Springing a surprise on your spring allergies.

Brrr! Winter is still giving me chills but Spring is finally here! 

As the seasonal shift begins, it's time to start thinking about the shifts happening inside your body. This post will tackle how the immune system is affected by the changing seasons and how to use nutrition to stop Spring (and common) allergies.

If you're anything like me, your holiday season was spent filling your time with indulgent family festivities. If so you probably felt the complaints from your body: decreases in energy and quality on one side and increases in weight and stress on the other. We also happened to have a particularly potent flu bug this season.  All of these factors (stress, high blood sugar, exposure to pathogens) challenge your body's immune system and in many cases leave it in a weakened state. 

Now as spring approaches and nature begins to wake up, a multitude of allergens are released into the air which inevitably end up in our eyes, respiratory organs, sinuses, and skin. Normally, a healthy immune system identifies and deals with allergens and you never notice any symptoms. However, when your immune system has been repressed by too many sugar cookies and exhausted by fighting that cold that took too long to go away it can become very sensitive to things like pollen and dander. As a result spring allergies can run wild and cause debilitating symptoms in some and worsen normally mild symptoms in others. 

So how does one avoid being stuffy all spring season? Studies have shown that Vitamin D is a prime regulator of immune system activity and deficiency can increase susceptibility to infection. We can get our daily intake of vitamin D by spending roughly 15 minutes exposed to direct sunlight. You can also supplement with Cataplex D which contains your daily value of the vitamin. 
High blood sugar levels have been shown to decrease immunity and increase tissue inflammation markers. Maintaining healthy blood sugar is about avoiding foods with a high glycemic index a.k.a. breads, sweets, wheat pasta, certain fruits etc. 
Finally it may help to add supplemental nutrition to your diet in the form of Standard Process supplements. 

For blood sugar management Diaplex encourages healthy blood sugar levels already within a normal range when combined with a healthy diet. It supports healthy function of the pancreas bowel and gall bladder. Diaplex also contains chromium an essential nutrient involved in carbohydrate metabolism. 
Allergies start with an organic molecule called histamine which is released into the blood when you come in contact with allergens. Antronex helps the liver process histamine which can control the severity of the allergic reaction.  
Finally, the powerful Sinus Forte can assist with stuffy sinus drainage as well as supporting a healthy immune response to environmental stressors. It is packed with cayenne, Goldenseal, Echinacea, Goldrenrod and Eyebright - an excellent arsenal of herbs to protect your system for the spring season.

These recommendations are given for general knowledge and nutritional support - Our doctors are available for any questions related to a specific condition. If you would like to know more about how we can help you improve your nutrition and wellness please contact our office today to get started!

#nutrition #StandardProcess #Spring #allergies #immune #wellness