With spring comes an energetic shift, a refreshing mindset and an opportunity to detox ourselves of anything we've been holding onto all winter long, mentally or physically. But, there's one thing that can bring this liberating momentum to a screeching halt: seasonal allergies.
Seasonal allergies strike each year when an influx of pollen and dander cause a shock to our immune systems, affecting some of us worse than others. They literally cause a block in our energy flow through mucus buildup. This can result in sinus pressure, headache, runny nose, nausea and more - no thanks!
So where we do we turn when our bodies feel off? Our diet, of course. And because our immune cells (aka the little guys that help protect you against allergies) reside in our gut, feeding and nurturing them with the right foods are critical. Here are 6 ways to protect and treat yourself against seasonal allergies -- so that you can breathe freely and approach spring with all of the grace and revival in the world.
1) Detox your Diet
Start by eliminating or reducing the amount of dairy, fried foods, refined sugar and processed foods from your diet: the whole theme in your body at the beginning of the spring season is detoxification and flushing out mucus, so you’ll want to avoid any toxic and triggering foods right now. Keeping these bad boys to a minimum is important for your health year-round, but it’s crucial especially at this time of year.
We recommend: Sakara Signature Program
2) Eat High-Quality, Quercetin-packed Foods
Quercetin is one of the richest antioxidants in the human diet because it has unique inflammation-fighting power. Found in plants like tomatoes, leafy greens, apples, and onions (hello, Sakara salad!) this powerful flavonoid stabilizes our cells like crazy and uniquely protects from outside stressors like free radicals. We've said it before and we'll say it again, healing yourself is simple: eat your greens!
We recommend: Leafy greens, tomatoes, cherries, green tea, kiwis, parsley, onions.
3) Local Organic Honeycomb or BeePollen
Immunize yourself against seasonal allergies with local honey! The purest raw honey comes straight from the honeycomb and is often referred to as “nature’s perfect package”. Soothe your allergy symptoms by chewing on the honeycomb and simultaneously build up your immunity to the pollens in your area. Also, try bee pollen for the same effect.
We recommend: Your local farmers market
4) Neti Pots
If you experience blocked sinuses, pressure headaches, puffy eyes and annoying mucus buildup, you may want to turn to the ancient form of nasal irrigation: the neti pot.
The Neti Pot leverages gravity, salt and water to clear buildup that has become trapped inside of your nasal passages and soothe the painful side effects associated with sinus pressure. The practice of clearing your sinuses means fewer toxins in your body and less head discomfort. It also means helps to reduce puffy eyes and facial swelling!
We recommend: Ceramic Neti Pot + Pursoma Sea Spray Nasal Rinse
5) Probiotics
As you are clearing out your intestines and organs of mucous and toxins, you’ll want to rebuild the good bacteria in your gut to promote elimination and digestion. Try to comprise as much of your diet as possible of probiotic greens like watercress, baby spinach, dandelion greens, chicory and endive, as well as bean and alfalfa sprouts which are all super high in nutrients and full of healthy flora. Stocking up on these nutritional powerhouses will decrease bloat, allergies, and headaches, and will help keep detoxifying your system throughout this amazing season. Have a big green salad for dinner every night to get the most energizing and noticeable results or take high-quality probiotics regularly. We suggest both.
We recommend: Complete Probiotic Formula
6) MSM Powder
MSM powder is pure distilled (or oftentimes crystallized) sulfur. At Sakara, we’re obsessed. We dump this stuff into water, teas, smoothies, and Clean Boutique Snacks (hello, Beauty Water) and enjoy it alongside our body-loving — already sulfur-rich — Sakara breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This magic substance is key for soothing painful inflammation associated with allergies (especially the sinuses) and reducing sneezing, tearing eyes, and coughing.
We recommend: SunFood MSM Powder
