Wednesday, April 30, 2014

My Top 5 Tips to Reduce Seasonally Allergies Holistically

I've suffered from horrible seasonal allergies my entire life! Runny nose, sneezing uncontrollably, headache, sore throat, itchy eyes - its miserable. I've taken every allergy medicine that exists and found they all had deal breaker side effects.

Over the last few years, I've incorporated some of these holistic remedies to help with allergy relief. My allergies haven't disappeared, but they are way better than they used to be. Give them a try if you are an allergy sufferer!

1. Use a Neti Pot Every Day. If you only do one of these tips, this is the one big game changer! Nasal irrigation with a neti pot is an Ayurveda self care practice. It has really reduced many of my sinus allergy symptoms. Do do this you'll need a Neti Pot & neti pot salt. Both can be purchased on Amazon, choose a ceramic pot.

Fill your neti pot with warm water and about 1/2 tsp of the neti salt. Make sure the salt is dissolved. Tilt your head forward and put the pot up to one nostril and pour. The water will wash through your sinuses and flow out the other nostril. Its very strange at first - but you'll get used to it! This makes a mess so I do this in the shower.

2. Wash your clothes and hair after spending time outdoors. Pollen sticks to your hair and clothing. I find that just rinsing my hair off in the shower without shampoo works fine.

3. Eat local, raw honey. The theory here is that it desensitizes you to local pollens. Raw honey has other beneficial properties, such as throat and cough soothing, boosting immunity, and healing burns. Be sure you are buying local, raw honey - not the pasteurized honey commonly sold at the grocery store. You can find raw honey at your local health food store or at your farmer's market. I use about a teaspoon in herbal tea.

4. Drink Nettle Tea. Consuming nettle tea is thought to help with seasonal allergies. I will be trying this in the coming weeks.

5. Eat probiotics. Probiotics are "good bacteria" that live in your gut. Good gut health is essential to a healthy immune systems. I drink kombucha tea, eat miso, raw sauerkraut and kimchi to get my probiotics.


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