Spring Allergies...nothing to SNEEZE about

As I am sitting here in the sun (yeah for a beautiful warm day!), it is a lovely reminder that spring weather is on its way. The season bring many wonderful things - sun, warmth, fresh flowers - but for many it brings a plethora of negatives - sniffling, sneezing, itchy eyes, fatigue. Oh, the dreaded spring allergies. You may have suffered from these for many years and are reliant on over the counter antihistamines and nasal sprays, but within only a short time you could be free of these forever!

My story:

For many summers as a teen, I suffered from seasonal allergies, especially from fresh cut grass. As a camp counsellor one summer, I remember not being able to function in the morning until I took a Reactine, my nasal spray and eye drops. I literally did not feel like a person and was miserable until I did these steps. I continued to take Reactine daily for 3 whole years because otherwise I would break out in hives, with no known trigger. I would panic slightly if I forgot my anti-histamines while travelling because I knew I would be very itchy soon. Not fun! Flash forward a couple years, after seeing an ND myself, I was free of all medication and spring allergies haven't crossed my mind since (except when treating patients). All it took was simply tweaking my diet and taking a few supplements for a short period of time. 

So what can you do?

The root cause of seasonal allergies is typically an increase in inflammation and hyper-reactivity in the body. Meaning, our bodies are hyper-alert to anything that seems foreign to us and we mount an inflammatory response by releasing histamine. It is histamine that causes red, itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, hives etc., released from mast cells. It is important to build our immune system and decrease inflammation to eliminate this reaction, and it all starts in the gut…surprise, surprise! 😃

Here are 5 things you can do to prevent spring allergies:

1. Adjusting your diet - Focus on nutrient rich colourful foods to support your digestive system and provide necessary nutrients. Eliminate gluten, dairy, and artificial sugars for at least 3-4 weeks (one month of your life isn't so bad), to drastically decrease inflammation in your body. If you need some guidance feel free to reach out. Here's a list of low-histamine foods that are great to add to your diet:

• freshly cooked meat, poultry (frozen or fresh)
• freshly caught fish
• eggs
• gluten-free grains: rice, quinoa
• fresh fruits: mango, pear, watermelon, apple, kiwi, cantaloupe, grapes
• fresh vegetables (except tomatoes, spinach, avocado, and eggplant)
• dairy substitutes: coconut milk, rice milk, hemp milk, almond milk
• cooking oils: olive oil, coconut oil
• leafy herbs
• herbal teas

2. Probiotics - This is an important step in healing the gut and boosting your immune system. With the abundance of antibiotics taken, it is likely that your gut flora is lacking the beneficial bacteria that are vital to our health. Adding a probiotic supplement with at least 11 billion units, eating 1-2 tbsp of coconut kefir, or adding fermented foods to your diet are all possible options. 

3. Nettles - This is one of my favourite herbs for spring allergies and liver detoxification.  It acts as a great natural anti-histamine. I add it to my allergy teas or give it in capsule form. If you are antsy for a quick fix this is a great start. 

4. Quercetin - Another good natural anti-histamine. Quercitin is found in foods such as apples and onions, however a higher dose is typically more effective for an alternative to OTC anti-histamines. This is one supplement I used to wean myself off of Reactine those years ago. 

5. Vitamin C - This helpful vitamin acts as a potent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant. It is helpful to build your immune system as well. I typically start with 1000-2000mg of buffered vitamin C, and be weary of an increased dose in pregnancy and its potential to cause loose stools. 

Several of these suggestions can be mixed into one supplement and taken all together to minimize the miserable effects of spring allergies. This is generally what I do with my patients. In conclusion, by addressing your gut and immune health with a few tweaks, you can improve or forever eliminate spring allergies so there really IS nothing to sneeze about. 😃

If you have any questions or visit me for a free 15 minute consult. I'd be happy to help! 

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen

(Photo credit: avivaromm.com, womensday.com) 

2016 Spring Cleanse Details

Food Friday: Ginger Turmeric Soup + the Therapeutic Effects of Turmeric

If you are looking for a flavourful warming soup that is also helpful in detoxifying and soothing your stomach, look no further. My sister shared this recipe with me, and since it has had rave reviews by me and many of my patients. It is a simple meal to prepare and packed with superfoods ginger and tumeric. 

It seems as though turmeric is the new “fad” food, with turmeric soups, turmeric teas and turmeric milks etc, therefore I wanted to shed little light on this spice so you know WHY you are eating it. It is great to be consumed liberally in your diet, however when specific medicinal effects are desired, higher doses should be used.  

Turmeric is a perennial herb of the ginger family and is the major ingredient in curry powder for its flavour and colour. It has a plethora of uses from anticancer, liver and heart protective, soothing for the digestive track, and most notably as an anti-inflammatory for pain and autoimmune conditions. The active component is called curcumin. In terms of its anti-inflammatory effects, studies have shown curcumin to be more effective than cortisone in acute inflammatory, slightly less in chronic inflammatory, and with no toxicity or side effects. 

Unfortunately turmeric is poorly absorbed. Studies have shown that 40%-85% of an oral dose of turmeric passes through the GI track, leading to even smaller dose of curcumin. For this reason, it is important to use a higher quality product with a greater bioavailability. As well for its therapeutic effect, a higher dose is necessary of this higher quality product, around 1200-1500mg turmeric for around 200-300mg curcumin absorption. Much higher than what you would get in one teaspoon of powder. Patients of mine that start taking a higher quality supplements at a higher dose, notice their pain decrease much more quickly. 

Again, eating it liberally is good, however if you suffer from any specific issue you may need to supplement at a higher dose with a good quality supplement. 

Consult a health care practitioner to figure out the correct dose for you, and potential drug interactions with these higher doses.  

Ginger Turmeric Soup

Ingredients:

• 6-8 big carrot sticks

• 1 large sweet potato, or 2 small

• 2 large cloves garlic

• 1 medium onion

• 1-2 tbsp coconut oil

• 2 tsp turmeric, ground

• 2 tsp (madras) curry powder (or curry paste)

• 2 tsp fresh minced ginger

• 4-5 cups veggie stock

• ½ cup coconut milk

• A pinch of cayenne pepper

• 1-2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Peel and roughly chop the carrots and sweet potatoes and place on a baking sheet. Toss everything with a drizzle of olive oil, and a good amount of salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes, or until everything is golden brown.

3. Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat a bit of oil over low heat, and add the chopped onion and garlic. Add a pinch of salt and cook until translucent. Add the turmeric, curry powder, and grated ginger and heat just until fragrant (30 seconds). Add the coconut milk and stock, and bring to a gentle boil, cover, and reduce to a low simmer. Add water to thin out if necessary.

4. Add all of the roasted veggies to the pot. Leave the pot uncovered and turn the heat off. Allow it to cool for a bit and then puree in a high speed blender.

5. Taste and adjust the spices to your liking.

Enjoy!

In health & happiness, 

Dr. Karen

A Healthy Holiday How To

The holidays are creeping closer and closer and that can be both exciting and stressful at the same time. Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year and something I get very excited for. Among other things, I love the cozy sweaters, the hot apple cider, the decorations and getting to spend time with my wonderful family. For me that excitement masked itself as stress when I was younger and you could find me sick on the couch many years in a row...Typical Karen!

December is not a typical month for most of us with a different routine, stressing about the perfect gift, travelling and/or overindulging in cookies or festive drinks. All these things create a similar reaction in our body. Cytokines are released, which stimulate cortisol, our stress hormone from our adrenal glands, and other immune cells to ward off inflammation and infection. Then when cortisol crashes (for me that was Christmas morning!), our immune system shuts down, giving way to potential colds and flus. Don't get caught in this trap by including some of the suggestions below into this holiday month to stabilize your stress response. 

1. Hydrate: The low humidity and dry air inside makes us more prone to dehydration. We also tend to be running around and forgetting to drink. Keep those mucus membranes moist by drinking 8 ounces of water every 1-2 hours. I suggest keeping a water bottle in your car at all times. Try adding lemon juice and sea salt to nourish those adrenals.
2. Massage: Studies have shown that a massage lowers your stress hormone while boosting white blood cells, helping to fight off any germs that come your way. There are great RMTs at my clinic in Dartmouth. Treat yourself this month :)
3. Sleep: Adequate sleep also stabilizes cortisol, improves your immune system and decreases inflammation. Aim for around 7-8 hours a night. Tired when your kids go to bed? Maybe your body is telling you something. 
4. Laugh: Laughter has been shown to boost your immune system for a least 24 hours. Have a funny uncle coming for christmas, perfect! Enjoy quality time with people you love. They are likely to make you smile. 
5. Exercise: With the colder months and our busy schedules, I understand this is something that we tend to leave out. Less vigorous exercise like walking, helps to moderate stress. Walking can be very nourishing and gets you outside. Why not plan a big walk with the family christmas or boxing day? A good opportunity to wear those new gloves. 
6. Indulge smart: Yes, Quality Street chocolate and egg nog only come out once a year, but that doesn't mean you have to go overboard. Simple carbohydrates, like sugar, flood your blood stream quickly suppressing white blood cells. So think smart, and leave that second cookie or piece of peppermint bark for your sibling. (Now I'm getting hungry...)
7. Gut health: Your gut associated lymphatic tissue, or GALT, is a large part of your immune system that resides in your gut. Eating smart by taking time for meals, not overeating, prepping your digestion with lemon water or taking a probiotic are all great ideas to support your immune system. Hosting a potluck? Try making suggestions on what guests can bring to ensure a balanced and health meal. 

All in all, enjoy time with family and friends, be safe, and I'll see you in 2016!!

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen

(Photo credit: http://weekendroady.com/2012/12/21/the-real-whoville/)