While the weather changing is a welcoming event for many, for those with severe seasonal allergies, the changing of the seasons can be difficult to handle. Unfortunately, many Americans experience allergy symptoms year-round and avoiding these allergens is not always possible. While being on the ball and treating your allergies as soon as they start is always a good idea, you may not like the idea of relying on drugs to help tame your allergy symptoms. Especially since many medications can alter the way you feel, and can even make you groggy and drowsy.
Nobody likes to endure itchy eyes, congestion, wheezing, sneezing, and a runny nose during allergy season. However, before you reach for that allergy medication, try making some simple changes to your diet first. Minimize your allergy symptoms with these helpful eating tips and learn which allergy-fighting foods and drinks you should be adding to your diet!
Eat a Mediterranean diet – A Mediterranean diet includes lots of nuts, beans, fruits, vegetables, olive oil, fish, and whole grains, with a lesser amount of meat. According to a report in the Journal of Asthma in 2013, a person can help increase their chance of controlling their asthma by adhering to a Mediterranean diet.
Ditch on spicy food – Are there high pollen counts? Ditch on the spicy foods when the pollen counts are high, even if you generally enjoy a diet of spicy foods during most of the year. Eating spicy foods can create additional histamine, which you don’t want when you are already having histamine produced because of your seasonal allergies.
Ingest foods high in quercetin – A natural plant compound, quercetin may help reduce histamine reactions and protect you from seasonal allergies. A type of flavonoid antioxidant, quercetin has potent anti-inflammatory effects and can naturally lower the effects of allergens. You can find quercetin in foods such as parsley, peppers, onions, tomatoes, broccoli, as well as berries.
Green tea – Green tea is excellent for those with allergies because it contains natural antihistamines. Histamine is a chemical that is released in your body during an allergic reaction but drinking a cup of hot green tea (especially in the morning) is a great way to reduce your allergy symptoms and can help you prevent sneezing and sniffling.
Omega-3’s – If your allergy symptoms include asthma, you should opt for a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3’s can be helpful in reducing asthma symptoms because of its anti-inflammatory effects on the body. If you are looking to add more omega-3s into your daily regime, make sure you are adding albacore tuna, salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, and other fatty fish into your diet.
Probiotics – Adding yogurt and other sources of probiotics to your diet is highly recommended for those with severe allergy symptoms. Also known as a “friendly bacteria”, probiotics can help regulate your immune system, which can help you experience fewer and less severe allergy symptoms. You can get probiotics from fermented milk, kimchi, yogurt, miso, and also from dietary supplements.
