This article conveys a personal experience and is no way intended as medical advice. Please always consult your doctor before taking any medication or supplements.

As we move into fall, some of us find our allergies flaring up again. I remember the day I took my first allergy medication. I was red eyed and wheezy cleaning up on the back porch, when a well meaning neighbor seeing my distress held out two little red tablets saying, “Try this.” The problem was – It worked. The real problem though, was that my body was producing histamines to try and ward off what it was reading as hostile invaders. The medications she had offered did not touch the real source of the problem—it just blocked them temporarily—so my symptoms continued.

What followed was over three decades of rotating medications both prescribed and over the counter, trying to stay ahead of the allergic misery that was my life. The dehydration and joint issues I suffered as a result of these medications was almost worse than the allergies themselves. I ended up taking over the counter anti-inflammatories on top of everything else, which was not only bad for my liver and stomach, it also made me tired.

When I realized that I was bruising like a piece of bad fruit, I decided something had to change. If this sounds familiar don’t despair.  Here are some natural options that worked for me for you to look into. Please remember to always consult your doctor about the right allergy treatment for you.

First of all find out what you are allergic to. Your Doctor can do a simple skin test that will tell you exactly what your body is reacting to. You don’t want to go re-homing your cat or dog only to find out it was ragweed that was giving you problems.

The most common allergens are: Pollen, ragweed, dustmites, pet dander, and air pollution. (I take “air pollution” to mean things like smoke, perfume, carpet cleaning chemicals, furniture stripper or wax, paint fumes or any other caustic smells that are found in closed spaces.)

It’s almost impossible to avoid all allergens, even when you know what they are but there are things you can do to minimize them.

Airfilters have been shown to reduce indoor allergens and help you breathe easier. To get the most from a filter you need to keep windows closed.

Wash frequently. Allergens like to cling to clothes, carpets, bed sheets, hair and skin. Water is your friend. A good shower and a fresh outfit will help keep pesky pollens and mites off your back.

Probiotics work from the inside out to help you beat allergies. According to research from the Osaka University School of Medicine, probiotics have been found to be effective in treating sinus symptoms linked to allergies. Strains that are effective include: Lactobacilli casei, Lactobacillus paracasei, L. acidophilus, and Bifidobacterium longum. These should be taken on an empty stomach.

Butterbur is another newer herbal supplement that has been found to help relieve hay fever symptoms as effectively as Zyrtec and Cetirizine. (Caution: Do not combine other allergy medications with Butterbur as you may overdose.)

Stinging Nettle can also be effective. Some experts recommend 600 to 1,200 mg of dried extract daily. You can also collect and eat this wild growing plant yourself in the spring and put it in stews, soups or smoothies.

Vitamin D can also help. Harvard University did a study that shows a link between low vitamin D, allergies and asthma.

(For more on the wonders of vitamin D, see Dr Daria’s blog post.)

Honey. Honey made from flowers and plants in your area may help “immunize” your body against pollen allergens. One to three teaspoons of locally produced raw honey daily can help boost your body’s natural resistance. A study in the International Archives of Allergy and Immunology showed that patients with birch pollen allergy who ate honey that included birch pollen reduced their symptoms by 60 percent and used 50 percent fewer antihistamines!

Go Omega 3’s. Toss a little flax onto your yogurt or cereal to help boost your immune system.

Eliminate refined and highly processed foods. Since a big part of allergic response is inflammation, you might want to eliminate highly processed and refined foods that increase these symptoms. Try replacing them with raw seasonal fruits and vegetables – especially those high in Quercetin that will provide your body with what it needs when it needs it.

Drink lots of water! Water helps you flush toxins from your system and can help reduce inflammation as well.

Sources:

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This Labor Day I won’t be working at all! In fact, the night before I am hosting a potluck party at my apartment because my sister will be in town visiting from Austin, Texas for the holiday weekend, and so I plan on sleeping in and then sleeping some more on the sand down the Jersey shore come Monday. I tend to reserve Labor Day as a reset day for relaxation, to rest my mind and body briefly before the busy Fall months ahead.

For the potluck party I plan on making Broccoli Salad. And, as fellow Wild Oats blogger, Dr. Daria says, “Broccoli Rocks!” because it helps us detoxify, keep our system clean and healthy, and even helps us deal with air pollution!

Here’s my favorite version of this delicious, highly desirable, sharable dish:

Non-Laborious Broccoli Salad Recipe

One Head Broccoli, cut in bite size pieces and blanched (when you blanch foods, it preserves the nutritional value because the majority of the nutrients don’t leach out into the water)

• A handful of golden raisins
• A handful of raw sunflower seeds
• A few slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Combine ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

For the dressing:

• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• A spoonful of organic cane sugar
• Sea salt and crushed pepper to taste

Whisk together ingredients and fold in to salad.

I hope you enjoy this not so labor intensive salad with you friends and family this holiday!

One of the major health issues our society faces today is obesity. In fact, more than half of the American population is overweight or obese. But did you know that one of the most commonly recommended and used herbal supplements to help with weight loss is green tea.

Obesity is associated with several chronic health conditions such as heart disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure, not to mention diabetes.

Many dietary supplements make use of herbs that have been proven to help with weight loss. One such herb is green tea.

For thousands of years, the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant have been valued by the Chinese as an herbal and medicinal drink. Green tea, according to legend, was believed to be first discovered by no less than an emperor. Chinese Emperor Shennong was reported to have been boiling water when the leaves of a nearby tree fell into his pot. The result was the first pot of green tea.

Like all three of the major Asian teas available, green tea comes from the plant called Camellia sinensis. However, green tea is said to have more potent herbal benefits compared to black tea or oolong tea. This is because the antioxidants naturally occurring in green tea leaves remain intact when it is processed as a tea. Unlike black tea, where the leaves are boiled, green tea leaves are steamed, preventing the full oxidation of the leaves and preserving the natural antioxidants in its original form.

Outside of weight loss, there are other health benefits associated with green tea. One of these benefits is preventing cancer. According to scientific studies, certain substances present in green tea are said to help in the destruction of cancer cells without harming any of the neighboring tissues. This substance is called epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG, an antioxidant.

Green tea’s EGCG is also helpful in increasing the 24-hour energy expenditure of the body. In a University of Geneva study, green tea was shown to increase the body’s natural energy expenditure by 4%.  People who took green tea in capsules were more likely to use more fat than those who took caffeine or placebo.

Furthermore, green tea is said to greatly help in lowering cholesterol levels in humans. In China, 240 people with high cholesterol levels were given one green tea capsule — equivalent to seven cups of green tea —  everyday for 12 weeks. At the end of the study, those who took green tea reduced their cholesterol levels by 16%, compared to those who took a placebo.

So, whether you’re looking for a way to lose weight or simply increase your good cholesterol, green tea is something you need to consider adding to your diet. Of course, please check with your doctor before adding any supplement (even tea!) to your routine.

The sun is high in the sky and you’re understandably busy enjoying the bounty of your summer vegetable harvest. So, you’re probably not be thinking about cooler weather and all the wonderful veggies a late harvest can bring. But now it the perfect time to plan a fall garden. A little planning now can stretch your garden’s goodness well into the next season.

Tips For Planning A Fall Garden

1. If this will be your first garden, pick a site that gets full sun for most of the day. Shoot for at least six hours each day.
2. Check your planting zone to help you choose plants that will grow well in your climate.
3. Measure your garden space carefully.
4. Make a sketch of your garden plan.
5. Choose the plants you’d like to include in your garden, and make a plan for starting seedlings or purchasing plants from your local garden supply shop. Make sure to focus on organic!
6. Determine the first frost date, then count backward based on the plant/seed information. Mark these dates on your garden sketch. If planting seedlings, schedule enough time for them to mature before the first frost.
7. Make notes on your sketch about type and number of plants you plan to grow, and how much space each needs.
8. Use your sketch as a guide as you dig your garden and plant your plants.
9. Don’t worry if you only have a limited amount of space. Choose to grow vegetables that you like but can’t find in your local market. Or try growing something that seems especially challenging to you.
10. Fresh lettuce, spinach, and peas aren’t limited to spring. Replant as temperatures cool in late summer for a second round of these favorites.
11. Plant your garden in full sun with well-drained soil for best harvests.
12. Spread mulch over the soil to help decrease weeds and disease.

Check out the list below for some ideas of what you might plant in your fall garden.

• Kale
• Spinach
• Arugula
• Lettuce
• Collards
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Beets
• Carrots
• Turnips
• Rutabaga
• Radishes
• Parsnips

While the humble muffin has been a breakfast staple in busy families for decades, it may surprise you to know that it is not always the healthiest choice. With the start of the back-to-school morning rush, try these 6 muffin makeovers to make sure your morning muffin fix is actually full of good stuff.

You can create your own healthier alternatives to the “grab it and go” muffin. Get your kids out the door fast and full by following the 6 steps below

1. No More Massive-Muffins!

   It’s time to put an end to the “mega-muffin.” Ditch the super-sized muffin tins and opt for 2 oz paper liners, then only fill the cups halfway with batter. This will give you 18 slightly smaller muffins instead of 12 in each recipe.

2. Swap Your Grains!

   Substitute whole wheat flour for half of the white, all-purpose flour in your favorite muffin recipe. Your kids won’t notice the difference. Then just slowly increase the percentage with each batch until you’ve replaced all of the white flour with whole wheat.

3. Go Totally Nutty!

   Pump up the protein with chopped nuts instead of sugary chocolate chips. You can also mix in a spoon of peanut butter or substitute nut-based flour for up to 25% of the wheat flour in a recipe.

4. Cut Your Sugar!

   You can cut 25% of the sugar from most standard muffin recipes with no impact on flavor or texture. When you cut back, try substituting raw sugar or agave nectar for some of the white sugar.

5. Get Naturally Sweet!

   Fresh whole fruit and unsweetened dried fruit balance their natural sugar with fiber and important nutrients, making them a healthier choice than processed sugar. And lots of fruit in your muffins means less added sugar necessary for taste.

6. The Incredible Egg!

   There’s no need to cut out the eggs in muffins and other baked goods. In fact, folding whipped egg whites into a batter can help lighten it up, which is a great trick to use with whole grain muffins, which often have dense batters.  A lighter batter also means that you can use a touch less baking powder, helping to curb sodium.

So there you go…six easy ways to provide your kids with a healthier breakfast that fits into the modern-day “grab and go” lifestyle.