I have never had bad allergies...until January when cedar trees release their pollen. Cedar trees are the national tree of hell. They suck up all the underground water, are major fire hazards and their pollen is unbearable. Plus, they're ugly. Whether you suffer from cedar fever, ragweed, grass or other pollen, or you always get a cold/flu in the winter, there are things you can do to boost your immune system without drugging yourself into a zombie.
Allergies are actually an auto-immune response. By giving your immune system every opportunity to work at its optimal level, you can greatly decrease your body's auto-immune response to allergens and increase the immune response to viruses.
I've taken every prescription pill, inhaler or OTC pill offered to combat cedar allergies. They have helped, but also made me feel anxious, groggy, cloudy, hungry and just plain out of it. They are also very acidic so while they mask my allergy symptoms, they are also weakening my immune system. Last year, I wanted to try something different - something more natural. I went to a local drug store and spoke with a naturopathic doctor who gave me all of the below recommendations. I tried it and was AMAZED at how well I did through what was touted as one of our city's worst cedar seasons. I only took 2 Benadryl the entire 2 months, when the cedar pollen counts were in the thousands - and I never got a cold. The doctor told me that each year, the symptoms should lessen. I am so happy I can forego the meds and just let my body do the work. Give it a try but start at least a month before your allergy/cold season to strengthen your immune system.
1) Reduce or eliminate sugars - sugars (especially refined table sugars) are highly acidic and put the body in an inflamed state. When the system is inflamed, it is in a reactionary mode and can begin attacking when and where it shouldn't - hence the auto-immune response. Alcohol is metabolized like sugars, so limit wine and fruity drinks as much as possible. Sorry!
2) Avoid gluten - gluten often triggers an auto-immune response, even if you don't recognize it. Yes, some people have intestinal issues when consuming gluten, but others may show no gut problems. Gluten inflames the body like sugars and by minimizing or eliminating it leading up to and during your allergy/cold season, you may be surprised at how your body is more able to work as it should instead of attacking the wrong things.
3) Avoid processed foods - if you've been reading this blog for a while, you know how important this one is for your overall health. Processed foods are possibly the worst thing you can put into your body. They wreak havoc on the immune system, among a host of other things. Processed foods, as with sugar and gluten, keep the body in a constant inflamed state, thereby preventing the immune system from working as it should.
4) Add cod liver oil - cod liver oil, sold in capsules or liquid, has renowned effects on the immune system, brain function, heart and kidney health and skin. It is loaded with omega fatty acids which are wonderful for so many things in your body like lowering triglycerides and blood pressure, preventing some symptoms of diabetes, and reducing swelling (inflammation). Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, cod liver oil has given people with allergies significant relief. It has worked wonders for me.
5) Add alkaline foods - to combat the acidity in many of our foods, we need to balance it with alkaline foods. Acidic foods cause inflammation and inflammation is the enemy. Be sure to read my previous blog entry about sea weeds ("The #1 Food to Add to Your Diet") because they are a wonderful way to alkalize the blood stream. Fermented foods such as pickled veggies (pickles, sauerkraut, pickled radishes or any veggie), umeboshi plums, tempeh, and miso (all sold at Whole Foods) are ideal (see Recipes for homemade miso soup which is THE perfect elixir for allergy/cold season - drink a mug daily).
6) Eat as many dark-colored veggies and fruits you can consume. These dark colors are an indicator of the foods' antioxidant concentration. Antioxidants boost our immune systems, so EAT UP.
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