GET RID OF ALLERGIES

Every day, more and more people are developing allergies to pollen, dust, molds, animal hair, feathers, food additives, and chemicals in food and beauty products. Some know what causes their sensitivity; others are unaware of such irritants and suffer silently. When you complain to your doctor of immune over-reaction to such allergens, he or she blames it on your genes and prescribes anti-histamines to suppress symptoms without addressing the underlying cause.

It may be true that allergies run in families, but there are factors that trigger them. Your environment, diet and pharmaceutical drugs can provoke your tendency to allergies. Allergies, asthma, and autoimmune disorders are rare in rural areas and poor under-developed countries. However, such reactions seem to flourish more in industrial countries and big metropolitan cities. So if the causes are environmental or dietary, we need to address the core of the problem instead of the symptoms. Let us first see how allergies affect our bodies.

Modern life is infested with toxins, chemicals, stressors, infections and other irritants. These tax immune systems, which become over-responsive to even the minutest particle of dust, mold, or pollen, sparking hay fever, asthma and skin rashes. What should be done?

The most important step to take is to relieve the immune system from the overload of allergens and toxins. Dr. Mark Hyman recommends a healthy, balanced nutrition and supplements to boost immunity.

• Avoid foods that trigger allergic responses. (gluten, dairy, eggs, yeast, corn, soy, nuts).

• Remove all dust-attracting items in your home (carpets, thick curtains, old furniture, stuffed toys and long-haired animals; wipe television screen surface often).

• Inspect the house for mold through professional help.

• Use air filters in your living and sleeping environments.

• Eat organic produce and free-ranged meat, poultry, dairy, eggs and contaminant-free fish.

• Avoid additives, preservatives, chemicals, and drugs that provoke allergies.

• Take probiotics (10 billion organisms) to promote healthy digestion and decrease allergies.

• Take buffered vitamin C (1,000-2,000 mg) twice a day and 20-50 mg of zinc to subdue allergies.

Other ways to tame allergies and support immunity is through detoxification, increasing water intake, fruit and vegetable fasts, physical activity, therapeutic exercises (yoga), and healthy essential fatty acids.

Cleansing fasts detoxify and rejuvenate the body. Organic vegetable and fruit juices and purified or spring waters cleanse the system from food and toxic residue.

Exercising increases the oxygenation of the body, improves blood circulation and metabolic rate and eliminates toxins through perspiration. Plenty of water is needed to replace lost fluids.

Therapeutic exercises like yoga and tai chi reduce stress and improve the blood flow and oxygen intake.

A new study suggested that the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruits (grapes, oranges, apples, fresh tomatoes), deep-colored vegetables, and nuts, protected children “... against symptoms of asthma and nasal allergies” while margarine was associated with higher risk of wheezing and nasal allergies.

Essential fatty acids of omega -3 and -6 and probiotics reduce yeast infections and skin allergies like eczema and psoriasis.

A high fiber diet cleanses the digestive tract and helps eliminate toxins and allergies. If you have any kind of allergy, review your lifestyle habits and make healthy changes. You and your health would love it. Start now!

(Mariam Alireza is a holistic science specialist. Send comments to mariam.alireza@gmail.com. Log on to arabnews.com for previous articles.)