Sneezes and itchy eyes seem to have hit lots of people at the moment, and there are certainly a couple of nasty viruses about. With the spring beginning to make its presence felt, though, allergy season has also begun. The break in the persistent rain, and a spell of warmer weather, means the early pollens are in the air, and getting into our systems.
One of the best ways to inoculate ourselves is to eat a teaspoon of locally produced honey daily – this exposes our immune system to the unique profile of local pollens in small amounts on a daily basis, building up a resistance as the season progresses – the sooner in the year you can start, the better, so hit those farm shops or markets to catch the local producers.
But what about natural allergy fighting nutrients? Quercetin is one of the most important, and should be another daily dose of nutritional medicine. Surprisingly, capers are one of the best sources, and great to get into salads, sauces, and just about any dish that needs a sharp bite or acid element. Not the easiest food for daily consumption, and as ever, it’s about using a variety of foods to build a nutrient’s presence and allow for variety in our diet.
Other foods to work into daily eating could be red grapes, cranberries, spinach, watercress, celery, spinach, kale, tomatoes, broccoli, blueberries, peppers, plums, green beans, and apricots. The stand out foods easy to work into our diet, though, are apples and all forms of onions.
Raw cacao powder is a quercitin-rich star too – fab news for those of us who like a chocolate-spiked smoothie hit for breakfast! Fresh herbs add yet another element to our allergy-fighting arsenal – tarragon, coriander, dill, parsley and chives are great choices.
Lastly, whether it’s green or builder’s, tea has quercitin as part of its antioxidant army. So, put the kettle on and plan your anti-allergy food defence……
Want to put the foundation of health in place in your life? Take a look at the plans, foods, starter packs and events that do just that!