5 Things You Can Do to Relieve Allergies
I see more and more people each year suffering from allergies, and I want to say, you don’t have to!! I write this as a previous allergy sufferer myself, and I understand your pain. Allergies are no fun, and they are actually a sign that your body, especially your immune system, is not functioning up to speed. Many people also start to develop other inflammatory issues (arthritis, headaches, colds often, skin reactions, etc), so you want to nip this in the bud. And I’m here to say, it’s absolutely doable!
A little bit about allergies- they are caused by an increase in inflammation from bad gut flora which affects your regulatory T cells of your immune system. The reg T cells stop functioning well and that’s how you get allergies. Ignoring them or taking allergy meds won’t help your situation in the long run. You want to get at the causes…
Inflammation is caused by a number of factors
– car and factory emissions- this not only hurts us directly, but it causes plants to produce more pollen. For example, diesel fumes can increase your sensitivity to ragweed pollen sevenfold!
– the air you breathe in your home. Chemicals used in cleaning supplies, some furniture, carpet glue, etc..
– harmful products like soaps, shampoos, lotions, makeup, etc. Some of which get absorbed in your skin, and others are harmful to breathe in, not to mention harmful to ocean life.
– the western diet is highly inflammatory. It’s filled with refined foods like bread, pasta, sugary treats, cereal, bad oils like vegetable and canola. And remove most processed foods because they have environmental toxins and chemicals that were used in their processing methods and added for preserving, etc.
5 things you can do to help relieve allergies for good
1. Get rid of chemical laden cleaning substances in your home. If you have been considering ripping out that carpet, go ahead and do it! For a list of products that are healthy for you and your family, go to the Environmental Working Group’s website.
2. Use clean (no chemical laden or inflammatory causing) products on your hair, skin and body. To see if your products pass the test or to find some that do, go to the EWG personal care product website
3. Eat phytonutrients like bioflavonoids, folate, vitamin A, etc from fruits, veggies and herb sources (eat the rainbow!)- they nourish T reg cells and enhance detoxification. Flavonoids help increase and diversify your gut flora which is necessary for digesting your food and healing leaky gut.
4. Eat organic. Enough said.
5. And most importantly, stop consuming allergens and inflammatory causing foods! Dairy and grains are high allergen foods. Also refined sugar, and other processed foods which have hidden inflammatory causing chemicals and refined ingredients. Dairy is an allergen for many people, specifically because it is pasteurized and homogenized which takes away a lot of it’s digestive enzymes. Cow’s dairy, in particular, is the worst, as it’s harder to digest than goat and sheep dairy.
If you want to know more specifics about how to heal your gut, and decrease inflammation which is causing your allergies, arthritis, skin issues, weight issues, headaches, fatigue, etc.., please be in touch. I am a nutritional counselor and have helped many with inflammatory issues.
I’d love to be your allergy consultant, so please be in touch if you have any questions or concerns. A free 45- min consultation over the phone or in person can bring some clarity to why you’re suffering with allergies.
All the best,
Leah
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