Spring time can be nuts. Everyone comes out of hibernation and it seems like it gets busy out of no where. One of our co-founders Jennifer Love has struggled with allergies for years and got serious in the past year about beating them, read all her amazing tips below. Jenny's playlist is all about the insanity and embracing it! GRock It OUT with your bad self!
If you're going to be in Cali next week, come visit us at the Anaheim convention center at booth 1919 and be among the first to try our new stuff! Nibble ON!
JLove’s Natural Allergy Prevention Tips
Do you start stocking up on boxes of tissue and dread the approaching spring allergies that leave you sneezing, teary eyed and nose blowing for weeks on end the moment spring arrives? I refused for years to take medication to alleviate or eliminate my spring allergies and went on a long and rather grueling journey to find natural relief for what always showed up at my door come spring. But no more!
Here’s what causes all these reactions. It’s a rather simple physiological explanation: The allergy trigger (i.e. pollen) enters our allergic noses and our immune systems go into overdrive. Our immune system sees the pollen as a foreign invader and releases antibodies to protect our bodies. This is the same reaction our body takes when a bacterial infection or virus enters the body. This protective attack results in the release of histamines into our blood and WALLA…we have runny noses, itchy eyes and sneezing attacks.
So, what can be done to naturally prevent and alleviate spring allergies? A lot actually!
It’s important to note that the body needs time to build up the immune system and get it prepped to stave off the allergy invaders. You will need to start your regime 6 – 8 weeks in advance of spring. That means start NOW!! Below I’ve outlined suggestions on things you can do to help your body stave off spring allergies and truly enjoy the season.
Try one, try all and experiment with what works for your body. Some herbal remedies can cause side effects or can react with medications you’re taking. So, if you are taking med’s talk to your doctor before you start taking any herb or supplement.
Natural Allergy Prevention Solutions:
Vitamin C: Supports the immune system with its antioxidant power
Raw Local Honey: The theory about local honey and allergies is this: your local bees are more likely to collect pollen from the local flowers in your area. That pollen will end up in small amounts in the honey produced. By ingesting that honey on a regular basis, the person eating the honey will build up immunity to the pollens from the flowers in their local region. It’s similar to a vaccine taken little by little.
Quercetin: Quercetin is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antihistamine phytonutrient and has been shown in research to block histamines. Quercetin has an excellent ability to reduce allergy symptoms and to improve lung function. Apples and onions are excellent sources of quercetin.
Stinging Nettle: Native Americans used stinging nettle for thousands of years to treat many health conditions, including allergies. Now, science has proven what these wise people knew from experience: that nettles are an effective allergy treatment. Unlike pharmaceuticals, which cause heart problems or drowsiness, stinging nettle does neither. Nettles are conveniently available in the dried form for making tea, liquid tinctures to take as drops, or in capsule form.
Nasal Irrigation: Nasal irrigation with a combination of warm water, about a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and a quarter-teaspoon of baking soda may help clear out mucus and open sinus passages. You can administer the solution through a squeeze bottle or a neti pot -- a device that looks like a small teapot. Use distilled, sterile, or previously boiled water to make up the irrigation solution. It’s also important to rinse the irrigation device after each use and leave open to air dry. Simply lean over a sink and tilt your head to the side to pour the water into one nostril and allow it to run out the other nostril. It may take some practice, but it is an excellent way to cleanse and eliminate mucous and microbes.
Drink Green Tea: Green tea is packed with a powerful antioxidant phytonutrient called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) that blocks histamine and immunoglobulin E (IgE). Both of these naturally produced chemicals are linked with uncomfortable allergy-symptoms. Because EGCG blocks their production, allergy symptoms are reduced. Don’t like the taste of green tea, add matcha powder to your dairy-free fruit smoothies. (Dairy products are mucus-forming and can aggravate allergies.) Matcha is simply powdered green tea. Drink two to three cups of green tea daily for the best results.
Butterbur: The herb butterbur shows potential for relieving seasonal allergy symptoms. In one Swiss study, butterbur was just as effective as the antihistamine Allegra for reducing allergy symptoms.
Pineapple Enzyme: Extracted from pineapple, when taken on an empty stomach, the enzyme bromelain treats sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia and other respiratory disorders; acts as an anti-inflammatory; and reduces lung swelling.
Homeopathic Allium Cepa: If you have allergy symptoms that are worse indoors, at night or in warm rooms, along with red and burning eyes, and a clear, burning nasal discharge, the homeopathic remedy Allium Cepa may be best for you. Start with a 6X or 30X remedy if you can find it. Let three pellets dissolve under the tongue every 15 minutes for the first hour or two.
Other tips to aid your allergy relief:
· Minimize your outdoor exposure when the pollen count is very high (pollen counts usually peak in the mornings).
· Keep your doors and windows closed whenever possible during the spring months to keep allergens out.
· Use an air purifier.
· Change or clean the air filters in your home and wipe down vents, baseboards and other places that pollen may collect.
· Wash your hair after going outside. Your hair is a place that pollen can stick to.
· Vacuum twice a week and wear a mask because vacuuming can kick up pollen, mold, and dust that are trapped in your carpet.
Enjoy this upcoming spring and drop me a note to let me know how you faired with your natural allergy regime.
Thanks for info via:
WebMD.com
Wikipedia.com
Jenny's Jammin' Playlist :Theme for the Week- GRocK it oUT!
This week I have mixed Grunge with Rock. This playlist is best for me to get out aggression! Had a tough day at work, had a bad day, week, month, bad break-up, someone cut you off… These songs put a smile on my face and I can’t help but sing –a- long to them!
Jammin’ Playlist
1. Smells like teen spirit by Nirvana
2. Shine by Collective Soul
3. Bullet with Butterfly wings by The Smashing Pumpkins
4. Everlong by Foo Fitghters
5. Ten by Pearl Jam
http://www.NibMor.com
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