I love Spring. The warmer temps, gardening and spring planting, longer days and the increased energy that sunshine brings. But, for many of us.... Spring ushers in allergies - Ugh!
Allergy symptoms while not a huge health risk, are annoying and can disrupt sleep, cause watery eyes, stuffy nose, itchiness, loss of smell, fatigue, headache and throat irritation to name a few.
Becoming pro-active during this season of blooming can go a long way in reducing all of these symptoms.
Seasonal allergies happen because our immune system thinks dust, pollen, and pet dander are harmful.
Seasonal Allergy 101.
This is a protection mechanism that happens when we are assalted with foreign substances that trigger our white blood cells to create antibodies and the chemical -histamine to counteract allergens and get them out and off our body.
Histamine is responsible for causing runny nose, dry and itchy eyes, sneezing, coughing, scratchy throat and creating a general feeling of fatigue.
Support Your Gut & Liver.
Studies show that people with seasonal allergies have a low diversity of bacteria in the gut. Unfortunately, many things impact gut health and the good bacteria we need to flourish for our health.
Regular use of antibiotics
Use of Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid and any stomach acid reducer
Eating inflammatory foods like vegetable [seed] oils, fast food, high starch and sugary foods
Alcohol consumption
Chronic stress
Poor sleep
This places a burden on our liver, our amazing workhorse that neutralizes all the toxins we are exposed to, including;
pesticides
pharmaceuticals
over- the- counter medications
hormones
beauty and cleaning products
candles, air fresheners
solvents
food additives, and a lot more.
When our liver is working overtime metabolizing stress hormones, alcohol and processed foods, air pollutants, or medications, allergy symptoms can flare because our body isn't able to properly detoxify the allergens or histamine.
This excess burden load means more allergy symptoms.
What Can I Do?
Eat high quality meats & veggies.
Vegetables and animal products are rich in nutrients that help to balance the immune system and reduce histamine. Eat lots of leafy greens, grass-fed meats, cold water fish, and eggs to nourish the gut and support liver detoxification.
Reduce inflammatory foods
The most important step in reducing inflammation in our diet is to eliminate seed oils from your cupboards. Swap the big toxic bottles of oil with healthy fats your body knows what to do with like; organic grass-fed butter, ghee, organic cold pressed or 1st harvest olive oil and avocado oil, or coconut oil.
Take a probiotic daily. Choose one that's designed to make it to the digetive tract.
Reduce high histamine foods when allergies are bothering you. Foods like; cheese, wine, fermented foods, citrus fruits, preserved meats, avocados, bananas and strawberries.
2. Support your liver.
Reduce the load by eliminating alcohol, processed sugar, along with looking at what's in your skincare and cleaning products.
Eat high quality leafy greens, grass-fed meats and organ meats, and pasture-raised eggs because these products are rich in nutrients which are needed to support the detoxification of toxins, including everything from allergens to mold.
Boost your support of detoxification with a few supplements like Milk Thistle and NAC.
Consuming high quality proteins are key to a body that can detoxify.
3. Address nutrient deficiencies.
Studies show deficiencies in Zinc, Vitamin D, A, C, E, and Magnesium are linked to seasonal allergies.
Low fruit and vegetable intake is also associated with seasonal allergies.
4. Filter the air you breathe in your home.
Filtering the air in your home, especially in the bedroom, can make a huge difference in allergy symptoms. Sleeping for 8+ hours in a bedroom has the most impact on how many allergens you inhale.
Tape your mouth shut at night to reduce allergens, since mouth breathing can make allergies worse.
Choose a true HEPA filtration system which removes 99% of airborne particles including allergens, dust, mold and viruses.
Wash hair at night to remove pollen and wash pillow cases frequently.
5. Try Nasal Irrigation.
Nasal irrigation not only clears up congestion, it also flushes out the allergens from your nose and sinuses.
Nasopure- https://a.co/d/gajePfC This is a simple nasal irrigation system to use at the end of the day or after spending time outdoors.
6. Eat local raw honey.
Eating local, raw honey daily can support your body by building a tolerance to local pollen. Studies have shown that people who consume local raw honey regularly experienced a 60% reduction in allergy symptoms.
Supplements That Help.
Probiotics - Seed Probiotic, Just Thrive Probiotic, Dr's Choice Probiotic, Biotics Research BioDoph -7 Plus.
Milk Thistle/NAC - Support liver detoxification. Take when symptoms are present.
Quercetin/Whole Food Vitamin C - Both of these are powerful at reducing histamine and a good combo to boost immune function when sick too. https://thesynergycompany.com/products/milk-thistle, https://thesynergycompany.com/products/pure-radiance-c-90-capsules
Designs for Health HistaEze - Use this as a substitute for an antihistamine.
Beef Liver Capsules - These nutrient gems support liver and liver detoxification. https://www.perfectsuplements.com/Perfect-Desiccated-Liver
Vitamin D3+K2 - Regulates immune system cells to prevent the release of chemicals that cause and worsen allergies.
Magnesium - Most adults are deficient and magnesium has the ability to act as a bronchodilator and anti-histamine. I recommend BIOptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough https://bioptimizers.com/shop/products/magnesium-breakthrough
Seasonal allergies are common and can really affect us. But when we arm ourselves with a combination of prevention and support, Spring can become a favorite season.
I hope some of these ideas will help you.
Please reach out if you have any questions or you need some help in navigating your health journey.
You can find me here: https://www.janlindquistntp.com
Thanks for reading,
Jan