When my grandmother was alive, the 4th of July was one of my favorite holidays. As we sat on the front lawn eating savory barbecue and home-made potato salad, we could hardly wait for darkness to settle in so we could watch the annual fireworks show put on by the high school across the street. There we would sit, lighting our sparklers, opening our See's Candy Firecrackers, and just enjoying being together as a family. Boy, I can almost see those fireworks dancing in the sky as we speak. Can't you?

You may be wondering why I am telling you all this. Well, if you suffer from COPD, you may have poor activity tolerance because of dypsnea and may not be able to go outside to watch the fireworks with the rest of your family. Don't be discouraged, though, because I have brought the fireworks to you!

Click here to enjoy the show and have a safe and sane 4th of July holiday!

Did you enjoy the show? Share your comments and tell us what you'll be doing this holiday weekend to celebrate Independence Day.

Photo if "Fireworks" © flickr.com, user tschopper

As the COPD Guide for About.com, I try to educate the public as much as I can about the disease. All-to-often, when I mention the word, people look at me as if I come from another planet. After I assure them I am not from anywhere else in the galaxy besides earth, I try to give them a few important facts without confusing them with too much information all at once.

If you have problems with people understanding your disease, feel free to read the following article and educate them yourselves or provide them with this link:

The Top 5 Things People Should Know About COPD

What do you think your friends and family should know about this disease? After reading the article, share your advice:

What Do You Think Friends and Family Should Know About COPD?

In light of all the questions I receive each month about spirometry testing, I have created a poll in the COPD Forum which could use your votes. Please stop by and take the poll, and then compare your results with others.

Also, stay tuned for this week's COPD spotlight as our focus will be on what spirometry testing is all about and what to do about understanding your test results. The spotlight will be featured on Wednesday, July 1st of this week. See you in the forum!

Research conducted in Japan by Australia's Curtin University Health Innovation Research Institute suggests that long-term consumption of soy products decreases breathlessness, improves lung function and reduces the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Led by Curtin Professor Andy Lee, the research found that those who ate more than 75 grams of soy on a daily basis received the greatest health benefits. Studies such as these demonstrate that diet can lead to the advent of new methods of prevention which may ultimately reduce health care costs.

Previous research suggests that flavonoids from soy products may have an anti-inflammatory effect within the lungs. The study concluded that further research is needed to understand this relationship.

Soy products that were examined in the study included tofu, natto, bean sprouts and soy milk.

Visit Curtin Media Center for more information.

Have you tried soy products in the past? If not, would you be willilng to, if it led to a decrease in your COPD symptoms? Share your comments in the COPD Forum, or below.