Natural, Holistic Help for Allergies
Springtime in the Valley is amazing! A balance of rain and sun, chilly mornings with perfect afternoons, green grass, flowers, and a palpable energy with everyone outside. However, no place is perfect, and the one downside is the aggressive nature of allergy season. If you have seasonal allergies or know someone who suffers from them, then this installment of Wellness Wednesday is for you.
The first tip is a nutritional one: local bee honey and pollen. You can get this at your local farmers market. It usually comes in a cute little Mason Jar. It is important to get local honey or bee pollen, and avoid the ones you would get at a grocery store or on Amazon. The reason is, bees from your local area are pollinating the plants that you are having an allergic reaction to. By consuming the honey or pollen, you actually decrease your histamine reaction by reducing the activation of your mast cells. That is fancy scientific jargon for lowering your allergic reaction to something. If the honey or pollen is not locally sourced, you won’t have the same immune response as with the locally sourced version.
Should you take honey or pollen? That depends on how severe your allergies are. For someone who has no allergies, local honey every day may be enough. If you are new to The Valley, or wherever you are located, you might want the extra boost that is provided from the bee pollen. That is what Kari and I did last winter/spring, and it worked like a charm. We took about a heaping teaspoon most days. We would put it on top of smoothies, or would eat it straight. For those with more severe reactions, go right to the bee pollen, and increase the dose. You might even get an extra bonus of increased energy, because pollen is laden with B vitamins that give our cells needed energy.
The next tip is to get outside and to aerate your house. This may sound counter cultural to what you think, as allergy reactivity occurs from the things growing outside your window. But, your nasal passages need fresh air, not the stagnant air that is floating around inside your house. Letting natural air flow through the house can help with this. Have you ever noticed how stuffy you can be when you get off an airplane? That is because you are breathing in stagnant air for the duration of your flight. Being in a house with all the windows closed, and the only moving air from your dusty air ducts is no different. By allowing our nasal passages the chance to truly breathe, we give our bodies the best climate to ward off allergic reactions. Furthermore, when we get outside, we are typically moving our bodies, which help our immune systems balance, and give us a natural boost!
Speaking of immune system balance and natural boost, one of the best tools at our disposal is the chiropractic adjustment. Chiropractic care helps with improving your nervous system function (more on this next week), and specific cervical (neck) adjustments paired with cranial work can help to drain sinus buildup and pressure. By boosting our nervous system, and resetting the pressure in this region, we can help with your immune system and provide a massive aid during allergy season.
In review, the three best things you can do for your allergies this spring are: consume local bee pollen, aerate your house and seek daily outdoor movement, and get adjusted. I hope this helps you, and is an easy way you can teach your family how to live a healthier life. If you have any questions, please reach out! Have a great day!
-Dr. Kevin
