An allergy is an over-reaction of the immune system that causes the release of histamine from mast cells.  Allergies cause inflammation in the system and aggravate existing chronic conditions.  With a combination of smart dietary choices, a couple of key supplements (these will vary for each individual), and perhaps some acupuncture, you don’t have to suffer!!!

In the meantime:

• Enhance your barriers with the outside world (i.e. skin, mucus membranes, digestive organs)
  Keep hydrated (drink 1 L of water daily.)  Moist mucus membranes are the first line of defense.
  Maintain proper digestion.  70% of your immune tissue is located in the gut.
  Supplement with essential fatty acids (especially omega 3.)  These are termed essential because they must be obtained from diet, such as fish and walnuts.  Keeps skin hydrated and decreases the risk of hay fever.
• Decrease exposure to food sensitivities.  A combination of allergens overloads the system and worsens symptoms.  Eat a whole foods diet.
• Keep a clean environment, free of dust and mold.  If you are suffering from seasonal allergies, keep the windows closed and use an air filtration system.
• Decrease stress levels, which weaken the immune system and intensifies symptoms.  If you are feeling stressed, supplement with a B complex.

• Phototherapy.  Our depressed moods are highly correlated with a lack of sun.  Sitting near a broad spectrum light bulb for as little as ten minutes each day can help to “trick” our bodies into thinking that we are exposed to direct sunlight, which will help our body’s create vitamin D to boost our moods.

• Get outside.  With the freezing temperatures and plentiful snow, it is easy to hibernate inside.  This limits the amount of natural sunlight we are exposed to, which in turn limits the amount of vitamin D our bodies are creating.  Exposure to fresh air also helps to clear the cobwebs out of our heads and provides a boost of energy.

• Exercise.  In addition to the fun of taking advantage of many winter sports such as skating, skiing, tobogganing, and hiking, exercise increases our energy levels and releases endorphins, which promote a sense of well-being.

• Eat healthy.  During the winter months we often crave carbohydrates, which boost serotonin levels to increase our mood.  The problem with the holidays is that we are eating more cookies, cakes, and stuffing, which causes spikes and drops in blood sugar.  Not only does this depress our immune system, it also depresses our mood.  The trick is to balance carbohydrates with proteins, and eat a variety of healthy carbohydrates such as quinoa, buckwheat, and millet.  Winter is also a good opportunity to incorporate in-season vegetables into our meals, such as potatoes, parsnips, squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes.

• Take supplements.  Often during the winter months, it is advisable to supplement with some of the nutrients it is difficult to obtain from winter foods.  Both vitamin D3 and omega 3 essential fatty acids from fish oils have been shown to improve both mood and immune system function.  If you find yourself eating less green vegetables, taking a green supplement may also be beneficial.

• Plan dates with your friends to do something you love. Both socializing and participating in fun activities can decrease the sense of isolation some feel during the winter months while giving you some motivation to leave the house.

• Get enough rest and sleep.  If you look at other mammals, winter is a time to slow down, gain some winter padding, and rest.  We are not only lazier during the winter because it is cold and dark…we are programmed to be that way!  Unfortunately, the demands of our society do not fluctuate with the seasons.  As much as possible, try to honour your body’s innate characteristics and get more rest and sleep during these months.

1. Limit your sugar intake.  Sugar depresses our immune systems and makes us more susceptible to catching viruses.  Although refined sugar is the biggest culprit, also be mindful of how much fruit and fruit juice you are consuming.
2. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep nightly.  Our bodies regenerate and repair while we are sleeping.  For those of you who have difficulty falling or staying asleep, meditating or breathing exercises are a better alternative than reading, watching TV, or lying in bed persistently thinking about the stressors of the next day.
3. Eat generous amounts of garlic.  Garlic is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral.  To gain its health benefits, garlic must be fresh and crushed (powder and capsules don’t work as well.)  Although you can cook with it, raw garlic is best.  Mix it with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a simple and tasty salad dressing.  For those of you who are worried about the smell, finish your meals with a sprig or parsley.
4. Practice stress reduction techniques.  It is a well-known fact that stress weakens our immune systems, and makes us more susceptible to catching viruses and less efficient at fighting them.  Stress reduction includes, but is not limited to meditation, yoga, walks outdoors, or just doing something you love.
5. Exercise.  Moderate, consistent exercise boosts immunity by increasing macrophage production, which attack and kill bacteria.  Don’t overdo it, however because increased amounts of high intensity activity actually can depress the immune system.
6. Wash your hands.  Frequent hand washing decreases the likelihood of spreading viruses to your eyes, mouth and nose, where they gain entry into your body.  Our hands are constantly exposed to germs, and we get sick when they gain entrance into our body via our mucus membranes.
7. Keep hydrated. Virsuses thrive in dry environments and gain entry into our systems when our mucus membranes are dry.  Drink lots of tea (Astragalus Root has immunostimulating and adaptogenic properties) and use a humidifier with a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil.  Keeping our mucus membranes moist traps invading viruses and sends them to the stomach where they are destroyed by acid.
8. Supplement with probiotics.  Since 70% of our immune systems is located in our gut, healthy bacteria ensures a healthy immune system that is less susceptible to infections.  Probiotics enhance cellular immunity and may prevent the flu and serious complications from the flu.
9. Supplement with Vitamin D3.  In our northern climate, we are not exposed to enough sunlight in the winter to activate the vitamin D in our skin.  Vitamin D stimulates our immune systems by promoting phagocytosis (engulfing and digestion of foreign bodies.)
10. Keep some homeopathic oscillococcinum in your medicine cabinet.  If you catch your flu-like symptoms within 24 hours, you will significantly reduce the severity and duration of the illness.

Most people do not make the connection between what they eat and how their skin looks. Poor eating habits, low quality food choices, a weakened digestive system, or poor liver health will often present as a variety of skin conditions, ranging from hives to acne to eczema. There are many ways in which food and digestion can affect our skin.

As food is digested, nutrients are absorbed and waste travels towards the colon to be excreted. The longer the transit time (for example, if you are constipated), the longer food sits in the bowels. Proteins putrefy, fats become rancid, and carbohydrates ferment. In order to prevent disease, these toxins must be excreted. This occurs through the skin when digestion is impaired.

Hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid) naturally occurs as we age. However, the stomach requires adequate amounts of hydrochloric acid (HCl) to digest fat and protein. In addition to stomach problems such as constipation, heart burn, gas, and bloating, this condition may also result in acne, dilated blood vessels on the cheeks and nose, iron deficiency, and weak, cracked fingernails. both healthy skin and healthy digestion relies on adequate amounts of HCl.

An overtaxed liver can affect our energy, digestion, and skin. Fats and bile within the liver can easily become oversaturated with oil-soluble toxins, synthetic chemicals, and heavy metals. As toxins build, the liver becomes stressed, and these toxins are eliminated via the skin. This can result in rashes, acne, dry skin, etc. A biyearly detoxification of the liver is recommended to ensure efficient toxin removal.

In addition to stomach upset, food sensitivities affect the skin, and may cause puffy eyes, acne, hives, itching, and rashes. Often, due to poor digestion or frequently eating the same foods day after day, the proteins in foods (immunoglobulins) leak into our bloodstream through small tears in the intestines and trigger adverse reactions in the immune system. Food sensitivities are different from food allergies, which often present with life threatening symptoms (think peanuts or shellfish and anaphylactic shock.)  Eliminating common food sensitivities or foods deemed sensitive via a blood IgG test will improve digestion and the skin.

Another culprit for poor skin is antibiotics, which are prescribed to kill the bad bacteria that cause disease, but which also kill the good bacteria required for a healthy immune system (70% of our immune tissue is located in the gut.) Too little good bacteria leads to poor digestion, which results in skin conditions.

When addressing skin complaints, we must also consider emotional factors. There is no separating mind and body when dealing with health concerns. Think of that annoying colleague who “gets under your skin.” If this emotional irritant persists long enough, and these are the words you are using to describe this person, it makes sense that you will start to manifest physical symptoms congruent with your emotional disposition. What about that issue you are “itching to do something about?” If you are feeling emotionally “itchy” this may be the time when your eczema flares. Lastly, consider whether you perceive yourself as a thin-skinned or thick-skinned person and the many skin complaints that may go along with these perceptions.

Finally, stress makes any condition worse and increases susceptibility to disease. When we are stressed, we are in sympathetic mode: heart racing, breathing heavy, not digesting. Our adrenal glands sit on top of our kidneys.  They secrete a hormone called cortisol to buffer our stress response. When we are constantly stressed out, cortisol becomes depleted and we suffer many symptoms, including acne. Practicing relaxation techniques, meditation, or simply doing something we love can decrease our stress and “magically” improve our skin!

When we think of food allergies, we often picture a person in extreme distress, gasping for air, mottled with red, blotchy hives.  Peanuts are usually the culprit. Most of us don’t have these severe reactions, but many of us are sensitive to different types of foods and may not recognize the symptoms.  Long-term exposure to food sensitivities cause constant and persistent stress on the immune system, which may lead to chronic, auto-immune, or degenerative diseases.

Unlike food allergies, which occur immediately after ingesting a specific food, food sensitivities occur 2-4 days after eating the food in question.  Eating small amounts of the food may cause no reaction, while eating the food in large quantities or many days in a row may cause symptoms.  Symptoms of food sensitivities include, but are not limited to:

• Nasal congestion and puffy eyes
• Gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea
• Frequent colds
• Fogginess, forgetfulness, fatigue
• Headaches, migraines
• Arthritis, joint pain

There are many hypotheses for the cause of food sensitivities and the increased prevalence within recent years:

• Depressed immune system (infants not breast fed until 6 months of age)
• Poor digestion (70% of immune-associated tissue is located in the gut)
• Introducing solid foods at too young an age
• Antibacterial environments (think of colds as exercise for our immune systems and of the age-old adage:  use it or lose it.)
• Genetically modified foods (genes of common allergens are inserted into benign foods for pest-resistance, increased shelf-life of produce, etc.)

Common food sensitivities include:

• Coffee (caffeine)
• Wheat
• Milk and eggs
• Peanuts and cashews
• Nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, paprika, tobasco sauce)
• Soy
• Shellfish
• Citrus fruits (not lemons, limes)
• Corm
• Any food that is genetically modified

What can you do to limit exposure to food sensitivities?

• Get tested.  Traditional skin pricking (RAST) tests for immediate, anaphylactic reactions.  Blood work will test for delayed-onset hypersensitivity reactions.  Visit a health care provider who understands how to read the results and give individualized advice.  Often, it is not as simple as just eliminating food sensitivities.
• Ensure you are eating a varied and rotating diet.  You are more likely to develop sensitivities to foods you are eating on a daily basis.
• Keep a food diary and eliminate foods that cause symptoms.
• Read food labels – foods that cause sensitivities are often used as preservatives and fillers.
• Eat organic – genetically modified foods are not yet labeled in Canada.
• Keep the digestive system operating smoothly and cleanly.
• Take time out of your day to eat.  Get away from your desk; do not watch TV or eat on the go.  Relaxation is required for optimal digestion.

1.  High cholesterol is not a disease.  Increased blood levels (hypercholesterolemia) indicate an inflammatory process is occurring in the body.  Cholesterol is released by the liver to repair tissue (cell) damage.  Coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, and heart attacks all indicate inflammation of the heart tissue or blood vessels.  Instead of blaming cholesterol, we need to determine why the cholesterol levels are high and treat the cause of chronic inflammation to reduce the extra need for cholesterol.  Supplementing with fish oil is an excellent way to reduce inflammation and protect the cardiovascular system.  Eating cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil and raw almonds or walnuts, and eliminating coffee have also been shown to lower cholesterol levels.

2.  It is not as simple as having high good cholesterol levels and low bad cholesterol levels.  Cholesterol is cholesterol.  In the past, HDL (high density lipoprotein) has been touted for its heart-protective properties, and LDL (low density lipoprotein) has been given a bad rap as the cause of heart conditions.  In fact, both HDL and LDL are simply fats combined with proteins that travel throughout the blood to various parts of the body to repair tissues.  The important value to consider is the total cholesterol : HDL..  Also, it is important to note that extremely low cholesterol levels can be as harmful as high cholesterol levels.

3.  Cholesterol is needed for the synthesis of sex hormones (testosterone and estrogen) and is a precursor to cortisol (our “stress” hormone.)  Those of us who are “stressed-out” produce more cortisol and have higher levels of cholesterol.  Again, cholesterol is not the culprit, but rather the symptom of a bigger problem.

4.  Many studies have shown that those with high cholesterol:

- live longer lives (cholesterol protects us from infection by binding to and inactivating toxins and directly benefits the immune system, lessening the occurrence of chronic diseases.)

- have decreased mortality from heart failure (due to anti-inflammatory properties.)

- are better able to repair muscle tissue and build muscle mass (and…isn’t the heart a muscle?)

5.  One of the side effects of statin drugs (cholesterol lowering drugs) is muscle aches and pains, which eventually lead to inflammation.  While taking these drugs, the body is unable to produce cholesterol which leads to muscle damage (including the heart muscle.)  These drugs also deplete coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) which is needed to transfer oxygen (energy) to the cells.  In essence, statin drugs reduce the amount of oxygen reaching the heart, increasing the risk of heart disease.  All people taking statin drugs need to be supplementing with CoQ10.

6.  Animal fats are rich sources of cholesterol and help the body maintain healthy levels.  Contrary to popular belief, it is ok to eat wild game or grass-fed beef (red meat) 1-2 times weekly and butter is a healthier choice than margarine.

For more information (evidence and studies), please visit:

http://www.westonaprice.org/moderndiseases/benefits_cholest.html

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/05/28/cholesterol-heart.aspx

With the warmer weather comes blooming flowers, more time spent outdoors, and for some, thin watery nasal discharge, sneezing, and itchy mouth, throat, and eyes.  During allergy season, many feel they have only two choices:  suffer, or take over-the-counter medications that often cause side-effects.  Fortunately, there are natural options to decrease the symptoms of allergies while reducing occurrence of future episodes.

An allergy is an over-reaction of the immune system that causes the release of histamine from mast cells.  Allergies cause inflammation in the system and aggravate existing chronic conditions.  Here are some things you can do to decrease the allergic response and reduce/prevent allergy symptoms in the future, while balancing the immune system and decreasing inflammation:

• Stinging nettle.  Anti-inflammatory; reduces hay fever symptoms.
• Vitamin C and quercetin.  Natural antihistamines derived from sources such as citrus fruits and onions.
• Bromelain (between meals.)  Natural anti-inflammatory.
• Enhance your barriers with the outside world (i.e. skin, mucus membranes, digestive organs)
  • Keep hydrated (drink 1 L of water daily.)  Moist mucus membranes are the first line of defense.
  • Maintain proper digestion.  70% of your immune tissue is located in the gut.  Supplementing with probiotics supports digestion, balances gut flora and increases immune function.
  • Essential fatty acids (especially omega 3.)  These are termed essential because they must be obtained from diet, such as fish and walnuts.  Keeps skin hydrated and decreases the risk of hay fever.

• Decrease exposure to food sensitivities (wheat, dairy, etc.)  A combination of allergens overloads the system and worsens symptoms.  Eat a whole foods diet.
• Keep a clean environment, free of dust and mold.  If you are suffering from seasonal allergies, keep the windows closed and use an air filtration system.
• Decrease stress levels, which weaken the immune system and intensifies symptoms.  If you are feeling stressed, supplement with a B complex.
• Acupuncture – relieves acute symptoms while building long-term defenses to allergens (prevention of future allergy symptoms.)

As with any medical advice, please consult your health care provider before starting new treatment.