Allergies are one of the many things that just do not make a lot of sense because a healthy clean body just should not have allergies. In general terms, what an allergy means is that your body is attacking itself. Our bodies are designed to be capable of protecting us from harm so that we can survive. Part of that defense system is the ability to sense an invasion from bacteria, virus, parasite etc. Our amazing body grabs this invader and drags it to a specialized area and your body makes the perfect weapon to destroy it. What happens when you become allergic to something is that your body creates weapons against something that is not really an invader. In the military it is called friendly fire. The good guys shoot the good guys.
Most of your food allergies are due to a lack of digestion. You eat something and you don't have all you need to break the food down. These partially digested foods don't go through your system properly and your gut forms antibodies against them. The final product is an allergy. So the best defense against food allergies is to avoid creating them by improving your digestion. If you are over 50, you most likely need to add hydrochloric acid to your diet every time you eat. Taking digestive enzymes is a good idea also. As we age, our body slows down producing hydrochloric acid. Yes that is correct, you need acid, not an antacid. The lack of hydrochloric acid is usually due to a deficiency of zinc and B vitamins. It becomes a vicious cycle because once you have the deficiency you have difficulty digesting and because you are having difficulty digesting it is hard to get the zinc and B vitamins. No one said getting old was fun! Please read my article on digestion for more details.
One way to determine what you are allergic to is to go on an elimination diet. That is to stop eating the things that most people are sensitive to for a few weeks. Once you are eating a low allergen diet it is easy to determine when you have eaten something that does bother you. Once you notice digestive disturbance, retrace your past few meals and determine what you ate differently. Try eating that one thing again in a few days to determine if it really was the culprit. Start to slowly add the foods that you eliminated and see if any of those foods were a problem. Your list of foods to eliminate includes: All gluten-containing foods like wheat, rye, oats and barley which are commonly found in breads, pasta and other products from refined flour. Alcohol, caffeine (coffee, black teas, and soymilk), soda and fruit drinks that are high in refined sugars. Pork, cold cuts, bacon, hot dogs, canned meat, sausage and shellfish. Corn and tomatoes. Eggs and all dairy (milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, etc.) Citrus fruits and juices, strawberries and pineapples. Foods high in fats and oils, including peanuts, refined oils, margarine and shortening. Any other foods not listed that you know you are allergic to. The bonus on this is that you will also shed a few pounds. Most of the things we are allergic to are carbohydrates.
Another way to determine what you are allergic to is to do the pulse test. Take your resting pulse for a full minute first thing in the morning when you should have an empty system. Now put something that you think you may be allergic to in your mouth and hold it in your mouth for 30 seconds. Now take your pulse again for a full minute. If your pulse has increased by 7 or more beats per minute you are sensitive to it. Your taste buds will tell your body what you have in your mouth so that preparations can begin to digest it properly. If you are allergic, your reaction will increase as your body goes into combat against something that will not sit well. Remember, you are divinely created. Everything that your body does makes sense. The good Lord planned it that way!
Personally, I think dehydration is the initial cause of many airborne allergies. You must drink lots of water (see my article on water). If you are dehydrated, your mucus membranes can not create nice thin mucus that washes problems away. Instead you have thick mucus that traps everything because it is so sticky. If you have an over abundance of dust etc trapped on your mucus membranes because of a lack of water your body "thinks" it is being invaded and creates weapons.
To help combat airborne allergies, go get yourself locally collected honey. This honey contains the pollen and dust from your area. This will take several months, but by ingesting a few teaspoons of honey a day, you will begin to decrease your sensitivity to what grows in your area. Also, decreasing your exposure to pollen and dust will also help. Buy the better air filter for your air conditioner and change it every month. Keep your house clean! If you dust your home more often, you will have less dust. Start your dusting by cleaning the ceiling fans. They throw dust everywhere when they are on.
Remember, air borne particles get into your body through your eyes, nose and your mouth. Therefore, another way to cut back on your exposure is to rinse your eyes and nose. Fill a large bowl with lukewarm water and add about a teaspoon of sea salt per cup of water. Now dunk your face into this bowl and blink your eyes. Come up for air. Now go back in the water and draw water gently into and out of your nose. Come up for air and blow your nose. This little exercise is wonderful for rinsing away irritations. It is also a great thing to do when you have been around someone that has been contagious. I suggest this to all my patients that spend a lot of time around children such as teachers. It not only will keep the allergies down, but will help keep you healthy.
Finally, keep in mind that an allergy is not the same as a sensitivity or detoxification reaction. Iodine is a common example. Many people think they are allergic to iodine. That is almost impossible because iodine is necessary for your survival. You may be allergic to iodine bound to a protein such as shellfish, but that is different than just iodine or potassium iodine. Some people need iodine so desperately that when they finally get some, the body reacts in a strange way because it is using the iodine as quickly as possible. When they do get some, they may even have a detoxification reaction or healing crises. Not fun, but necessary.
If allergies remain a major problem it is time to do a detoxification program. At Angelic Chiropractic we use the program by Biotics Research. Call the office and let us know you need to discuss your allergies so we can schedule enough time to get you started on your way to health. Remember, in all cases, it is easier to avoid problems by staying healthy including allergies. Stay healthy and God Bless!
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