"Hello" Springtime - "Bye Bye" Allergies
HAPPY SPRING! Spring is a great time to start things fresh and anew.
Just look outside and watch the world transform and awaken right before your eyes. Birds happily singing, flowers fragrantly blooming, spring rains graciously giving all things a refreshing drink from heaven. I can’t help but smile and look forward to springtime.
I know, not everyone is happy about this time of year. I used to have horrible seasonal allergies and was even called “Sneezy” in school, it was that bad! What is cool though, is that the healthier my body is, the less allergies I deal with.
If you struggle with allergies, I know it’s miserable but there’s good news for you so keep reading.
Did you know that God created our bodies to adapt to spring without the misery of allergies? He knew we would encounter spring pollen and yet he created our body to be able to handle seasonal changes!
If your body is struggling with seasonal allergies, then let’s ask “WHY is this happening?”
When your immune system and your gut (MOST of your immune system is in the gut) are in good working order, then the grass and pollen really shouldn’t be bothering you much. The problem isn’t with spring. The issue is that for some reason your body isn’t cooperating with spring. When gut health is poor, it influences your entire immune system and then the rest of the body suffers.
Most people manage allergies with OTC remedies. The thing is…Over the counter remedies don’t get to the root of the problem, they only cover up symptoms and can cause even more of a health problem. Take the time to start working on the root cause and then you won’t have to resort to a band-aid approach.
Are you ready to improve your health so you can enjoy springtime?
Here’s a few tips to start your healing process…
1. EAT GOODER. (sorry, that’s just VERY bad English, but it was fun to say. Wink. Wink.)
Enjoy cleaner foods by eliminating factory-farmed animal products which are full of toxic chemicals, hormones, and antibiotics. Eat real foods not fake processed foods which are loaded with toxic ingredients.
It’s time to make up for all the salads you didn’t eat regularly during the winter. Now that the weather is warming up, it’s time to kick it in full gear! Try to have a salad everyday but be careful of processed salad dressings which can defeat the health benefits of your salad. Consider putting a big handful of greens into your morning shake as another great idea.
Find ways to incorporate a rainbow of organic fruits and veggies daily. Avoid foods that promote inflammation like sugar, trans fats, vegetable and seed oils, alcohol, processed foods.
2. EXERCISE – MOVE IT! MOVE IT!!
Enough of being cooped up all winter! I’m also talking to myself on this one. I can get so busy in writing, studying, coaching and preparing to teach that I MUST schedule in some kind of movement or I find that my brain is getting more exercise than my body.
Move your body regularly. Walk, jog, jump, swim, hike, dance, skip, (yup, I have been known to skip from one end of the house to the other and dance to some of my favorite happy God songs (pausing here so you can visualize and laugh if you need to, haha). In the past, I’ve had my granddaughter skipping with me but for some reason it's "way cuter" and "oh so precious" when SHE did it.
Sometimes life just isn't fair.
Golfers, like my husband, can get in some good exercise especially if they walk the golf course. A bonus exercise would be to continually bend down in the tall grasses searching, searching and SEARCHING for those little lost white golf balls which seem to have a mind of their own.
The point is, incorporate movement regularly and find ways that make it enjoyable for you.
3. LIGHTEN THE TOXIC LOAD (don’t be overly hygienic which can weaken your immune system. As people have overused hand sanitizers and antimicrobial soaps, allergies have become more common).
Let’s face it, we can all get full of the toxic load from time to time. Consider doing a detox in the spring and fall. Just think of how much better you’ll feel and the energy you’ll have when you aren’t weighed down with toxic poisons.
Some signs you may need to detox - headaches, skin rashes, fatigue, irritability, depression, pain, bloating, constipation, brain fog, and inability to lose weight.
Foods that will help detox - garlic, onions, leafy greens, citrus fruits, raw vegetables, chia and hemp seeds.
Products that work well during this time - Clean Start Cleanse a popular cleanse to help support the primary detoxifying processes of the body. Tiao He Cleanse targets the colon and liver. There is also Dieters Cleanse and Para Cleanse. If you need help with relief while you’re healing, check out Histablock which supports respiratory symptoms with unique herbal blend features and Sinus Support to help with seasonal allergies. Breathe Deep is a wonderful blend of essential oils to help you breathe deep and clear in no time.
Remember to keep your body moving and drink plenty of water.
Be sure to also take good quality probiotics for a healthy gut especially if you’ve been overly stressed or if you've been on antibiotics. Eating daily fermented foods and plain yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, or Keifer with live cultures is always a great addition.
4. THINK ABOUT what you think about.
Not only can our body become toxic but so can our minds. Don’t allow your mind to keep thinking toxic thoughts, it will affect everything around you.
Stinkin’ thinkin’ can also have a damaging effect on your physical health. We must purposefully think about what we think about or else the devil will make sure our thoughts are toxic. When that happens, our words as well as our lives become toxic. We were created to be a blessing, not a toxin.
A good scripture to meditate on is “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8
A good book to read along this lines is by Kerry Kirkwood is Power of Right Thinking.
IN SUMMARY: Eat clean, move your body, remove toxins, think good thoughts and implement quality products to help along the way.
There you have it, a few tips that will surely put a SPRING in your step! Start with one thing you can change. Which tip will you implement today?
If you’re interested in personalized transformational nutrition coaching or herbal consulting to help you begin to feel better, fill out the form here FREE HEALTH DISCOVERY SESSION.
In the meantime, just for stopping by, here’s a free e-book for you!
