5.  Beat Allergies Naturally
 
As beautiful as spring is with the April showers and the May flowers, many people do not look forward to their springtime allergies. Did you know that there are natural ways to remedy seasonal allergies and other allergies? Did you know it is possible to reduce your risk to seasonal allergies? Many over the counter medicines for allergies are temporary and may cause drowsiness or other side effects. Symptoms of allergies can include: • Clear nasal discharge • Watery eyes • Sneezing • Itchiness • Nasal irritation and congestion • Depression • Fatigue • Headache • Sore throat There is no reason to continue suffering from allergies when there are several nutritional, supplemental, and environmental ways to treat allergies. • Increase the fresh air in your home with more plants. • Make sure you are drinking safe water • Use a pillowcase made to reduce allergens. • Clean and dust frequently. See our clinic for more ideas, great supplements, and allergy testing kits to help you breathe easy this spring!! ALLERGY PREVENTION The first step to allergy prevention is to find out what you are allergic to. This may require testing or certain elimination programs to tease out your allergies. A natural safe cleanse will work wonders. There are several allergies to think of. You may have allergies to foods you eat, or inhalant allergies to mold, dust mites, pollen, cat dander and other things in your environment. The body after frequent exposure to allergens can produce antibodies (immunoglobulin A, E, G) to them. These antibodies are specific, it is the same mechanism to produce antibodies, which your body produces to beat a cold, a bacterial infection, or the flu. These antibodies also mediate severe allergies to foods such as peanuts. Spring-cleaning is a good way to prevent your overall burden. Someone with allergies is often slightly allergic to many things. It is when you combine these food allergies, poor nutrition and poor health with the spring pollen that cause problems for most people. NUTRITION 101 FOR ALLERGIES Make sure your spring diet includes plenty of: • Fluids like clean water to thin mucus • Antioxidants like vitamin C and dark skinned berries (high in Vit C watermelon, strawberries, citrus) • Quercitin (acts as a natural anti-histamine) • NAC (amino acid to reduce mucus) • Digestive and liver support herbs like dandelion tea • Herbs like Urtica (stinging nettles) • Fiber and more fiber See our clinic for a free 15 minute consult for more information. Dr. Miki
Monday, April 13, 2009