Spring is such a beautiful time of year. The cherry blossoms and warmer weather means more time outdoors. This is all very exciting for most of us but can be dreaded by those who experience seasonal allergies or hay fever. There are many ways to naturally improve your immune system to help alleviate the symptoms experienced. It is ideal to start earlier in the spring; do not wait until you are experiencing symptom’s to start controlling them.
Here are five strategies to minimize impact of your seasonal allergies this year:
- Identify your triggers. Whether it’s cut grass, tree pollen, or mold it is good to have an idea of what is causing the itchy eyes and congestion to do your best to avoid them. Consider a HEPA filter for your bedroom or in the main rooms of your house to help purify the air.
- Incorporate immune boosting herbs. A few examples include Nettles in capsule or tea form and plant sterols/sterolins such as Moducare. These help to improve immune function while reducing the histamine response that creates the infamous symptoms.
- Consider raw, local honey or pollen granules. Small doses of local bee products have been shown to be an effective way to prime the immune system to reduce the intensity of your symptoms (avoid honey in children under 1 year of age)
- Find a good quality, human strain probiotic. Probiotics are particularly important for supporting our immune system. The human gut has numerous species of these beneficial bacteria which outnumber our cells 10:1 and we are only now beginning to understand everything that they do for us. Choose a formulation that is dairy-free when possible.
- Avoid or minimize mucus producing foods. Examples of mucus forming foods include dairy products (milk, yogurt, and yes sadly most cheeses but particularly soft cheese), high sugar processed products, and any known food sensitivities that you may have.
RSS Feed