About three years ago, I changed my diet dramatically. I noticed a significant reduction in my allergy to springtime Sonoma County pollen, and found that acupuncture & herbal remedies completely alleviated the minimal reaction to pollen I still had.
Now, I have a confession to make. I’ve been cheating on my healing process. I’ve been eating dairy, wheat, and processed sugar for a short time now—all foods my body reacts to.
So now that Santa Rosa pollen has got me in an allergic, itchy, runny nose mess. My allergies were under control the last 2-3 years from acupuncture & herbs, so why all of a sudden are they so bad this year? Why are the herbal remedies that worked so well not helping me as much this year? The answer is clear: eating the wrong foods!
Acupuncture works great for allergies. So do the right herbal remedies. But if you have an underlying sensitivity to dairy, wheat, or another type of food, these tools will only help in a minimal way. On top of that, eating high-glycemic, high-carbohydrate foods will increase the inflammation in your body, making allergies worse. So don’t substitute wheat bread with a bunch of gluten free bread—as it all increases inflammation. And once we are hooked on the foods that make us more allergic, an addictive cycle unfolds that can be hard to kick! I speak from experience on this one…
If you or someone you know suffers from seasonal allergies try these 5 steps for 2 weeks:
1) Try avoiding wheat, dairy, sugar, or other highly allergenic foods.
2) Eat a low glycemic / low-carb diet: abundant in low carbohydrate vegetables, low in grains and bread type products, and high in protein.
3) Sinus Rinses daily.
4) Drink plenty of water to help your body detoxify excess histamine in your system.
5) Receive acupuncture and specific herbal remedies to help minimize symptoms. Some people respond to these alone, but most need to make dietary changes as well.
Spring is so much nicer when you don’t have to carry a tissue box at all times! At least I think so.
