Spring Allergies Guide

SPRING ALLERGIES

Spring is such a beautiful time of the year, when nature blooms in all its glory.

But if you suffer from allergies Spring can be exhausting and miserable, undermining your strength and ability to function.

Seasonal allergies affect 1 in 5 people in Australia, and is especially debilitating when pollen is abundant in the air.

The good news is that you can  prevent and treat allergies by addressing the causal level of your bodies reaction to allergens.

Allergens are usually harmless substances that trigger an allergic reaction when your immune system is in a dysfunctional hyperactive state.

If Spring for you means sneezing, itchy eyes, rashes, clogged sinuses, headaches and exhaustion, you need to transform your gut health, balance your immune system (TH2 dominant), and reduce inflammation to calm the hypersensitivity of your immune system.

UNDERSTANDING ALLERGIES

An allergy is an overreaction to something in the environment your immune system is mistakenly trying to protect you from.

People can have a hypersensitive reaction to a particular food • pollen • fur • dust • grasses, household cleaning products • synthetic fragrances • or even mould spores in the environment.

Allergy symptoms can range from itching skin • swollen eyes • lethargy • swellings • a scratchy throat • a stuffed or runny nose • sneezing • hives • and rashes • to vomiting • asthma (wheezing, coughing and difficulty breathing) • and anaphylaxis, which is a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.

So why does the immune system overreact?

ALLERGIES & HISTAMINES

Mast cells are an essential part of your immune system.

These blood cells release ‘signalling’ molecules called histamines that warn your body a foreign invader has been detected that can cause harm.

Your histamines act to protect you from threat, increasing blood flow to the area of attack, causing acute inflammation.

Inflammation then triggers other parts of your immune system to help you heal and overcome the threat detected.

But histamines are also involved when your body overreacts to ‘harmless’ substances.

Antihistamines have become a popular medication because they block the effect of histamines.

Antihistamine medications help manage allergy symptoms almost immediately, but they are not an ideal or long-term solution because of adverse side effects (including weight gain, obesity, dry eyes, increased pressure in your eyes, infertility, dementia, and brain tumours).

To naturally treat and prevent seasonal allergies, you need to discover why your body is hypersensitive and prone to allergic reactions.

And you’ll find the biggest reason is your gut.

Healing gut imbalances (dysbiosis) offers many health benefits, including the reduction of allergies.

ALLERGIES & PROBIOTICS

Trillions of bacteria live in your gut (your gut microbiome).

Most of your immune system also resides in your gut.

Studies have found that people with allergies (including Spring allergies) often have less abundant and diverse gut microorganisms compared to those who don’t experience allergies.

Clinical evidence has shown that probiotics help regulate your immune system and the microbial balance of your gut, leading to a reduction in allergic disorders.

Probiotics have been shown to benefit seasonal allergies, hay fever (allergic rhinitis), asthma, and atopic dermatitis.

PROBIOTIC BENEFITS

Probiotics are a mixture of live, health-promoting microorganisms found in certain foods and supplements.

Beneficial effects include a reduction in hyperreactivity and inflammation caused by allergens.

Researchers found that probiotic therapy depends on the type of microbial species you take, the dosage, diet, medications, and other unique health factors.

If you suffer from allergies, work with a health practitioner who specialises in gut health and allergies to determine the appropriate probiotics for alleviating allergy symptoms for your specific health status.

Getting the right advice is even more critical if you suffer from a gastrointestinal or immune disorder.

PROBIOTIC FOODS

What we eat every day influences our health outcomes.

Probiotic foods are fermented foods containing beneficial bacteria that promote a more robust and diverse gut microbiome.

Eating fermented foods is ideal for maintaining gut microbial balance.

BUT fermented foods are also high in histamines.

If you suffer from allergies or food sensitivities, it’s best to eliminate fermented foods and alcohol from your diet for one month, or until you heal your underlying metabolic issues.

Then slowly reintroduce probiotics back into your diet and test your tolerance.

Probiotic foods include:

• Live (real) Organic yoghurt – unsweetened, free of additives and flavouring.

• Cultured organic Greek yoghurt – unsweetened, free of additives and flavouring.

• Cultured organic Coconut yoghurt – unsweetened, free of additives and flavouring.

• Kefir – a cultured, fermented milk drink.

• Kombucha – a slightly fizzy drink made from fermented black tea.

• Kvass – a fermented drink made from rye, berries, herbs and honey.

• Tepache – made from the peel and the rind of pineapples and cinnamon.

• Kimchi – a spicy, traditional Korean sauerkraut made from fermented vegetables.

• Natto – a traditional Japanese dish made from fermented soybeans.

• Miso – fermented soybean paste used as seasoning and making soup.

• Tempeh – a traditional Indonesian food made from fermented soybeans.

• Sauerkraut –fermented, finely sliced cabbage with a salty and sour flavour.

• Fermented pickled vegetables.

• Organic apple cider vinegar with the mother.

• Organic, aged Gouda cheese.

• Organic Paneer – a raw Indian cheese rich in probiotics.

IMPORTANCE OF PREBIOTICS

Together with probiotics, prebiotics are also essential for maintaining a healthy gut.

Prebiotics feed your gut microbes (microbiome, gut flora, microbiota).

If you don’t feed the beneficial (friendly) bacteria in your gut, they will starve to death, leaving you vulnerable to opportunistic pathogens (germs, viruses, bacteria, and disease causing microorganisms).

It’s recommended that we eat 5-7 serves of prebiotic foods every day.

In our blog, Your Gut Microbiome & Why Prebiotics Are Essential – we list prebiotic power foods that beneficial gut bacteria thrive on that you can easily add to your diet.

And we share live links in our references so that you can explore the role of prebiotic foods in human health.

I also developed a prebiotic drink powder called Nourish, designed to help reduce inflammation and improve the density and diversity of beneficial gut micro-organisms.

Nourish is a central ingredient in drink recipes I create for my clients to help alleviate gut-immune dysfunction.

ALLERGY CALM BREAKFAST DRINK

Our allergy calming drink recipe combines gut restoring probiotics, with the prebiotic benefits of  Nourish, the anti-inflammatory action of  blueberry and aloe vera pulp juice to help calm and regulate overactive immune responses that contribute to allergy symptoms.

Combined, the action of the ingredients can help alleviate allergy symptoms by regulating histamine production or blocking its effects.

DRINK INGREDIENTS

100ml of organic cold-pressed blueberry juice.

1 metric teaspoon of organic aloe vera pulp juice.

1 metric teaspoon of Nourish prebiotic powder.

OPTIONAL

½ teaspoon of lemon zest for an added boost of allergy calming quercetin.

INSTRUCTIONS

Add all of the ingredients to a glass and use a handheld drink frother to thoroughly blend the ingredients together.

Add liquids first.

Take 1 probiotic capsule designed for calming allergies with your drink.

Drink once per day, in the morning, about 15 minutes before you eat food.

NOTES

Certain probiotic strains help reduce the frequency & severity of allergy symptoms. Ask your naturopath or pharmacist for advice.

For one month, drink every day before breakfast.

Then reduce to two to three times per week to maintain your gut microbiome and manage histamine tolerance.

This recipe is designed for general use.

Aloe vera juice and blueberry juice ingredients were chosen because they are low in histamine and contain natural antihistamine compounds.

Food allergies to blueberry are rare but if you are allergic to garlic, onions, or tulips then aloe vera may not be suitable for you. Test before trying.

If you suffer from severe or chronic allergy symptoms, consult your naturopath or health practitioner for comprehensive support.

Pure organic, cold-pressed blueberry juice is widely available in Australia from health food stores and specialty grocers. We use Georgia’s natural juices.

We also recommend Aloe Vera of Australia for the aloe pulp juice because it is cold-pressed and contains pure 99.9% inner leaf juice with no additives, and it’s widely available throughout Australia.

YOUR DIET & ALLERGIES

When you suffer from hay fever and allergies, there are two issues that you need to calm.

The first – is the histamine ‘storm’ you’ve got going on inside your body.

The second – is chronic inflammation, which is a consequence of histamine-immune action.

What you eat makes a huge difference.

Even certain healthy foods can directly exacerbate histamine release, thus increasing allergy symptoms.

And everyone has unique dietary triggers.

Allergy sufferers need to pinpoint which foods promote anti-inflammatory responses and which foods provoke a histamine response.

Then adjust your diet according to what calms inflammation and heals your body.

Some people choose to eat a four week low-histamine diet and then use trial and error to find foods they can tolerate without triggering their allergies.

Others undergo skin prick allergy tests and blood tests to confirm what they are sensitive or allergic to – which can be time-consuming and often expensive.

Alternatively, muscle testing (kinesiology) is a non-invasive diagnostic tool used to help tailor a diet to your unique health status.

Kinesiology is used as part of a whole range of methods of diagnosis used by naturopaths.

Whatever method you choose, please don’t ignore food’s impact on your health.

Diet is an essential strategy for calming hay fever and allergies.

ALLERGIES DIET

A low histamine diet is an excellent place to begin soothing allergies.

Low histamine foods (and foods high in quercetin) generally do not trigger the release of your body’s natural histamine.

The aim of reducing high levels of histamine foods in your diet is to calm inflammation and reduce histamine overreactions (allergies).

Adopting a low-histamine diet for one month will help you alleviate allergy symptoms while you address the root cause(s) of your hypersensitivity and slowly rebuild your gut microbiome and tolerance to allergens.

It’s not forever. Think of it as a 30 day histamine detox to help boost healing.

And keep in mind, the healthier your gut microbiome is, the better your tolerance to higher-histamine foods.

Make healing your gut your priority during this time.

After one month, you can slowly reintroduce a wider range of healthy whole foods and test your reactions to them.

This can be hit and miss for a time, until you clearly identify the foods that trigger or intensify allergy symptoms.

LOW HISTAMINE DIET

Generally, a low histamine diet includes:

• Fresh organic or biodynamic vegetables.  Freshness matters. The fresher the fruit and vegetables, the lower the histamine levels.

• Non-citrus fruits.

• Whole, unprocessed foods.

• Organic chicken (fresh or frozen).

• Wild caught fish such as omega-rich salmon (fresh or frozen).

• Organic eggs (cooked).

• Lactose-free dairy. And avoid cheese for one month because it is a fermented food, which are high in histamines.

• Gluten-free food.

• Sugar-free food to help your body calm inflammation.

• Legume sprouts like beansprouts are also beneficial because they are rich in an enzyme called diamine oxidase (DAO) that break down histamine in your body to improve your histamine tolerance.

• Herbal teas and fresh herbs with antihistamine and anti-allergenic effects are also helpful (see our low histamine food list).

It’s best to eat organic or biodynamic food, and totally avoid eating genetically modified food.

Conventional farming involves using synthetic chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides known to harm human health and fertility.

Crops are also being genetically modified to produce insecticide toxins to increase yields.

There are concerns that eating GM foods can contribute to cancer development by raising levels of potentially carcinogenic (cancer-causing) substances in the body.

And avoid buying processed foods that contain artificial preservatives and additives, sodium benzoate, sulphites, nitrites, glutamate, synthetic dyes and flavouring, and flavour enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (msg).

Check every food label before you buy it.

LOW HISTAMINE FOODS LIST

The following lists of foods have either an antihistamine effect or are low in histamine to help you reduce the impact of  Spring allergies.

Low histamine foods should form most of your diet for one month.

The idea is to avoid foods that trigger histamine and inflammation until you heal the issues that result in allergy disorders.

VEGETABLES

Alfalfa sprouts.

Artichoke.

Arugula (rocket).

Asparagus.

Beansprouts.

Beetroot.

Bok Choy.

Broccoli.

Brussels sprouts.

Cabbage.

Carrots.

Cauliflower.

Celeriac.

Celery.

Cucumber.

Eggplant (unless allergic).

Fennel.

Garlic (unless allergic).

Green capsicum (bell pepper).

Heritage potatoes (organic only).

Kale.

Leeks.

Lettuce.

Mung bean sprouts.

Mushrooms (all, cooked).

Okra.

Onions (unless allergic).

Peas (snow peas only).

Parsnips.

Pumpkin.

Radicchio.

Radishes.

Red capsicum (bell pepper).

Red lettuce.

Red Onion.

Spring onions.

Sweet corn (non-gmo).

Sweet potatoes (yams).

Swiss chard.

Turnip.

Watercress.

Zucchini.

FRUIT

Apples (only organic or biodynamic).

Apricots.

Blackberries.

Blueberries.

Cherries (fresh or frozen).

Cranberries (fresh or frozen).

Dragon fruit.

Fresh dates.

Fresh figs.

Grapes.

Kiwi fruit.

Mango.

Nectarine.

Peaches.

Pears.

Plums.

Pomegranate.

Rockmelon (cantaloupe).

Watermelon.

ORGANIC GRAINS

All-purpose gluten-free flour.

Amaranth.

Arrowroot.

Black and brown rice.

Brown sprouted rice flour.

Buckwheat.

Gluten free, sugar free, whole grain breakfast cereal.

Hemp seeds.

Linseeds (flaxseed).

Millet.

Quinoa.

Rice bran, sprouted.

PROTEIN

Omega-rich wild caught, fresh or snap frozen salmon.

Organic, free-range eggs.

Organic, fresh or snap frozen chicken.

Organic, low-histamine legumes such as lentils, black beans, garbanzo beans, lima beans, navy beans, pinto beans.

Organic, sprouted brown rice bran powder.

COLD-PRESSED OILS

Organic hemp oil.

Organic olive oil.

Organic rice bran oil.

HERBS & SPICE

Basil.

Bay leaves.

Black Cumin Seed Oil (nigella sativa).

Capers (salt-dried).

Cardamom.

Chives.

Coriander.

Cumin.

Dill.

Fennel.

Garlic.

Ginger.

Lemon Balm.

Mint.

Oregano.

Parsley.

Rosemary.

Sage.

Tarragon.

Thyme.

Turmeric.

For dressing salads, organic apple cider vinegar (with the mother) is considered low in histamines and better tolerated.

See our Delicious Dressing Recipes blog for inspiration and ideas.

You can also download our Nutrition Therapy- Vegetables free e-book, which contains the dressing recipes.

SWEETENERS

Local, raw honey (introduce slowly).

Manuka honey (introduce slowly).

Monk Fruit*.

Coconut palm sugar (small amounts)

Pure maple syrup (small amounts)

Monk Fruit* is a natural plant-based sweetener used in Chinese Herbal Medicine. Even better – monk fruit is sugar-free and delicious.

Avoid synthetic sweeteners and sugar alcohols such as xylitol.

In our blog about the benefits of Monk Fruit, we also share information on sugar and artificial sweeteners and their impact on your health.

MILK & DAIRY FOODS

Organic, activated brown rice milk (unsweetened).

Organic hemp milk (unsweetened).

Organic, activated almond milk (unsweetened).

Organic lactose free milk, such as Barambah Organics (in Australia, and check dairy tolerance first).

Organic, fresh mascarpone cheese (in small amounts if you are craving cheese, and check dairy tolerance first).

Organic, fresh cottage cheese (in small amounts if you are craving cheese, and check dairy tolerance first).

HERBAL TEAS

Ginger.

Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum, tulsi).

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis L.).

Nettle tea (Urtica dioica).

Green Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis, unfermented).

Sea Buckthorn tea.

Spearmint (Mentha spicata).

Plantain leaf (Plantago major. P.).

AVOID HISTAMINE LIBERATORS

Histamine liberators are foods that may contain low amounts of histamine but can trigger a histamine release in your body.

For one month, or until you heal your gut and allergen sensitivity, avoid the following histamine liberators:

• Avocado.

• Alcohol.

• Bananas.

• Black tea (through fermentation process).

• Cacao.

• Caffeinated energy drinks.

• Chocolate.

• Citrus fruits.

• Coffee (indirectly, due to cortisol increase)

• Dried fruit.

• Egg whites.

• Food additives, preservatives, and food dyes.

• Kiwi fruit.

• Legumes (except low-histamine legumes, such as lentils, black beans, garbanzo beans, lima beans, navy beans, pinto beans).

• Nuts.

• Papaya.

• Pineapple.

• Raspberries.

• Strawberries.

• Tomatoes.

• Wheat germ.

AVOID HIGH HISTAMINE FOODS

The aim of reducing high levels of histamine foods in your diet is to calm inflammation and reduce histamine reactions (allergies).

It’s not forever.

It’s only for one month.

You can do it!

Then slowly reintroduce healthy higher-histamine foods and test your reactions.

Also work with a practitioner that specialises in allergies and gut health to heal the underlying cause(s) of your allergies.

HIGH HISTAMINE FOODS

Aged cheese (soft and hard)*.

Bananas.

Cacao.

Canned (tinned) fish.

Canned (tinned) meats.

Chilli powder.

Chocolate.

Cinnamon.

Citrus fruits*.

Cloves.

Cured meats (as well as cold cuts, sausages, deli meats).

Curry.

Dried fruit (sulphur dried).

Eggplant.

Fermented drinks (alcohol).

Fermented foods.

Mayonnaise (vinegar content)

Miso paste.

Nutmeg.

Nuts.

Olives.

Pickled foods.

Pineapple.

Processed meats.

Rice vinegar.

Salad dressings (vinegar content)

Shellfish.

Soured foods.

Soy sauce.

Spinach.

Strawberries.

Tempeh.

Tinned (canned) foods.

Tomatoes.

Very ripe or older foods and leftovers.

Vinegars*.

Vinegar foods (sauces and pickles).

Wheatgerm.

Yeast extract.

Cheese* If you are really craving cheese, small amounts of organic paneer, ricotta, cottage cheese, mascarpone, and fresh mozzarella are lower in histamines.

Citrus* Small amounts of lemon and lime with olive oil are okay to use in salad or vegetable dressings, and generally tolerated.

Vinegar* Organic apple cider vinegar (with the mother) is considered low in histamines and easier to tolerate. Use apple cider vinegar with olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs to dress salads and vegetables.

AVOID JUNK FOOD

Nutrient-rich whole foods have a beneficial effect on your immune function, gut microbiome, and overall health.

Highly refined foods and synthetic ingredients undermine your gut microbiome and immune health, creating inflammation, allergies and food sensitivities.

Avoid, severely limit, and eventually refuse to eat foods that kill off essential gut microorganisms (microflora), especially synthetic chemicals used in preservatives, additives, food dyes, flavour, and flavour enhancers (such as msg).

Synthetic preservatives are usually found in foods with a long shelf life.

They have a long shelf life because preservatives inhibit or kill off microbes – including the friendly bacteria in your gut if you eat them.

Kick junk food and highly refined foods out of your life – for good – if you’re determined to be healthy.

Your body will thank you.

AVOID

Artificial sweeteners. *

Deep-fried foods.

Energy drinks.

Fast foods.

Foods high in added sugars.

Foods high in trans/saturated fatty acids.

Foods low in dietary fibre.

Highly refined carbohydrates (eat whole foods).

Highly processed foods.

Highly refined grains.

Lollies (candy).

Margarine.

Processed meats (nitrates).

Refined sugar.

Soft drinks (cooldrink, fizzy drinks).

Sugar laden processed desserts, pastries, cakes, and ice creams.

Sugar loaded breakfast cereals.

NOTES

It’s critical to limit refined sugar intake and understand what sugar does to your body when you continually eat it.

High sugar intake increases blood sugar imbalances, which then increases histamine in the blood and the progression of inflammation, histamine intolerance, and gut dysbiosis.

Artificial sweeteners* And artificially sweetened foods can also increase histamine intolerance.

See our blog, Quit Sugar With PURE Monk Fruit, which covers sugar consumption and artificial sweeteners, and what they do to your body.

DOWNLOAD ALLERGIES DIET

You can download a printable version of our SPRING ALLERGIES GUIDE RenerClinic here to use as a handy reference.

It’s free, and includes our food lists and allergy calming breakfast drink recipe.

You’re also welcome to share the guide with your family and friends.

We want to help as many people as we can to become allergy-free and loving life.

NATURAL MEDICINES

Along with probiotics and diet, naturopaths also use specific nutrients, enzymes, and herbal supplements to calm inflammation and improve allergen and histamine tolerance.

We’ve included live links to research studies in our references below so you can explore their benefits.

If you are considering natural remedies to help your allergies, seeking qualified advice is important because even natural medicines are dose-dependent.

Practitioners also consider other factors unique to you, including your current health status and any pharmaceutical medications you may be taking.

HERBS

Aged garlic extract.

Albizzia.

Aller-7™️.

Astragalus root.

Baical Skullcap.

Berberine.

Butterbur (Petasites hybridus).

Elderberry.

Feverfew.

Horehound.

Horseradish (and Wasabi – Japanese horseradish)

Licorice root.

Magnolia flower.

Mullein.

Nettle.

Perilla (Perilla frutescens).

Reishi mushroom.

Rosehip.

Scutellaria root.

Stephania root.

NUTRIENTS

Bioflavanoids.

Bromelain.

Curcumin.

Iron.

Marshmallow root.

Milk Thistle (Silymarin).

Omega-3 fatty acids.

Quercetin.

SPM’s (Specialized Pro-Resolving Mediators orchestrate resolution at the site of inflammation).

Vitamin A.

Vitamin B6.

Vitamin B12.

Vitamin C.

Vitamin D.

Zinc.

ENZYMES

Histamine intolerance (mostly associated with food sensitivity) can be due to a deficiency of the gastrointestinal enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO).

DAO deficiency results in food histamines not being broken down or absorbed properly within the gastrointestinal tract.

PRACTITIONER SUPPORT

It’s not surprising Australia is the allergy capital of the world.

When nature bursts with blooms and wildflowers in Spring, we get busy at the clinic helping people overcome their hypersensitivity to pollens.

We help our clients discover that you don’t need to suffer from allergies.

Instead, you can alter your diet.

You can restore imbalances and deficiencies.

You can rebuild your gut microbiome.

And you can realise that your body is designed to be healthy.

RENER NATUROPATHS

Our naturopaths offer a range of protocols for all types of allergies, including Spring allergies.

Tracey Blythe specialises in gut health and herbal medicine and evens offers gut health programs that include menu plans and recipes.

Mike Reid specialises in acupuncture and includes live blood analysis in his approach to naturopathy.

Sinead Burns specialises in personalised nutrition through functional testing and comprehensive practitioner support.

All the very best,

Lisa Rieniets ND.

RELATED BLOGS

Nourish Prebiotic Breakfast Drink Powder

https://www.renerhealthclinics.com.au/nourish-prebiotic-breakfast-drink/

Your Gut Microbiome & Why Prebiotics Are Essential

https://www.renerhealthclinics.com.au/gut-microbiome-prebiotics/

Nutrition Therapy – Healthy Fats

https://www.renerhealthclinics.com.au/nutrition-therapy-healthy-fats/

Free E-Book Download: Nutrition Therapy – VEGETABLES

https://www.renerhealthclinics.com.au/free-e-books-health-healing/

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