Hayfever
Many people have gained positive results by making changes to their diet. Eliminate foods that encourage excess mucous production and inflammation and congestion. These include starches, dairy foods, refined carbohydrates (especially white wheat flour), sugary foods, foods loaded with additives, processed foods, red meats, alcohol and ready meals. Eat plenty of foods that have a natural anti-inflammatory effect in the body and provide maximum nutrition such as organic raw salads and lightly cooked vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, wild oily fish. The key is to eat fresh foods with as few additives as possible. Include plenty of onions and garlic as these help to keep bodily fluids more liquid and help ease congestion. Foods containing vitamin C and Quercetin reduce the amount of histamine produced so lessen the unwanted effects. Quercetin acts as a natural anti-inflammatory and steadies the immune response. It is found in basically any plant, therefore in all raw fruit and vegetables but especially those with a dark colour such as the dark berries. Other rich sources include apples, green tea, dark green leaves and capers. Cooking drastically reduces amounts of these nutrients so daily salads and/or fresh juices are invaluable. Take the juice of a fresh lemon in water each morning on an empty stomach. Include plenty of foods rich in essential fatty acids such as oily fish, wheat germ and seeds like hemp, flax and evening primrose. Avoid cigarette smoking and tea and coffee as these deplete the system generally. Many herbs contain compounds that act as anti-histamines. These include stinging nettle, plantain, elderflowers, goldenrod, marigold, eyebright, butterbur, peppermint, juniper berries and echinacea. Make a tea mix from equal parts of perhaps 5 or 6 of any of the above dried herbs, except juniper, and add a heaped teaspoon of the mix per cup of boiling water. Add 2 crushed juniper berries to the tea and stand for 10 minutes before drinking. Take 3 cups daily during the hayfever season. Mullein leaf can help to relieve many symptoms such as cattarh, coughs and difficult or wheezy breathing. Warming and circulatory stimulating herbs such as horseradish, mustard, ginger, black pepper and chilli will balance out blood distribution and lessen congestion so add these in tiny doses (a pinch to a herb tea or meal) to ease congestion. Elecampagne root can help to dry up excessive mucous and catarrh. Take a teaspoon of turmeric powder in a little water 3 times daily for allergy relief in days. Take siberian ginseng tincture, a teaspoon in water 3 times daily to help the body cope with the effects of stress. Taking capsules of reishi powder may eliminate hayfever over several months. Take 2 capsules a day to begin with and gradually build up to 6 capsules daily over several weeks. Use other herbal formulas appropriate to symptoms such as chamomile, ginkgo and eyebright tea as a wash for sore and itchy eyes or olbas oil as a decongestant. Drink a cup of burdock root and marshmallow root tea daily. Use a heaped teaspoon of each root and simmer for 15 minutes in half a pint of water.General characteristics
General characteristics
Diet and lifestyle
Diet and lifestyle
Useful herbs
Useful herbs
Natural healing
Natural healing
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