*ACHOO!* Sick of being sick with allergies
So summer is on the way, and it’s been raining like crazy. You’ve been waking up with a stiff and stuffy nose the last few weeks. You can’t get through a morning without a Claratyne or Zyrtec. Your nose is raw from constantly using tissues. People look at you like you’ve got coronavirus if you sneeze or sniff in the supermarket. At this point you’re sick of hearing the words, “bless you”. I don’t know about you but personally, I’m sick of it! That’s why I’ve done the research and found how we can combat allergies and get through the hay fever season by just making a few additions to our diets.
No more drippy nose and watery eyes
Here are 4 things to add to your diet to relieve allergy inflammation:
Ginger – We’ve talked about ginger plenty of times (read our article about the top 3 anti-inflammatory foods here) and, honestly, it deserves the hype. Ginger is one of the best weapons when it comes to anti-inflammatory foods. It helps relieve swelling and irritation in your nose, sinuses, eyes, and your mouth and throat. Studies have shown that ginger suppresses your body’s production of inflammatory proteins and may actually prevent hay fever symptoms. Try grating some ginger into your stir fry or curry, or try a ginger tea.
Citrus – Vitamin C is an obvious one for colds and flus, but it’s actually also a powerful antihistamine which has been shown to abate hay fever. Who knew?! Fruits that are high in vitamin C include oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, lemon, and lime, to name a few. If you’re not a lover of fruit, try our Cold Pressed Juices on the snacks menu.
Onions – You wouldn’t expect that something that makes you cry when you’re trying to cook dinner would actually help your watery eyes, right? Well, onion actually contains a high concentration of ‘quercetin’, which is a natural antihistamine that is also sold as a dietary supplement. They also provide other anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds which improve general health, and act as a delicious flavour base for any meal. An absolute staple in most Nourish’d meals.
Bee Pollen and Local Honey – Stay with us here… Bee pollen really is edible, and consuming it from the local area may help build your resistance to allergies caused by that very pollen. Research also suggests that if you have small amounts of local honey, your body may be able to develop a tolerance to the pollen in the area. Studies are still being conducted on this so it’s not exactly a sure thing, but it definitely can’t hurt to try!
Try adding some of these foods into your diet each day and feel the difference. Reducing your consumption of refined sugar and alcohol is also super beneficial for alleviation of allergy symptoms and inflammation, but around Halloween and Christmas and holidays, you do you 😉
For more information – Resources
- https://www.healthline.com/health/seasonal-allergies-best-foods#2.-Bee-pollen
- https://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/foods-fight-allergies
- https://bastyr.edu/news/health-tips/2011/09/nutrition-allergies#:~:text=The%20cornerstones%20of%20an%20anti,dairy%20products)%2C%20except%20fish.
- https://www.wildnutrition.com/blogs/our-blog/6-natural-approaches-to-help-combat-hay-fever