By: Cat Ebeling, RN, MSN-PHN, co-author of the best-sellers:  The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

Don’t you love spring? The days get longer, the sun is warmer, and the birds are chirping. What’s more, everything is budding and flowering.

And that brings us to…allergies. If you have seasonal allergies, instead of enjoying the beauty of spring, you may be busy dealing with itchy, watery eyes, a runny nose and lots of sneezing. Spring becomes the enemy if you have bad allergies.

Seasonal allergies are our bodies’ response to pollen in the air. Your innate immune system interprets pollen as a dangerous pathogen, and it sends out an army of Immunoglobulin E to mount an attack. This attack takes the form of histamine which produces the watery eyes, runny nose, the itching, and sneezing, and sinus headaches. What’s more, climate change and increased CO2 have created longer, more powerful pollen producing plants.

Why do the immune systems of people with seasonal allergies have the tendency to overreact to pollen?

Back in primal days, humans often had populations of parasites such as hookworms, pinworms, roundworms, tape worms and others. While that sounds pretty gross, those parasites kept the immune system busy instead of going after innocent things like pollen.

What’s more, kids who grew up in a less-than-sterile environment, like they did back in our ancestors’ days, exposed to outside dirt, pets, livestock, dirty dishes, poor hygiene, and no hand sanitizer, had stronger immune systems as well.

Genetics also is part of the picture. Neanderthal fossilized feces show evidence of a lot of parasites taking up residence, and their DNA has evidence of immunity genes that fought off the parasites. When ancient humans interbred with Neanderthals, these genes carried over into the offspring. Populations with the most Neanderthal DNA, such as those from Europe or Asian descent seem to have the most hay fever and allergies. It seems having powerful immunity doesn’t do as well in a modern sterile environment.

Inflammation is a big reason why so many people have allergies—whether they are seasonal allergies, food allergies or environmental allergies. Excessive inflammation due to a poor, high sugar/starch diet, refined and processed foods, too much alcohol, or exposure to environmental toxins all increases overall inflammation. When inflammation is high, reactions to other potential allergens is also going to be bigger. The key is to reduce inflammation and reduce allergic reactions.

My allergy doctor once likened this to “the straw that breaks the camel’s back.” In other words, you can load your body up with various types of things that cause or increase inflammation, until it breaks the camel’s back, and you start having bad reactions. Those reactions can take the form of rashes, eczema, brain fog, achiness, stuffy nose, sinusitis, asthma, wheezing, sleeplessness, anxiety, irritability, depression—or any combination of the above.

Nutrition also plays a big part, especially vitamin D levels, vitamin C levels, B12, iron, and zinc deficiencies. Each of these nutrients play an important part in your immune and inflammatory response and deficiencies of any of these can increase inflammation and lower your immunity.

How does one naturally reduce seasonal allergies?

First, the obvious answer is not to load up on over-the-counter allergy prescriptions. These medications have undesirable side effects. Antihistamines often cause dry mouth, dehydration, drowsiness and/or agitation, reduced co-ordination, reaction speed. They can also cause blurred vision and constipation.

The better choice is to reduce overall inflammation, which not only aids your allergies, but is great for your overall health. How do you start reducing inflammation?

Cutting out sugar, processed foods, inflammatory vegetable oils, and removing all grain makes a huge difference. It’s known –at least anecdotally–that people who give up grains often report their seasonal allergies go away. I know, I tried it and was shocked to see my previously severe seasonal allergies suddenly fade into the background. Along with that, my aches and pains receded, as did brain fog, rashes, stuffy nose, and congestion. It works!

Getting your gut health back in shape is super important too, so the next step is to calm your gut. Food allergies and intolerances not only increase inflammation, but are also the consequence of poor gut health. When the gut is inflamed, there is an increased risk of gut permeability, and that allows for additional allergens to circulate in your system further stimulating an immune response.

Remove potential food allergies and sensitivities, at least during allergy season. If you aren’t sure which foods are provoking problems, you can do a short 7-day elimination diet, and remove dairy, gluten, corn, white potatoes, and any other problem foods you may be aware of.

Eat More Omega 3 Fats

Wild caught fish are known to have a good amount of omega 3 fats in them. Omega 3 fatty acids are made up of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) components; both of these have been shown to lower inflammation. This study also shows that increased intake of omega 3 fatty acids reduces seasonal rhinitis.

100% grass fed beef also contains higher amounts of omega 3 fats. Additionally, cod liver oil would help as well, since it provides omega 3’s, vitamin D, and vitamin A—all of which modulate the allergic response.

Raw Local Honey

Raw, local honey contains small amounts of local circulating pollen and by introducing small amounts of this pollen, it can lower the reaction to certain pollens and reduce sensitivity. Researchers have found that eating honey from local pollen prior to allergy season commences reduces allergy symptoms, resulting in less need for other allergy medication. But in order for this to work, the honey must include pollens you are allergic to.

Reduce Alcohol Intake

Reducing alcohol or avoiding alcohol will help improve allergies in two different ways:

1-Alochol is highly inflammatory to the gut, so cutting back or completely eliminating alcohol calms inflammation in the gut. This helps you repopulate your gut with healthy bacteria, lowering overall inflammation in the gut and system wide. Because inflammation is reduced, allergic reactions improve.

2-Alcohol especially beer and wine, contains large quantities of sulfites and histamines. Histamines initiate the process to remove allergens from your body. Histamines can cause sneezing, eye watering, itching and more.

Histamines are a big part of your body reacting to allergens, so reducing your levels of histamines helps to reduce allergic response overall.

Reduce Stress

High stress levels can cause worsening allergic responses and while it may seem counterproductive, getting outside and getting some exercise can reduce overall allergy reactions, while reducing stress. Pollen levels are highest mid-morning so if you do want to get out, getting out early in the day or later in the early evening may be the best time. Meditating, believe it or not can also reduce stress and help allergy symptoms.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle makes a huge difference in allergy reactions. One of the first things to do is to stop your exposure to toxic chemicals in commercial home cleaning agents, laundry detergents, personal care items, antibacterial cleaners and hand sanitizers, and switch to a more natural approach, Apple cider vinegar makes a safe and effective natural cleaner for most all surfaces, and washing your hands with a natural soap instead of harsh antibacterial soap is just as effective at removing harmful germs and is far gentler to your system.

Getting a good night’s sleep is also effective at calming cortisol levels and counteracting stress, as well as aiding your allergic reactions.

Overall, I noticed a huge reduction in my seasonal allergies when I switched to a Paleo diet, removed grains and sugars, got better sleep, and removed all other inflammatory foods from my diet.

Supplements for Seasonal Allergies

Vitamin D

A vitamin D deficiency has tied to allergies, including seasonal allergic rhinitis, asthma, eczema, and even anaphylaxis. Vitamin D is important for regulating immune system cells and slowing down the release of histamines.

There are several studies that suggest vitamin D supplements may reduce inflammation and allergic reactions. One study had the participants who were low in vitamin D take vitamin D supplements along and antihistamines. Those participants showed much improved allergy symptoms after just eight weeks. And this study also showed that adding in vitamin D supplementation improved allergy symptoms as well.

Probiotics

I am generally not an advocate for probiotics. Each of us has a unique microbiome and it’s somewhat difficult to ‘guess’ as to which probiotics will benefit your particular health needs. However, getting a good general probiotic mix can help lessen allergy symptoms and reduce inflammation in the gut. Specific probiotics have been shown to improve seasonal allergies, including B.longum, B.lactis, L.paracasei, L.rhamnosus, B infantis, and L.acidophilus.

Magnesium

There are a few studies have found that magnesium supplementation in people with seasonal allergies reduces IgE levels and allergy symptoms. Because many people are magnesium deficient these days, this can be a safe and easy thing to try—with plenty of other good health benefits as well. There are many forms of magnesium that will work but magnesium glycinate is often one of the best forms for overall health—without the digestive complaints.

Spirulina

Spirulina is a type of microalgae that comes from Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Spirulina has been highly valued as a nutrient-dense supplement that is abundant in protein, vitamins, fats, and minerals. It’s also a potent immunomodulator –meaning that it works to calm the immune system without suppressing it. It has shown some efficacy in reducing the symptoms of seasonal allergies, even compared to an over-the-counter antihistamine drug.

Quercetin

In studies, quercetin prevents immune cells from releasing histamines, which are the chemicals that cause allergic reactions. This means that taking quercetin may help reduce symptoms of allergies, including runny nose, watery, itchy eyes, hives, and even swelling of the face and lips. Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant found in many fruits and vegetables and it has quite a few health benefits including lowering inflammation, fighting heart disease, and protecting against cancer.

Black Seed Oil

Black seed oil is considered a powerful medicinal substance that has been used for thousands of years to treat chronic diseases, inflammation, and allergies. In one study, people put black seed oil drops in their noses to treat mild, moderate, or severe cases of allergic rhinitis, aka hay fever. After 6 weeks, 9 out of 10 people said their sneezing, itchy eyes, stuffy nose, and other symptoms got better or went away completely. In addition, black seed oil promotes wound healing, hair growth, reduces acne, heals psoriasis, improves blood sugar, and helps with weight loss.

There you go, that is your seasonal allergy toolbox. Hopefully this will help you avoid sneezing, watering eyes, and itchiness that goes along with seasonal allergies. To your health!

References
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/seasonal-allergies-treatment/#ref-14
https://www.healthline.com/program/allergy
https://www.verywellhealth.com/natural-allergy-remedies-89245
https://cell.com/…/abstract/S0002-9297(15)00485-1
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1241165
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20497148
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17456213
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31464382
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20158528/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31464382/
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3269601
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34166843/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26874366/
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16015268
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17634174
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34920650/
https://hindawi.com/journals/ja/2014/983635
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6202731
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21196761
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279538706_Magnesium_Supplementation_in_allergic_diseases_Rhinitis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32773785/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28093815/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15878494/

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By: Cat Ebeling, RN, MSN-PHN, co-author of the best-sellers:  The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

How do you handle stressful events? Do you seek out adventure, excitement and risky situations? Or do you sometimes lie awake at night worrying, strategizing and planning?

Most of us are either worriers or warriors—and it turns out there’s actually a genetic reason for this.

What’s the difference?

• Worriers tend to fight within, while warriors go out and fight the problem.
• Worriers often focus on what could go wrong, while warriors just go out there and go for it.
• If a worrier loses, they may feel defeated and not want to take the chance again. If a warrior loses, they tend to regroup and get back into the fight.

You know the old saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Well, some warriors need the going to get tough–just to get going!

We process information in the prefrontal cortex portion of the brain, which is responsible for problem solving, working memory, reasoning, planning and self-control. The brain needs neurotransmitters to perform these function properly. The excitatory brain chemicals involved in this process include dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine.

Dopamine is the fuel that gets us going and motivated to get things done. Too little and we have no motivation or drive; too much and we cannot concentrate and function well. Epinephrine and norepinephrine are brain chemicals that are released when our bodies react to stress of any kind.

These neurotransmitters increase arousal and alertness, focuses attention but also increases restlessness and anxiety. In the rest of the body, norepinephrine increases the heart rate, triggers the release of glucose into the bloodstream and increases blood flow to muscles.

However, the speed at which we clear out these chemicals revolves around a specific gene. It’s called the COMT gene, or Catechol-O-methyl transferase. COMT is actually an enzyme that metabolizes dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine and even estrogen. While we all have this gene, some of us have a ‘fast’ COMT and some of us have ‘slow’ COMT.

The fast version of COMT clears out dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine quickly, leaving it easy for these folks to continue on their journey without any anxiety, worrying, stress, etc. People with the fast COMT are the warriors.

Warriors need a level of stress to feel motivated and ambitious. Warriors work well in threatening environments where maximal performance is required despite threat and pain. Warriors also tend to be those dopamine junkies who seek out excitement, adventure, competition and even danger. But warriors can generally stand up in the heat of the moment and pull off a flawless performance—in spite of stress, anxiety, nervousness and lots of adrenaline.

On the other hand, those who have slow COMT are slow to clear out those excitatory brain chemicals. This can create anxiety or tension in times of stress. However, these higher levels of dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine are useful in more complex and calmer environments that require maximal performance in terms of thought, memory and attention for survival.

While it may seem advantageous to be a warrior, there certainly are advantages to being a worrier also. Over the course of evolution, both warriors and worriers were necessary for human tribes to survive.

Which One Are You?

Do you tend to worry about things, fall apart when times are stressful, or do you get energized and motivated under duress? We each get a copy of a specific version of the COMT gene from our parents. Most of us generally have a one copy of a worrier gene and one copy of the warrior gene, although there are quite few people who may have a double copy of the warrior gene. And some of us have a double copy of the worrier gene variation.

About a quarter of us actually have the slow variant and when we’re stressed, we become worriers. Another quarter of us have the fast variant — we probably don’t function as well as the slow COMT’s when things are calm, but under stress we can become warriors and can outshine the competition. And 50% of us are half and half—half worrier, half warrior.

What do we do about our COMT inheritance? If we’re stuck with the “slow” variant, how do we learn to deal better with stress? It boils down to our nutrition and how we think.

Our COMT gene is a methylation gene, meaning that it is necessary to get adequate B vitamins (in the correct form) to support the COMT gene. B2, B6, B9 and B12 are especially important, along with magnesium and vitamin C. Worriers may also benefit from taking SAMe.

People with a slow COMT, or the worriers, should also avoid foods containing catechols. Reducing foods that contain tyrosine, tryptophan, and phenylalanine (any high protein food) should help as these foods are converted into dopamine.

Limiting caffeine can also be helpful as caffeine can aggravate the symptoms of stress, worry and anxiety. And limit your intake of alcohol, since alcohol consumption triggers dopamine release.

Women who have excess estrogen in their bodies (estrogen dominant) usually have slow COMT as well as estrogen tends to slow down COMT processing. It’s important to avoid Xenoestrogens (artificial estrogens) in foods as well–especially in dairy, soy and personal care products.

Additionally, those with a slow COMT should limit intake of foods containing certain flavonoids such as green tea, capers, cilantro, berries and apples.

And for those who are warriors, having deadlines and a little pressure may help push performance to a higher level. Boring, repetitive tasks and low-pressure environments are often very detrimental to warriors and can cause them to produce mediocre results.

Dietarily, catecholamines like coffee, chocolate, green tea, black tea, citrus, and bananas help give a needed dopamine boost and can help warriors who need it get through low-pressure tasks.

Certain types of exercise like weight lifting, sprinting and chopping wood may prove to be more beneficial for the worriers by increasing their testosterone levels and helping clear out excess dopamine and adrenaline when stressed.

Exercise for warriors that gives an element of a thrill such as mountain biking, downhill skiing, surfing or racing, etc., is great to keep dopamine elevated in warriors.

There you have it—worrier or warrior. There is a genetic connection to both of these personality types. If you find that you are either worrying too much or are too much of warrior, there are dietary interventions that may help even out how quickly you process certain brain chemicals.

Keep in mind, chronic long-term negative stress can be harmful to anyone and should be avoided if at all possible. On the other hand, performance-enhancing stress such as public speaking or competing in an athletic even can be beneficial to both personality types. This will help you become more resilient to stress in the long run.

Worriers and warriors have an important place in our society. Finding what works best for you is key along with proper nutrition, the right vitamins, and suitable activity.

References
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/click-here-happiness/202001/what-is-the-comt-gene-and-how-does-it-affect-your-health
https://nutritiongenome.com/are-you-a-warrior-or-a-worrier-exploring-the-influence-of-comt/
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/magazine/why-can-some-kids-handle-pressure-while-others-fall-apart.html
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/stress-management_b_2671591

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