Are you as sick of this weather as I am? (Literally sick- my allergies are having a field day with these rapid weather changes!)
Only in Houston can we experience every type of weather in the course of a week. If you have seasonal allergies, weather change is NOT your friend!
I've suffered with terrible allergies my entire life, and in the past I turned to prescription medications, allergy shots, eye drops, and other chemical-based things that doctors threw at me to alleviate the symptoms of my allergies.
When I decided to take control of my health, I knew there had to be a better way to stop suffering from allergies, and even prevent them! I'm not going to tell you that I never take an antihistamine, because that wouldn't be true- but I've found many ways to prevent allergy symptoms, and I only have to turn to Claritin or Zyrtec very rarely, if ever.
Over the last few years, I have trialed many things, and these are the ones that have stuck:
1. Local Honey
This probably isn't the first time you've heard this, but let me go into more detail for those of you who aren't familiar. When bees are pollinating flowers, they carry some of that pollen which then gets transferred to the honey. By consuming local honey, you're exposing your body to some of the local allergens and helping your body to build immunity to them.
Almost every day I drink a mixture of warm water, local honey, ginger, lemon juice and a pinch of turmeric. Super easy, delicious, and it gets rid of sniffles and congestion in a snap!
2. Ginger Root
Ginger, as mentioned in my "allergy drink" above, is a wonderful anti-inflammatory and helps with congestion as well since it's nice and spicy. I try to consume a small amount of ginger everyday. Fresh, organic ginger root is always best (and fairly inexpensive). You can grate some fresh ginger root and steep it in boiling water using a small mesh strainer, add a touch of honey, and you have yourself some yummy ginger tea!
Ginger tea bags are good as a second option, however I always recommend going straight to the source if possible- that way, you get the maximum benefits!
3. Lavender Essential Oil
If I were stuck on a deserted island and could only have one item, lavender essential oil would have a good chance of being selected. I use it for practically everything! Lavender helps keep my sniffles at bay. I usually rub a drop around my sinuses which provides immediate relief when I have a stuffy nose. A drop of Lavender on the tongue is also a great prevention for allergies. I used to get allergies so badly that I couldn't breath through my nose at night, but I diffuse a blend of Lavender and Eucalyptus while I sleep which is one of the best things I've ever done!
If you've never used essential oils, do your research! Just like most things, you get what you pay for. Some stores sell essential oils that are just made for fragrance purposes. Only apply essential oils to your skin/ take them orally if they are 100% pure therapeutic-grade. I get my essential oils from Young Living. I'm sure there are other great quality oils out there, just always do your research!
4. Garlic
Garlic is a natural antibiotic and can ward off all sorts of infections and gross stuff that we are exposed to every day! I have noticed a significant difference in my allergies by regularly incorporating garlic into my diet. I love garlic on my food so this is easy for me- I incorporate it into pasta, meat, fish, and even sauteed on veggies like green beans. Some people also juice a couple of cloves of garlic and take it like a shot. You won't see me doing that, but if you are brave enough, that's another great way to get your dose of garlic. :)
5. Take a Probiotic
If you aren't currently taking a probiotic, do yourself a favor and invest in a good-quality daily probiotic. More and more research is showing that our gut health affects our immune system immensely, so having a healthy gut creates an environment that is friendly to our immune systems and can prevent a lot of allergy symptoms. I'm a big advocate for probiotics, so you'll see a blog post diving into this very soon!
Have you tried any of the above? How has it worked for you?
Let me know in the comments!
If you need additional information on any of the above, don't hesitate to comment below or send me an email at haley@holisticinhouston.com.
XO
Haley