Just when the world is waking up to spring and it’s starting to be so beautiful outside, are you ducking for cover and wishing your allergy symptoms would go away? Have you tried everything and feel like you’re just stuck with the misery?
I have some ideas for you.
1. Try getting a chiropractic adjustment. Always a great first step towards wellness! Your body is designed to heal itself, so give it a chance by properly aligning your spine, which balances and nourishes your nervous system.
2. Avoid food that tends to promote mucus. You don’t need to feel even more congested! Avoid sugar, flour and dairy. Citrus, peanuts and bananas can also be culprits for some individuals.
3. Limit histamine-forming foods during allergy season. As you’ll see from the list below, fish, all but processed meats, nearly all vegetables, nuts and seeds, legumes, whole grains and many fruits are fine! You still have plenty to choose from. Histamine forming foods:
- Cheese
- Egg whites
- Processed meats
- Alcoholic beverages
- Fermented veggies
- Soy sauce
- Vinegar
- Apricots
- Cherries
- Plums
- Raspberry
- Strawberry
- Tomatoes
- Pumpkin
4. Cleanse when coming inside from outdoors. Immediately reduce your body burden of pollens when you return home. (1) Rinse out nostrils, using a neti pot. Here’s a video showing this simple technique. Neti pots and fine sea salt is available in the nutrition aisle at Whole Foods, other healthy food stores, and online. (2) Wash your face, hands and hair. (3) Change your clothes.
5. Try a histamine enzyme supplement. Mast cells release histamine during an allergy response. Our bodies naturally produce an enzyme to moderate the histamine, but the body may be overwhelmed by a flood of histamine. Adding a histamine enzyme supplement can help break down the histamine more effectively, and may provide relief from stressful symptoms during allergy season. I carry a product in my office by Allergy Research Group called DAO Histaminase and have been delighted by how many patients report receiving relief -- in less than 24 hours!
Did you know that our area falls into Zone 7 of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, one of the richest for plant -- and pollen -- variety in the nation? We are just far enough north to enjoy northern gems such as lilacs, and just south enough to accommodate southern treasures such as Crepe Myrtles. If you are prone to seasonal allergies, it’s a sign your body needs a little help adapting.
Wishing you a happy spring, and the chance to enjoy this beautiful world we live in!