Seasonal allergies on the attack? I’ve been there š¤ā¦
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Did you know the main culprit of seasonal allergies is actually poor gut health?! When the gut barrier is weak, you’ll experience a super-sized reaction to histamines, resulting in allergies to everything under-the-sun.
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š« Unfortunately over the counter allergy treatments only work temporarily AND can do more damage to the gut lining over time and cause irritation along the tissues.
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Luckily, natural treatment methods provide symptom relief, while also healing the root cause of allergies!
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Learn more about these remedies that naturally reduce the amount of histamine produced and reduce liver congestion.
Seasonal allergies are a pain and discomfort at their least, and debilitating at their worst. Luckily, natural treatment methods provide symptom relief, while also healing the root cause of allergies!
Are you itching, sneezing, and sniffling this time of year? If so, it sounds like youāve got a classic case of seasonal allergies! Seasonal allergies are a pain and discomfort at their least, and debilitating at their worst. Nothing ruins a delicious, Spring grill-out quite like allergies. One minute youāre grilling the chicken, the next youāre sneezing on it. Yuck! But, donāt you worry. Itās nothing a few natural remedies canāt help!
WHAT ARE SEASONAL ALLERGIES
Seasonal allergies are an immune response to local and seasonal pollen in the air. These triggers will produce IgE antibodies that signal immune molecules to release histamine, leading to inflammation and the classic allergy symptoms. Typically, theyāre the worst during the Spring season when flowers bloom but can occur anytime.
When histamine builds up within the body (without being properly broken down), an allergic reaction occurs: sneezing, congestion, headaches, itchy eyes, swelling, etc. These symptoms often leave you feeling fatigued and can really alter your quality of life. This is why helping the body effectively manage histamine levels is key!
COMMON CAUSES OF SEASONAL ALLERGIES
There are many common factors and causes of persistent seasonal allergies, including diet and lifestyle choices. Many different factors can cause allergies like mold, dust, animal fur, fragrances, and pollen. The main culprit of seasonal allergies however, is poor gut health. When the gut barrier is weak, youāll likely experience a super-sized reaction to histamines, resulting in allergies to everything under-the-sun- environmental and otherwise. This explains why those with autoimmunity often struggle with allergies, as well. As we know, the gut houses 80% of our immune system, so itās no wonder a weak gut leads to extreme immune reactions within the body (AKA allergies). For this reason, maintaining a healthy gut microbiome and lining is critical for allergy sufferers!
In addition to the health of your gut, there are many triggers that can make your allergies feel worse, including:
- Intestinal permeability
- Medications
- High histamine foods (tomatoes, alcohol, coffee, chocolate, citrus)
- Inflammatory foods (those that are processed, boxed, packaged)
- Emotional stress
- Poor hygiene
- Not enough sleep
Needless to say, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a key factor in managing histamine release and providing allergy relief.
WHY ALLERGIES ARE GETTING WORSE OVER THE YEARS
If you suffer from allergies, you might be wondering why theyāve gotten worse over the years. In fact, seasonal allergies whereāt much of an issue decades ago. Here are 5 reasons why we are seeing a rise in allergy symptoms each year.
- More fast food consumption
- Increased pollen count due to air pollution
- Depletion of beneficial gut bacteria impacting the immune system
- More air freshener use such as perfume, candles, and chemical fragrances
- Increased use of toxic cleaning solutions
CONVENTIONAL VS NATURAL TREATMENT
Conventional allergy treatment consists of over-the-counter antihistamines, corticosteroids, inhalers, and more. Ultimately, these treatment methods reduce symptoms, but do not address the root cause of allergies. They work temporarily by inhibiting histamine production. Not only that, but they can also do more damage to the gut lining over time and cause irritation along the tissues.
Alternatively, naturally treating seasonal allergies addresses the root cause. Home remedies and other natural treatment methods (listed below) provide symptom relief, while also healing the root cause of allergies. In other words, these remedies naturally reduce the amount of histamine produced and reduces liver congestion.
9 NATURAL WAYS TO IMPROVE SEASONAL ALLERGIES
Natural allergy treatment is effective, budget-friendly, and often delicious. Try out these home remedies for yourself:
1. Clean-Up Your Diet
As mentioned above, packaged, processed, refined foods can create an increased histamine response as they are pro-inflammatory in nature. In addition, allergy sufferers tend to present with more nutritional deficiencies. Therefore, adopting a whole food, high quality, nutrient dense diet, can be a game changer. It directly impacts our immune system! The goal with your diet is to avoid additives, excess sugars, and anything known to be inflammatory for you. As always, itās best to choose high quality and organic foods as much as possible to reduce GMOs and pesticide exposure that can make allergies a lot worse.
Eat more: grass-fed and finished meat, wild-caught fish, whole pasture-raised eggs, healthy fats and oils, organic nuts and seeds (but not peanuts and pistachios which can made allergies worse), and lots of seasonal fruits and veggies.
2. Increase Anti-Histamine Foods
Just as high-histamine foods can worsen seasonal allergies, anti-histamine foods can provide relief. These foods will naturally reduce inflammation and work to strengthen the immune system as they naturally contain powerful antioxidants called quercetin and anthocyanins.
Eat more: berries, apples, citrus, cherries, grapes, broccoli, red onion, red cabbage, turmeric, parsley, thyme, chamomile, fennel, arugula, and ginger.
Additional Recommendation: Talk to your practitioner about some of the natural antihistamine supplements that contain quercetin, stinging nettle, vitamin C, and other helpful antioxidants.
3. Avoid Trigger Foods
Knowing your food sensitivities gives you a leg-up on your allergies because symptoms are often exacerbated by certain foods. Avoid all known food sensitivities, especially when your allergies flare. In addition, itās wise to limit or eliminate all common inflammatory trigger foods during a flare, like gluten, daity, corn, and soy which all share a similar molecular protein structure. If you donāt know your sensitives, you can work with a practitioner to help you with an elimination diet. This can take a long time though and can lead to more frustration for some individuals.
Start with avoiding: gluten, dairy, soy, and corn. I also suggest doing a 7 day reset to clear the liver while reducing many common trigger foods for allergy sufferers. If youāve never done a reset before, you can check out my quick and effective 7 Day Reset Challenge and get started today.
4. Load Up on Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Anti-inflammatory foods reduce overall inflammation within the body, resulting in a reduced histamine response. Eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables are the best anti-inflammatory foods available due to their high levels of antioxidants. Eat more: herbs and spices, quality mold free teas, superfood powders, blueberries, kale, beets, avocado, wild-caught salmon and sardines, coconut oil, chia seeds, and ginger.
Other ways to reduce inflammation due to allergies: walking, essential oils such as eucalyptus and frankincense, stress management, and anti-inflammatory supplements advised by your practitioner.
5. Support the Gut
As you well know by now, a healthy gut and diverse microbiome is key to eliminating allergies. Having a āleaky gutā is one of the main drivers of immune-mediated conditions, including allergies since the microbiome directly impacts sinuses. Most individuals who have taken antibiotics throughout their lifetime will suffer with more severe forms of seasonal allergies.
As you well know by now, a healthy gut and diverse microbiome is key to eliminating allergies. Having a āleaky gutā is one of the main drivers of immune-mediated conditions, including allergies since the microbiome directly impacts sinuses. Most individuals who have taken antibiotics throughout their lifetime will suffer with more severe forms of seasonal allergies.
Upgrade your gut protocol by eating plenty of gut-healthy foods that include probiotics, prebiotics, L-glutamine, enzymes and antioxidants. Work with a practitioner who can help you heal the gut the right way in order to remove any known triggers and root causes to a compromised gut. A gut healing protocol should ideally be customized.
Eat more: coconut kefir, bone broth, apple cider vinegar, sauerkraut, green bananas (bananas that are not quite ripe), cooked vegetables, and garlic. Also, ask your health practitioner about supplementing with a spore-based probiotic. This is my favorite one!
6. Reduce Stress
Perceived stress predicts allergy flaresand therefore, managing emotional stress is a big factor in reducing overall inflammation. Youāll probably notice when stress levels rise, so do your allergies. Adopt stress management techniques that work for you to provide symptom relief. Getting adequate sleep to reduce stress levels in the body and prevent an allergy flare is also important.
Try: yoga, deep breathing, prayer and medication, journaling, walking, being outside while barefoot, and keeping a consistent bedtime.
7. Add Manuka Honey
Manuka honey is packed with powerful antioxidants and contains an active compound called methylglyoxal. This active compound makes it extremely useful in fighting allergies. Try taking a spoonful every morning during allergy season. The key is to make sure your manuka honey contains live enzymes with a K factor above 16 if possible. In addition, consuming a few tablespoons per day of local honey (based on where you live) before allergy season kicks in can also help support your immune system so it recognizes the allergen which results in you tolerating the pollen in your area when everything ramps up. You can add both these types of honey to your oatmeal, tea, smoothies, yogurt, etc.
Consume more: Raw manuka and local honey.
8. Hydrate
Staying adequately hydrated helps wash away and excrete the allergens from your system. It also ensures daily detoxification which is important for histamine build up. Aim to drink at least half your bodyweight in ounces throughout the day.
Drink more: Filtered water, natural sparkling water, and small amounts of coconut water.
Eat more: Hydrating foods such as watermelon, cucumbers, romaine lettuce, and honeydew.
9. Add Air Purification
Cleaning up your home to remove irritants is essential for any allergy sufferer. Try to use natural cleaning supplies and cosmetics, along with fragrance-free detergents. Keeping your home clean, vacuuming, and dusting often is also important.
In addition to all that, purifying the air in your home using a HEPA filter is one of the best things you can do for allergy relief! Allergens are tracked into and trapped inside your home all day long. Meaning, you are exposed all day and night. My most trusted air purification system is Air Doctor. In addition to purifying your air, it might be helpful to shower after being outside, especially since pollen can accumulate on your clothes, body, and even in your hair.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Itās worth noting that allergens come in many formsāseasonal (pollen), food (gluten and dairy), and environmental (mold). If youāve ever been a victim to seasonal allergies, you know just how uncomfortable they can be. The good news is we can improve and even eliminate symptoms naturally. Most of the time, allergies will occur as a result of a deeper dysfunction or imbalance in the body. When you treat the root cause of your allergies, you can kiss them good-bye for good!
If you still canāt find relief using these natural strategies, a targeted nutrition plan and evaluation through extensive functional medicine lab work might be your next best step.
If you need more guidance on identifying and treating your seasonal allergies, consider working with me to heal your gut and improve immunity.
