As we celebrate the arrival of spring, many of are left to deal with the onset of allergy symptoms. Whether sneezing or wheezing, itchy eyes or runny noses, these uncontrollable symptoms are less than appealing. There are various over the counter medications available to combat allergies, but there are also ways to get a grip on symptoms through healthy dietary choices.

I recently did a Q&A with Christine Blanchette of Sport Wave (read their full article here!) but wanted to get the word out on making food choices to combat allergies. Let’s dive in!

Q: Allergy season is here, what are some healthy eating tips to help or remedies?

Eating tips: If allergies are holding you back, at this time of year, consider lowering inflammatory foods such as wheat and dairy in your diet.  They can be high allergen foods for many people.  

These potential elevated-allergen food groups, in combination with seasonal trees, dust, and plants in bloom, throwing on top of that, intense physical activity, make it more difficult a hurdle for your body to heal, quickly. It’s like a storm of many ‘fixes’ that takes longer to remedy as you sneeze, snort, and get teary eyed, through the season.

Keep it simple: Start with the diet, it’s the easiest to alter, to combat allergies. 

Q: As a Certified Holistic Nutritionist what services do you provide for those suffering from allergies?

As a Certified and Orthomolecular Nutritionist at Radiate Wellness, I use science, combined with my knowledge, wrapped in 10+ years of experience to understand what changes your bodies requires to flourish, including allergies. Not any one of my clients, over this many years, has come out with a cookie cutter program. I work very specifically to the client and where they are at.

Remedies:

Quercetin is my go-to Bioflavonoid for allergy suffering clients. Not only aids exercise performance it this powerhouse antioxidant has been proven to lessen the respiratory side effects of allergies in rats by reducing inflammatory response in the airways. study here

Eat Quercetin rich foods such as onions, apples, grapes, berries, broccoli, citrus fruits, cherries, green tea, coffee, red wine, and capers

To boost your dosing, I have put together an Immune Boosting Vitamin kit in my on-line dispensary. Click here to learn more about Quercetin. This protocol link is packed full of dietary recommendations as well as quick tips . 

Q: What advice would you give to runners?

If you can, try to pace yourself or use this time as your recovery period. Your body is busy producing the chemical histamine because of allergies and your body is working overtime to bring you back into homeostasis-BALANCE. 

If you just can’t ‘turn off’, keep your pace, light, easy and fluid during flare ups. Consider delaying shooting for your personal best targets or challenging yourself through added training goals. 

If you are already in competition or need to perform, my tips are to eat clean with lots of berries and vegetables. These lighten the inflammation load, add quercetin, and manage free radicals. Use smoothies (like my Blue Blast Smoothie) as medicine and incorporate protein that is lower inflammatory causing such as lactalbumin, grass-fed, or sprouted plant based protein source. Recover with some natural antihistamine foods such as stinging nettle tea and pineapples!

Top Vitamin Tips:

  • Get in front of allergy season by starting Quercetin at least a month or two before you usually experience allergies.
  • Using Vitamin D, along with non-drowsy cetirizine reduces severity for rhinorrhea, nasal itching, sneezing, and postnasal drip by 4 weeks instead of 8 weeks. Study here

Always a good idea!

Get to the root cause of your allergies and lessen their hold on you or, banish them altogether. Consider nutrition as an easy first step in stopping the cycle with ‘healthy-for-you’ diet modifications with your favourite nutritional expert. If you wish to know more, book a free 15-minute chat with me directly.

I hope you take something helpful away from this and please feel free to share this article with someone who needs it!