Dr. Verma-Dzik is the owner and founder of Ridgefield-based Fairfield Naturopathic Health. A board-certified Naturopathic Physician, Dr. Verma is also a certified medical acupuncturist who practices holistic medicine in the treatment of acute and chronic health conditions.
Here, Dr. Verma uncovers sneezing and watery eyes associated with seasonal allergies in this week’s segment: Your Natural First Step to Allergy Season.
Allergy season is around the corner and now is the time to get ahead of those symptoms before the pollen hits the air.
Based on clinical and personal experience, the first step to tackling seasonal allergies is addressing your diet. Yes, diet. As I said in my last post, it all starts with what we eat.
There are so many diets out there that it can become so confusing, from Paleo to the Mediterranean to the Biggest Loser Diet. But trust me, it doesn’t have to be complicated! Ultimately, these diets all focus on the same premise: eating plenty of vegetables and fruits and lean protein and eliminating sugars, refined carbohydrates, processed foods, and cutting back on the liquid sugar, including wine and cocktails. It’s all about clean eating. It really is a simple step in strengthening our bodies, especially when we notice the difference in how much better we feel
And what happens when we are not practicing clean eating? The immune system is constantly releasing chemicals that work to combat infection and injury, creating total body inflammation.
Experiencing allergies, low energy, foggy headedness, and frequent illnesses are some clues that there is chronic inflammation present in our bodies. It is not uncommon to have these symptoms on a daily basis, especially with the rise in hidden food intolerances.
If you wonder how food intolerances impact and worsen seasonal allergies, it is because these intolerances trigger mucus production, along with inflammation.
To take it a step further, we can look at our microbiome, the population of bacteria living in our intestines. The microbiome plays an important role in the immune system. The beneficial bacteria making up the population forms a barrier as a first line of defense against pathogens. Examples of beneficial bacteria: kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, and probiotics. When processed foods and sugar are consumed, the population of gut bacteria is altered, thereby impairing the balance between the good and bad bacteria in our gut, and ultimately, immune defenses. Not only does poor gut health lead to inflammation and allergies, but also is a contributing factor to other chronic diseases, like autoimmune disease, heart disease, autism, mood disorders and cancer.
So, to sum it up, some quick first steps to prepping your bodies for allergy season:
1. Consume a diet high in leafy greens and berries. The high amounts of antioxidants and other good ingredients in these foods increase immunity and decrease inflammation.
2. Avoid sugar, processed foods, refined carbohydrates and foods high in arachidonic acid.
3. Feed your healthy beneficial bacteria with kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, and probiotics. This will provide a strong defense against seasonal allergies.
What you eat is the core approach for health concerns. Once healthy eating is attained, your body can heal naturally.
Fairfield Naturopathic Health is located at 20 Prospect Street inside Susi Laura Massage in Ridgefield. Learn more about Dr. Verma and Fairfield Naturopathic Health here.