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The weather is changing. Flowers and trees are blooming. Spring is upon us! With that comes the sneezes. Before you run to the medicine cabinet, let’s talk about why it happens in the first place and how you can help combat the dreaded outdoor pollen. Believe it or not, it isn’t so much the flower pollen, but the grass, trees and weeds that cause the most allergic responses.
Allergies occur when your immune system overreacts to substances called allergens. There are MANY things that can cause allergy symptoms. Holly Haze explains, “Besides the outside elements that bring on symptoms, basic household products are major culprits. Toxins can do some serious damage to our immunity and further damage the histamine response in our body. The word ‘fragrance’ on any label is used to hide chemicals such as benzene derivatives, aldehydes, phthalates and a slew of other toxins that can cause major allergy symptoms, birth defects, cancers, and nervous system disorders These ‘fragrances’ are in laundry detergent, carpet cleaners, air fresheners, perfumes, bath soaps, etc.”
“Basically, your body exaggerates the immune response. That’s what causes histamine release and other things that cause allergy misery.” says Holly.
Holly continues,”When I was growing up, I had to get allergy shots after school every Tuesday. They did nothing except make my arm swollen for two days. I had to carry allergy pills with me everywhere. I had terrible skin issues. Of course the health coach in me cringes as I tell you this. I shudder to think all of the things that were injected into my body.” Eliminating fragrances and toxins can do wonders for your home and your body. Holly shares what she did to help, ” When I started my health certification, I started getting rid of household toxins. Once I removed the word ‘fragrance’ from my life, all of my and my kids’ allergies disappeared. If you suffer from ‘seasonal allergies’, I highly recommend giving this a try.”
Holly has some tips…”I can’t speak highly enough about honey. Obviously the bees pollinate flowers. Ironically, flower pollen is one of the least common allergens, but I still think the world of local honey as an aid. If you can find local honey, that means you are getting healing properties from local flowers. You can even get it for different seasons which helps the cause even more. Buy it in bulk for each season! Honey is the only food on the planet that never spoils. Bonus: honey has amazing healing properties for skin, coughing, throat issues, heart health, and it is a good alternative to regular sugar since the body can process it easier making blood sugar better regulated. (Also, know that children under 1 year of age shouldn’t eat honey, as it’s associated with a risk of botulism.)” Holly adds, “I always have a neti pot on hand. Nasal irrigation does wonders to remove histamines and clean out the passages.”
Take aways: Allergies are a hyper active immune response as the body tries to protect itself against something it feels is harmful. So once again, the better the immune system, the better the body reacts.
