Allergy Part 3: Steps to Take to Avoid Allergy
I was a wheezie, sneezie asthmatic kid. I suffered terribly with allergies, they started in late spring and lasted well into September. I would buy the bulk packs of allergy pills and would often switch mid summer to a different brand because they were no longer working for me. I will spare you the details but, be certain it was very uncomfortable and I was miserable most of the spring and summer.
As an adult, I thought I was doing all the right things, I ate fairly well, exercised and I assumed that these allergies were something I needed to accept and live with.
I was wrong!
I came to understand the importance of digestion and how it affects our immunity, as we covered in the previous blog. So much of our health is determined by how healthy our gut is! So as I improve my gut health, my allergies began to disappear.
Did you know a) we have immune cells in our gut? and b) they make up the majority of our immune system!!
So it is safe to say that if your gut is unhealthy then the rest of your body including your ability to fight infections like allergy, digest food and day to day metabolism will be affected.
Ok so here is a quick list of things you can do to support your immunity and ultimately help improve allergy.
Just a quick personal note, I no longer buy allergy pills at all and I don’t experience seasonal allergies!
1) Do an audit of your diet and your environment:
Try to eliminate or reduce as many toxins as you can. Look at how much processed foods, alcohol, and refined sugar are in your diet. Don’t forget to also look at what types of chemicals you are using in your home. See a previous blog on how to find hidden chemicals in everyday items
2) Eliminate Allergens:
Aim for 4-6 weeks of eating a whole foods diet, with no processed/refined foods or foods that people commonly react to like milk, eggs, wheat, cheese, corn, peanuts, beef and pork. A food journal can help track and highlight patterns of possible food intolerances and allergy.
3) Support Your Immune System:
There are many little things that go a long way in supporting your immunity like getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, washing your hands and taking supplements that support your immunity like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, selenium, and zinc
4) Do regular and seasonal cleanses:
Don’t freak out, a cleanse can be as easy as drinking more water and getting more sleep. If you are up for a bit more cleansing, a structured cleanse can go along way. There are many benefits of regular cleansing and many practitioners feel there would be less chronic disease if individuals did more seasonal cleansing. Check a previous blog on small steps you can take to do a cleanse
If you have any questions about allergy, immunity, seasonal cleansing please reach out to me, I am happy to help.
Take care,
Sarah
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