"I was diagnosed with mild, persistent asthma about 4 years ago... It just felt like I could never really expand my lungs as much as I needed to, and so breathing felt like it was more of a chore than it should be."

Today we're talking to Janice McGee. She has a remarkable story that the 20 million Americans who suffer from asthma should find interesting. Before we begin, I'd like to frame this story with some basic asthma statistics. Asthma is a chronic, debilitating respiratory disease that affects children and adults by making breathing difficult for millions of people everyday. The following facts come from a 2002 National Center for Health Statistics survey.

• Nearly 9 million children were diagnosed with asthma in 2002.
• It was estimated that 12 million people suffered from uncontrollable asthma.
• 11.8 million Adults, aged 18 years and older, missed work days due to asthma.
• 484,000 asthma sufferers were hospitalized in 2002.
• 426,100 people died from asthma.
• "The burden from asthma in the United States has increased over the past 2 decades."

B&M: Janice, you live in Arizona which has traditionally been thought of as a good place for people to live if they have asthma. Having lived there myself, I can attest to the fact that places like the metro Phoenix area with its dry, dusty air, can make life really difficult for people with asthma. Tell us what form of asthma do you have and what is it like living with asthma?
Answer: I was diagnosed with mild, persistent asthma about 4 years ago. At that time, I was doing a lot of walking with my husband and our 2 big dogs. It just felt like I could never really expand my lungs as much as I needed to, and so breathing felt like it was more of a chore than it should be.

B&M: Were you on medication and how did all this affect your life?
Answer: Yes, I was on medication. After starting on 2 doses of Advair inhaler and 1 tablet of Singulair per day, I was free of symptoms for the next 3 years or so.

B&M: Has this treatment improved your health or is it merely managing the symptoms?
Answer: For the last year, I have been experiencing increasing episodes of wheezing to the point where it was embarrassing when I would speak to people and they could hear it. By the time for my second shot of Advair every day, I really needed it. I was also using my rescue inhaler (albuterol) 2 or 3 times per week.

B&M: So you went from two doses of Advair and a Singulair tablet to having to take additional doses of albuterol every week. Did you have asthma attacks?
Answer: I've never really had an asthma "attack" ( thank goodness), but with my worsening symptoms I felt that it was becoming a more realistic and scary possibility. Just prior to reading your book, I considered asking my pulmonologist to put me on the next higher dose of Advair, which would have been the highest dose that it comes in. I then faced the prospect that once that dose didn't work anymore, I would have to go on to steroids, etc. with all the negative consequences that those things entail.

B&M: This is very interesting. As you know, I had asthma as well. I can recall a similar worsening of symptoms and the corresponding failure of my medication to keep up, but things didn't get worse for you, they got better. You made some changes in your diet. Can you tell us what they were?
Answer: Since reading your book, and continuing to read many of the other books you recommended, I have changed my diet in the following ways:

• I was unable to tolerate dairy products for about the last 20 years, resulting in osteopenia (precursor to osteoporosis). However, I am now happily enjoying raw whole milk and cheese.
• I have switched from synthetic vitamins to whole food supplements, such as desiccated liver tablets, wheat germ oil capsules, cod liver oil, etc. as described in Eat Fat, Lose Fat.
• I use whole coconut milk (canned) in my tea and coffee, instead of pasteurized creamers.

B&M: You're drinking raw milk and eating raw cheese after 20 years of not being able to tolerate dairy. That's fantastic. What do you think is different about raw dairy that enabled you to tolerate it?
Answer: From what I've read, the extreme heat of pasteurization alters the natural milk proteins, and they become much more difficult to digest. In my case, this caused me to have severe sinus headaches and uncontrollable flatulence. I tried some of the milk products that are made for lactose intolerance a few times over the years, but had the same problems with those. I have had no problems whatsoever with the raw dairy products, and they are such a wonderfully delicious addition to my diet.

B&M: So what were the results of all these changes?
Answer: Within about a month of making these dietary changes, I noticed that my breakthrough wheezing was completely gone. This gave me the idea to try cutting down from 2 to 1 dose of Advair daily. I have been on 1 dose of Advair per day now for about the last 2 months, and I have had no wheezing or chest tightness at all. In addition, I have not had to use my rescue inhaler.

B&M: That's amazing. Now you conducted a little experiment that I think our readers will find interesting. Tell us about it.
Answer: Recently, I had stopped taking cod liver oil just due to sheer laziness. It's not the most appealing supplement to take with its fishy taste and smell. However, mixed with a little bit of orange juice it's not that bad. After about 2 weeks of no cod liver oil, I started to notice the wheezing coming back. After a few days of wheezing, I started back on the cod liver oil, and the wheezing is now gone again! This leads me to believe that it is mainly the cod liver oil that is helping to keep my asthma symptoms at bay.

B&M: Cod liver oil is a wonderful supplement and I agree that you do have to acquire a taste for it, but it can be a wonderfully healthy addition to your diet. Have these changes improved your health in any other ways besides your asthma?
Answer: I would say that generally I feel that I am in a better mood most of the time, with an increased sense of well being.

B&M: That is wonderful news. What other health goals are you currently striving for?
Answer: As far as other health improvements, if I could only conquer my addiction to excess carbohydrates, and find time in my 14-hour work days to exercise, I could lose the 50-60 pounds of excess baggage I've been carrying around for the last 10 years!

I found that after my asthma disappeared and I began feeling better physically and emotionally, I was better able to incorporate exercise into my life. Thank you for sharing your story with us Janice. Stories like yours are very inspiring and serve to remind us that good health is about more than just weight. It's about the simple joy of living a life unburdened.