It’s Spring!
Are Your Allergies Acting Up?
I love the spring, but for some, spring brings thoughts of itchy eyes, sneezing, coughing, runny nose, congestion – seasonal allergies. I’ve listed just a few alternative interventions for allergy season – hoping to help some of you avoid those awful allergy medications like corticosteroids and antihistamines.
These are meant to be early-intervention strategies – a preemptive and long-term approach to reducing or eliminating seasonal allergies - and should continue throughout the season (or longer).
- Increase your intake of fresh, organic vegetables and fruits, and plenty of water, while eliminating the refined foods. Like it or not, the food you eat (or don’t eat) will affect your seasonal allergies. Start by eliminating the worst offenders – the white “foods” – things made with white flour and/or sugar. Avoid foods with ingredients that you know aren’t really foods (high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and colors) and you’ll start to see improvements in your overall health (and potentially lose a bit of weight as we head into summer).
- Freeze-dried nettles: This one is easy, and very effective. Purchase freeze-dried stinging nettles and take 1 -3 capsules per day. Nettles is an herbal anti-inflammatory and antioxidant (among many other things!). It’s safe for most people and often works within a week or so.
- Raw Local Honey and Raw Apple Cider Vinegar: Either or both are effective in lessening seasonal allergy symptoms. Try putting a tablespoon of each in a cup of hot water with some fresh-squeezed organic lemon juice. If you like ginger, add a slice of raw ginger and let it sit in hot water for ten minutes before adding the other ingredients (strain out the ginger root).
- Probiotics: Start on a good quality probiotic supplement, or better yet, incorporate naturally fermented foods into your diet. Poor GI health is associated with numerous health issues, including allergies. Restoring the “good” bacteria is essential.
- Balance your Fats: This is a topic in itself. Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation (this is your fish oil supplement!), while the processed foods so many of us consume are high in omega-6 fatty acids, which are inflammatory. Eliminate chips, crackers… anything made with vegetable oil and get some good fats in your diet like fish oil, raw coconut oil, extra-virgin olive oil, my favorite: avocados…
- Exercise and Vitamin D: I put these together to simplify things. Exercise reduces inflammation, as does adequate levels of vitamin D. Exercise also supports your body’s detoxification process. So, unless your doctor recommends otherwise, get outside and go for a walk (exercise) and enjoy the sunshine (vitamin D).
There are certainly many other considerations – Is your home/work environment loaded with toxins? Do you smoke? Digestive troubles? How is your stress level? However, the above steps, if followed regularly, are so beneficial.
Don’t wait for symptoms to take over – start caring for your body now. Not sure where to start?
Contact me to get started on improving your health at maffetonewellness@gmail.com
© 2013 Therese Maffetone, MSACN
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Seo J, Kwon S, Lee S, et al. Association of antioxidants with allergic rhinitis in children from Seol. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2013 Mar;5(2):81-87.
Information is provided for educational purposes only and not as prescriptive advice. Information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Consult with your healthcare professional before starting, stopping, increasing or decreasing prescription medication, herbal or nutritional supplements, implementing dietary changes, or beginning an exercise regimen.