Breathe in: A healthy life is a happy life

With today's global health crisis, Dr. Mark Hochberg MD urges everyone to keep themselves healthy and their immune system up at all times. It is especially important nowadays to strengthen the lungs and heart to have a higher chance of surviving the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here are some lifestyle changes people can adopt to fortify their lungs.

Less junk food and more leafy veggies: Junk food has proven to lower the immune system and a person's overall health. Green leafy vegetables, on the other hand, have sulforaphane that improves lung health and reduces the risk of people developing lung illnesses. Examples of these vegetables are broccoli, cabbage, and kale.

More food with vitamin C: Medical tests have shown that the lungs benefit greatly from vitamin C since it shields the body from the ravages of free radicals. Oranges, papayas, kiwis, and berries are all rich in vitamin C.

A lot less smoking: A person can damage their lungs more with smoking cigarettes than almost any other activity. The less one smokes, the better. But if a person quits, the beneficial effects are almost immediate. From better heart rate and blood pressure to a drop in carbon monoxide, everything becomes better for one's heart and lungs, notes Dr. Mark Hochberg MD.