Hay fever is often associated with airborne allergens, like pollens, trees and other environmental factors. When the spring season begins and everything is in bloom, many people suffer from sneezing fits, itchy, red eyes, sinus congestion and a scratchy throat.
As we walk down the street sneezing, it’s hard to imagine anything but the blooming acacia trees to play a part in our allergic reaction. But did you know that common foods might make your allergies worse?
Our nutrition plays a huge role in our overall health. Our immune system is a direct reflection of gut health, so eating foods that support healthy digestion, is very important.
Here are the top three foods to avoid if you want to ease your hay fever and other allergy symptoms.
- GMO Foods. Research collected over the past decade suggests that GM foods are contributing to higher allergy rates and they might also create sensitivity to other foods. The top GM foods linked to allergies are corn, soy, sugar beets (which is refined and used as sucrose), canola, zucchini and yellow squash. In recent news, Chipotle is the first national restaurant company to cook only with non-GMO ingredients.
- Sugar. Refined sugar is very inflammatory and can be found in most processed or packaged foods (usually as one of the first few ingredients!) Inflammatory foods harm beneficial bacteria in the gut, impede digestion and have a negative effect on the immune system. When your immune system is weakened, you become more susceptible to allergies.
- Alcohol. Alcohol is highly inflammatory and also a source of sugar. Consuming alcoholic beverages on a regular basis may have a negative effect on your gut health and overall immune system. Beer, wine and spirits also contain histamine, which is produced by yeast and bacteria during the fermentation process. This histamine may trigger our bodies’ allergic responses and worsen hay fever.
Rather than just tell you what you should avoid eating, we want to empower you with suggestions of what to include in your diet to help relieve hay fever symptoms.
- Stick to whole, fresh, unprocessed foods. Include as much fresh produce, grass-fed, organic meats, healthy fats and oils as you can. The packaged food found in grocery stores has little to no nutritional value, as they are full of chemicals, sugars, additives and synthetic nutrients. Rather than giving your body a nutritious boost it needs, typical snack foods ultimately create inflammation and a toxic environment in your body. Read more of our tips to fill your diet with whole, anti-inflammatory foods.
- Eat fat-soluble vitamins, especially A, D, K. You can find these vitamins naturally in animal-based sources, like eggs, oysters, fermented cod liver oil (which has a perfect combination of Vitamins A and K), pastured butter and high vitamin butter oil.
You don’t have to suffer from hay fever during allergy season or throughout the year. Find relief by incorporating these tips into your daily life and by coming in for an allergy treatment at Advanced Allergy Solutions®.