It's Spring!! That means allergies...

Yes, so I am quite a few days late, but spring is definitely in full effect. 89 degrees in mid-April?? Yeah.

Well for some people, such as myself, spring is the best time of year. Beautiful flowers in bloom, colors everywhere... the earth is in a stage of awakening.  For others though (also such as myself), it can be rather bothersome. It becomes the battle of the allergies. That sneezy, snotty, itchy time of year where being outdoors-what you've been waiting to do all winter- is not quite as attractive as you had imagined it would be.
Of course you can always pop a pharmaceutical allergy suppressant such as Claritin, Zyrtec, or Benadryl.
But since you're reading this blog...I am assuming you may be looking for a more natural route to travel.

Since pharmaceutical allergy medicines works so well, why go the natural route? Well, one because its natural. That in and of itself is enough reason for me...but in case you need more persuasion, here is a few reasons why you may want to opt for natural remedies:

Standard pharamceutical allergy relief comes in the form of decongestants and antihistamines. Histamine is a chemical that the body makes which results in an inflammatory response. Antihistamines work by supressing the body's natural release of the histamine compound. Thus, like most pharmaceuticals, the symptoms are being treated while the cause remains the same.

Well then, what is the cause of allergies?

Allergies is the body's immune system responding to a substance which is in fact harmless. If you inhale pollen or animal dander for instance, the body responds as if it is an invader (ie bacteri/parasites etc...), and then reacts to rid the body of the substance. Allergies can be said then to be a mistake of the immune sytem in the stages of indentification, as it has viewed these seemingly harmless objects as a threat.

Well thankfully, nature provides us with some herbs that can help fight the peskiness of hayfever. Here I will list only three:

1. Stinging Nettle Leaf

Stinging Nettle Leaf, often refered to as "Nettle" offers relief for allergic nasal symptoms. As an infusion (tea), nettles can be used to help detoxify and remove toxins from the body. It can also be taken in tincture (alcohol extrated) form. I use the tincture for myself, and a glycerite extraction for my 2 year old daughter (she didn't like the regular tincture. It took me a while to figure that one out). We both also drink it as a tea. You can also add it to foods. I sprinkle it, along with dried basil, onto grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches. You can't taste it, and its great for sneaking it into kids' diets...though in the sandwich it isnt enough for any medicinal value. I would stick to the teas and tinctures for those purposes.

2. Garlic

[Picture Coming...but yall know what it looks like]

Garlic (Allium sativum) and to a lesser extent onions (Allium sativum) is said to be effective due to its high concentrations of quercetin. According to Jim Duke in The Green Pharmacy, "These compunds retard inflammatory reactions. If you have allergies, I'd suggest adding generous amounts of these foods to your menu."

3. Horseradish 

Horseradish (Amoracia rusticana) can immediate clear blocked nasal passages, as anyone who has ever tried it may know. It must be cautioned though that horseradish is spicy (think cocktail sauce), so if you are averse to spicy foods, definitely opt for another method. Apparantly beside just clearing up nasal airways, horseradish can have preventative effects on allergies as well. According to Dr. Duke, it was reported in the book Natural Health Secrets from around the World by Glen W Geelhold, the "a daily dosage is necessary only untill the symptoms of your allergy subside. Thereafter, you need only a few teaspoons of horseradish each month to prevent another allergy attack."