Lung Detoxification

After so many serious blog entries, I figured it was time to make just a little light of the subject of smoking.  Although what happened to the ‘victim’ of this Darwin Award story was no laughing matter, the lack of forethought by these drunken fellows is just short of amazing.   Smoking kills, never doubt it.

For those that have never heard of the Darwin Awards, they are the less than glamorous recognition of bizarre, thoughtless, and downright stupid things that people have done to remove themselves from the gene pool (either by death or removal of the ability to reproduce).

The Smoking Gun

Confirmed by Darwin

11 Feb 2001, New Jersey

Two drunks were goofing around, when one challenged the other to shoot him with cigarette butts “to see what it would feel like.”  His friend obligingly loaded an antique rifle with cigarette butts, place black powder behind the butts to make sure they left the barrel of the gun.  He then shot his friend from a distance of seven feet.  The projectiles penetrate the ribcage of the thirty-one-year-old who had issued the challenge, and he died of three cigarette butts to the heart.

The gene pool is in trouble!

Reference: WMAD 92.1 Madison, Wisconsin, ABC New, The Associated Press.

Ironically, this story happened in a town with the same name as an unfiltered British cigarette, and the shooter was nicknamed ‘Smokey.’  Too weird to believe?  Confirming details www.Darwinawards.com/book/cigarette.html

Reader Comments:

“More ammunition in the antismoking campaign.”

“Cigarettes are bad for your health.”

“It’s true – smoking kills.”

Until next time,

stay well, stay quit, and lung-toxin free.

William Renolds

The good news is medical researchers are always trying to find new ways to fix damage we’ve done to our bodies.  Bad news is, it takes a lot of money, and even more time, to make new treatments a reality for the general public.  That being said, the recent announcement of a breakthrough stem cell treatment that has helped repair lung tissue damage in mice is a great step forward.  But it’s only one step in the long journey to fixing damaged lungs.

As reported in the prestigious American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, a newly found type of placental human stem cell (that is, basal human cells that are not yet fixed into a particular role) have been shown to help reduce injury and scarring in the lung, and even generate new lung cells in mice. Associate Professor Yuben Moodley, of the Lung Institute of Western Australia, and the lead researcher on the project, has been quoted as saying that:

“cellular therapies, although in the early stages of development, may form a vital part of future lifesaving treatment. The big advantage is that we can get these cells from placentas that have been delivered and would otherwise be discarded, so there are no ethical issues involved. What we’re trying to do is replace any damaged cells in the lungs so the progression of the disease is arrested and there is also some suggestion that some cells acquire lung-like properties which we’d like to investigate more.”

Good news, but don’t hold your breath (pardon the pun) for this treatment for repairing lungs, as it’s at least five years off, if not more.

So far, they’ve only successfully treated mice.  The humble rodent is a good test subject to ‘get the treatment right’ before testing it on people, but still there are differences between us and mice that may affect how well the treatment works.  Going on what information I’ve been able to gather on the research, it’s very early days yet, and they are still learning about the effects of the stem cell treatment, so it could be a good few years before human trials might begin.  Once that happens, the powers that be will decide if the effects of the treatment make it worthwhile, and then there is the cost of the treatment.  Will it be covered by your countries health service, if you are lucky enough to have one?  Could you afford to pay up-front for it?

So don’t think you’ll be lining up for this sometime next week.  It will be a long time, if at all (some of these research streams don’t pan out, after all).  That said, there are some things you can do to increase your chances of being around for this future lung repair treatment. Quitting smoking if you haven’t, staying smoke-free and then detoxifying your lungs are important steps to your future longevity.

Consider our product, The Complete Lung Detoxification Guide Series, as not only a course of treatment to improve your lung health, but to extend your life, weather you’ve been a smoker for a few years, or a few decades.  At less than the price of a carton of cigarettes, can you afford not to give it a try?

Until next time,

stay well, stay quit, and lung-toxin free.

William Renolds

WNTD stands for World No Tobacco Day, which is celebrated around the world on May 31^st every year.  It was first suggested by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1987, when the World Health Assembly passed resolution WHA40.38 calling for April 7, 1988, the 40^th anniversary of the WHO, to be “a world no-smoking day.”  In 1988, Resolution WHA42.19 was passed, calling for the celebration of World No Tobacco Day, every year on May 31^st.  Since then, the WHO has supported WNTD every year, with each year linked to a different ‘ills of tobacco’ related theme. This year, the theme is ‘Gender and tobacco with an emphasis of marketing to women.’

Women Are Being Targeted By Tobacco Companies!

According to the WHO, women constitute one of the biggest ‘targets of opportunity’ for cigarette companies today.  The tobacco industry is constantly and aggressively looking to replace lost users – be they lost due to quitting or the half of all smokers alive today who will die from smoking related diseases.  Currently fewer woman than men smoke or chew tobacco.  Of the world’s over 1 billion smokers, only about 200 million are women!  With women, the industry simply has more room to expand.  And while tobacco use amongst men in some countries is slowly decreasing, use amongst women is similarly increasing.

The following are some frightening statistics.  Currently, over five million people a year die from tobacco related illnesses (but that won’t be you, because you’re doing something about it, right?).  Of that five million, currently one and a half million are women. Worldwide, of the roughly 430 000 adult deaths caused yearly by second-hand smoke, about 64% occur in women.   With less than 9% of the world’s population being covered by comprehensive tobacco advertising bans, and only 5.4% covered by comprehensive national smoke-free laws, that leaves a lot of young women to be bombarded by tobacco advertising, without the benefit of equivalent awareness campaigns on the damage and harmful effects of tobacco products.

To quote the WHO:  “World No Tobacco Day 2010 focuses on the harm which tobacco marketing and smoke do to women. At the same time, it seeks to make men more aware of their responsibility to avoid smoking around the women with whom they live and work.”

So what does this mean for you?  Well I make the presumption that if you are reading this blog post, you’re either are smoker, and ex-smoker looking to reverse damage done to your lungs, or perhaps you are a family member or a friend of a smoker or ex-smoker you are wishing to help.  Tobacco and its ills have affected all our lives. World No Tobacco Day seeks to promote a possible future where every day is a no tobacco day. That what we here at lundetoxification.com want for everyone who visits this site with the aim to give up and get their lungs clean; a long, happy lifetime of no tobacco.

Now the WHO suggests that you abstain from smoking on May 31^st.  I think this is a laudable goal.  Even choosing WNTD as your quit day is very symbolic, but seeing it’s less than 24 hrs away for most of us, and as good preparation is key to a successful quit attempt, let me suggest and alternative.  If you are a smoker, wishing to quit and stay free of the ills of tobacco, why not spend a few hours on WNTD looking for ways to support your quit program.  You can abstain from smoking too, but you need to prepare, possibly for weeks before quitting, so keep that in mind before going cold turkey tomorrow.  And for those of you who have quit and are looking to help repair damage to their lungs, do your research on how to help this course of action on WNTD.  Wherever you are on your journey to better health, pass on what you have learned to those that are likewise working towards better health.  By supporting each other on the lung health trail, we’ll all get to where we want to be sooner, and all live longer, healthier lives.

One great resource for not only quitting, but making every day a ‘no tobacco day’ is The Complete Lung Detoxification Guide. We have information on the physical and the psychological sides of tobacco dependence, the importance of stress management, using positive forward projection to keep the goal of optimal lung health in mind at those weak moments, and a plethora of tips and methods to get your lungs free of the ills of tar far quicker than your body can manage on its own.  You owe it to yourself, on World No Tobacco Day, to check it out.

Until next time,

stay well, stay quit, and lung-toxin free,

oh and happy World No Tobacco Day!

William Renolds

Hello again my smoke-free readers (you have quit, right?).  The first thing most newly smoking-free people ask is; what do I do now to improve my health? Well our Complete Lung Detoxification Guide Series has many affordable and easy to follow activities to keep you smoke-free, and improving not only your lungs after quitting smoking,  but your overall health too, every day.

I’ve decided to drop you a freebee and give you a big hint toward improving your lung health, clearing them of tar, and generally helping your body as a whole recover from the damage done from years of smoking. There is a whole section on this in the Lung Detoxification Guide, but I’ll give you a taste of it here. And that is, your Immune System.

Now if you don’t know what your Immune System is, here’s a quick description. Your Immune System is a complex system of cell types in your body that undertake the task of defending you from the outside world, which far too often these days is going to cause you damage. Think of it as the ‘US defense forces’ of the body.  It will attack any foreign objects, including bacteria, fungi, and parasites, kill off cells that have been subverted by viruses, and help with the defense and repair of damaged organs, like your lungs. As the immune system is essential for accelerated lung detoxification, it makes sense to do as much as you can to boost it, and to get it into shape to help you heal the rest of your body as much as you can.

Focusing on Lung Detoxification, the Immune System is vitally important, and generally, if you’ve smoked for any considerable length of time – say more than a few months – your immune competency (how well your Immune System works) in the area of your lungs will be poor.  Just like your lungs, your bodies’ defense and repair mechanisms in and around your lungs have been poisoned by your habit, and needs all the help it can get to get back to the job of defending your recovering lung cells.

Your lungs have been coated in a thick layer of tar and mucus, depressing your immune system in the lungs, and poisoning the cells that are vital to your breathing.  Once that mucus and tar starts to break up and be removed by our Complete Lung Detoxification Guide step-by-step activities, foreign invaders can now reach those delicate, recovering lung cells.  If your Immune System is not ready to fight when they get there (once the physical barrier of tar and mucus is reduced) you will have an increased chance of developing lung infections.

So it’s clear that a strong Immune System is vitally important to better lung, and overall health.

Why don’t you try this Immune Boosting Smoothie, just one of the many foods recommended in the Complete Lung Detoxification Guide to help improve Immune function.  Try to use the freshest ingredients you can, but if you need to use  frozen fruit, it’s better than not making it at all, right?

Recipe for an Immune-boosting Smoothie

· 2 cups milk or rice or soy beverage

· 1 cup yoghurt (plain, nonfat)

· 1 serving of a multi-nutrient supplement

· one banana, cut up

· 1/2 cup blueberries

· 1/2 cup each of your favorite fruit, (e.g., organic strawberries, papaya, mango)

· 1 tbsp. flax oil or 2 tbsp. flaxseed meal (for additional fiber, if you don’t mind an even grainier texture, add 1 tbsp. or more of oat bran.)

· 3 ounces tofu

· 10 mg. zinc

· 100 mcg. selenium (Brazil Nuts are a good source)

· 50-100 IU vitamin E

· 1 serving soy isolate powder (optional)

Combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Serve immediately after blending while the mixture still has a bubbly milkshake-like consistency.

I hope you enjoy the smoothie as it will help your lungs after quitting smoking.

Until next time,

stay well, stay quit, and lung-toxin free.

~William Renolds

3A83F2ERTJF9 Welcome to the blog for lungdetoxification.com!

We will use this blog to bring you more information, links and articles on lung health and smoking cessation.

If you are an ex-smoker worried about the health of your lungs or you are still smoking but know the consequences and are looking to quit and clean out your lungs then bookmark this blog and make sure to visit the homepage for a complete guide on how to detox your lungs too.

Take care and stay healthy!