Spring Allergy Defense

If you are one of the 81 million people in the U.S. that suffer from seasonal allergies you’re going to want to read this…

Pollen is not your enemy. The way you treat your body is. Let me explain:

When your body takes in something foreign like pollen it triggers the production of histamines. Histamine is our ally, but when it overreacts it causes inflammation that leads to mucus production and other uncomfortable symptoms like watery eyes or itchy skin. Your body is trying to flush it all out. 

It doesn’t seem fair. We have months of cold dormancy and then bam, pollen floating in the air, collecting on your clothes, car, and skin, it’s everywhere! You feel like your head is a swollen balloon and your nose is as red as a clown. But I’m telling you, you don’t have to be an indoor kid if you are willing to do the work. 

The two big areas of your body that need to be supported are the digestive and lymphatic systems. If your digestive system is weak then you are already living in a persistent state of inflammation that may present itself as chronic constipation, IBS symptoms, headaches, eczema, food sensitivities, anxiety, and/or depression. If your lymphatic system is congested it can present as weirdly painful or sensitive areas on the body, swollen glands, and a poorly functioning immune system. Sounds super fun right? 

Of course, the usual answer for turning this around and maintaining a healthy body is the noise we hear from the health community and they aren’t wrong. Eat healthy food, move your body, decrease stress, get better sleep, and stay hydrated. We all know it, but how many of us actually do it? How do we stay on track? How do we find joy in the self-care? Well, health coaches can help you reach goals and stay on track, but I am going off the rails a bit because we are talking specifically about the allergy season that is approaching like a high-speed train and we don’t have time to completely change our lives in the next few weeks. 

Here are the basics. All this should be started ASAP. It can take 3-4 weeks to get your body in a better position to handle the allergy season, so chop-chop!

• Desensitize your body from the oncoming pollengeddon. Find a good source of local raw honey and have a spoonful of it 2-3x a day. This will remind your body that pollen exists as you consume trace amounts of the pollen from your area. NOTE: raw honey gets cooked in temperatures above 120° so keep it cool for the full health benefits. 

• Stay hydrated. The 8 glasses of water per day rule is made up. Everyone needs a different amount of water based on their weight, level of activity, and environment. Go to this water calculator link and find out how much water you should really be drinking. Fun Tip: have your first drink of the day (before coffee) be 16 ounces of fresh lemon water. Lemon gives the liver a little boost which is one of our big goals for metabolizing histamine more efficiently. 

• Consume bitter herbs before a meal. This can be in capsule form, infused vinegar, or tincture. But you are going to need it. If you read my previous blog post about cleansing the liver I mentioned how bitters help thin the bile and give the liver a break (aka time to work on its own self-care) and can help prevent an overreaction of histamine in the body. 

• Consider a cleanse. I said it. Please don’t come after me. I know this is a trigger word for some people but I am not suggesting a cleanse for weight loss. I am suggesting a structured temporary diet designed to support your body and give you a break from all the processed food and other chemicals it has been struggling to deal with that probably put you in this position in the first place. If you want to know more I am happy to talk about this topic all day and I have access to the Standard Process 21-day Purification Cleanse that is meant for this specific purpose. Feel free to contact me for more information. It’s not necessary but it makes it easier to stay on track than planning everything out yourself. The goal is to eat healthy organic meals and drink plenty of water. No sugar, canned or processed foods, and no coffee (or just 8 oz. per day if you can’t exist without it). 

• Support your lymphatic system. Jumping, daily movement, massage, dry brushing, and staying hydrated are all ways to assist your body with lymphatic drainage. The worst thing you can do for yourself is to be physically stagnant. 

These are just a few of the major steps you could take to help your body function better in the spring. If spring has already sprung where you are you can still take these steps and feel the benefits.