Can food sensitivities make seasonal allergies worse?

You bet.

My seasonal allergies have always been brutal, often involving massive amounts of Claritin that never seemed to fully handle the continuous sneezing, headaches and resulting exhaustion that took me down for hours at a time.   I couldn’t wait for June, maybe July when pollen counts would drop and my life could resume some sense of normalcy (whatever that means).

This last year, I made some changes to my perpetually evolving diet which I wrote about here on the website.  I engaged in the Elimination Diet for a couple of months to see if anything I was eating was contributing to the cyclic migraines that had worsened over the last year.  There were a few foods that seemed to increase headaches, but I found that gluten was the strongest of the bunch.  So, I have spent the last 3 months keeping gluten out of my diet as much as possible which has resulted in a 99% improvement in my migraines.  

What I didn’t expect from this change was how keeping such a reactive food out of my diet would affect my seasonal allergies.  Apart from the occasional sneeze, my symptoms have been almost non-existent this year.  As those around me sniffle and hack, I keep waiting for the attack to come, but … nothing.

This actually makes a lot of sense.   Unless you have a severe allergy, our immune systems often need a certain amount of allergen or stimulant available to create a reaction, and once you reach your own personal threshold, you react.  Rarely is there just one stimulant at play, though – it is the combination of stimulants (food, stress, environment, hormones, weather, temperature) that adds up to a reaction.  Removing one or more of these stimulants may keep you from reaching your threshold – and this may significantly reduce your symptoms.    

I was able to identify that gluten was a significant inflammatory trigger, and was likely pushing me over my threshold when allergy season came around.  By taking out the gluten, I am able to tolerate my seasonal allergies without getting pushed to my reactive threshold.  The same can be said for any symptoms, whether it’s migraine, joint pain, hives, what have you.

Focus your practice on finding out what stimulants might be triggering your symptoms.  Engage in an elimination diet to get a sense of whether foods are triggers, and to what extent.  Notice if you feel worse when the stress in your life increases.  Do your symptoms worsen when you’re ovulating or menstruating?  When it’s extremely hot, cold, rainy or when seasons change?  The more you know, the more you have the power to avoid reaching your own threshold, and the better you may feel. 

Green Smoothies

While staying at one of my dearest friend's house, I complained of low energy, and how I just couldn’t get myself going that day.  In response, my friend disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a strange looking green concoction that looked not quite appetizing, not quite repellent.  I took a sip – it was delicious.  As I continued to drink, I felt my energy returning and within minutes, I felt amazing.  This was my introduction to green smoothies and since that time, I have spent countless hours in the kitchen creating my own recipes and passing them on to my clients and friends.   

Green smoothies may sound strange to some (OK, they may even sound disgusting -- the cringe is a common face I see from clients when I approach the topic), but the fruits overpower any strong flavor the greens may impart, and any reservation with the color of the drink will be put to rest once you taste one.   The concentration of nutrients it provides is unparalleled by any one food or meal – perfect for detoxification or as an anti-inflammatory elixir.  They provide incredible energy, a reduction in sweet cravings, weight loss, and an overall sense of well being when drunk on a regular basis.   I swear my stress levels seemed to sink to more tolerable levels when I started drinking them every day.  

The classic three ingredients for a green smoothie are fruit, greens like collards, kale or spinach and water, but if you need more calories or protein, you can always try adding soaked nuts, rice or hemp protein powders, hemp seeds or coconut milk.   A standard blender will do, but if you want a smoother drink, try a higher power motor.   The Vitamix is the shining star of the blender world, but will set you back about $400.  If you just want a decent, good quality machine, the Oster 8 Speed Blender rates high in Consumer Reports, has a very strong motor and costs about $40.    

When making a green smoothie, play with textures that fit your own tastes – if the drink is too thin, add strawberries, banana or avocado; if it’s too thick, add fruit juice or water; if it’s too sweet, add more greens; if it’s too bitter, add fruit juice or a couple of dates to sweeten.    Also consider changing up flavors by adding basil, parsley, ginger, mint or cinnamon.  Blend on high for about 2-3 minutes for the smoothest texture.   

Classic Green Smoothie:  This is the basic recipe.  Add fruit first, then water, and finish with the greens.  Serves 3.

• 2-3 cups fruit (strawberries, watermelon, blueberries, blackberries, nectarines, etc.), fresh or frozen
• 1 banana (keep it out for a thinner beverage or if intolerant)
• Enough filtered water to reach the top of the fruit, about 2 cups
• 2 cups greens (spinach, chard, beet greens, collards, sorrel, lettuce, etc.)

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