Seasonal Allergies and Gut Health

A stuffy nose is not normal! I used to think it was just part of life. Your sinuses should be clear and stuffiness may be a sign that you aren’t eating right. Perhaps you also get a range of seasonal allergy symptoms and struggle to enjoy the warmer season due to itchiness, redness, irritation and congestion? 

Or maybe your nose goes red and ‘thick’ if you drink red wine or similar? This is often an allergy to what’s in the drink.
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The root cause of allergies, according to Ayurveda, is poor gut health (and lifestyle)

We tend to tackle the symptoms rather than the root cause of allergies, so it becomes a yearly experience with no resolution. I was allergic all year round until I changed my life with Ayurveda. Nowadays, I may still react if I walk through a field of long grass, but I don’t have day to day issues at all and the difference in my quality of life is incredible.​

If your digestive system isn’t running cleanly, the result is inflammation and a sensitive immune system due to a build up of poorly digested food that turns toxic and interferes with processes of the body. Read on for my allergy busting tips.
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What about Histamine?

Our immune system releases histamine in response to certain triggers, and we get some histamine from the foods we eat. When levels get too high or we can’t break it down properly, we can get allergy symptoms like itching, sneezing, headaches, joint pain, irritable bowel and nausea. Some foods (like red wine) are higher in histamine or cause the body to release histamine so it can be helpful to avoid them (more info below). But remember this is just avoiding a trigger rather than solving the problem.

Getting to the root

With a holistic approach, we aim to strengthen the body’s functions and get better at breaking down histamine once it is released, as well as ‘cope’ with these foods. I can now eat high histamine foods with less reaction but still find it better to keep them to a minimum. More info below. My allergies were transformed as I focussed on cleaning up my diet, strengthening my digestion and reducing triggers such as alcohol, cheese and tomatoes. Stress, tiredness, hormone balance and all play a role too, so my stress-busting Ayurvedic lifestyle was an important key.

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Support to clean up your life and your sinuses!

If you are ready to get to the root of allergies and any other health issues and feel much clearer in life, then support to overhaul your habits and your digestion is vital.  My Thrive Together Course a transformative group journey about learning what you need to create balance in your mind, nervous system, hormones and energy levels so that you can truly thrive. We go deep into what’s holding you back so that you can reconnect with who you truly are. Many participants realise part way through that their allergies are reducing and this an exciting and happy moment.

Here are the TIPS : How to Create Strong Digestion and Ease Allergies

Digestive strength is intricately linked to the immune response, so clearing out and firing up the digestive capacity is key for allergies.
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• Avoid food hangovers. Big meals, heavy meals, rich meals, high carby foods will bog you down. You should feel joyful and pleasantly replete after eating!
• Spaced eating. 3 meals a day and no snacks
• Overnight Fast. Eat your evening meal as early as you can and don’t eat anything else till morning.
  14-16 hours fasting is great, 12 is a good start.
• Eat Fresh and Green. Simple home cooked foods based on a wide variety of veggies of all colours.
• Clean Up Your Diet. Reduce/ Avoid foods such as dairy, wheat, bread, meat, sugar. They can slow down the digestion and dampen the digestive fire.
• Balance Blood Sugar. Always have lots of veg, add good fats/protein to avoid spikes. Don’t eat meals that are mostly carbs.
• Avoid Triggers. Get a list of high histamine foods and avoid for a while to see if that helps eg Spinach, tomatoes, aubergine, aged cheeses, leftovers, processed meat, processed foods, fermented foods, grilled foods.
• Spice it Up. Incorporate agni-boosting herbs such as coriander and parsley and spices such as cumin, ginger and fennel.​

Now, I realise these are not small changes and will probably trigger all sorts of resistance in you.

Be gentle. Start with a tiny step for one thing on the list and you are on your way.  I can help you with a clear and simple framework for what to do next. Message me for a chat and we can talk about it. 

​​I want to get started on a clearer life​