Spring is HERE!
I absolutely love spring, but it kills me when I see so many people suffering from seasonal allergies! I can’t even imagine not being able to smell the beautiful, fresh spring air–that’s one of my favorite things! So for all of you suffering from seasonal allergies, this post is for you.
Liver Health, Allergies, and How to Support Yourself
As Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) states, stagnation of the liver can result in spring allergies. For this reason, it’s important to nourish the liver properly so that it can do its job. After all, our liver is our major detoxification organ.
The body naturally produces toxins as a result of everyday biochemical processes. Those toxins are then converted to lesss-toxic substances by the liver to be excreted by the body. In addition, we encounter toxins and foreign substances in our environment every day.
However, if we are not taking care of our liver, our detox pathways take the hit and we can begin to experience abnormal symptoms. When toxins from poor lifetsyle habits and excess foreign substances from the environment overwhelm the liver, it cannot properly process these toxins. In addition, one of the chemicals that the liver is responsible for breaking down is histamine. Histamine is what the body releases when exposed to environmental irritants and is actually what causes allergy symptoms. Liver stress can result in not being able to break down histamine, leading to a buildup of that chemical, which produces the runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, etc..
For people who want to support their liver, I recommend that they eat liver-supporting foods, like beets, cruciferous vegetables, and lots of greens and limit alcohol and refined sugar/processed foods.
In addition, building up your vital energy reserves, or Qi, as they call it in TCM, can help support the liver. Lifestyle habits that increase your Qi include getting enough sleep and incorporating daily movement.
Lastly, raw honey can be extremely beneficial for supporting your immune system and building up your resilience to the allergens in the air.
Raw Honey
There are so many options for honey out there, but it’s important to look for certain qualities, otherwise, you could just be adding unnecessary refined sugar to your diet.
When I look for honey that’s going to support my immune system, I look for raw and local. Manuka honey is also great. However, processed and pasturized honey is the most common type sold at gorcery stores. Processed/pasturized honey means that it’s heated to high temperatures in order to extend the shelf life and make it smoother.
However, the pasteurization process kills off all of the beneficial enzymes and nutrients. On the other hand, raw honey contains all of the immune-supporting enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
In addition to raw honey, I look for a local brand. Local, raw honey exposes your immune system to the local pollen in the air, which can help strengthen your immune system against those allergens. One of my favorite brands is Kallas. Their local raw, honey is amazing—it’s thick, sweet, and delicious!
*Be sure not to add it to steaming hot tea because that will also destroy all of the good nutrients. Instead, drizzle it on yogurt, toast, and smoothies, or take a teaspoon straight up for a delicious, nutrient-dense sweet treat or throat-soother.
Did you enjoy this information? Tell me in the comments if you want me to do more posts about how to support your body during allergy season!
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