Last weekend our clocks sprung forward, signaling that spring is near. Warmer days, more sunlight, bright green asparagus in the grocery store. Take a look around and you’ll see signs of spring starting to pop up.
Unfortunately, many people who experience seasonal allergies feel spring coming before the rest of us in the form of itchy eyes, runny nose, and lots and lots of sneezing. This can be a horrible time of year for allergy sufferers, especially when the weather is calling us to be outside in the fresh air, enjoying the renewed energy that this time of year brings.
According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation, allergies affect about 50 million people in the United States!
Ready for the good news!? There is a way to reduce, even eliminate, your seasonal allergies – things you can start today to get ready for the months ahead.
Check out our top 5 favorite ways to beat spring allergies before they start below and leave us a comment. Let us know what tips work best for your spring allergies.
With spring love,
Jo and Jules
5 Ways to Beat Spring Allergies Before They Start
- Drink nettle tea: Because of nettles’ antiinflammatory and antihistamine qualities, drinking nettle tea helps reduce hay fever symptoms.
- Eat foods high in quercetin: A type of flavonoid found in plants known for its potent antioxidants, quercetin can help tackle symptoms like sneezing and sinus congestion. Try our Allergy Busting Green Smoothie containing bee pollen and a green apple, both loaded with quercetin.
- Hydrate: Aim to drink at least half your bodyweight in ounces of water per day to help your body flush away toxins and irritants. Research has shown that being well hydrated helps 38 percent of women relieve allergy symptoms. You might find you need to pee every hour, but being symptom-free is worth being in the bathroom for.
- Load up on vitamin C: Vitamin C helps to reduce inflammation and block the release of histamine from inflammatory cells. Eat foods like papaya, pineapple, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupe and kale. Also, consider supplementing with an additional 1,000-2,000 mg per day.
- Do a 2-week cleanse: When the body isn’t burdened by extra toxins it has more energy to cope with the things nature throws its way like pollen and other allergens. Focus on two weeks of eating real food – fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, organic lean cuts of meat, while eliminating dairy, gluten, sugar, caffeine, alcohol.
