14 complementary remedies
These remedies can be quickly dismissed for their simplicity, but can be equally if not more effective in their treatment.
- Being outdoors isn’t where you want to be, yet spending time outside at midday when the pollen count is lower and outside of the pollen season is the best way to re-establish a healthy and native microbiome. As Zach Bush MD says, “breathe your biome”.
- Whole Foods. “Eat your biome” by enjoying locally sourced, organic veggies with lots of variety. Even better, get a veggie and/or herb patch going. It’s the best way to build a healthy, diverse microbiome.
Even though there’s not a quick fix, these are some ideas to relieve symptoms immediately and with time. - A good quality probiotic.
- Rubbing coconut oil on the inside of your nostrils for pollen protection.
- Local honey.
- Good quality aloe vera or aloe juice to help ease inflammation.
- A respiratory blend essential oil or lemon oil for congestion.
- Raw garlic to help clear the passages and ease congestion.
- Organic bone stock.
- Soothing herbs for the gut such as slippery elm and deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL).
- Avoid common inflammatory causing foods, e.g. conventional dairy, wheat, sugar, processed foods, coffee, alcohol etc.
- A steam bath.
- Using a saline nasal spray or netti pot or the RESTORE sinus nasal spray helps restore the nasal microbiome too.
- And, most importantly, time outside breathing through the nose rather than the mouth, outside the season!
Let’s revisit the initial questions.
Why is it sometimes people respond to a treatment and then not the next time?
Given the thoughts in this post, perhaps it’s because the variables have changed, e.g. this season the body is exposed to different pollens from the previous season, or the individual’s microbiome has changed since the previous season (the microbiome can change within days), or the diet has changed and the new foods have altered the digestive and microbial state, or other changes in the environment.
Why the escalation in rates?
Given that the health of the digestive system is paramount to a healthy immune system, the escalation in rates must have something to do with WHAT we are exposing our digestive systems to, i.e. inferior foods rather than whole foods recognised by the body and unnatural/un-biological (inorganic) substances and toxins that disrupt the state of the microbiome and digestive system, triggering dis-ease.
This is a personal reflection on how to give more long-term relief to so many people, and enjoy what should be a glorious and uplifting time of year. I hope it helps and gives ‘food for thought’.
And naturally, if symptoms persist, see your preferred health practitioner asap. If you suffer from hay fever, I’d love to hear what’s worked for you?
After working as an executive in professional services, Kate Barnes started her global business as a Certified Holistic Health Coach. She has a Bachelor of Science and a Post Graduate Diploma in Business. Kate runs an online program, ‘Our Happy Children‘, a leading education program for deeply nourishing families and building strong immunity, great energy and preventing illness. For more information visit Kate’s website, like her Facebook page for loads of daily inspiration, healthy tips and recipes and follow her on Instagram.
