What’s with all the wildfires? Have you noticed the uptick in the last few years in your region? There is a lot of discussion on what is causing the uptick in grass and forest fires (arson, chemtrails, climate change?) but regardless of the reason, it seems to be another aspect of our “new normal.” So how can we help our bodies remain resilient?
Here is an example of the increase in smoke in my area:
Image source: https://pub-calgary.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=241744
I know others who live within a couple hours of me who have had to evacuate and have had their properties burn. It has renewed my resolve to ensure my family is evacuation ready. We also know that our mental health plays a huge role in our physical health, so the more you can do to be evacuation ready and reduce that “what if” anxiety, the better!
In this post, let’s discuss ways to keep our lungs and bodies healthy from extended or frequent exposure to wildfire smoke. I’ve collected information from a couple of sources I trust and have summarized their advice below. You can learn more about Dr Tonya Holcomb (Naturopath) and Chemaine Linnie (holistic health coach) at the bottom of this page. I’ve included links for items that I use – some of these are affiliate links.
Why is smoke from forest fires hard on my body?
This picture shows how far the smoke from the May 2023 Alberta fires is travelling… all the way to New York! So you may have more exposure than you realize.
Image source: firesmoke.ca
Think of what all the things burning are made up of… trees, homes, structures, appliances, machinery, gas plants, etc! VOCs, heavy metals and toxic gases like carbon monoxide are being released into the air. You are at risk of a much higher toxic load on the body if breathing in smoke for an extended time. This may cause oxidative stress in your body and immune system, which damages your cells. If you live in an urban area downwind from a wildfire, there is emerging scientific evidence showing that urban air is further deteriorated due to the mixing of VOCs from the smoke plumes with the higher rates of nitric oxide (think car pollution) found in cities. This causes a regional increase in tropospheric ozone which further disrupts our atmosphere and air quality (see summary article).
How you’ll feel it: Given all these volatile compounds and the increase in airborne toxins, your body will recognize the “invaders” and put up a defense. It may feel similar to having a virus or allergies. You may have more mucous and tears (your body trying to push out the toxins), resulting in watery eyes, congestion, scratchy throat, cough, sinus headaches, nausea, brain fog, etc. A nebulizer (used in a room cleared of smoke) could help your sinuses in this case.
A note for the moms: Your children will likely be more resilient! Since children tend to have a lower toxic load to begin with, an otherwise healthy child likely will not feel the effects of smoke as strongly as us adults. Focusing on healthy greens, foods high in antioxidants like berries, extra minerals like magnesium, and less time outdoors may be all they need to get through a smoky few days. Discuss further supplementation and dosing for children with a naturopath or certified practitioner.
Air Purification
The first step is to find ways to reduce your exposure to the smoke. Ideally, keep windows and doors closed, and don’t run your furnace or air conditioner as this just sucks more air in from outside (see exception below). This is where quality air purifiers can make a huge difference!
Portable options: Do some internet searching on air purifiers and you’ll quickly learn that not all purifiers are equal! Two established brands that are well-reviewed and friends of mine have had positive experiences with are AirDoctor and Molekule. Here is a photo from one of my group members. She has the larger AirDoctor on her main floor, and the smaller more portable Molekule she moves around between bedroom and office. (Thank you to Lesley for the use of this photo).
Full home system: What we opted for a few years ago was a Bypass HEPA system that attaches to our furnace. The benefit of this one is it can clean the air in an entire house by turning on the furnace fan in about 4 hours (no need to run heat, just circulate existing air with the fan). We’ve been keeping it running most of the day during high smoke alerts. While I do notice a difference, I still want to purchase a small portable purifier (similar to the Molekule above) for the bedroom at night or when I’m in a specific room during the day. I still notice some smoke with the HEPA filter, but it’s definitely a lot better than in homes I’ve been in without it.
Cleaning the Air with an Ozone Generator After Smoke
An ozone generator is NOT the same thing as an air purifier. Ozone is pure oxygen (O3) and cannot be breathed in, but it will dissipate quickly and leave a smell similar to after a rainstorm. It “scrubs” the air – sanitizing it of mycotoxins from mold, viruses, bad smells, etc. An ozone generator would be a great option to run in your home for a few hours after the smoke has passed. If you do your whole home at once, you will need to plug it in and leave. I like using an extra-long extension cord that I plug in near my front door. Then we head out for the whole day or even overnight, then duck in to unplug it. We then go out for a couple more hours (say to grab food) before coming back into the house. We have this ozone generator. We can place it in our basement and it will do the whole house in about 24 hours.
Incorporate Positive Actions
Here are some “free” ways to help out your body.
- Boost your body’s circulation with gentle exercise. Chemaine Linnie of Chemaine’s Model Health says: “This will help blood and lymph flow, and move toxins to your detox pathways. Walking is awesome but if you can’t get outdoors you can dance indoors, do some rebounding if you have a small trampoline, do a smaller circuit of jumping jacks and high knees sporadically throughout the day or even practice some inversion twice a day.”
- Support your lymphatic system – here is an article on the basics of lymphatic massage. Dry brushing is something you can do when showering, all you need is the brush.
- Limit inflammatory, rich foods that make your body work harder.
- Spend time relaxing to reduce your stress – cortisol can negatively affect your body’s immune system and ability to detoxify.
- Use a sauna or have a hot shower to help you sweat out toxins. But be sure to rehydrate and remineralize afterward!
Nutritional & Supplemental Support
There are many options for supporting your body through a smoky spell! Here are some of the ones I’m aware of and have used. I’m not a certified nutritionist or naturopath though, so use your own discernment, or check out my sources at the bottom for expert advice!
Teas or Herbal Infusions:
- Mullein infusions or Mullein tinctures help support the lungs
- Dandelion or Milk Thistle tea supports the liver in clearing out toxins (though go easy as some people notice gastrointestinal effects)
- Burdock tea helps purify the blood
- Pure Cranberry tea, Hibiscus and Raspberry Leaf tea help your kidneys with filtering the blood.
I found this tea from my local health food store (Nutters) which includes a couple of the above – it’s organic and wild-harvested:
Antioxidants & Power Foods:
Antioxidants help prevent our cells from getting damaged and diseased. Chemaine has a lot of info on antioxidants on her Facebook page and website!
- Organic blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc are high in polyphenols and help protect the cells from carcinogens
- Organic lemon juice can help cleanse the digestive tract
- Cilantro and parsley – can help with aluminum detoxification
- Cinnamon, turmeric, and ginger are anti-inflammatory (I like adding these to hot chocolate bone broth)
- Take extra Vitamin C! Look for liposomal Vitamin C for the best absorbability.
- Tip from Chemaine’s Facebook post: “Add some grape seed extract to the vitamin C and you have a very effective way to calm the body (including the nervous system) and fight oxidative stress.”
More Minerals:
Minerals help push heavy metals out of our bodies. Not only is our soil and thus our food more depleted of minerals but we are exposed to more heavy metals and toxins that deplete our minerals even further. So we need to be more intentional with the foods we eat and supplements we take.
- Bone broth is an excellent source of minerals and something I incorporate into our diets weekly. See my best bone broth tips.
- Mineralize your water and stay hydrated – try ReLyte or trace minerals drops (I use one called Spectralyte that I get from Dr Tonya’s shop, but there are a number of options on Amazon too).
- Iodine will help protect your thyroid and is something many people are deficient in because the iodine added to table salt isn’t actually easily absorbed by the body. You can buy Nascent Iodine drops that are safe to consume (I use this True Hope brand), or get a version that you rub on the skin.
- Take an Epsom salt bath in hot hot water as it will help detoxify the body and remove heavy metals. Chemaine says: Get out after 15 minutes so you don’t reabsorb the toxins!
Heavy Metal Binders:
Take these 40 minutes away from other supplements or food. They are chelators – they will bind to heavy metals to help collect and remove them from your body.
- Chlorophyll, chlorella and spirulina
- Drink some bentonite clay, zeolite or diatomaceous earth in water or smoothies
- Activated charcoal (capsule form is easy)
Homeopathics:
Homeopathics are a traditional medicine that stimulate the cells of the body to heal. It supports your body’s internal healing mechanisms and are very safe for all ages. You can’t overdose on homeopathics, and they are quite inexpensive. I love having homeopathics in my home remedies kit, and we’ve seen numerous positive results using them. One of the best-known, trusted, and easy to find brands is Boiron.
- Borax (homeopathic, not the laundry powder!) – can help support the respiratory system and membrane
- Euphrasia – for simple smoke exposure, burning eyes, etc.
- Kalium bichromicum – for more serious smoke exposure, irritated sinuses and lungs
- Kalium muriaticum – Kali mur 6X or 12X (the cell salt) supports the mucus membranes of the lungs, nose, and sinuses
- Ignatia amara – for shock, upset, grief (ie loss from a fire)
- Aconite – for shock with trembling/fear (ie you are evacuating a scary situation)
- Nux vomica – helps the liver clear out chemicals
- Carbo vegetabilis – breathing support, plus offers support if you’re feeling brain fog or irritability
Essential Oils:
With essential oils, you want to look for trusted, quality, undiluted brands such as Young Living or DoTERRA. There are other quality brands on the market too but those two brands are the ones I have experience with, and you get the added benefit of shopping through a rep who can answer your questions.
- To help clear nasal pathways – Young Living RC blend/Raven Oil or DoTERRA Breathe Easy/Easy Air blend
- To help reduce smoke smell and clean the air – Young Living Purification blend or DoTERRA Purify blend
Pin this blog post and save it for the next smoky day:
Sources
I would not have been able to put together this blog post without two primary sources. I hope you’ll take the time to check out what they offer!
Dr. Tonya Holcomb, Naturopath, founder of Fiercely Empowered Mamas
A number of the above suggestions I got through her course material and by asking for suggestions in the FEM 2023 private Facebook group (I’ve paid to access her support and the support of the group). I love her FEM coaching program. It’s incredible foundational work for anyone desiring a holistic understanding of health and how to support the body through sickness and prevent chronic disease. The prepper in me is so grateful to have this “hand holding” as I try to lose my dependency on a limited, compromised medical system. You can sign up for her newsletter to get more tips and find out about her upcoming free classes or paid programs.
Chemaine’s Model Health – By Chemaine Linnie, Biohacker & Holistic Health Coach
Chemaine is an Albertan biohacker with an extensive library of information on ways to maximize the operations of the body, plus guides that give you a roadmap for addressing different areas of concern. She has a thorough post on her Facebook page about smoke exposure which I pulled information from. You can also check out her podcast and her program offerings at chemainesmodelhealth.com.
Very good & comprehensive info – thanks Kayleigh !
Some single oils that are good for respiratory issues are peppermint, eucalyptus, cedar, even tea tree.
Thanks for those oil suggestions Leslie!