Can a Cleanse Help With Allergies?
Seasonal Allergies and Detox Diet
Each year when winter winds down and the springtime begins to rear its head, over 50 million Americans begin to suffer from the pesky side effects that are associated with seasonal allergies. In fact, in the spring, just a cubic meter of air can contain thousands of grains of pollen! This pollen causes a reaction in the immune system leading to seasonal allergy symptoms. Seasonal allergies may cause you to suffer from nasal congestion, postnasal drip, puffy and itchy eyes, coughing, headaches, throat irritation, and many other irritating symptoms.
While some people suffer from allergies beginning in childhood, others may unexpectedly develop seasonal allergies later on in life. Once you’ve suffered from allergies year after year, you may have come to accept the fact that you are doomed to suffer from these allergies for the remainder of your days. The good news is, this is not necessarily the case! There are many steps you can take to alleviate your symptoms.
Undertaking a cleanse diet is just one simple change you can make in your everyday lifestyle that will help to alleviate your symptoms when allergy season rolls around. Whether you have suffered from allergy symptoms throughout your whole life, or just beginning recently in adulthood- adding a few specific whole foods to your diet while cutting out some harmful consumption habits can make a huge difference when it comes to allergies. implementing a cleanse-style diet can help you achieve healthier eating practices, and alleviate your allergy symptoms for the long run!
Childhood and Adulthood Allergies
Out of the people that suffer from seasonal allergies in their lifetime, most experience the most severe symptoms during their childhood years. In cases like this, the allergy symptoms will likely have a tendency to slowly diminish over time as they reach adulthood. Often, people who suffer in childhood no longer experience allergy symptoms at all as adults! That being said, many people suffer from allergies beginning in childhood, and the suffering continues each year throughout their adult life. It is a coin toss!
Maybe you are one of the few lucky people who experienced an allergy-free childhood- but now in adulthood, you are beginning to notice that you’re having seasonal allergies for the first time. While it may seem impossible to just develop allergies out of thin air, it is completely feasible and not uncommon to start experiencing allergies beginning in adulthood. There are a few reasons why this may happen. One reason may be that your body is deficient in one or more important nutrients. Sometimes, moving to a new geographical region can also lead to the development of seasonal allergies. This is because you may now be exposed to vegetation and pollen that you were never exposed to before, and your system is not used to dealing with the new flora.
When the weather starts to warm up and the flowers begin to bloom, most people- kids and adults alike, want to spend quality time outside. Allergies can get in the way of fully enjoying your favorite outdoor activities, and the symptoms become a pain in the rear to deal with day in and day out. Whether you have suffered from allergies throughout your child and adult life, or you want to help a child in your life enjoy springtime sans pesky allergy symptoms, there are cleanse tips and tricks out there that can help you achieve your goal!
Simple Dietary Changes
While you could easily choose to treat your allergy symptoms with over-the-counter medicines from the drug store, doing so is not necessarily in the best interest of your health. Medicine can help relieve your symptoms temporarily, without addressing the root of the problem. Choosing to continually rely on medications can also be very expensive over time! There is another more sustainable option to help curb your allergy symptoms, and it all has to do with what you are putting in your body on a daily basis. The foods you consume on a regular basis can have huge impacts on the severity of your seasonal allergies.
Foods To Relieve Allergy Symptoms
Ginger
The raw root and the powder are both great in helping to thin out your mucus. A nice large cup of ginger tea each day in the spring will work wonders in subsiding your allergy symptoms. It also tastes great in spicy dishes, like curry!
Turmeric
Allergic rhinitis can lead to uncomfortable swelling and irritation in the nasal passages. This superfood spice can help alleviate some of the associated inflammations caused by allergies. It can be added by the teaspoon to a mug of almond milk alongside honey and some ground black pepper to make turmeric tea- all you have to do is heat up the concoction over the stovetop or in the microwave for a warm, comforting, allergy-relieving drink.
Cayenne Pepper
This colorful red spice is full of flavor and kick! Like ginger, cayenne pepper is a highly effective nasal decongestant. You can add a teaspoon of the spice to some warm lemon water for a quick detox drink, or add it into your dinnertime meal!
Bee Pollen
Incorporating bee pollen into your diet is a no-brainer when it comes to allergy relief. Containing many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, bee pollen can work wonders in reducing inflammation in the body and improving your overall immune system.
Citrus Fruits
The high levels of vitamin C found in citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes have numerous health benefits for the human body. Among these benefits is the potential to decrease the prevalence of allergic rhinitis- the irritation in the respiratory system that is generated by the pollen produced by blooming plants in the springtime.
Local Honey
Like consuming bee pollen itself, eating local honey will help to introduce your system to the pollen produced by local plant species and lessen your sensitivity to the plants in your area.
Coffee
While coffee doesn’t quite have the power to fully relieve your allergies, there is some good news! Your morning cup of joe has the potential to alleviate feelings of congestion that you may experience first thing in the morning. It can also serve to relieve any head pain associated with allergy-related migraines.
Things to Cut Out of Your Diet
Alcohol
While we all enjoy kicking back with a beer once in a while, alcoholic beverages can have negative impacts on allergy sensitivity. Alcoholic drinks interact with your immune system in such a manner that can lead to higher sensitivity to allergens in your environment.
Peanuts
For those who are allergic to pollen produced by birch trees, peanuts can actually trigger seasonal allergy symptoms like itchiness in the mouth. This is because the proteins found in peanuts are very similar to those found in the pollen of the birch tree. This can confuse the immune system and lead to cross-reactivity- even if you are not allergic to the peanuts themselves!
Sugar
If you suffer from seasonal allergies, then you already have one more great reason to work towards cutting sugar out of your diet! We all know that sugar is not good for health in general, but it can also cause allergies, or intensify your already-existing symptoms by over-stimulating the immune system.
Wheat
Gluten, the protein found in wheat and rye can be difficult for many people to digest. It can cause inflammation inside of the body, which is hard on the immune system. When your body perceives gluten as a threat and uses its resources to fight off the perceived allergen, you will have even worse reactions to real seasonal allergens as a result. Going gluten-free during the springtime can work wonders in alleviating your seasonal allergies.
Attempting an Allergy-Free Life
While we all want to enjoy the natural beauty of springtime care-free, seasonal allergies can really put a damper on your outdoor experiences. Luckily, taking proactive measures in your daily life can decrease your allergy symptoms immensely! Decreasing consumption of highly processed foods as well as making the dietary changes listed above can help tremendously when it comes to alleviating allergy symptoms for the long run.
While taking these steps and cleansing your diet may not make your allergies subside completely, you will likely notice some positive changes in the way you feel! Even if you notice no impact on the status of your allergies, focusing on the clean foods and trying to decrease consumption of the allergy-inducing foods above can improve your health in a myriad of ways.
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