As flowers and trees bloom, with bees making their beelines to them you may have noticed, allergy season is upon us. Read below to find 4 natural and easy ways to ease those allergy symptoms!
Between allergies, yearly wildfires, and pandemic/flu seasons, it’s more important than ever to look after your respiratory health. Nutrition and exercise play a huge role— a proper diet rich in nutrients may lower the likelihood of respiratory infections and can shorten the severity/length of an illness. ⠀
Here are a few things you’ll want to make sure to sneak into your diet as much as possible to remain bright-eyed and bushy-tailed throughout the seasons and keep those allergy symptoms at bay!
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Vitamin D supports the immune system against infection and allergies by upregulating antimicrobial proteins secreted by immune cells. These proteins have anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal properties! Vitamin D deficiency is also associated with increased susceptibility to infections and more severe respiratory illnesses. One of the body’s main sources of vitamin D is as it enters through the skin via sunlight.
So, something as simple as getting out of the office or your home, for a 15 minute walk in the sunshine can help boost your immunity with Vitamin D; just be sure to not be downwind or in the vicinity of pollen heavy areas. Another way to get some Vitamin D is through dietary sources, and they include milk, salmon, eggs, & mushrooms. ⠀
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Omega-3 fatty acids include EPA, DHA & ALA. Omega-3’s control inflammation throughout the body by affecting cells involved in the inflammatory response. Most allergy symptoms that are most uncomfortable come from this inflammatory response as your body is trying to fight off what it thinks is a foreign invader in pollen.
Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce the severity of this inflammatory response and are essential because the body can’t make them. So, they must be acquired through diet. Dietary sources include fatty fish, nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils. ⠀
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Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that protects organs & tissues from oxidative damage and supports immune cells in fighting disease. The immune system uses more vitamin C during illness or allergies— cases of scurvy have even been reported after severe respiratory illness!
Vitamin C is needed to repair damaged lining & support the lungs barrier function against invaders. You can find great vitamin C sources to help your immune system fight allergies in produce such as broccoli & citrus fruits. The body has a poor storage ability for Vitamin C, so it must be consumed continuously through diet. While many vitamin C supplements exist, it’s best to get the vitamin from plant food sources.⠀
Of course, we can’t forget the miracle drug that is exercise! Exercise helps keep your immune system robust, and your body active and strong to fight off allergies. Allergies can stuff up your nose and restrict airways. Exercising can open up the airways, clears up stuffy noses and ease those allergy symptoms. Anything is better than nothing, and it’s never too late or too early to develop an exercise routine that suits you no matter what point you’re starting at.
Exercise is also a great compliment to any remedies you take for allergies or lung health like CORE’s Lung Elixir.
If you want to start working out right now, check out our free virtual workouts on our Facebook page with CORE master trainer Alexssa! The workouts can be done at home with no equipment necessary. These 20 minute sessions are High Intensity Interval Training sessions, ideal for the cardiovascular effects needed to open up the airway. If you want to take it to the next level and meet reach your optimal health come to see one of our award-winning personal trainers!