HAY FEVER AND YOUR DIET- WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP YOURSELF
What a year we have had weather wise. And if you’re in southern Victoria you will still be seeing lots of hay fever sufferers really feeling it at this time of year. The warm weather is lovely and the flowers that are blooming, even more so. But add is the wind and you have a recipe for disaster if you suffer from hay fever.
While an antihistamine might work great, it is really just having a bandaid approach to hay fever symptoms. There are many things that can be done to reduce the severity of your symptoms.
There are even some super easy things that you can start doing now, and it all comes down to your diet. Include a few things, reduce a few things and you’re well on your way to be able to leave the house without the dreaded tissues and antihistamine in tow.
THINGS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR DIET
Local honey
The idea behind consuming local honey is similar to that of a vaccine. Local honey will contain small amounts of pollens from around your local environment. By consuming these small pollen particles on a regular basis the idea is that the body becomes desensitised to them, reducing your hay fever symptoms come allergy season. Local honey consumption should be started 1-2 months prior to allergy season to reduce the sensitivity. Some people find this find it very effective, whilst others don’t notice much of a difference. It really done seems to be a person by person situation.
Horseradish
Horseradish is a natural decongestant as well as being great for reducing inflammation within the sinuses. It works well symptomatically or as a preventative action against hay fever and can be consumed as a tea, in cooking or if you’re really struggling with the taste then in tablet form.
Garlic
Garlic has many different properties which is helpful in combatting hay fever. garlic acts as a decongestant by clearing mucous from the sinuses and upper respiratory tract. garlic also helps to boost the immune system, which should help to reduce the reactivity to usual hay fever triggers.
Because garlic works best as a decongestant in it’s freshest form, cooking with garlic is the best way to consume it in this instance.
Bone broths and fermented foods
Bone broths are highly mineralised liquids which contain all the collagen from the bones which is was made from. This collagen helps to heal the gut, reducing any sort of atopy symptoms like hay fever which can be associated with leaky gut. Read more about all of that HERE
fermented foods include kombucha, sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, miso and tempeh. These foods are rich in probiotic bacteria- helping to promote healthy immune function from the gut. 70% of the bodies immune system is found in the gut so making sure that lots of good bacteria is going in is vital.
Consuming daily will get you the best results.
FOODS TO REDUCE IN YOUR DIET
Reduce dairy
reducing sulphites/preservatives from foods
OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER
Minimise the amount of dust hoarding items in your house- i.e.. rugs, lots of carpet, cushions etc.
Regularly wash these items to make sure dust isn’t building up inside.
Air purifiers may prove helpful
Lymphatic massage- a great one to use to take the burden off the rest of the body in regards to allergy load and immune function.
Nasal bath- Mix salt and water. Rinse nostrils by holding head over sink and letting water run from upper nostril to lower nostril. Keep nostrils lower than throat to prevent salt water draining into back of throat. Shrinks membranes and increases drainage.
Supplementing with Vitamin C and zinc.
