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5 Surprising Allergy Triggers

posted by Mel, selected from Natural Solutions magazine Jun 29, 2009 7:04 am

Allergy Trigger #1: Your diet

Adopting an anti-inflammatory diet is one of the first steps Monti tells his patients to take during allergy season. “If you eat inflammatory foods, your seasonal allergies will be much worse,” he says, “especially if you’re already sensitive to a particular food.”

Two types of foods can cause an inflammatory reaction that overtaxes your immune system, Monti explains. First are the foods you can’t digest well; ones you may not even know you have a problem with. Wheat, milk, eggs, and peanuts are the most common problem-foods for allergies. If, for example, you’re sensitive to wheat, your immune system readies itself for a “fight” and remains in a heightened “attack mode” for as long as you eat that cereal grain or cheese. Then along come seasonal allergens, which your immune system would normally perceive as mild irritants. But because it’s already on high alert from dealing with your wheat sensitivity, it overreacts and your allergy symptoms spiral out of control. Follow a diet that minimizes inflammation in your body and creates little or no stress on your immune system, and your body won’t react so violently to external allergens.

Saturated fats, processed foods, and heavily refined carbohydrates are the second type of inflammation-causing foods. These affect everyone–no food sensitivities needed. Monti tells his patients to cut out all of these products, especially during allergy season, and instead eat lots of fruits, veggies, and whole (gluten-free) grains.

So how can you tell if you have an underlying food sensitivity that is making your seasonal allergy symptoms worse? Eliminate the suspect–wheat or dairy, for instance for a week. On the eighth day, bring that food back and eat it three or four times. For the next three days, watch for signs like increased mucus production, asthma-like symptoms, skin rashes, gas, bloating, heartburn, headaches, fatigue, or mood changes, says Laurie Steelsmith, ND, LAc, a naturopath and acupuncturist in Honolulu and author of Natural Choices for Women’s Health (Three Rivers Press, 2005). If any of these symptoms arise, or you just don’t feel as well as you did when you were avoiding the food, nix that food from your diet. Repeat this process with any other foods you suspect may cause you problems.

Don’t expect immediate results once you’ve eliminated a food from your diet, however, says Randy Horwitz, MD, PhD, an allergist and medical director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Two to four weeks may pass before you notice any relief. Also, unless you’re allergic to the food–think peanut allergies or celiac disease–you may be able to add it back to your diet once allergy season has ended.

Next: Stress

More on Allergies (30 articles available)
More from Mel, selected from Natural Solutions magazine (133 articles available)

26 comments

26 comments

add your comment »
26 comments add your comment
Cathy R.

I needed this

MiZ Bee
  • MiZ Bee says
  • Jul 12, 2009 2:47 PM

Interesting article, thank you!

To all suffering from whatever type of allergy, please check out NAET acupuncture treatments. http://naet.com/

It is an amazing process that truly works! I'm now free & clear from pollen, food & cat allergies. I love it!

After 10 years without a cat in my life, a stray girl was in need of a home & I needed a buddy. Years ago, I lived with three long haired cats with no issue. Something had changed...

Two NAET treatments later, boom! Gone! Individual results can vary depending on your personal situation. Find a practitioner in your area and give it a go! Best of health to all! :-)

Ray P.
  • Ray P. says
  • Jul 8, 2009 4:33 AM

thank u advice noted

Elizabeth Koeppe

I would recommend Nutriferon over Airborne, because it is all natural and the only immunity supplement made by the discoverer of interferon.

Arukawa Midori

I love this article! I dramatically decreased my allergy symptoms using food and lifestyle changes and that's one of my favorite things to help my clients with. Teeth Whitening If you go to an allergist and they recomment getting rid of your dogs or cats, get rid of the doctor before you throw off your beloved pets (stress is terrible on the immune system) and opt for allergy testing.

Sonia Edwards

In response to this article, I would like to share some information about a new, drug free treatment for allergies called the DNA Allergy Relief Treatment.
If you look closely you’ll see that many of the ills, ailments and disease that make us old before our time are related to allergic reactions. Allergies can be eliminated. Anyone practicing energy-based allergy elimination techniques knows this.
An Allergy is a reaction to what your immune system considers a foreign substance even if it is not one. The substances that trigger an allergy are called allergens or antigens rather interchangeable. Allergens create low vibration interference patterns in your DNA which trigger immunoglobulin (Ig) to produce antibodies. The main immunoglobulins are the IgE inducing antigens (allergen) and the Ig G inducing antigens.
In some of us a normally harmless substance such as the ragweed pollen acts as an allergen-antigen. These allergens attach to allergenic sites on the pollen causing us to produce Ig E antibodies and eosinophils. This IS an ALLERGIC RESPONSE!
http://www.linkedin.com/in/drtededwardsdc

Peace Love Earth

Just the air we breathe anymore is full of strange things that can give us all kinds of allergies & germs. I like to use AIRBORNE to boost my immune system....I'd recommend it!

Anita C.

Shaklee products have been keeping me healthy and allergy-free for over 41 years! If you are still in doubt, try any of them because they are all 100% guaranteed! The company is 53 years old. In all these years, they have refunded only one-third of one percent of their products! I call that a reliable track record!

Robin H.

I became a vegetarian for moral reasons and hoped to have more energy, lose weight and live longer. I didn't have more energy or lose weight. The big surprise was that my allergies improved about 95%. I was allergic to almost everything! I was allergic to sunshine! I was even allergic to something my own body produced and broke out in a rash. Smoke still gets to me, and some perfumes, but the rest are gone. This was a completely unexpected benefit of vegetarianism.

Elizabeth Koeppe

I have a study that compares XanGO, Mona-Vie, Tahitian Noni and Shaklee's Vivix. If anyone is interested in seeing it, let me know: ekoeppe@care2.com

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