Holistic healing

Beat allergies with Jayney Goddard

Our columnist shares her top 10 natural approaches to beating hay fever

Spring is definitely the climax of the hay fever season. Thankfully there is so much that we can do from the natural health perspective that can beat allergies – and contribute to your health overall. Here are just a few.

Get outside as much as you can: This can help you to reap the many rewards of connecting to nature – including the antiinflammatory and mental health benefits of forest bathing and exercise – but, make sure that you change your clothes and wash your face and hair to prevent pollens and other allergens from entering your living space.
Try nasal irrigation: You can use the traditional Indian Neti pot – or any of a number of nasal irrigation products commonly available in chemists and online. The idea is that you wash your nose out and this removes allergens.
Maintain a dust-free environment: Keep your house and work environment clean and dust-free – pollens, other allergens and even dust mites all contribute to allergies. I advise some of my clients to remove carpets, feather quilts and pillows.
Avoid chlorinated swimming pools: Chlorine by-products aggravate allergies and can produce hay fever-like symptoms. However, swimming in salt-water can really help nasal passage health – even alleviating allergy symptoms.
Eliminate potential allergenic foods: I am never in favour of asking people to eliminate fruits or veggies from their diet as they all contain a wonderful array of health-promoting phytochemicals. However, please be aware that ragweed pollen is an aggressive allergy trigger and the following foods contain proteins similar to those found in ragweed: bananas, chamomile, cantaloupes, cucumbers, echinacea, Honeydew melon, watermelon and courgette. Experiment with cutting out one at a time and reintroducing gradually.
Load up on hay fever-beating foods: While there are some foods that elevate hay fever symptoms, there are others that can help alleviate them. Try: ginger, citrus fruits and apples, tomatoes and onions.
Drink fenugreek seed tea: Two to three cups daily are thought to reduce irritation and congestion of the nasal passages and sinuses.
Take nettle extract: Freeze-dried nettle capsules or fresh nettle juice taken daily provides a natural antihistamine effect.
Amp up your turmeric intake: Turmeric is well-known as an anti-inflammatory. Its active ingredient, curcumin, has been linked to reduced symptoms of many inflammation-driven diseases.
Use homeopathic remedies: Classical homeopathy is ideal for strengthening the immune system so that you become less reactive overall to potential allergens – there is a free-to-access list of qualified practitioners at The Complementary Medical Association website (The-CMA.org.uk). However, if you need urgent help for acute allergy symptoms, you can order a remedy of a mixture of pollens, grasses and other common allergens from any of the excellent homeopathic pharmacies. Wishing you all a sneeze-free summer.

Jayney Goddard is president of the Complementary Medical Association. Find out more at the-cma.org.uk. Sign up for Jayney’s 21-Day Rewind Plan and track your own biological age progression at JayneyGoddard.com