11 foods to avoid to help alleviate your seasonal allergies

For thousands of Ottawans, the arrival of spring is a bittersweet time of year.

After surviving another long cold, snowy winter interspersed with the occasional cold or flu only to replaced by itchy eyes, sneezing and runny nose from the arrival of pollens.

More than 1 in 6 Canadians suffer from seasonal allergies, which equates to nearly 6 million people. The highest concentration is found in Ontario while the lowest rates are in Atlantic Canada. Exact numbers for Ottawa are not available, but it is known, by some commentators, as the allergy capital of North America.

Dependent on what the person is allergic to, the allergy season can start in late March, with melting of the snow, and last all the way through to the fall, with the first frost. At the end of March, the chief culprit comes in the form of leaf or snow mold, which emerges from beneath the melting snow. Throughout the spring and most of the summer different grass and tree pollens take their toll. At the end of the summer, ragweed makes it's appearance and from my observation can cause the worst symptoms.

With the beginning of the allergy season, the majority of people reach for their favourite brand of antihistamine medication. Histamine is a chemical produced by the body when it comes into contact with an allergen such as a mold spore or pollen. The release of histamine causes the itchy red eyes, runny nose and sneezing. Taking the antihistamine helps to stop the production of histamine so reducing symptoms. For some people who suffer from seasonal allergies, their bodies have an excess of histamine. So when they are encounter allergens they experience much stronger reactions. 

There are some different reasons why your body might have an excess, one of the reasons is a problem with your friendly bacteria.

If you do suffer from seasonal allergies, an effective way to lessen your symptoms is to reduce your intake of high histamine-containing foods. These includes:

• Fermented alcoholic beverages, especially wine, champagne, and beer
• Fermented foods: sauerkraut, vinegar, soy sauce, kefir, yogurt, kombucha, etc
• Vinegar-containing foods: pickles, mayonnaise, olives
• Cured meats: bacon, salami, pepperoni, luncheon meats and hot dogs
• Soured foods: sour cream, sour milk, buttermilk, soured bread, etc
• Dried fruit: apricots, prunes, dates, figs, raisins
• Most citrus fruits
• Aged cheese including goat cheese
• Nuts: walnuts, cashews, and peanuts
• Vegetables: avocados, eggplant, spinach, and tomatoes
• Smoked fish and certain species of fish: mackerel, mahi-mahi, tuna, anchovies, sardines

If reducing the above foods helps your symptoms then the next step is to work out why your body has an excess of histamine in the first place.

Once you have identified and resolved that reason, you will be able to go back to eating the above foods without any adverse allergy symptoms.

If you would like help with this, I offer a free consultation where we can review your case.

To book your free consultation call 613 230-0998.

Disclaimer

This article in not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.