I actually had some allergies this year. I was shocked.
And annoyed. But it told me I had some work to do. Something I was doing was irritating my immune system and I needed to figure out what it was.
Here are some simple tips and remedies to help you stay away from OTC or prescription meds that can be so harmful.
There is a concept called “toxic load”. Toxic load is the toxin burden that your body has to deal with at any given time. In our toxic world it’s not hard to overload your body with too many toxins. In fact it’s very easy, and this can lead to allergies becoming worse than ever before.
Because external, environmental inhalants such as pollens, dust, poor air quality, etc. are just more “toxins” that our bodies have to deal with.
Too many toxins = inflammation, and we see this in the form of
- Itchy, watery eyes
- Postnasal drip
- Phlegm
- Sneezing
So what can you do about it without resorting to over-the-counter medications that could make matters worse in the long run, and make you very tired in the short run?
Reduce inflammation.
Here’s how:
- Sleep – this will help more than anything – 8-9 hours on a daily basis.
- Remove Inflammatory Foods From Your Diet – all sugar, caffeine, gluten, dairy and any food additives/colorings, alcohol and yes, chocolate just for a bit until your symptoms greatly improve.
- Rinse Your Nasal Passages – using a netti pot, fill it with body temperature purified water along with a a 1/4 tsp of fine salt (use table salt instead of sea salt for this). Rinse twice daily and then coat the inside of your nose with coconut oil or sesame oil to soothe and moisturize. (Do not rinse more than twice a day.) This will help to remove dirt, pollen, excess mucus, and other irritants.
- Teas for Relief: Put a tea bag of nettle tea and hibiscus tea (vitamin C) into hot water and drink several cups all day long. Both are antiallergenic and great for hay fever, itchy skin conditions and asthma. (Do not use nettle tea if you are on blood thinning medication.)
- Supplements: Quercelain, Moducare and Meriva 500 are my favorites for decreasing inflammation, stabilizing mast cell production and decreasing an overactive immune response. (This is in addition to a well-rounded nutrient support program containing vitamin C, the B vitamins, and magnesium.) Learn more about these nutrients here and get your Allergy Care Kit.
Once you’ve gotten a handle on your seasonal allergies by following these 5 simple steps, consider doing a detox program (a healthy one) to lower the total toxic load on your body and get your detoxification systems working more efficiently. You’ll significantly reduce inflammation and will feel better in many ways. Quick Tips for Healthy Detox For Spring is an article with great info on what this looks like.
Here’s to feeling much better.
