Allergies are such a common health issue, and while it may not seem serious, it affects so many people's lives (and their ability to enjoy the outdoors). In light of being in “allergy season,” I thought it would be beneficial to provide some tips + tricks to help you move through allergy season with more ease.
5 Ways to Support Seasonal Allergies
1. Change Your Diet
Since the allergic response in the body is highly related to inflammation, eating an anti-inflammatory diet is very important. MANY people notice after a night of eating "fun foods", their allergy response is horrible! There is a reason to this: common foods such as gluten, dairy, and sugar all cause the body to spike in inflammation, lower the immune response, and increase mucous production! For allergy support, I recommend removing (for a minimum of 3 months): gluten (wheat), sugar, corn, dairy, and soy. You may choose to avoid alcohol as well, especially wine, as it is often filled with contaminants inclusive of mold.
2. Support Your Liver
Liver health is crucial to processing allergens in our environment. There is a reason why many natural allergy support supplements come from either animal liver sources, or liver supporting herbs. You do not have to have a ‘liver problem’ for it to be tired, sluggish and not working as efficiently as we need it. The liver helps to clean things up, clear out those histamines and when things are backed up, that is when a reaction occurs.
The key is that you start the support a month or two prior to when your allergy symptoms tend to be the worst. It gives your system time to build up and ultimately, you have the best results. No worries, better late than never…we have a ton of options at our office. It is best to work with your healthcare practitioner to determine if supporting your liver is an important step in allergy prevention. To contact us regarding, this, click here!
3. Consume Local Raw + Organic Honey
The key here is that the honey MUST be local to your area! Taking 1 TBS/day of local honey, can help your body acclimate to local pollen, thus lowering the histamine response in the body. If you are a nerd like myself and enjoy research, check out this article which showed a 60% reduction in subjects allergies who consumed local honey daily.
4. Take a High Quality Probiotic
The gut dictates an estimated 80% of our immune response, and in the case of allergies the histamine reaction directly correlates to gut health. By taking probiotic support daily, and helping the microbiome of the gut be at its healthiest, you're also supporting allergies! Let alone, all the other wonderful benefits that come from taking a probiotic. At Be Optimal, our favorite is MegaSporeBiotic, and you can read more about it, here!
5. Use a Neti Pot
The neti pot is a very natural way to rid the nasal passages and sinuses of allergens and congestion. This method has been utilized all over the world for centuries, and for good reason! Stop by your local pharmacy and you can find a neti pot for purchase. When you use the neti pot, make sure the water is pure and distilled (not tap!) and that you have the appropriate fine salt to create a neti saline for optimal nasal cleansing. Freaked out about doing this, even purchasing a ready-made saline nasal wash from the pharmacy can work too!
I hope this post helps you and your family find allergy relief! Have any other tips? Leave them below in the comments! Remember, to consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new supplement or health protocol. And always, we are here to support you to thrive!
P.S. To learn more expanded info on this and other topics and to have a chance to talk directly to the docs, check out and register for our monthly FREE Dinner with The Docs, HERE.
Cheers to less sneezing and more deep breathing!
Dr. Cari J.