Ahhh Allergies!

Posted by Dr. Della Parker     on April 28, 2016

Ahhh Allergies!

The sun is shining the flowers are blooming and you are sneezing… It is interesting that people take seasonal allergies as a forgone conclusion and start taking allergy meds on the daily “just in case.” Ever thought of figuring out why your body is reacting? Remember, by masking symptoms you are just creating an unhealthier internal environment. When the check engine light comes on, you don’t just clip the wire to the light…you check the engine! Symptoms are an alert that something has gone awry in the body.

Why are more and more people prone to seasonal allergies?

It is generally not because you are just allergic to the pollen or grass or whatever. It is because most people have highly inflammatory bodies with immune systems that are bursting at the seams ready to unload at the smallest aggravation. Let me paint a clearer picture… Grains: that is wheat, barley, rice, corn, millet, rye, oats, etc. These things create inflammation in the body. Some more than others but they all contribute, its science! So does sugar, dairy, and all the chemicals that food is laced with these days. No matter who you are these foods are going to create some level of inflammation in your body. Its weather or not your body can handle this inflammation that is the question. Allergies, even seasonal ones, are simply a response to too much inflammation in the body.

Food is not the only thing to blame, so let’s talk about poop! Did she just say poop? Yes I did! That stuff that is supposed to be coming out of your body twice a day. Most people are lucky if they see it every other day. If your body is not eliminating toxins through your bowels on the regular, this means that those same toxins are just hanging out, festering, and getting reabsorbed. Sounds nice huh!? Guess what? This creates more… Inflammation!

What systems are in place to handle all of this inflammation you ask? Why it is those ever so popular adrenal glands you keep hearing about. Inflammation occurs and adrenal glands release anti-inflammatory hormones to fix things, problem solved. Well, not so much. Remember how, you are super stressed out (with kids and work and making dinner and paying bills and feeling guilty for not exercising and here comes your period… F@#!). Those adrenals stop working to take care of inflammation when they are buried in the stress response. Plus I am sure you are not getting the recommended 8-10 hours of sleep your immune system needs to repair, because that just seems lazy. So now you are sneezing your ass off, your eyes are watery, your nose drippy and you feel even worse.

Let’s get you fixed!

First step:

Stop adding inflammation to your body! You have to eat right. I know you are already stressed out but take some time on a Sunday to meal plan for the week.  Cut out SUGAR and cut out WHEAT for starters! Google “paleo diet” and shoot for that 80% of the time.

Step two:

Drink WATER! Quit drinking sugar (soda, juice, red bull, etc) aka inflammation. I will allow you a cup of coffee in the morning, cause most of you reading this got woken up by your kids in the middle of the night and drag ass without it, I know the feeling! But not a white chocolate double whip mocha… Coffee! With some honey if you insist. The rest of the day drink water! Half your body weight in ounces every day. Add fresh lemon (NOT essential oils) to improve liver detox if desired.  Water will naturally help to decrease your body’s inflammatory load.

Step Tres:

Get some adrenal support. Of course I am never a fan of guessing what the body needs, so I urge you to make an appointment so we can ask your body via Nutrition Response Testing, what it needs to heal. But in a pinch I’m sure a little licorice, ashwaganda, or B vitamin complex won’t hurt.

Lastly:

By now you should be feeling pretty good! Steps 1-3 generally help to decrease the immune system’s hyper-reactivity.  But if you have been taking anti histamines for as long as you can remember we may have some additional work to do. So here are some other hot tips to help decrease that seasonal allergy response:

Allergena: This is a homeopathic of all the common allergens here in the NW region. This helps to desensitize your immune system to these airborne allergens so you aren’t having such severe reactions.

Quercetin: Basically a natural antihistamine. Helps to stabilize those crazy mast cells. 

Nettle Tea: Great herb that helps to balance your immune system and decrease hypersensitivity.

Liver loving foods: Eat em up! They will also help your body to be less reactive to allergens in the air.
Lemons, limes, beets, leafy greens, broccoli, garlic, onions, asparagus, cabbage, with green apples for dessert yum!

Now go blow your nose and get started!

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