Allergies

Although food allergies do exist and can be deadly, what we will focus on here is hayfever (seasonal allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis) and asthma.

The section below is an in depth approach to chronic allergies and asthma.

For use immediately after exposure to an allergy trigger such as ragweed, just as you might wash your hands to remove dirt, you can use pulsatile saline irrigation to remove offending substances. Nasal pulsatile saline irrigation is also an excellent adjunct in the beginning phase of the allergy and asthma program described below.

Allergies and Asthma

In general, healing the body through nutritional therapy takes time. Healing is rarely an overnight experience and can often take months or even years if a person’s system is very weak. However, clinical experience has shown the following multi-pronged approach (when used as directed) can bring rapid relief to asthma and allergy sufferers. You may start with the Foundations of Health pages for best results.

1. Deficiencies in Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) have been linked with many, if not all, chronic degenerative conditions, including asthma and allergies. We rob the body of what little EFAs we might be consuming by ingesting too many bad fats and oils. The best way to correct the problem is to minimize the non-essential, bad fats and oils, while ensuring that we are taking in adequate amounts of the essential (good fats and oils). We do this by limiting meat, cutting out, or limiting chips, crackers, baked items, snack foods, candy (sources of hydrogenated oil), and avoiding fried foods. And by adding in healthy sources of Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids, EPA/DHA and GLA (sources include cold water fish, EPA/DHA supplements- borage oil for GLA is the most economical, also oatmeal is a source of GLA).

    

   To get an idea of the amount of fats and oils the human body is designed to process (and needs) for optimal health, estimate having 15-20% of your calories as fresh, unrefined oils (cold-pressed). This translates into approximately 2 teaspoons worth of Omega-6 oils (olive oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, corn oil, sunflower oil) with some in the form of GLA (from borage oil) and up to 1 tsp of Omega-3 oil (sources include flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, walnut and leafy green vegetables) including 1-2 gms a day of quality EPA/DHA from fish oil. Be aware that Omega-3 oils spoil easily, therefore your best bet is trustworthy companies and oils sealed in capsules, as opposed to oils bottled in liquid form or ground seed (as in ground flaxseed). Flaxseed is best used by getting the seeds and grinding small amounts in a coffee grinder shortly before use (as long as the oils are protected in the seed they do not go bad). Rancid oils (those that have spoiled) are toxic to the body and are worse than no oils. Though flax contains omega 3 oils, there are individuals who lack the enzyme necessary to convert these oils to EPA/DHA. If you have been using flax as your only source of Omega-3 and have not noticed improvement you may be one of these individuals. Essential Fatty acid profiles on individuals with chronic conditions are showing that plant sources are often not effective in raising their levels of EPA and DHA.

2. Food sensitivities and certain food combinations often contribute to asthma and allergy symptoms. The more burdened our body is with trigger foods or congesting food combinations the more likely we are to react to airborne triggers. The top of the list of suspected trigger foods when it comes to respiratory problems, is dairy foods and flour products. Try eliminating, or cutting back on dairy and flour products and see the difference. Also avoid the following combinations: (These combinations are known to increase ama or congestion in the body according to Ayurvedic Medicine, a 5,000 year old traditional healing art that comes from India.)

   Yogurt	with	Milk, Sour fruit, Melon, Hot drinks Starches, Cheese, Bananas, Fish
   Eggs	with	Milk, Cheese, Yogurt, Fruits, Melons, Potatoes
   Starches	with	Bananas, Eggs, Milk, Dates
   Honey	with	Ghee(clarified butter), Grains
   Corn	with	Dates, Raisins, Bananas
   Lemons	with	Yogurt, Milk, Cucumber, Tomato
   Nightshades	with	Yogurt, Milk, Melon, Cucumber (The Nightshade family includes tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant and peppers)

3. Mal-digested or undigested foods are a major cause of allergies and asthma. This often goes along with the above. Foods making it to the large intestine undigested will essentially ‘rot’ causing toxic waste products. These toxins leak into the body prompting an immune response and inflammation. Allergies and Asthma are just one of the ways that inflammation manifests in the body. To improve digestion start with Nutritional Excellence.

   Consider taking a biologically active aloe juice (to ensure biological activity) for a couple weeks as you incorporate dietary changes. This will gently cleanse the intestines, as well as decrease auto-intoxication symptoms.

4. Often the food group that people with allergies and asthma have the hardest time digesting is Carbohydrates, and Asthmatics are typically sugar intolerant. To lessen the burden on your enzyme systems, have the bulk of your diet be fresh fruits and vegetables (vegetables can be lightly steamed or sautéed in ghee or olive oil), some whole grains, beans and lean sources of protein. MINIMIZE anything else!

   Be aware that in order to increase the shelf life of food products and prevent spoilage of produce, manufacturers and distributors destroy enzymes in food. This puts a greater burden on the enzyme systems in our body when it comes to digesting these foods.

   If you have any of the following problems along with allergies and/or asthma, start with following elimination diet.

   Headache	Heartburn	Gas pain
   Bloating	Constipation	Diarrhea
   Irritability	Restlessness	Insomnia
   Depression	Anxiety	Stiff, sore joints
   Low tolerance for stress Tachycardia (rapid heart beat)

5. Allergies and Asthma, especially when linked with chronic sinus problems indicate a greater need for Bioflavonoids. Chances are those suffering from asthma and/or allergies lack an adequate dietary intake of Bioflavonoids to start with, and/or have digestive issues that prevent them from breaking down and assimilating the Bioflavonoids from what they are ingesting. Research is showing that Quercetin, a powerful Bioflavonoid, inhibits histamine production. It has been found that initially saturating your system with quercetin can lead to rapid improvements in your health, and rapid decrease of allergy and asthma symptoms. Because Quercetin can be poorly absorbed, it is important to take an adequate amount during this initial phase. For optimal results, take as your first dose 6-8 capsules of a 500 mg quercetin per capsule product up to 3 times the first day.
6. Once your symptoms are noticeably decreased then you should try 2-4 capsules of quercetin 3 to 4 times a day depending on the severity of your symptoms.
7. Take note of the classes of Bioflavonoids listed below and what foods they are in and increase your intake of those foods.

   Bioflavonoids are a class of chemical compounds found in plants that are very important in maintaining health. Generally, they work like antioxidants by scavenging for free radicals in the body.

   What else do the bioflavonoids do?

   These compounds work with vitamin C to promote cellular integrity. Skin health is especially impacted by adequate amounts of vitamin C and bioflavonoid availability. They also stimulate the immune system, reduce allergic response, and protect against bacteria and viruses.

   What foods contain bioflavonoids?

   Bioflavonoids are present in many of our favorite foods. Fruits and vegetables are the main sources for them, and many studies now show the connection between intake and reduction of risk of heart disease and cancer. This is an old, old, message, but still a true one. We need fruits and vegetables for good health. Supplements are an attractive way to substitute for the inconvenience of eating a balanced diet, but we still don’t know exactly how Mother Nature devised her plan of providing what we need in the foods available to us. We should eat these good foods because there is so much we don’t know yet about nutrition. In people with deficiencies, supplements make sense.

   Since it is important to get all the different bioflavonoids in our diet for optimum health, we need to vary our diets. As you can see from the following table, bioflavonoids can be divided into five subclassifications. Each subclass contains different foods that offer protection, so it is important to eat as varied a diet as possible. Sometimes it is easier to get into a rut of eating the same foods over and over, but a little careful planning can add variety and interest as well as increase the likelihood of getting all the nutrients we need.

   Bioflavonoids	Food Sources
   Anthocyanidins	Berries, cherries, grapes, fruit skins, and true fruit juices
   Catechins	True teas (not herbal teas)
   Flavanones	Citrus
   Flavones	Grains, celery, parsley and other herbs
   Flavonols	Grapefruit, oranges, apple skin, berries, onions, endive, radishes, tomatoes, leeks, broccoli, and red wine

8. Because the body, in a weakened state, has become sensitized to air-borne allergens, it is helpful to minimize exposure in the initial stages of healing. The easiest way to do this is to create a safe haven in your bedroom, so that at least during those hours of rest the body is not being stressed by air-borne allergens. If at all possible have no carpets or curtains (dust repellent shades are ok) in this room and use hypoallergenic bedding. More important than cleaning obsessively is to clean in a way that does not stir up the dust particles. Going over surfaces gently with a damp cloth is better than vacuuming.
9. Remove or decrease sources of emotional and mental stress. Technically, one could present an argument for #9 to be first on the priority list. It goes without saying that emotional and mental stress can contribute to worsen or aggravate any chronic health condition. Asthma, especially, can be precipitated or made worse by stress. I have chosen to conditionally place it last on this list, however, since following the above steps enables asthma and allergy sufferers to withstand greater levels of stress without becoming symptomatic. Do minimize, when possible, sources of emotional and mental stress and incorporate coping mechanisms for dealing with unavoidable stress into your lifestyle. Here, also, your biological individuality will determine what works best for you. Some individuals do best with daily meditation, contemplation or relaxation techniques. Others do better with exercise (yoga, Tai Chi, aerobics, walking, swimming, sports, etc) as their main coping strategy for dealing with stress. We all have some benefit from either or both approaches, but finding what gives you the most feedback, personal satisfaction, etc is the only way to ensure that you incorporate what you are individually suited for on an ongoing basis.

    

   We live in challenging times with increasing sources of complexity and potential for daily stresses. Those who will fare the best will be individuals who minimize their burden by living in the “now” as Eckhart Tolle describes. Recognize that unease, anxiety, tension, worry (all forms of fear) are an indication that we are living too much in some imagined future and not enough in the present moment. And anger, guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness and bitterness (all forms of nonforgiveness and food for our ego’s pain body) are an indication of living too much in the past. Ask yourself if hanging on to these emotional states ever did ANYTHING to improve your life. It’s impossible to live in the “now” without letting them go. (Taken from The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle)