A time to plant, a time to grow, a time of preparation and renewal…

Springtime is a time of preparation, farmers plant their fields, birds build their nests, and people everywhere start to clean, organize and repair their homes. Did you know your own body goes through some spring cleaning as well? Your body is in a constant state of repairing and building cells, it is constantly cleaning out toxins from its environment, and waste products from its metabolism. Springtime is a time when the body naturally makes an extra effort to clean out old garbage from the cells.

With the arrival of spring many of us find we are confronted with the problem of finding relief from our spring allergies. Allergy medications are often helpful, but tend to bring on many unwanted side effects such as headaches, dry mouth, and sleepiness. Fortunately, there are many herbs that not only help bring relief from allergy symptoms, but also help change your body chemistry so it is not so sensitive to allergens. Natural allergy support is a very different from just using a medication to stop an allergic reaction. The focus instead is on cleansing the blood and the lymphatic system to change the environment of the cells. By changing the environment within the body we can change how we are affected by the things we breathe in.

If you have suffered from allergies for many years it is likely that your lymphatic system has gotten congested from excess mucus production. Your lymphatic system is responsible for cleaning out toxins and cellular debris, as well as cleansing the immune system cells.  It is very helpful when planning a strategy for reducing spring allergies to focus on cleansing early in the season.  Cleaning the respiratory and lymphatic system often brings immediate relief of many allergy symptoms. Your cleanse time should be 2-4 weeks. You may repeat this cleanse several times a year as needed, spring and fall are the best times to cleanse. My favorite formula for this purpose is called Enviro-Detox (#874-4). This formula was designed to help our bodies clean out chemicals, toxins and allergens that we breathe in from our environment. It is the formula I recommend hairdressers or anyone who works around excess chemicals take on a regular basis. The herbs in Enviro-Detox help to reduce many of the symptoms associated with allergies and sinus congestion. In particular burdock, helps to reduce the way your body reacts to temperature changes, this helps reduce sinus drainage, sneezing and headaches. Fenugreek and marshmallow help to thin mucus so it can be eliminated more easily, as well as helping to remove allergens from the respiratory system. Pepsin helps break down foreign particles which provoke an allergic reaction by the immune system. Red clover is an expectorant and has been used to cleanse and soothe irritated bronchioles; it has traditionally been used for whooping cough, wheezing, and bronchitis. It is used to strengthen the immune systems of those susceptible to colds and illness. Allergy sufferers usually suffer from low grade viral or bacterial infections that never resolved themselves. Many of these herbs have mild antibiotic properties, as well as anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. Other herbs in the formula help to cleanse the liver, lymph, blood, and colon. I personally use 2-3 capsules two to three times daily.

Another major contributing factor to allergies stem from hidden food allergies and intestinal imbalances. For many people the inability to digest proteins in certain foods creates mucus production in the body. This increases sinus congestion. If you suffer from gas, indigestion, bloating or constipation on a regular basis then consider working to improve your digestion. If your blood and lymphatic system is congested due to improperly digested foods and the resulting mucus that forms, you will have more problems with allergies. Consider taking Food Enzyme (#1836-9) or Proactazyme Plus (#1525-0) with each meal to improve the digestion of your food.

A note on blood types … Many people are unaware that your blood type has a lot to do with which foods you have trouble digesting, and which foods make you gain weight. Each blood type has certain types of proteins it does not digest well. These undigested proteins cause health problems and slow the metabolism. Blood Type A: Does best as a vegetarian, has trouble digesting red meat and pork which slows their digestion and often causes constipation. Dairy food, kidneys beans, lima beans and wheat also slow their metabolism down. Blood Type A individuals benefit from adding hydrochloric acid enzymes (like Food enzymes #1836-9) to their meals. Blood Type B: This blood type is particularly prone to problems with low blood sugar. They have the most trouble digesting chicken which can contribute to immune system imbalances. Foods that slow metabolism are corn, lentils, peanuts, sesame seeds, buck wheat and wheat. Blood Type AB: Avoid red meat, kidney beans, lima beans, corn, and buckwheat Blood Type O: Avoid wheat, corn, kidney beans, navy beans, lentils, cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and mustard greens. Blood type O is most prone to irritable bowel syndrome caused by not digesting grains properly. The enzyme formula Proactazyme Plus (#1525-0) has enzymes targeted to digest grains, simple sugars, proteins and fats. It is a good choice for Type O blood types.

A strong immune system is critical to combating allergies. If you have suffered from allergies for many years, or have a weak immune system you could benefit by supplementing your diet with 100 mg. of Co-Q10 daily. You may be familiar with Co-Q10 as an enzyme that supports heart health, but it is equally important for your immune system. Immune system cells divide more rapidly than most cells, and they are in constant need of repair and maintenance. All of this work requires energy reserves, and Co–Q10. Researchers have found that people with low levels of Co-Q10 have exaggerated histamine reactions and thus react more to common allergens.  Researchers have demonstrated that people with asthma related to allergies have decreased blood levels of CoQ10 as well. Our 10 year old son tends to react to spring allergies and at the start of the season he became very congested. I gave him CoQ10 twice daily and after a few days his congestion cleared up and he is not reacting to the pollen like he normally would have. I think this is a great supplement to take in advance of the allergy season to get your blood levels built up. For those of you on statin drugs for lowering cholesterol, this nutrient is particularly important because the statin drugs deplete CoQ10 levels. You may need to take a higher dose initially until your blood levels improve and results are noticeable. NSP has a new COQ10 50 mg. gel cap (#4109-8) which is 3 times more bioavailable to the cells than other forms on the market. One 50 mg. gel cap is equivalent to 200 mg. in other forms.

Intestinal cleanses such as Clean Start (#3992-6) can very helpful in combating allergies if you tend to have a sluggish colon. By cleansing the colon you help the body to get rid of excess mucus and waste in the body that congests the lymphatic system. The Clean Start cleanse is a good choice as it contains the Enviro-Detox formula I mentioned above.  Replenishing probiotics to balance the good bacteria in the intestinal tract is also a key. Probiotic Eleven (#1510-1) provides eleven strains of friendly bacteria. These friendly microbes that live in your intestinal tract actually help your body to be less reactive to allergens. A history of antibiotic use, which kills the good bacteria in your gut, has been shown to directly correlate to a higher incidence of allergies. This formula is specially formulated for those who suffer from food allergies as well. So by building the good bacteria in your gut, you strengthen your immune system and lessen your sensitivity to allergens.

Think about your body, your diet and other health problems and what areas need help and attention. Combating allergies is really about improving your health overall.

On the subject of cleansing the body and particularly the lymphatic system; exercise is very important. Make a point to exercise regularly; it will really help to improve your allergies. The best types of exercises to cleanse the lymphatic system are those that use your whole body at one time. Walking, tennis, swimming, aerobics, and mini trampoline are all good examples of these types of exercises. Try to do a little something daily, but a good 45 minutes of this type of exercise 3 times a week is very important.

In addition, I can’t overemphasize the importance of cleaning up your diet. The more processed foods you eliminate from your diet, like white sugar and white flour products, the healthier your body can become. Learn to eat more natural foods and lots of vegetables as well as natural fruits. Remember it took your body a long time to get off balance, so it is likely to take a while for it to repair and rebuild itself. If you are starting your program to combat allergies at the start of the allergy season, it is going to be a bit of an uphill battle. This means that even though you are likely to see improvement, you are also likely to still be sensitive to many allergens. The good news is that you should be able to help control them with natural supplements instead of over the counter drugs and medications.

Nature’s Sunshine has a several wonderful herbal blends that help bring relief from allergy symptoms and lessen the need for over the counter medications. My favorites are: Sinus Support, ALJ, and HistaBlock. Many people ask me what the difference is in these formulas, or how do you know which one to use? The answer is that these are 3 different allergy formulas, created by 3 different Herbalists, with the same goal in mind: bringing relief from allergy reactions. They each take a slightly different approach in the way they work, and the area they target. Since each person is different, you will have to try these formulas to find which one works best for you, sometimes I combine them. The dosage you need will depend on your personal make-up. Typically 2-4 capsules of a particular formula at a given time, 2-3 times daily works the best for most people. It is a learning process, so be patient.

ALJ (#774-3) was created to help relive sinus and respiratory congestion associated with allergies. It is a good choice if allergies tend to get you all stuffed up, mucus congestion, or swollen glands. I find it a wonderful formula to support those who also have asthma it tends to really lessen the amount of medication they need to control their symptoms.

HistaBlock (#776-1) is a fairly new formula created as a alternative to over the counter anti-histamines. The formula helps to stop sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and wheezing associated with allergies. It is a good choice for hay fever, and cat and dog allergy reactions.

Sinus Support EF (#1250-3) is somewhat a combination of the above two formulas, it is considered an expectorant, and a decongestant. It also helps to shrink swollen inflamed sinus passages. The formula contains burdock which helps to stop sinus drainage related to the sudden change in temperatures. It a favorite of mine for spring allergies. I usually take some sinus support daily when the flowers start blooming. If there is an unusually high pollen count or something in the air that I really seem irritated by, then I take a couple HistaBlock with 2 Sinus Support.

ALJ comes in liquid form, and works great for children. I like to combine it with Red Clover Blend liquid which contains burdock and is similar to the Sinus Support. For children with allergies I usually try ¼ to ½ tsp. Of each, 2-3 times per day.  These liquids herbs are on sale this week!

I hope this information has been helpful for pointing you in the right direction to combat your allergies naturally.

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