Oh Allergies...

As a child, I was notorious for being the one in the family, among my friends, and in my class who gave the first true signs of Spring: Sneezing, sniffling, and red itchy eyes. A victim of allergies for two of my favorite things in the world: Nature and animals.

Lo and behold, I was medicated in middle school, starting with Allegra.  Once I built a tolerance, I had to switch to Zertec, and alternate between the two yearly.  Then, in high school my doctor prescribed me Singulair for a double whammy for my allergies and asthma.

Today, I am allergy free, asthma free, AND medication free.

As I sit outside on this BEAUTIFUL day on the East Coast, breathing freely through my nose, savoring the smell of the air, the flowers, freshly cut grass, I think to myself, "how did I ever live without enjoying this?"

So, this is what I do, and I recommend for all of my allergy prone counterparts, do try out my recommendations.  If they worked for me, a.k.a. the sneezing mess, they could work for you:

1.) Every morning I make a smoothie (see recipe below).  Inside that smoothie a key ingredient to triumphing allergies is Bee Pollen.  Yes, Bee Pollen is not vegan, and I do eat a Vegan diet, however I still consume bee products-- they have served their purpose and more.  By eating LOCAL Bee Pollen (which you can get at your local health food store), your body builds a tolerance to Bee Pollen, which is one of many triggers for seasonal allergies.  I have been using 1 tsp. of Bee Pollen for about two years now, and although it takes time to build up a tolerance, it does work.

Green Smoothie:1-2 c. Coconut Water
1/2 Frozen banana
handful of Kale
1 tsp. Bee Pollen
1 tsp. Maca Powder
1 tsp. Spirulina
1 tbs. Chia seeds
1 tbs. Ground Flax Seed
1 soup of Sun Warrior Protein Powder
Blend in a blender

2.) A few times a day I clean my sinuses. I whole heartedly believe in the power of a Neti Pot, however I am a busy chick who will come up with any excuse not to flush my sinuses daily.  So, I found a convenient alternative that works like a charm and does not shoot snot all over my sink:

Xlear is a friggen Rock Star which I do not leave home without!

3.) A huge fan of Homeopathy, every day 2-3 times a day (or more if feeling sniffly), I take three pellets of Natrum Muriaticum 200 ck.  If you are not familiar with these little miracle pellets I suggest you do some googling, speak to a homeopath, and ditch pharmaceutical drugs for these natural miracle pills. I use them for every ailment I have from a morning after a fun night (commonly called a hangover) to a cold to digestive issues.  Homeopathy is a super star in my book, and I never resort to pharmaceutical medication. Homeopathy is safe, and natural, and can be given to pets and babies (speak with a homeopath first!).

4.) My last allergy-ass-kicker is Quercetin. Quercetin is found in many fruits and vegetables, some of my favorites which I eat daily are green tea, apples, red onions, tomatoes, broccoli, and leafy greens like my beloved kale.  I also take Quercetin as a supplement when I know the allergy scale will be high...

With Butterbur Extract,Perilla Oil, Rosemarinic Acid, and 200 mg of Quercetin, this product has  become one of my new favorites.

 5.)Oh yeah, and there's an App for that! Check out Pollen.com for the Allergy Alert to see which days the pollen is high, in which you should use extra precaution (as in make sure to clean your sinuses, and use my recommendations).

Having a healthy diet is essential to a healthy immune system.  Remember to eat lots of vegetables, try to incorporate some (or all) of my suggestions, and then, roll down those windows and enjoy breathing freely the fresh scents of spring <3

Happy Healing!