What is an allergy?
An allergy is an inappropriate response by the body’s immune system to a substance that is not normally harmful.
Allergic responses are nasal congestion, coughing, wheezing, itching, shortness of breath, headache, fatigue, hives and skin rashes.
Common allergens= pollen, dust, mold, metals, cosmetics, lanolin, dust mites, animal hair, insect venom, some drugs, food additives, chemicals found in soap, cleaning supplies, etc.
Foods that can make allergies worse:
a. Dairy- mucus forming
b. Bread- gluten and yeast
c. Food colourings
5 Allergy Fighters: Foods and Vitamins:
1. Vitamin C:
– Find it in Oranges, peppers, berries
– Prevents the formation of histamine when compared to the typical over the counter options, which work by interfering with the histamine after it’s produced.
– Works best when taken with bioflavanoids (found naturally in the fruit- go nature!)
2. Get some Quercetin:
– Find it in onions, apples (with skin on), berries, red grapes, and black tea (yum!)
– This antioxidant that can help reduce inflammation and may help prevent the release of histamine from immune cells called mast cells.
– Helps improve the body’s absorption of vitamin C
3. Probiotics:
– Fermented products such as yogurt, kefir, Kombucha
( We love Culture Kombucha) (https://instagram.com/culturekombucha)
– Most of your immune system is found in your gut! A great product is the Genuine Health Greens Plus Whole Body, which has a chai tea flavour! http://www.genuinehealth.com/store/greens-whole-body-nutrition#.VSU2_Na76N4
– The live beneficial bacteria found in yogurt and other fermented products like kefir help keep the flora and fauna in your gut healthy. These foods stimulate the body to produce certain white blood cells and antibodies as well as various growth factors that are important for keeping the body from overreacting to allergens.
– An Italian study found that when volunteers who regularly had bouts of hay fever ate 2 cups (500 mL) of yogurt daily for four months, they had half the histamine levels in their blood and fewer hay fever symptoms than those who drank the same amount of skim milk daily. Hello healthy tummy bacteria!
– When pregnant women eat foods that contain probiotics, on a regular basis, their babies have a lower risk of developing allergies as they grow up.
4. Eat some Fish:
– Omega 3 fatty acids, which help minimize inflammation, a direct cause of most allergy symptoms.
– Kids who start eating fish early in life may even be less likely to have allergies later.
– One Australian study that analyzed nearly 500 eight-year-olds found that those who ate fish at least once a week were 80 percent less likely to have ryegrass pollen allergies, a common cause of hay fever, than those who rarely ate fish.
Find an awesome recipe in this link that combines 2 allergy fighting foods Avocados and Tuna!
Salmon Recipe with Crushed walnuts
Ingredients
-4 Salmon fillets wild caught
-3/4 cup crushed walnuts (can measure out about 3/4 whole walnuts and crush does not have to be exact!)
-1-2 Cloves garlic (minced)
-2 Small lemons squeezed
-Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lay out 4 pieces of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
-Squeeze the juice of the two lemons.
-In a small bowl, mix the garlic and lemon juice
-Take the walnuts measure and crush or coarsely chop
– Mix the walnut, lemon juice and garlic mixture together
– Lay salmon fillets out and spoon the walnut,lemon garlic mixture on top. Finish with salt and pepper.
– Place in oven for 15 to 20 minutes depending in your oven, let cool and serve!
5. Go Nuts and Eat nuts: What is in them?
– Magnesium: can act as a bronchodilator and aid in lung function with anti-histamine-like effects
– Vitamin E: those with hay fever who ate foods with vitamin E had 30% lower incidence of hay fever.
– (If there is a nut allergy you can have raw cacao for magnesium and avocado for vitamin E- hello chocolate pudding! 😉 https://cavennutrition.com/an-avocado-and-day-keeps-the-doctor-away-segment-on-ctv-morning-live/
Watch the segment live here http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=587300&binId=1.1164511&playlistPageNum=1
