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For years, I searched for answers on how to support my loved ones with asthma. My mom struggled with chronic respiratory symptoms, and I often wondered if the protocols I used to put my own Hashimoto’s into remission could also help her breathe easier. In today’s episode of the Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations podcast, I interview one of my longtime friends and collaborators, clinical and holistic nutritionist Christa Orecchio. We explore the overlooked factors that impact lung health, and why so many people with asthma, post-COVID symptoms, mold illness, and even chronic grief continue to suffer without real answers.
Christa shares how she developed her revolutionary lung rejuvenation protocol, combining herbal medicine, detox strategies, emotional trauma healing, mitochondrial support, and nutrition. Her holistic approach focuses on deeply healing the lungs at the cellular level, while also supporting detoxification, immune resilience, and emotional well-being. This conversation is incredibly powerful for anyone struggling with chronic respiratory symptoms or who feels stuck in sympathetic dominance and is ready for real healing.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- Why lung issues go beyond inflammation or allergies: Trauma, mold exposure, antibiotics, smoking or vaping, unresolved grief, and even early childhood infections can create deep dysfunction in the lungs. Addressing them is essential for lasting healing.
- How environmental toxins silently damage lungs: Everyday exposures such as flame retardants, formaldehyde, pesticides, glyphosate, wildfire smoke, and nanoplastics can scar lung tissue over time. Detox support and air purification become essential, even for those living “clean.”
- The surprising role of foods and oils in asthma: High-salicylate foods and products, including dried fruits, apples, strawberries, plums, tomatoes, cucumbers, coffee, wine, and peppermint oil, can trigger respiratory flares. Short elimination trials combined with salt therapy often bring quick relief.
The emotional-spiritual link to breathing: Unprocessed grief and trauma can lodge in the lungs, showing up as asthma, chronic cough, or shallow breathing. Healing through grief work, somatic therapies, or homeopathy can restore vitality and ease of breath. - Herbs and nutrients that rebuild the lungs: Lungwort, golden seal, lotus root, boswellia, DNA and RNA tissue factors, postbiotics, and mitochondrial supports such as CoQ10, PQQ, and L-carnitine help restore tissue integrity, reduce inflammation, and strengthen resilience.
- Why nervous system healing is non-negotiable: Breathwork, EFT, and somatic trauma therapies shift the body out of fight-or-flight and into parasympathetic rest-and-heal mode. This nervous system reset unlocks true recovery for both lungs and thyroid.
Freebies
- Nanoplastics Deep Dive PDF by Jack Tips – Based on 48 studies on the dangers of nanoplastics and how to overcome their toxicity.
Guest Resources / Connect with Christa Orecchi
- Learn more at Christa’s Website
- Follow Christa on Instagram
- Watch Christa Orecchio on YouTube
- Read How to Conceive Naturally and Have a Healthy Pregnancy After 30 by Christa Orecchio
- Nanoplastics Deep Dive PDF by Jack Tips – Based on 48 studies on the dangers of nanoplastics and how to overcome their toxicity.
Supplements We Discussed
- Lungwort – An herb to support lung tissue healing and inflammation reduction.
- Goldenseal – A gentle antimicrobial that helps clear Strep and Staph-related respiratory issues. (This is available via Fullscript – if you don’t have a Fullscript account, you can sign up with my credentials here.)
- Glutathione – Helps detox mold and supports lung tissue regeneration.
- N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) – A precursor to glutathione that aids in detoxification. Consider Rootcology Pure N-Acetyl Cysteine.
- Acetyl-L-Carnitine – Supports mitochondrial function and energy metabolism. Consider Rootcology Carnitine Blend.
- CoQ10 – This antioxidant supports the mitochondria and helps reduce inflammation. A necessary component of cellular energy production and respiration.
- SR-CoQ10 with PQQ – Enhances mitochondrial biogenesis and supports brain and lung health.
- Boswellia – A natural anti-inflammatory helpful for lung and sinus inflammation
- Proteolytic enzymes (e.g. Pancreatin) – Reduce inflammation and improve digestion to support whole-body healing.
- Himalayan salt (under the tongue or via salt inhaler) – Reduces asthma symptoms and mucus buildup.
Other Tools and Resources
- Super Nasya Oil – Ayurvedic nasal oil that helps heal sinus tissues and prevent infections.
- Castor Oil + Castor Oil Packs – Used to support detox and reduce systemic inflammation. Read this article on castor oil for more information.
- Organic Acid Testing – Helpful for detecting salicylate toxicity, mold, and other imbalances.
- Salt Room Therapy – Sitting in a salt room to breathe in tiny salt particles that can help open airways, reduce inflammation, and support clearer breathing. Can reduce asthma and eczema symptoms! Izabella got to visit the salt mines in Krakow, Poland.
- Breathwork and Somatic Therapy – By using conscious breathing and gentle movement or awareness exercises, these therapies can be key to processing trauma and shifting the nervous system.
- EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) – Also known as “tapping,” EFT combines gentle tapping on acupressure points with mindful attention to emotions; can be a tool for releasing grief and emotional blocks.
- Neurofeedback & EMDR – Neurofeedback uses real-time brainwave monitoring to help the brain learn healthier patterns, while EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) guides the mind in processing painful memories. Both approaches can be effective tools for rebalancing the nervous system after trauma.
- Postbiotics – Helpful for maintaining immune modulation and reducing inflammation.
- Peppermint oil and tea – Common high-salicylate triggers that can worsen asthma. Read the study on the connection between peppermint and asthma.
Books and Articles About Trauma, Lung & Thyroid Health
- Adrenal Transformation Protocol by Dr. Izabella Wentz
- The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
- The Grief Recovery Handbook by John James and Russell Friedman
- NAC for Immune Health, Detoxification and Gut Health
- Mold: A Potential Trigger of Hashimoto’s
- How Supporting the Liver Is Key to Recovering from Thyroid Disease
- Are Your Adrenals Sabotaging Your Health?
- Air Quality and Hashimoto’s – Is the Air You’re Breathing Making You Sick?
Get the Full Episode Transcript
Let’s Connect!
- Follow me on Instagram:@izabellawentzpharmd
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- Subscribe & Review: If you loved this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or rate it on Spotify!
Got questions? Drop them in the comments! 🙂
About Our Host
Dr. Izabella Wentz
Dr. Izabella Wentz is a compassionate, innovative, solution-focused integrative pharmacist dedicated to finding the root causes of chronic health conditions. Her passion stems from her own diagnosis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in 2009, following a decade of debilitating symptoms.
Dr. Izabella Wentz has written several best-selling books, including the New York Times bestseller Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause, the protocol-based #1 New York Times bestseller Hashimoto’s Protocol: A 90-Day Plan for Reversing Thyroid Symptoms and Getting Your Life Back, the Wall Street Journal bestseller Hashimoto’s Food Pharmacology: Nutrition Protocols and Healing Recipes to Take Charge of Your Thyroid Health, and her latest book, Adrenal Transformation Protocol.
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About Our Guest
Christa Orecchio has been a clinical and holistic nutritionist for 18 years. She helps individuals use food as medicine to heal from the root cause, and specializes in digestive and hormonal health with her cutting-edge online programs. She and her team have taken tens of thousands through her paid programs with astounding success, and have had the privilege to help millions more in a meaningful way with their free content. Christa is also the best-selling author of How to Conceive Naturally and Have a Healthy Pregnancy After 30, a sought-after speaker, and the host of three health and wellness TV shows.
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