If you're battling allergies, bloating, digestive issues, joint pain, general fatigue or other persistent symptoms without a known cause, check out my recent experience with allergies and my recommendations to overcome these nagging daily disruptions.
Often times, our tendency to develop allergies can be heightened if we have inflammation in our system--such as gut inflammation from hard-to-process foods or systemic inflammation from stress or hormonal issues. Aside from a few, minor random allergic reactions as a kid, I've never had any seasonal, respiratory or food allergies. After relocating to a humid, allergen filled environment, I found myself faced with the same seasonal allergy symptoms as all the sniffling, sneezing people around me. So, I took a natural approach with Apple Cider Vinegar and Local Honey--and it worked for the first year.
The second year, everything was significantly worse---all the neti-pots in the world weren't relieving my symptoms. I continued to use anti-inflammatory foods, such as ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, green leafy vegetables and healthy fats, like salmon, nuts & seeds, and coconut oil. I also avoided caffeine and alcohol, to aid with anti-inflammation and hormonal balance. With a focus on daily nutrition, proper rest, light exercise and supplemental acupuncture treatments, I once again--eventually-- managed to overcome my seasonal and respiratory allergies.
Then it got more interesting.
“The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.”
― Ann Wigmore
I discovered I had developed food allergies. In the past, I had subtle sensitivities, but nothing that ever kept me from eating certain foods. Now, my labwork showed that I was allergic to the breakfast I so frequently ate. Often times, food allergies are developed from overconsumption of certain foods, or our inability to digest processed and modified foods (such as gluten), or as previously mentioned, gut inflammation from a nutrient-poor diet. None of this really applied to me, so I was caught off guard with this new portfolio of problems. Apparently, the histamine from seasonal allergies built up enough to trigger additional responses, due to elevated white blood cell counts, which indicates an alarm for our immune system. Then, the immune systems remains in overdrive (inflammatory response) and attacks anything that it deems a potential threat to our equilibrium. Upon finding this evidence, I have avoided eggs, dairy, walnuts and shrimp---apparently, I'm fairly allergic to all of those things right now.
In the weeks prior to this discovery, my body gave me plenty of warning signals--my sudden and inexplicable avoidance of eggs, the strange hives that appeared several times a week and a few other clues that were asking me to pay attention. Now that I've avoided these triggers for about a month and continued with anti-inflammation focused nutrition, daily exercise and acupuncture, I have seen the following improvements:
While this simple avoidance tactic has shown positive results, I am aiming for long-term results to overcome these allergies entirely. After all, I can't imagine NEVER having my favorite breakfast omelette again or enjoying a slice of my sister's homemade banana bread the next time I visit.
The challenge is, in all of my research and with every medical professional I've spoken to, the only answers floating around seem to be getting allergy shots, expensive immunotherapy or taking a specific medication forevermore. I'm not cool with either option.
So, here's my game-plan for overcoming histamine build up from allergies and related inflammation.
(Disclaimer: If you have illness or allergies affecting your daily life, meet with your physician to cover all the bases. Then, when you have answers, consider implementing healthful tactics that make sense for you.)
Incorporating plentiful anti-inflammation foods in whole-food, nutrient dense daily intake:
Considering supporting supplements:
(Disclaimer: Never take supplements that you haven't researched. If you are taking supplements, always make sure they are high-quality so you're getting the most optimal results from the product. Also, supplements are just that--supplemental. Don't rely on them, just use them in conjunction with other methods.)
In addition to avoiding allergy triggers (the allergens themselves and processed foods, caffeine and alcohol), incorporating plenty of anti-inflammation foods, and supplementing if necessary, it's important to maintain a healthy lifestyle balance and seek out alternative care as needed.
Whether you are struggling with allergies or other aforementioned issues, fueling yourself with unprocessed, whole-foods that include variety--along with some of the anti-inflammatory superfoods above--will be a great choice to improve your overall health, and likely, minimize some of your symptoms.
Let's find ways to help ourselves without completely relying on medicine for things we can position ourselves to overcome, naturally.
Good luck!
-Coach Cassie
Interested in spending the next 12 months gaining all the tools you need for a lifetime of healthy choices?
Join the team for my year long Nutrition Coaching program to discover the power of one small step at a time.
Often times, our tendency to develop allergies can be heightened if we have inflammation in our system--such as gut inflammation from hard-to-process foods or systemic inflammation from stress or hormonal issues. Aside from a few, minor random allergic reactions as a kid, I've never had any seasonal, respiratory or food allergies. After relocating to a humid, allergen filled environment, I found myself faced with the same seasonal allergy symptoms as all the sniffling, sneezing people around me. So, I took a natural approach with Apple Cider Vinegar and Local Honey--and it worked for the first year.
The second year, everything was significantly worse---all the neti-pots in the world weren't relieving my symptoms. I continued to use anti-inflammatory foods, such as ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, green leafy vegetables and healthy fats, like salmon, nuts & seeds, and coconut oil. I also avoided caffeine and alcohol, to aid with anti-inflammation and hormonal balance. With a focus on daily nutrition, proper rest, light exercise and supplemental acupuncture treatments, I once again--eventually-- managed to overcome my seasonal and respiratory allergies.
Then it got more interesting.
“The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.”
― Ann Wigmore
I discovered I had developed food allergies. In the past, I had subtle sensitivities, but nothing that ever kept me from eating certain foods. Now, my labwork showed that I was allergic to the breakfast I so frequently ate. Often times, food allergies are developed from overconsumption of certain foods, or our inability to digest processed and modified foods (such as gluten), or as previously mentioned, gut inflammation from a nutrient-poor diet. None of this really applied to me, so I was caught off guard with this new portfolio of problems. Apparently, the histamine from seasonal allergies built up enough to trigger additional responses, due to elevated white blood cell counts, which indicates an alarm for our immune system. Then, the immune systems remains in overdrive (inflammatory response) and attacks anything that it deems a potential threat to our equilibrium. Upon finding this evidence, I have avoided eggs, dairy, walnuts and shrimp---apparently, I'm fairly allergic to all of those things right now.
In the weeks prior to this discovery, my body gave me plenty of warning signals--my sudden and inexplicable avoidance of eggs, the strange hives that appeared several times a week and a few other clues that were asking me to pay attention. Now that I've avoided these triggers for about a month and continued with anti-inflammation focused nutrition, daily exercise and acupuncture, I have seen the following improvements:
- Significantly lower fatigue levels
- Improved sleep and daily energy balance
- Diminished joint pain and myalgia-type symptoms
- Improved gut function and decreased bloating/discomfort
- Improved skin health
- Complete absence of hives
- Better regulated appetite
- I feel better, so my mood is also improved
While this simple avoidance tactic has shown positive results, I am aiming for long-term results to overcome these allergies entirely. After all, I can't imagine NEVER having my favorite breakfast omelette again or enjoying a slice of my sister's homemade banana bread the next time I visit.
The challenge is, in all of my research and with every medical professional I've spoken to, the only answers floating around seem to be getting allergy shots, expensive immunotherapy or taking a specific medication forevermore. I'm not cool with either option.
So, here's my game-plan for overcoming histamine build up from allergies and related inflammation.
(Disclaimer: If you have illness or allergies affecting your daily life, meet with your physician to cover all the bases. Then, when you have answers, consider implementing healthful tactics that make sense for you.)
Incorporating plentiful anti-inflammation foods in whole-food, nutrient dense daily intake:
- Green leafy vegetables
- Blueberries
- Pineapple
- Beets
- Salmon
- Coconut Oil
- Chia Seeds
- Flax Seeds
- Hemp Seeds
- Turmeric
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Avocado
- Tart Cherries
Considering supporting supplements:
(Disclaimer: Never take supplements that you haven't researched. If you are taking supplements, always make sure they are high-quality so you're getting the most optimal results from the product. Also, supplements are just that--supplemental. Don't rely on them, just use them in conjunction with other methods.)
- Multi-vitamins
- Pro-biotics
- Bone broth
- Glucosamine Sulfate
- L-glutamine
- Vitamin B or other adrenal supporting vitamins
In addition to avoiding allergy triggers (the allergens themselves and processed foods, caffeine and alcohol), incorporating plenty of anti-inflammation foods, and supplementing if necessary, it's important to maintain a healthy lifestyle balance and seek out alternative care as needed.
Whether you are struggling with allergies or other aforementioned issues, fueling yourself with unprocessed, whole-foods that include variety--along with some of the anti-inflammatory superfoods above--will be a great choice to improve your overall health, and likely, minimize some of your symptoms.
Let's find ways to help ourselves without completely relying on medicine for things we can position ourselves to overcome, naturally.
Good luck!
-Coach Cassie
Interested in spending the next 12 months gaining all the tools you need for a lifetime of healthy choices?
Join the team for my year long Nutrition Coaching program to discover the power of one small step at a time.
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