# Are You Struggling to Breathe Through Your Nose?  If so, try this!



## Debby (Jan 1, 2015)

For years, I had continuously stuffy sinus's, could rarely breathe through my nose comfortably if at all and my sense of smell was pretty much non-existent. But after trying lots of different things, including a neti pot used regularly which also didn't work, I did something that actually worked so in case there are any folks with a similar problem, I thought I'd share my success at curing my stuffy nose.

I cut out fruit, juices and anything with sugar for about two or three weeks.  NO SUGAR.  I also cut back on rice and potatoes (starch changes to sugar).  And here is the other step folks:  I started taking probiotics but instead of following the directions, I actually doubled up for the entire three weeks on the dosage.  Within a week I was beginning to feel relief and by the end of the three weeks, I couldn't believe how clear my sinus's finally felt!  It was amazing.

I figure that I had a yeast infection that had settled in my sinus's and respiratory system generally (I also had been suffering from a sore throat for quite a while but with no cold,no smoking, etc.).  We were previously in the habit of having a very sweet fruit smoothie each day which will have fed the yeast infection and by cutting out the fruit and so on, we were effectively starving the little yeast buggers.  Then on top of that, doubling up on the probiotics was like putting a bigger army in place to drive out the starving yeast organisms.  And on top of the improved sinuses, I even lost a couple pounds because they were pretty sweet smoothies so the 'sugary' calorie count was right up there.

That was two years ago and I've never had a problem since.  So if this is a problem for any of you, or you know someone who is suffering (from lack of oxygen), then give this a try.  It can't hurt at all and it may solve your problem as it did mine.*​*


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## Josiah (Jan 1, 2015)

I've never had any sinus problems, but I follow and endorse your severe sugar restriction. Since sugar is a common ingredient in most processed foods that means of very big adjustment for many people. I do use the artificial sweetener stevia although I try to limit it as much as possible.


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## rkunsaw (Jan 2, 2015)

Quitting sugar for a time to control an infection is a good idea. Limiting sugar consumption is also good, but some sugar is necessary to keep your body in balance. We use stevia in drinks but use sugar in other things.

Artificial sweeteners are the real bad guys.


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## Debby (Jan 3, 2015)

rkunsaw said:


> Quitting sugar for a time to control an infection is a good idea. Limiting sugar consumption is also good, but some sugar is necessary to keep your body in balance. We use stevia in drinks but use sugar in other things.
> 
> Artificial sweeteners are the real bad guys.




I've never heard that some sugar is required to keep your body in balance.  Would you happen to have a link for that?


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## Josiah (Jan 3, 2015)

Certain, but not all cells require glucose to function, but you can function without consuming any sugar because your liver can and does convert protein into glucose a process called Gluconeogenesis.


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## QuickSilver (Jan 3, 2015)

I have found that I am better able to control my weight if I cut out artificial sweeteners..  I have taken off 30 pounds and so far have kept it off for 6 months..  Not sure of the physiology behind it, but "diet" products with aspertame made my weight balloon.


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## QuickSilver (Jan 3, 2015)

Josiah09 said:


> Certain, but not all cells require glucose to function, but you can function without consuming any sugar because your liver can and does convert protein into glucose a process called Gluconeogenesis.



There are different kinds of sugars.... the body makes glucose and stores it as glycogen..   When we need fuel, the pancreas releases a hormone called glycogon, which converts glycogen back into glucose to raise our blood level.   THEN in response to the higher blood glucose, the pancreas releases insulin to pull the glucose into your cells for energy.  There are other sugars... fructos, lactose (milk sugar) and then Sucrose, which is table sugar.


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## Debby (Jan 3, 2015)

This might give a few clues to gaining weight from artificial sweeteners.  http://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-diet-soda-could-make-us-gain-weight/


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## QuickSilver (Jan 3, 2015)

Debby said:


> This might give a few clues to gaining weight from artificial sweeteners.  http://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-diet-soda-could-make-us-gain-weight/




Except... I haven't changed the amount of food I eat..  Just eliminated artificial sweeteners..  I'm not a fool...  I never used diet soda as an excuse to eat more..  I generally eat until I am full..  No more and no less


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## Debby (Jan 3, 2015)

I think there were some additional links on that page that talked about a variety of issues or connections with artificial sweeteners, not just the possibility of people indulging in double helpings.  I haven't actually looked through all of them because weight gain hasn't been an issue for me despite the slow thyroid and aging.  My diet is pretty clean so I haven't put on weight as I've gotten older.  But I have looked at that website for other articles.  

When we were building a house and carting kids to and from school daily, I did put on weight (up to 148) but that was strictly from being too busy to cook, not caring about a clean diet and too many chocolate barslayful:  (had to eat something didn't I?).  But since then, I've figured out how to do it right and wouldn't touch artificial sweeteners anyway.  Yech, horrible taste.


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## AZ Jim (Jan 3, 2015)

Debby, if your own nose is the size of the phony nose in your avatar, I would say it would be easy to get plenty of air through it.  Note:  If by some chance that is NOT a phony nose in the avatar,  please kill me.


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## Debby (Jan 3, 2015)

So who says it's a phoney nose Jim?  And you have no idea about the problem of stuffy sinus's until you got one like mine!


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## AZ Jim (Jan 3, 2015)

Debby, I refer you to my last sentence.


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## Blaze Duskdreamer (Jan 3, 2015)

I. Just.  Cannot.  Do. That.  Cut out sugar and starch!  Unthinkable!  Life would not be worth living.



Debby said:


> I've never heard that some sugar is required to keep your body in balance.  Would you happen to have a link for that?



Think about the way diabetics have to control their blood sugar so that it's neither too high nor too low.  Have you ever known a severe diabetic that carried around an emergency candy bar in case their sugar got too low?


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## Debby (Jan 4, 2015)

The implications of sugar as it affects diabetics would be an aberrant situation.  I was responding to someone who implied that 'sugar' is necessary to balance the body's functions and he never mentioned diabetes.  Outside of the natural sugars that occur in fruit and vegetables, I have never seen anywhere that suggests that 'sugar' or any kind of other sweeteners are necessary to balance the body.

As for cutting out sugar and starches, you'd love my breakfast then.  I make my own 'granola' using raw oatmeal, a few raisins and various seeds and nuts.  But outside of the raisins, I don't add any sweeteners and recently I quit using rice milk (because I heard about the arsenic in rice!) and switched over to just water. I had no idea that so much sugar was added to rice milk!  So my breakfast is a  little bland, but I've lost a couple pounds because of that one small change.  The feeling of lightness in my body makes it very much worthwhile.


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## Debby (Jan 4, 2015)

AZ Jim said:


> Debby, I refer you to my last sentence.




Gosh, when I read your original comment to me, I never saw that last sentence!!!!  


Geeze, note to self, mention concerns about dementia at the next doctors appointment


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## QuickSilver (Jan 4, 2015)

nevermind


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## Blaze Duskdreamer (Jan 4, 2015)

Debby said:


> The implications of sugar as it affects diabetics would be an aberrant situation.  I was responding to someone who implied that 'sugar' is necessary to balance the body's functions and he never mentioned diabetes.  Outside of the natural sugars that occur in fruit and vegetables, I have never seen anywhere that suggests that 'sugar' or any kind of other sweeteners are necessary to balance the body.
> 
> As for cutting out sugar and starches, you'd love my breakfast then.  I make my own 'granola' using raw oatmeal, a few raisins and various seeds and nuts.  But outside of the raisins, I don't add any sweeteners and recently I quit using rice milk (because I heard about the arsenic in rice!) and switched over to just water. I had no idea that so much sugar was added to rice milk!  So my breakfast is a  little bland, but I've lost a couple pounds because of that one small change.  The feeling of lightness in my body makes it very much worthwhile.



No, he didn't.  I brought it up because I thought it would be a good example to show you that we need to regulate sugars in our system.  Diabetes suffer from the regulation gone awry.  I've been told by doctors that eating sugar does not cause diabetes, mainly because my daughter was born with high glucose which makes her high risk for diabetes and I paranoidly denied her sugar except as a special treat.  Just like fat, we all need a little but we in the western world generally eat too much:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/truth-about-sugar



> In fact, we need some sugar in our diets to supply ready energy to fuel our muscles and keep our brains active.





> The new recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO) are that only 5% of your daily calorie intake should consist of added, or 'free' sugars. This equates to approximately five-six teaspoons (25g) for women and seven-eight teaspoons (35g) for men.



This was just the top link when I did a google search of do we need some sugar in our diet.  There was article after article about it.  You are probably getting what you need through fruit like those raisins but I guarantee you that my sugar in-take is nowhere near that 2nd quote above.  It has been in the past as I love to snack on candy, cake, cookies, pie, ice cream -- in short, I love sweets.  

I lost 30 pounds this past summer and that mobility-impaired in chronic pain with IBS that prevents me from eating delicious healthy things I love like salad with no dressing (I hate dressing and eat salad without) and many fruits.  Beans?  Forget it.  I cut down on sugar but I did not cut it out entirely.  I start my day with a big stein of tea sweetened with Domino's lite sugar which is half sugar and half stevia.  I allow myself a snack of one fudgesicle each day, mid-afternoon usually but not always.  Not the sugar free kind.  The consistency in the sugar free kind is just gross, frankly.  It makes it a hard block that doesn't melt in your mouth and is not creamy.  I eat a lot of Rice Krispies (because they do not upset my IBS and, honestly, no cooking involved) which aren't sugar coated but contain sugar and I use whole milk because anything less is disgusting and unpalatable.  Might as well pour water on for the lack of taste. 

 I do not cook.  I am in too much pain to stand over a hot stove.  Marie Callender cooks; I don't.  My daughter cooks; I don't.  Once in a great while, I'll cook but standing over a hot stove, chopping, stirring, peeling, you name the cooking process, well, I can't stand longer than 5 minutes before I'm in pain and the rest all hurts my arthritic hands, so I do not cook but rely on TV dinners (go ahead lecture) and sandwiches which are quick and easy.  I've lost 30 pounds and my aortic aneurysm (knock wood, annual check on that in a couple of weeks) has not grown and is still too small to burst and kill me.

I wasn't trying to be smart but meant what I said.  If we do not enjoy the little things in life, if everything is harshly regulated to the point where we're forcing ourselves to eat what's unpleasant to eat rather than pleasant, what is the point of that life?  I prefer quality of life over quantity.  I don't want to live longer only to be miserable -- I see no point in that -- and good food is one of the things that make life enjoyable.  

I have -- mostly because sugar is an appetite stimulant -- cut down on sugar.  I use Domino's lite sugar instead of regular in my tea.  Eating that fudgesicle daily, keeps me from eating much worse things like cookies or a big slice of chocolate cake and is surprisingly low in calories, fat and sodium.  Our local store brand is quite good.  The Rice Krispies is not a compromise because I actually have always liked them better than sugary cereals.  Yet, I hate rice, go figure.

But I refuse to cut out sugar and fat to the point where I'm forcing myself to eat awful tasting foods and meals feel like a chore instead of pleasure.  I live for life's small pleasures and good food is one of them.

I realize this is a personal choice.  I've made mine and you've made yours according to our preferences.  I am not judging you.  It's simply a matter of to each their own and that's what grownups do -- they make choices about their life.


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## Debby (Jan 4, 2015)

Sorry, was that your comment?  I'm suffering from a little fatigue today (terrible sleep habits) so I was lazy about looking back to find the original comment.

I totally realize that eating sugar or any other sweeteners doesn't cause diabetes.  But I also think that the 'sugar' that is needed to fuel our bodies is available from the other foods in our lives, each eaten in appropriate proportions and doesn't require us to deliberately eat 'sugar' as in chocolate bars, white sugar, sugars in pop, juices, etc.  That's what I thought you were implying.  That was just my mistake.  And even being pre-diabetic, as you've indicated , if you did allow your daughter to eat a candy or sweet now and again, I doubt seriously if anyone would argue with you on that.  My weakness is dark chocolate covered raisins so I understand completely.  The point is to not have 'sweets' as one of the priority food groups right?

Anyway, I'm sure sorry to hear about your health problems!  I've been very blessed and hearing from people lie you who are suffering always reminds me not to take it for granted.





Blaze Duskdreamer said:


> No, he didn't.  I brought it up because .......................................


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