Seasonal Allergies: One More Reason to Eat Healthier

School has begun again, and I'm still figuring out how to get back into a routine and have time for everything when 7+ hours of work are added in. Please bare with me if there are 2 or 3 days between posts.

Spring and fall are my least favorite seasons when it comes to allergies. My face and eyes get extremely itchy, I sneeze like crazy, and I can't hardly breathe through my nose. It seems all of the really effective drugs on the market cause drowsiness. Those that don't just weren't potent enough for my extremes, so I thought I just had to deal with it. I thought "natural remedies" to allergies were old wives' tales.

But an interesting thing happened during Spring when I first started eating healthier...my allergies weren't nearly as severe. No, they didn't completely go away. There was a day or 2 when my eyes still itched or there was sinus pressure around my nose. That little bit was WAY better than what my allergies normally are. Last year, there were some days I couldn't even function because my eyes itched so badly. All I could do was lay in bed with a cold, damp towel on my face no matter what kind of medicine or eye drops I used. My face itched so badly that I had to be careful not to leave marks from scratching. Don't even get me started on all of the sneezing.

But enough about me. What about those natural remedies?
I'm not a scientist, doctor, nutritionist, or any other certified specialist, but my best guess is that by eating healthier, your body has more energy and resources to heal itself and fight only the bad bacteria rather than allergens.

Here are a few "natural" ideas from other sources:
(Natural Ways, ABC News, and printed sources)
**Folate, according to a recent article published in a local magazine, helps counteract seasonal allergies. Folate is highest in leafy green veggies, asparagus, enriched cereals/grains, lentils and beans, and oranges.
**Saline or salt water - as a spray or mist, these help wash away the pollen from the nose
**Fruits and veggies, particularly those high in antioxidants.
**Fresh garlic, cayanne pepper, or jalapenos - for stuffy heads
**Green tea extract - is rich in phytonutrients that help to ward off everyday cellular attacks
**Magnesium (Citrate) - buffers the acidic stage of an allergic reaction
**Vitamin B15 - Helps lessen muscle fatigue and increase endurance
**Vitamin C (Ascorbate) - Provides an anti-histamine-like effect.
**Omega 3 fatty acids - found highest walnuts and fatty fish like salmon & tuna