Get Relief From Your Allergies With These Simple, Natural Approaches

After a long, cold winter, it’s always so exciting to see the first blossoms of spring. Around here, the pear trees bloom first—a brilliant splash of color in an otherwise dreary landscape—and once that happens, it’s not long before all the other flora join them in sending out beautiful, fragrant flowers. Soon, Nature’s beauty is everywhere. The only downside? So is the pollen.

 

I’m not joking. In western North Carolina, where I live, it’s not uncommon to see a blanket of pollen on every surface, from cars to trash cans to sidewalks. When Nature wakes up, she wakes up ready to go. No hitting the snooze button, no groping around for a cup of coffee. Our favorite lady doesn’t mess around.

 

The Downsides of Allergy “Medicine”

 

For a while, I did what most people probably do to deal with my allergy symptoms: I popped Claritin every day. When that wasn’t strong enough, I turned to Allegra (extra strength, of course). Every single day, without fail, I would take my allergy “medicine.” I thought, if I wanted to be able to function, it was my only option.

 

It never felt like the ideal solution for me, though. First, there was the cost—allergy medicine ain’t cheap, y’all. Then, there were the potential side effects. Taking decongestants (which are in most allergy medicines) can spike blood pressure, which can cause arrhythmia and other issues.

 

Inhaled allergy medications (especially ones that contain steroids) are no better. They can cause diabetes and increase your risk of osteoporosis (because of how steroids affect your body’s ability to metabolize calcium and vitamin D).

 

Given all that, I wondered if there was a better approach to dealing with my allergies. Remember, I wanted something that didn’t have any health downsides and didn’t cost much. Turns out, there were better options for natural allergy relief: intermittent fasting, essential oils, and probiotics to the rescue! 

 

Intermittent Fasting (IF)

In the search for cost-effective, natural allergy relief, nothing was cheaper than fasting. I mean, it literally costs nothing to not eat! I already knew that fasting had health benefits, but I hadn’t really tried it myself (the idea of not eating was a little horrifying to me, not gonna lie). But the more I researched, the more I started to think that this might be the solution I was looking for.

 

Turns out, studies have shown that regular fasting can reduce or even eliminate allergy symptoms! The best part is that intermittent fasting doesn’t have to be difficult. If you decide to fast for 16 or 18 hours each day, then give yourself an 8-hour or 6-hour window of time to eat, you can reap the benefits of fasting without a lot of shock to your body. 

 

I kept it simple: a cup or two of coffee in the morning, along with a splash of heavy cream and some stevia. Then, during my “feeding window,” lunch and/or dinner.

 

It was a little weird at first, but as time went on, I noticed that fasting got easier and easier. I started eating when I was hungry, not when the clock told me to. It wasn’t uncommon for me to have just one meal per day, and sometimes I would skip eating altogether. Other times, I would eat a lot—it was all about what my body told me it needed.

 

Other Benefits of IF

 

After I took the plunge, it wasn’t long (maybe a few weeks) before my symptoms had improved to the point that I didn’t need any allergy medicine at all. I could walk outside with pollen swirling all around me, and I didn’t have the faintest sniffle. No more puffy, watery eyes or uncontrollable sneezing for this gal! 

 

Fasting has been shown to improve all sorts of allergies, from seasonal allergies to animal allergies to asthma. It’s even been shown to help improve food intolerances! 

 

If this approach interests you, there are plenty of apps out there to help you get into the IF game (I love Zero Fasting). I promise, IF isn’t nearly as scary as it seems. If I can fast, anyone can—and every part of your body will thank you for it.

 

The Power of Probiotics

If fasting isn’t your gig, or you need immediate relief from allergies, there are some other solutions. The best combo I’ve found is essential oils and probiotics. It’s important to note that I’m not talking the kind of probiotics you get from a capsule, though. I’m talking probiotics in fermented foods: homemade yogurt, kefir, and my favorite, sauerkraut. If the taste horrifies you, try the Bubbie’s brand. It’s pretty good, and you’ll get used to the taste pretty quickly!

 

Eat a serving or two every day. It’ll far outshine your probiotics pills, believe me: one serving of fermented vegetables has up to 100 times more beneficial bacteria than an entire bottle of a high-potency probiotic pill!

 

The probiotics will help support your gut health and give your body the ability to mount a healthy, normal response to outside allergens. I think of them as soothing little helpers for the immune system. They help get everything back to the way it’s supposed to be.

 

Essential Oils

 

OK, so that’s the first half of this powerhouse combo. The second half? Essential oils. I love to rub a drop each of lemon, lavender, and peppermint  essential oils on the bottom of my feet anytime I have an allergy attack. It helps me get back to easy breathing and reduced inflammation super-fast. I know some people who take them internally in an empty capsule and get the same results.

 

I also love to rub a few drops of Breathe essential oil in my hands and then inhale deeply. When I do that, along with the lemon/lavender/peppermint combo on my feet, my allergies don’t stand a chance. All these oils combined help with the production of a healthy immune response, and they calm the immune system fast. It’s amazing—effective and inexpensive…just my cup of tea!

 

Easy-Peasy, Effective Solutions!

So, there you have it! Natural allergy relief really can be yours, without all the expense and potential side effects of over-the-counter or prescription allergy medications. Know any other natural allergy relief approaches that work really well? We’d love to hear about them and share them with others, so send us an email! 

 

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