Hay fever may not be such an issue this year because of the weather, but there are still millions of people suffering respiratory allergies everyday.
I personally used to suffer terribly allergies. I was one of those people that would wake up and immediately start sneezing. Cats and horses were a nightmare to be around. It was only when I started studying and using nutrition – mainly for other health reasons – that my allergies cleared up.
Route Causes
Holistic therapists search for the route cause of problems. The route cause of allergies can be complex, but one thing is for sure, allergies are a symptom of imbalances elsewhere in the body. If those imbalances are sorted out the allergies will go.
The Gut Connection
One of the main areas where an imbalance can cause, not just food allergies, but respiratory allergies too is the gut. If our digestive systems is not happy then the knock on effects can be very far reaching indeed. Many people suffer digestive problems these days for some or all of the following reasons.
- chemical food additives
- chemical residues on food
- over eating of unhealthy fats
- a lack of good fats
- too much wheat based foods
- too much sugar
- a lack of vegetable fiber
- a lack of living foods in the diet
- a lack of water
This subtle set of factors compound into an unhappy gut where inflammation is common place and food intolerances an ever increasing problem. Constipation, IBS and all other gut issues can develop from here. These issues in the gut can be mirrored in the respiratory system because the immune system is put in a constant state of alert and therefore sensitive to all possible irritants such as dust, moulds, pollen, animals etc.
The basic formula for a happy gut is plenty of water (this alone can make a huge difference!), low sugar and wheat intake, plenty of healthy raw oils in the diet like hemp, flax and extra virgin olive oil. A diet of at least 50%
raw vegetable foods, organic where possible. Plus always take a course of probiotics after antibiotics or if you suffer any gut problems.
With this way of eating you’ll be surprised what other problems in your body just go away!
The Toxic Connection
Another underlying issue that can cause constant symptoms in the respiratory system is the toxic load in the body.
If our bodies have more toxins than they can deal with (very common these days), our immune system will be upset and the body will be looking for any route possible to get rid of toxins. The respiratory system is a common release valve – being a way of getting rid of excess acidity, mucous, salt and toxins.
To help our systems work more cleanly we can introduce some detoxing tools into everyday life. One of the best options is vegetable juicing. Drinking fresh vegetable juice everyday will really give your immune system a boost, help it calm down and help your liver pull all of the toxins out of your cells and blood to be got rid of!
Dairy Connection
Lastly for many people dairy foods result in excess mucous being produced. Dairy is very acid forming and the body will use the respiratory system to get rid of excess mucous and acidity.
This does not mean that you need to cut dairy out completely but take some of it out. Try almond milk on your breakfast cereal, eat less cheese, especially hard cheese and use bio-live yogurt rather than cream.