Respiratory and Lung Health during wildfire smoke season

​When wildfire smoke hits, it's not just annoying — it can actually mess with your lungs and overall health. Here’s how to keep yourself (and your lungs) safe during exposure:

1. Check the Air Quality Before You Go Out

2. Stay Indoors

3. Use an Air Purifier such as a HEPA air filter

4. Have Genuine Himalayan Salt Lamps, Peace Lily and Spider Plants around your home to help clean the air in your living space

5. Be Extra Careful If You’re Sensitive or Compromised. If you have asthma, allergies, or heart issues — or if you're older, pregnant, or have young kids, you’re more at risk from smoke. Be extra cautious.
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6. Drink Water & Eat Clean
- Water helps flush out toxins from smoke
- Foods rich in antioxidants such as VITAMIN A can help your body fight inflammation from smoke.

Here is how Vitamin A Helps:

Vitamin A plays a key role in supporting your body’s mucous membranes, which are your first line of defence against things like wildfire smoke.

1. Builds and Maintains Mucous Membranes

• Your respiratory tract (nose, throat, lungs) is lined with mucous membranes.
• Vitamin A keeps these tissues strong, moist, and functional, helping trap and clear out harmful particles like smoke and dust.

2. Boosts Immune Function

• It helps your immune system respond better to irritants and infections.
• Stronger immunity means you’re less likely to get sick from the damage smoke can cause in your lungs.

3. Supports Cell Repair

• Smoke exposure can damage airway linings.
• Vitamin A helps repair and regenerate epithelial cells — the ones that form protective barriers in your lungs and airways.
  

Your body will convert beta-carotene into vitamin A as needed. Vitamin A is fat-soluble, so eat it with a little healthy fat such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, or eggs, to help your body absorb it better.

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Best Sources of Vitamin A:
There are two types of Vitamin A:

• Preformed vitamin A (retinol): Found in animal foods like liver, eggs, and dairy. Cod Liver Oil is a also a good source of Vitamin A as well as essential fatty acids.
• - Beta-carotene (provitamin A): Found in plant foods like:
  •  Carrots
    
  •  Sweet potatoes
  • Spinach and kale
  • Red peppers
  • Mangoes

After You’ve Been Exposed to Smoke:

• Try gentle steam inhalation to soothe irritated lungs. 
• Use herbs such as thyme, mullein and eucalyptus in the form of teas or essential oils in the steam.
• Rest and stay hydrated.
• Consider Salt Therapy to loosen and expel phlegm, soothe mucous membranes and promote clean and clear airways.

Salt Wellness Centre offers a Salt Room and a Salt Bed Chamber to assist with your respiratory needs.

If you’re coughing a lot or feel tight in the chest, see a health practitioner or doctor.

Learn more about Salt Therapy

Simple Vitamin A - Rich Meal Plan:

Breakfast: Sweet Potato & Egg Breakfast Bowl
 1 medium roasted sweet potato
 2 fried or boiled eggs
 A handful of spinach (sautéed or fresh)
 Drizzle of olive oil or avocado slices
Drink: 1 cup fortified whole milk or plant milk with added vitamin A
✅ Vitamin A boost: sweet potato + eggs + spinach
✅ Healthy fat: egg yolk + olive oil/avocado

Snack: Carrot &  Hummus
 1 cup raw baby carrots
 2–3 tbsp hummus
✅ Vitamin A boost: carrots (beta-carotene)
✅ Healthy fat: tahini (in hummus)

Lunch: Kale & Chicken Salad
 1 cup chopped kale (massage with olive oil to soften)
 Grilled chicken breast or thigh
 Shredded carrot
 1–2 slices red bell pepper
 Olive oil & lemon dressing
✅ Vitamin A boost: kale + carrot + red pepper
✅ Protein/fat: chicken + olive oil

​Snack: Greek Yogurt with Mango
 ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
 ½ cup sliced mango or apricots
✅ Vitamin A boost: mango/apricots
✅ Healthy fat/protein: yogurt

Dinner: Salmon with Roasted Veggies
 Baked salmon fillet
 Roasted butternut squash and broccoli (with a little olive oil)
 Optional: side of brown rice or quinoa
✅ Vitamin A boost: butternut squash
✅ Healthy fat: salmon + olive oil

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This plan provides plenty of beta-carotene (converted to Vitamin A as needed from veggies and fruit) and retinol (direct vitamin A from eggs, salmon, dairy). All meals include a source of fat to help with absorption which is easy to modify for vegetarians — just swap salmon/chicken for lentils, beans, or tofu and keep the eggs/dairy.

If you are looking for more meal plans or health programs based on your health needs, contact

​Lehla Moran at [email protected] or book here:

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