http://www.care2.com/greenliving/saying-good-bye-to-seasonal-allergies.html
Saying Goodbye to Seasonal Allergies
By Debbie Mandel, Intent.com
If you are experiencing itchy eyes, a dry, raspy throat, sneezing, sinus headaches and tiredness, chances are you have seasonal allergies. Commercials bombard us with idyllic images of allergy medication from pills to nasal sprays.
However, we quickly adapt to the medication and soon need a stronger prescription. As for the over the counter pills like Advil and Aleve we take for headaches, many experience rebound headaches which research studies have validated as a real side-effect. Medication is no free ride; it has side-effects and costs you money.
The solution:
Your response to allergens often correlates to how balanced you are when it comes to eating, exercising, sleeping and stress-management. Allergies are actually an auto-immune response which translates into: the self against the self. So, it makes absolute sense that when you are intact and whole, your allergies will dissipate and no longer bother you; your immune system will be more vigilant. I present myself as a test case.
For years I was an allergy sufferer. My sinus headaches, dizziness, itchy eyes and occasional tiredness always arrived with spring. Every morning I woke up to coffee and Allegra D 180 mg. However, in the past few years I rarely have any symptoms except for the occasional itchy eye and more important–no more killer headaches and sinus pressure!
What changed? I stopped taking the medication five years ago, ate more fruits and vegetables and basically stopped fighting Mother Nature; I vowed to get along with her no matter what the weather. Brazenly, I went out to my garden, in the trenches, fertilizing, weeding, mulching and pruning without the fear or the expectation of an allergic reaction. I made up my mind not to have any symptoms and oh yes, I almost forgot, I managed my stress.
It’s time to ease up on yourself and find your balance in all that you do. When you are centered, you will feel well, able to inhale the fresh air as you exhale the staleness. Here are some suggestions that worked for me:
* Taper off your medication to help your body to re-adjust. (Always consult your doctor if you have special problems).
* Exercise five days a week for 30-60 minutes. Incorporate core stabilization exercises like lunges, squats, sit ups and yoga postures to help you find your balance.
* Diet is crucial. Keep every meal balanced: complex carb, lean protein, vegetables and fruits. Cut down on sugar which is an inflammatory agent. When you do have sugar, make sure it follows a protein and a healthy fat– like olive oil –to stabilize blood sugar.
* To quickly rid your body of toxins drink water and eat fiber.
* Get rid of the toxins in your head and release the resentment.
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7 comments
add your comment »Some people have real allergy problems that will not just disappear from "positive thinking." I thought this article did not offer any real advice or help to truly get rid of allergies.
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Hey, a little seasonal allergy is my ideal. I have terrible, life-long allergies and the only thing that has helped are my weekly antigen shots. A good diet is helpful whatever you do and a little exercise doesn't hurt. Medication helps you heal, but all most allergy "medications" do is treat a symptom. Stay away from nasal sprays of any kind. If its for congestion, it will have a rebound effect. Years ago, I had to kick Afrin cold turkey three times and it was no party. The other kind contain steroids and can leave permanent, non-healing sores in your nasal cavity. Stay very far away from them.
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I threw my medication out, became a vegan and I´m alright now. Easy.
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Alex - I can understand that. Chinese food isn't always as heavy as American food, and probably digests better in general. Oranges, too, have a good bit of fiber in them compared to, say, watermelon, and the fiber would slow digestion. In general, however, Americans tend to eat heavier meals with big hunks of meat, or with goodly amounts of beans. Both of those take a long time to digest, and I have personally known people who have gone to picnics, eaten hamburgers and fruit salad, or baked beans and grape juice, and really suffered for it. I have read a LOT of people's views on what we should and should not eat, and there are very few hard and fast rules that everyone agrees on. Not eating fruit with food is one general rule that I have seen many times, coming from many different dietary angles, and one which I have personally witnessed as causing trouble. It's something for people to keep in mind, anyway.
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Hey Miss Info, I have some Chinese friends and they almost always follow their meal with fruit, namely oranges... Not saying 100% that they're right but the Chinese culture is ancient and has a better grasp on what one's body needs compared to modern U.S. conventional medicine.
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I love the positivity of your article however, I already do all of those things that you suggest and suffer through ragweed season and for a few months after. I only have to take an allergy tablet twice or three times a week at certain times of the year instead of every day. Allergy researchers have shown that stress and anxiety can make allergy symptoms worse and last longer so cutting down on that alone via exercise and by developing a more positive attitude can do a lot to help this condition, as you have discovered through personal experience.
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I wonder if the author really means that we must eat the balance of carbs, protein, veggies, and fruit at each meal. Many nutritionists say NOT to eat fruit with other food. Fruit digests quickly, and if it is caught in the stomach/intestines behind slower-digesting, heavy foods, it can ferment and cause bloating. Fruit is best on an empty stomach, or before meals, so that it can properly digest.
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