved, the less I was capable of doing. It was a vicious circle!

Something had to change, and I realised that if I wanted my life back, I needed to start looking at the WHOLE picture, not just my lungs.

So, I changed what I ate, how I breathed, how I moved, how I managed stress, how I rested and, most importantly, my mindset and awareness of what I was doing to my body.

I didn't just make a few little changes. I completely turned my life around! 💚
My nutrition, breathing habits, movement, mindset, meditation, rest and the way I managed stress. Everything!

I also made my own decision to stop taking all eight medications and three inhalers.

And today?

**ZERO of those additional health problems!**

No sciatica, no high blood pressure, no sleep apnoea, no diabetes, no piles, no constantly blocked nostril, no depression, no severe digestive problems, no cervicalgia and no arthritis symptoms.

I still have emphysema, of course. I'm not claiming that my damaged lung tissue has magically regenerated. But I did improve my lung capacity, and now I'm living a full, active life and feeling better than I did for years.

I changed so many things together that I can't tell you which individual change was responsible for each improvement. Nor can I say that the medications caused all those health problems simply because they developed while I was taking them.

But I CAN tell you what my life was like before, what I changed and how I feel today.

And I have absolutely no regrets about taking a more active role in my own health. 💚

💚 **AND WHAT ABOUT MEDICATION INTOLERANCES AND SIDE EFFECTS?**

Here's something else I've questioned for years.

We get prescribed medication after medication, but how much do we really know about how OUR individual bodies are going to react?

I was once prescribed a medication that caused such a severe reaction, I genuinely thought it was going to kill me.

And when I told my doctor?

"Well, we'll change it for another one."

Seriously?! 😳

Why was I prescribed this medication without being warned about its potentially serious side effects in the first place?

Surely I had a right to know what I was putting into my body and what could potentially happen?

And after experiencing such a frightening reaction, why wasn't there more interest in investigating what had actually happened?

Was it an allergy? An intolerance? An interaction with another drug I was taking? Or a serious side effect?

Shouldn't patients be properly informed about the risks BEFORE taking a medication, rather than discovering them the hard way?

Surely those questions deserve answers!

I know there isn't currently a test that can predict every reaction to every medication. **But shouldn't there be more individual testing before we start introducing pharmaceutical substances into our bodies?**

We're all different! What one person tolerates perfectly well might cause a serious reaction in someone else.

Surely identifying possible allergies, intolerances and interactions BEFORE prescribing medication should be a priority wherever testing is possible?

And when someone has already experienced a serious reaction, shouldn't that be properly investigated, documented and taken into account before prescribing something else?

**Why should we simply accept trial and error when someone's health is at stake?**
💚 **AND WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE TAKING 10, 15 OR EVEN 20 PILLS A DAY?**

This is something else that really concerns me.

Some people are taking a whole cocktail of medications every single day, sometimes prescribed by different specialists for different conditions.

But who's looking at the WHOLE picture?

What happens when all those medications are taken together? How do they interact? What effects might they be having on the liver, kidneys, digestive system, sleep, energy levels and general well-being?

And here's another question.

**Could some of the health problems we're experiencing actually be side effects of medications we're already taking? And are we then being prescribed even MORE medication to treat those side effects?**

Because that can happen!

One medication causes a problem, another is prescribed to manage it, and before you know it, someone has a cupboard full of pills!

I'm not saying everyone taking multiple medications is being harmed by them. But surely every medication should have a clear purpose, and the whole combination should be regularly reviewed?

**Not just whether each individual medication is doing its job, but what the entire cocktail might be doing to the person taking it!**

And while we're reviewing all those prescriptions, shouldn't we also be asking what changes people could make in their everyday lives to support their health **and potentially reduce their need for some of those medications?**

Surely that's worth exploring too, with appropriate monitoring, rather than simply continuing to add more prescriptions?

**Are we treating the whole person, or simply adding another prescription every time a new symptom appears?** 💚

And here's another thing.

**WHY AREN'T WE TALKING MORE ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE CAN DO FOR THEMSELVES?**

What about nutrition? Movement? Breathing? Meditation? Rest? Mindset and Self-Awareness?

My six elements didn't come out of thin air! 😂💚

They came from years of learning, changing my habits and experiencing the difference that looking after my WHOLE body made to my life.

I'm not saying the six elements will replace every medical treatment for every person.

But surely, they deserve to be part of the conversation with the doctor from the beginning, rather than something people have to discover for themselves after years of struggling?

**I wanted someone to look at ME as a whole person, not simply reach for another prescription.**

And I know I'm not the only one who has felt that way. 💚

💚 **NOW HERE'S THE PART THAT REALLY GOT ME!** 😂

These days, I only visit my doctor once a year for my routine blood tests.

And when she saw how well I looked and how much my health had improved, she was genuinely surprised!

But she was NOT happy about my decision to stop taking the medications.
In fact, she wrote in my medical records that if anything happened to me, it wasn't her responsibility!

Seriously? 😳

**And here's something else I've often wondered.**

Did she also document the time I had such a severe reaction to a prescribed medication that I genuinely thought I was going to die?

Or was it only MY decision to stop medication that deserved putting on record?

Because if we're going to document the risks of NOT taking medication, surely, we should be equally thorough about documenting the harm someone may have experienced WHILE taking it?

**Shouldn't both sides of the story matter?** 💚

I understand that doctors may want to document the advice they've given and the decisions their patients make.

But here's what bothered me.

**What about documenting the POSITIVE changes?**

What about the fact that I'd completely transformed my lifestyle?

That I looked and felt healthier?

That I hadn't needed to visit her for such a long time?

That I was active, enjoying life and feeling better than I had in years?

And despite all that, she was still trying to convince me to take medication!

Why did my decision to stop medication seem to deserve more attention than everything I'd done to improve my health?

Surely ALL of that information is relevant?

💚 **A DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP SHOULD BE A CONVERSATION, NOT A DICTATORSHIP!**

Let me make something very clear. **I have enormous respect for the medical profession, and I have very good reasons for that!**

My son was born with a serious heart condition. It was literally a matter of life and death.

He underwent two major heart operations, one when he was just five years old and another when he was nine.

**The medical profession saved my son's life. Not once, but TWICE!** 💚

He's now 31 years old, and I will always be grateful to the surgeons and medical teams who gave him the chance to grow up and live his life.

So please don't mistake my questioning of medications and certain medical practices for a lack of respect for doctors.

I know firsthand what extraordinary things medical interventions can achieve!”
But that doesn't mean I should stop asking questions, or that we should accept every prescription without understanding why we're taking it, what the risks are and whether there are alternatives.

**Respect works both ways.** And I believe patients deserve to be listened to just as much as doctors deserve to be respected. But I also know from experience that not every consultation feels like that.

Some people leave feeling dismissed, embarrassed or too frightened to speak up. And that concerns me because when people are frightened to be honest, what happens?

They may stop mentioning side effects.

They may avoid saying they've changed their treatment.

They may keep quiet about something they've tried.

Or they may stop asking questions altogether.

**And how is THAT helping anyone?**

My doctor doesn't live in my body. She doesn't experience my breathing, my symptoms, my energy levels or how I feel from one day to the next.

She has her medical knowledge, and I have my lived experience. Surely both deserve to be heard?

A doctor can explain what they believe the risks are, but those risks aren't necessarily identical for every individual, and a medical assessment may not capture everything about someone's personal circumstances.

I want to understand the potential risks, benefits and alternatives, but I also want my experiences and concerns taken seriously.

**That's what an informed decision should be about. A proper two-way conversation, not simply being told what to do.**

💚 **WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES TOO!**

Being involved in our own healthcare doesn't mean we have to agree with every recommendation.

It means educating ourselves.

Understanding what a treatment is intended to do, what benefits we might expect, what side effects are possible, and what other options exist beyond medication.

What about nutrition, breathing techniques, movement, meditation, rest, stress management and making changes to our everyday habits?

Surely these things deserve to be discussed too, rather than automatically reaching for another prescription?

And if there are different approaches available, shouldn't we be given the information to make an informed choice? 💚

It means asking for explanations when something doesn't make sense.

It means being honest about what we're taking, what we're not taking and how we're actually feeling.

And it means recognising that different people may make different decisions.

**We don't all have to agree, but we should all be treated with respect.**

💚 **AND PLEASE, LET'S NOT FORGET THE BIGGER PICTURE!**

**Our health isn't just about what medication we take. It's about how we live, what we eat, how we breathe, how we move, how we sleep, how we manage stress and how we look after ourselves every single day!**

And yet, how often are we actually asked about these things during a doctor's appointment?.

And here's something else I feel strongly about.

**How much of today's ill health is connected to the way we're living?**

Look at our modern lifestyles. The amount of ultra-processed food people eat, the sugar, the lack of movement, the constant stress, poor sleep and everyday habits we've come to accept as normal.

Surely we need to be asking how much all of this is contributing to the health problems we're seeing today?

We know that diet, inactivity, stress and poor sleep can contribute to many chronic health conditions. Not every illness is caused by lifestyle, of course, but these factors deserve far more attention than they often receive.

**And instead of only asking what medication can manage a symptom, shouldn't we also be asking WHY that symptom is happening in the first place?**

What can we change in our everyday lives to give our bodies a better chance of functioning well?

That's exactly why I believe so strongly in my six elements. 💚
My six elements are:

**Mindset & Self-Awareness. Meditation. Breathing. Nutrition. Movement. Rest.**

They are all connected, and they're the foundation of the lifestyle I practise every day.

I would love to see more conversations where lifestyle changes and the efforts people make to support their own health are genuinely recognised.

Not instead of appropriate medical care, but as an important part of the whole picture.

Because surely the aim is to help people live as well as possible, not simply to check whether they're following instructions?

💚 **SO I'M CURIOUS...**

**Have you ever felt frightened, uncomfortable or judged when discussing your treatment choices with your doctor?**

Have you ever kept something to yourself because you were worried about their reaction?

Or perhaps you've had the opposite experience, with a wonderful doctor who listens and genuinely involves you in decisions?

I'd love to hear both sides.

Let's have an open, respectful conversation about this, because nobody should feel frightened to speak honestly about their own health. 💚

09/10/2026

🦋💚 LAST CHANCE TO APPLY! BACK TO BREATHING RETREAT 💚🦋

Good morning, beautiful souls! 😂💚

Just a little reminder that TODAY, Friday 9th October, is the last day to apply for my FREE six-week online Back to Breathing Retreat, starting Saturday 7th November!

Six weeks together exploring my 6 Elements: Mindset & Self-Awareness, Meditation, Breathing, Nutrition, Movement and Rest, learning how to support ourselves as a whole rather than concentrating solely on our lungs.

And it's not just about reading posts or watching videos. We'll be talking, sharing, questioning, experimenting and putting what we learn into practice in our everyday lives. 💚

There are a maximum of 50 places, and I'm looking for people who genuinely want to participate and give themselves those six weeks.

Applications close today, but as we're all in different time zones, I'll be accepting applications through Friday in the Americas too. 😂🌍

If you'd like to join us, please look for the application post pinned at the top of this page. All the questions and email instructions are there.

And remember, places are NOT first come, first served, so there's still time! 😂🦋💚

Let's get Back to Breathing! 💚

07/10/2026

🥦 “CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES”

“I bloat, I can´t eat them”

I hear this quite often, not only with broccoli but with Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, beans and other fibre-rich vegetables. And I completely understand the logic. You eat something, your stomach blows up, you feel uncomfortable and perhaps your breathing becomes more difficult, so you stop eating it. Problem solved... or is it?

This came up recently when someone commented about avoiding broccoli and Brussels sprouts because they can cause bloating. It got me thinking, because these are actually some of the foods I wouldn't want to remove unnecessarily, particularly when we're trying to support our lungs and our overall health.

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower are incredibly nutrient dense. They provide vitamin C and other antioxidants and plant compounds, including sulforaphane, which are being studied for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

They also provide fibre that feeds our gut bacteria, along with nutrients such as folate and vitamin K. A diet rich in fruit and vegetables is associated with better respiratory health, so simply removing more and more vegetables every time one produces a symptom doesn't necessarily make sense.

Producing some gas after eating cruciferous vegetables is normal. These vegetables contain fibre and carbohydrates such as raffinose that we don't completely digest in the small intestine. They travel into the large intestine, our gut bacteria ferment them and gas is produced. That's part of normal digestion.

What ISN'T the same for everyone is how strongly we react to that process. One person can eat a plate of cruciferous vegetables and barely notice it, while another can eat a small portion and become painfully bloated. Differences in our gut bacteria, gut sensitivity and how accustomed our digestive system is to fibre can all affect that response.

And this is where I think we sometimes stop looking too soon.
If cruciferous vegetables make you severely bloated, don't just look at the vegetables. Look at your digestive health and what has happened to it over the years. Has this always happened or is it relatively new? Do other vegetables and fibre-rich foods do the same thing? Do you tolerate a small, cooked portion but not a huge raw one? Have you eaten very little fibre for years? Do you have constipation, reflux or other digestive problems? What has your diet looked like? Too much processed, fried foods, seed oils? What about prolonged stress? And something that's very easily overlooked, what medications have you been taking? Side effects etc.

Repeated antibiotics, for example, can significantly alter the gut microbiome. They can be lifesaving WHEN they're needed, but while they're killing the bacteria causing the infection, they can also kill beneficial bacteria in our gut and disrupt the balance of our microbiome.. and recovery of that microbial community isn't identical in everyone.

There are other things worth considering. PPIs such as omeprazole change the acidity of the stomach and are associated with changes in the gut microbiome. Some anticholinergic medications used in COPD can cause digestive side effects such as constipation and can affect gut motility.

Corticosteroids are another area being researched in relation to changes in the microbiome. None of this automatically means your medication is responsible for your bloating, but neither does becoming bloated after eating cruciferous vegetables automatically mean the vegetables are the underlying problem.

Cruciferous vegetables are doing what cruciferous vegetables do. Their fibre and certain carbohydrates reach the large intestine where our gut bacteria ferment them and produce gas. That's normal.

What we need to look at is why YOUR digestive system is reacting so strongly to that normal process when somebody else's doesn't. There may be an underlying digestive issue, altered gut microbiome, sensitivity, constipation, previous infections, dietary history, stress, repeated antibiotics or medications affecting digestion. That's the part I'd want to understand before blaming the vegetables and permanently removing nutrient-rich foods from my diet.

Because if we simply keep removing nutritious foods, we can eventually end up with a very restricted diet while never addressing the underlying problem. And in doing so, we may also be removing valuable sources of fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients our bodies need, including those that support our lung and immune health.

Because the cruciferous vegetables may be revealing the problem rather than BEING the problem.

And here's where this becomes particularly relevant to those of us with compromised lungs.

A badly bloated abdomen can make breathing feel considerably more uncomfortable because the diaphragm needs room to move. For somebody already dealing with hyperinflation, a badly bloated abdomen putting additional pressure on the diaphragm certainly isn't going to make breathing feel any easier. And if we're trying to work out what's contributing to that bloating, we need to look at everything going into the body, including medications and their possible digestive side effects, not just blame the cruciferous vegetables. 😂

So, of course I don't want someone eating a food that leaves them painfully bloated and struggling to breathe. Listen to your body. But there's a difference between recognising that a food currently triggers your symptoms and deciding that a nutritious vegetable itself must therefore be unhealthy for you.

Perhaps change the portion. Cook it rather than eating it raw. Notice whether other foods cause the same reaction. Look at your overall diet and digestive health. Look at your medication history. Look at what changed before the problem began.

When I completely changed my own lifestyle, I actually began with a three-day gut cleanse. For me it was about drawing a line under the way I'd been living, giving my digestive system a break and giving my body a clean start before beginning my new way of life. At the same time, I stopped all my medications and inhalers and began changing everything: what I ate, how I moved, breathed, slept, rested and managed stress.

I wanted to clear out the old, start afresh and then give my body what it needed rather than continually adding more things for it to deal with. Did the three-day cleanse alone create the changes that followed? I couldn't possibly say because I changed everything at once. 😂 But as the starting point of my lifestyle transformation, it worked beautifully for me.

SO, WHAT CAN WE DO TO SUPPORT OUR GUT?
If your digestive system is struggling, don't immediately declare war on every vegetable that makes you bloat. 😂 Start looking at how you can support your digestive system instead.

You might begin with smaller portions of these vegetables and cook them well rather than eating huge amounts raw. Steaming, roasting or adding them to soups and stews can make them easier for some people to tolerate. Chew properly too. Digestion starts before that food ever reaches your stomach.

Then look at the variety of foods you're feeding your gut. Our gut bacteria thrive on different types of fibre and plant foods, so continually narrowing the diet isn't necessarily helping. If you've eaten very little fibre for years, suddenly throwing enormous bowls of raw vegetables at your digestive system probably isn't the greatest introduction either. 😂 Build up gradually and see how your body responds.

Hydration matters, movement matters, and so does stress. Even a simple walk can help normal bowel movement, while chronic stress can affect gut function through the gut-brain connection. And if constipation is part of the picture, don't ignore it. Food sitting around in an already sluggish digestive system isn't going to help that bloated, uncomfortable feeling.

And look at your whole history, not just yesterday's dinner. Have you had repeated antibiotics? Do you regularly take PPIs such as omeprazole? Are any of your medications known to cause constipation, nausea, bloating or changes in gut motility? I am not saying to suddenly stop them, but it IS information worth knowing when you're trying to understand what is happening in your own body.

And before automatically reaching for another supplement or another medication to settle the stomach, ask yourself something very simple:

Is what I'm taking actually helping me?
Some medicines and supplements themselves can contribute to digestive problems, including constipation, indigestion and bloating. NIDDK

Even omeprazole, which many people take for digestive problems such as reflux and heartburn, lists stomach pain, constipation or diarrhoea and increased wind amongst its common side effects. NHS – Omeprazole

And here's something else I found interesting. The NHS itself says that antacids can relieve symptoms for a few hours, but they don't treat the underlying cause.

Think about that for a moment...

We can get into a cycle of having a symptom, taking something to suppress that symptom, developing another symptom and then taking something else for that one. But have we ever stopped and looked at the whole picture, the root cause?

What caused the original digestive problem? Has that ever actually been established? Is what you're taking resolving the problem, simply controlling the symptom, or could it even be contributing to another digestive issue?

I'm not saying throw your medications or supplements in the bin. 😂 I'm saying KNOW what you're putting into your body, WHY you're taking it and whether it's actually helping you or not.
So, before we automatically blame cruciferous vegetables, perhaps we need to look at the whole digestive environment: our food, fibre, hydration, movement, stress, sleep, previous antibiotic use, medications, supplements and our overall gut health.
Instead of always asking “What can I take for this?”, perhaps sometimes we need to ask ourselves “What is causing this, and what can I DO about it?”

The goal is to understand why your digestive system is struggling in the first place, support it, and hopefully keep as much variety and nutrition in your diet as your body comfortably allows.

Maybe the cruciferous veggies aren't always the villains after all. 😂🥦💚

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