Allergies Archives • Alison Mitchell Naturopath

Be In Balance This Spring

Alison — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 02:47:20 +0000

Spring into Health: Supporting Your Liver with Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda

When asked about their favorite season, many people enthusiastically choose Spring. With flowers in bloom, trees budding with fresh leaves, and warmer temperatures, it’s a time of renewal and rejuvenation. However, for some, the arrival of spring brings challenges like allergies and sluggish energy. If you find spring isn’t as smooth for you, it may be time to explore Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda to help your body adapt to the changing seasons.Missed my previous article on adapting to the seasons? Read it here.

Spring: The Season of Liver Renewal

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, spring is the season of the liver and gallbladder. This makes it the perfect time to support and repair liver function. Many people instinctively reduce their intake of fatty foods and alcohol during spring, while others opt for a detox program. This aligns perfectly with TCM principles, which suggest that spring is a natural time for cleansing and renewal.

Your liver plays a crucial role in detoxifying the body, processing everything you eat and come into contact with. It’s also a key player in fat metabolism, helping you burn energy more efficiently. In TCM, the liver stores blood and is closely connected to the eyes, nails, and ligaments. Symptoms like blurred vision or floaters can be signs of liver congestion. Additionally, many people with liver imbalances experience hay fever and seasonal allergies during spring. Continuing with practices like nasal irrigation (which you may have started in winter) can be highly beneficial for managing these symptoms.

Herbal Support for Spring Allergies and Liver Health

Supporting the liver with herbal medicine can significantly reduce the severity of springtime allergies and other conditions. The emotion associated with the liver is anger and frustration, which tend to surface more during this time of year. Spending time outdoors, engaging in physical activity, and enjoying life can help balance these emotions.

Consider integrating liver-supportive herbs such as:

Dandelion Root
St. Mary’s Thistle
Schisandra
Globe Artichoke

Consult with a Naturopath or Herbalist for personalized recommendations on herbal support to optimize your liver health.

Spring Cleaning for Your Body, Mind, and Home

Spring isn’t just about cleaning your physical body – it’s a great time to refresh your entire environment. Take this opportunity to:

Declutter your home and wardrobe
Cleanse your mind by attending a retreat, practicing meditation, or taking up mindfulness
Organize and renew your surroundings to align with the energy of the season

Spring Diet: Nourishing Your Liver

As you transition into spring, start to reduce salty and heavy foods. Instead, incorporate more sour, sweet, and pungent flavors into your meals. These foods are particularly nourishing for liver function and help boost your energy and metabolism. Try including:

Sour foods: Lemon, chicken, tomatoes
Sweet and pungent foods: Honey, dates, ginger, onions

Additionally, focus on consuming green, leafy vegetables, especially those rich in chlorophyll, which supports liver regeneration. Examples include:

Wheatgrass
Barley grass
Spirulina

Cooking Tips for Spring

After a winter filled with slow-cooked stews and roasts, spring calls for lighter, faster cooking methods. Aim to cook your vegetables al dente, preserving their nutrients and crunch. Try steaming, simmering, or sautéing your vegetables rather than stewing or roasting them.

Key Takeaways:

Support liver function with diet and herbs (consult a Naturopath or Herbalist for tailored advice).
Examples of liver-supporting herbs: Dandelion Root, St. Mary’s Thistle, Schisandra, Globe Artichoke
Cook vegetables lightly and introduce more sweet, sour, and pungent foods.
Increase your intake of green leafy vegetables to support liver regeneration.

By adapting your lifestyle and diet to the energy of spring, you’ll be well on your way to optimizing your liver health and boosting your overall vitality this season.

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Children’s Health – Immunity

Alison — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 07:46:39 +0000

One simple fact is for certain; kids do have special health requirements. Children are not simply smaller versions of adults. Have you noticed that kids suffer different health problems to adults? For example glue ear, or ear infection is common in children, but less so in adults. When was the last time you heard an adult complaining of how annoying their colic or cradle cap was?

There are several issues that could be discussed regarding children’s health, such as the rising incidence of anxiety in children, learning difficulties and hyperactivity, food additives, childhood obesity, and more. However this winter it seems that every second person you speak to has a cold. And this year has brought in some very nasty bugs, with most colds lasting for weeks. With school holidays coming up, now is a perfect time to start building up your children’s immune system.

The Development of the Immune System

The immune system can be thought of as an army, made up of white blood cells with different roles (such as generals and soldiers). They are constantly working to protect us from foreign beings like bacteria and viruses and it is only when a bug is failed to be ‘neutralised’ that we become aware of our immune system. It’s normal to get a couple of colds a year, but it’s when the cold turns into a secondary infection that your immune system isn’t doing what it’s supposed to.

Our tissues, organs and cells are covered in a type of protein which our immune system recognises and knows not to attack. A pregnant woman’s immune system adapts so as not to attack her baby (which is a foreign body) and this is why many women who are pregnant notice their allergies or auto-immune conditions improve, but are more prone to getting infections. The baby’s immune system is not fully developed so as not to reject mum, and stays immature for a while after birth, too.

It can take about two years for baby’s immune system to fully mature, and during this time they will often rely on the immunity taken from mum. They get this is a few ways: from the placenta in utero, by being coated in the beneficial bacteria from the birth canal and then from colostrums first and then breast milk, two to three days after birth.

As your children’s immune system develops it learns to recognise what is foreign. The more it gets to flex its muscles by mounting an attack and winning the battle, the stronger it becomes. If it doesn’t get the chance to practice, then things can go wrong. Hyperresponse, or the immune system reacting to something that isn’t foreign (e.g. a food intolerance) can lead to a constant runny nose as the immune system keeps trying to capture the invader.

There is a lot of debate about the ‘hygiene hypothesis’ contributing to the growing incidence of children’s immune problems. The theory of this is that excessive sterilisation prevents children’s immune system from getting practice which has increased the rate of allergies and chronic infections in children. While hygiene is important, some dirt and germs put the immune system through its paces, increasing its strength each time.

As every parent knows, having a sick child is certainly not fun and on top of that, it can impact on the health and wellbeing of the whole family. Whether it’s due to sleepless nights, sickness spreading through the whole family, or needing time off school or work, sickness can take its toll.

The Digestive System is friends with the Immune System

Over 70% of our immune system lives in and around the gastrointestinal tract; therefore having high levels of good bacteria in the digestive system is essential for building a strong immune system in growing children. The beneficial balance of ‘good bugs’ in the gut is easily upset by many factors, including antibiotics, high sugar diets and stress. This can lead to an increased risk of colds and ‘flus for your kids.

During the first two years of life, the immature immune and digestive systems are still developing. During this time, the integrity of the digestive tract can be reduced (sometimes known as “leaky gut”), and may allow undigested foods and toxins to pass through this barrier and cause an immune reaction. In this way, “leaky gut” may contribute to the development of allergies and poor immune defence against colds and flus. By strengthening the gut barrier, the immune system is able to respond with greater effectiveness.

Boosting the Immune System

Good nutrition is very important to fuel the immune army to encourage the production of the white blood cells. Imagine sending the troops to war without any food!
Below is a list of good fuel for the immune system.

Bright coloured vegies are rich in antioxidants and vitamins A and C, which are important or immunity and wound healing.
Some foods which are rich in zinc and iron include meat, seafood, beans, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, brown rice, lentils, figs, dark green leafy vegies and beetroots. Zinc and iron are needed for healthy immune function and red blood cells.
Probiotics are supplements containing friendly bacteria that help the immune system in the digestive tract.
Raw garlic is fantastic for beating colds and ‘flu. Mix a crushed garlic clove with some lemon and honey in hot water and sip on this throughout the day. It’s a good idea to have the rest of the family eat garlic too, to reduce the chance of them getting sick. If you’re home sick in bed, then it doesn’t matter if you have garlic breath!
Adequate protein is important for a healthy immune system. Protein can be found in meats, eggs, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains.
Herbal medicine can do marvellous things to improve the immune system, which can be taken to help prevent infections. If you’ve already got a cold then herbs can be used to reduce the duration and severity of the illness. Children have a different metabolism to adults so require different types and doses of herbs than adult. It is always best to talk to a herbalist or naturopath to get quality herbs prescribed.

Similiarly, the wrong type of food can slow the immune system down. One teaspoon of sugar can suppress the immune system for up to 8 hours. So it’s important to avoid all sugar and junk foods while you’re sick or if a bug is going around.

The whole family can benefit from eating plenty of immune boosting foods this winter. If you think your child has an issue with their immune system such as frequent infections or allergies then try following the tips above and book in for an appointment to get to the bottom of the issue. When given the right building blocks a child can develop a healthy and robust immune system, which is something the whole family will benefit from.

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A place in the sun may help prevent allergies

Alison — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 08:02:02 +0000

Increased exposure to sunlight may reduce the risk of both food allergies and eczema in children, according to a new study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

The research team studied available data on Australian children and analysed how rates of food allergy, eczema and asthma varied throughout the country. In addition to demonstrating a link between latitude and allergies to peanut and egg, the results showed that on average children in the south of the country were twice as likely to develop eczema as those in the north.

Exposure to sunlight is important as it allows for vitamin D synthesis. This report builds upon existing evidence that suggests a link between sun exposure and the incidence of allergic disease.

Gray N. Low vitamin D status linked to food allergy and eczema in children: Study. Nutraingredients-usa.com, 7 Feb 2012.
Osborne NJ, Ukoumunne OC, Wake M, et al. Prevalence of eczema and food allergy is associated with latitude in Australia. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2012 Feb 1.

Thoughts:

Despite having what we have been told as enough time in the sun to get our vitamin D, there are still many adults and children who are deficient. The latitude affects our ability to absorb vitamin D, along with many other factors We know that Vitamin D is important for moderating our immune system so if you or your children have an allergic condition than don’t just assume you’re getting enough vitamin D, get it checked.

Tips on how to get vitamin D from the sun while still being safe:

Vitamin D is best absorbed between 10am and 3pm.
Get 7-10 minutes of sun exposure to arms and legs.
Follow with SPF30+ sunscreen.
Always protect the face.

Past Vitamin D posts:

Vitamin D PDF

Vitamin D Newsletter

Vitamin D and Asthma

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Fish oil reduces child allergy risk

Alison — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:25:01 +0000

New mothers who wait until they’re breastfeeding before starting fish oil supplementation may have missed the boat when it comes to reducing childhood allergic disease.

Results from five randomised, controlled trials showed that fish oil supplements taken during pregnancy reduced positive egg skin prick tests (SPT) and asthma in the child’s first year, while food allergy was reduced by as much as 66%.

Supplementation during lactation, however, did not prevent asthma, food allergy or atopy in the child.

Klemens CM, Berman DR, Mozurkewich EL. The effect of perinatal omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on inflammatory markers and allergic diseases: a systematic review. BJOG 2011;118(8):916-25.

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Expectant Mums Reduce Infant Allergy with Fish Oil

Alison — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 05:04:53 +0000

Maternal intake of omega-3 could possibly be linked with childhood allergy incidence, according to a recent study.

The randomised, placebo-controlled study aimed to measure the effects of maternal omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation during both pregnancy and lactation. The impact of this on childhood allergic disease was then assessed.

The 145 pregnant subjects, who had either a personal allergic history, a partner with allergies or a previous child with allergies, were supplemented with 1.6g eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 1.1g docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), or placebo, starting from the 25th week of pregnancy until 3-4 months of breastfeeding.

The results showed the prevalence of food allergy was lower in the omega-3 group (2%) than in the placebo group (15%). The incidence of IgE-associated eczema was 8% in the omega-3 group compared with 24% in the placebo group.

Conclusion: Omega-3 supplementation in pregnancy and lactation can decrease the risk of food allergy and IgE-associated eczema during the first year of life in infants with a family history of allergic disease.

Furuhjelm C, Warstedt K, Larsson J, Fredriksson M, BÃttcher MF, FÃlth-Magnusson K, et al. Fish oil supplementation in pregnancy and lactation may decrease the risk of infant allergy. Acta Paediatr 2009 Sep;98(9):1461-1467.

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Allergies

Alison — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 04:46:21 +0000

Spring is often thought of as the time for allergies, but really any change of season can trigger allergies and asthma. But what is it about moving into autumn that gets you itching and sneezing?

For many people a drop in the temperature is enough of a trigger, and when the humidity drops the air becomes drier and is more likely to irritate a sensitive respiratory system. You may be bringing winter clothes out of storage in moth balls and dust is being stirred up. All of these and more could trigger your allergies or asthma.

Allergies

Sinus congestion, itchy eyes, sneezing, persistent cough, wheezing, headaches, and skin disorders such as eczema are all symptoms of allergies. These become more and more common, especially getting into the change of seasons. When your allergies occur often depends on what you’re allergic to: trees pollinate in spring, grasses in early summer and weeds in late summer. Mould spores in cooler climates persist outdoors only in summer, whereas in warmer climates it can persist all year. If your allergies last all year they are most likely caused by dust mites, mould or animal hair allergies.

The last four decades have seen an increase in the rates of hayfever in children, especially in urban areas. In prosperous societies, 20-40% of children suffer from hayfever. There is a greater risk of this in children who have have early exposure to solid foods or formula, have food allergies, exposure to tobacco smoke and heavy exposure to indoor allergens. In the US, allergies are among the most cited reasons for missed school days, accounting for more than 2 million school days lost anually.

For some people, the post-nasal drip and sinus pain can be debilitating, and interfere with their ability to think and concentrate. For others, they may just put up with it and pop a daily anti-histamine.

Anti-histamines can give you symptomatic relief, however it can be associated with drowsiness and lethargy. Unfortunately, they are also not getting to the underlying cause of allergies.

What you may not know is that allergies can be caused by underlying imbalances in your immune system. Our white blood cells which act like our ‘army’ need to act in a balanced way to be effective. If there is an imbalance in a certain type of immune cells auto-immunity can occur, of if the balance goes the other way it can lead to allergies.

To help balance your immune system, eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of water. It’s also important to manage stress levels, as chronic stress can upset the nervous system and aggravate allergies. Digestive health has a large role to play in allergies, and so it can help to do a detox before spring to ensure everything is working properly.

You may find benefit from avoiding certain foods which can aggravate allergies. For people who are allergic to ragweed, you should avoid eating the melon family (watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe), zucchinis and cucumbers. For people allergic to grass, you should avoid wheat products, tomatoes and carrots.

Eating plenty of garlic, onions, chilli, turmeric, radishes and fresh herbs and spices can help. Fenugreek tea is great for helping to clearing out mucous. Daily sinus washing with a neti pot is also something you can try.

Asthma

Asthma is a disease that causes inflammation of the airways of the lungs and it can be caused by a range of factors such as genetics, the environment, infections, allergies, emotions, and even the foods that we eat. The commonest symptoms of asthma are wheezing, coughing, a shortness of breath, and an increase in the amount of mucus that is produced. However, if you suffer from asthma, or have a family member that does, there is no need to suffer. There are plenty of natural health remedies that you can use.

Allergens that can Trigger Asthma

There are many different allergens that can trigger an asthmatic attack. These include pet dander, chemicals, drugs, dust mites, pollutants, feathers, food additives, mildew, mould, and cigarette smoke. Even the foods that you can eat can trigger an asthma attack, with milk, eggs, nuts, and seafood being some of the most common triggers.

If you suspect that an allergen is triggering your asthma attack, whether it is dietary or found in the environment, you can choose to eliminate the allergen from the diet or your environment and see if symptoms clear up. To be able to correctly identify the allergen, it is important that you remove all potential irritants and re-introduce them one by one. This is the basis of an ‘elimination diet’ and this should be performed over a period of at least 21 days. If you believe that you may have a food intolerence but don’t feel comfortable doing an elimination diet, there are blood tests that can be performed.

Nutrition for Asthma

A balanced diet is comprised of a range of food groups, and can help your body fight allergies and the effects of debilitating conditions such as asthma. Try including the following foods or food groups in your diet:

Plenty of water
Fresh fruits and vegetables
Wholegrain foods such as brown rice,,millet, quinoa, amaranth and other ancient grains
Lean meats such as skinless chicken
Legumes and pulses
Oily and/or white fish
Items to avoid or limit in your diet include alcohol, salt, saturated fats and refined sugars.

The importance of exercise should also not be underestimated; especially when one starts to age and metabolism slows. This makes it more difficult to burn off unwanted fat.

Herbal Medicine for Asthma

There are some fantastic herbs that can be used for managing asthma. A formula for asthma will usually include herbs that relax the bronchiols, reduce catarrh and mucous build up and encourage it’s expulsion, reduce inflammation on the airways and support the immune system to either get rid of chronic infections, or reduce allergic reactions.
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A Healthy Glow – More than Skin Deep

Alison — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 01:06:35 +0000

When we consider the adage “more than skin deep” we think of the truism that beauty is more than what we can see on the outside. As a naturopath, I apply this philosophy to the treatment of skin conditions as naturopaths consider the skin to be a representation of not just the body’s external, but also internal milieu.

The skin is the largest organ of the human body, with a total surface area approximately 2m² and a total weight of 4.5-5kg. The skin isn’t just a simple plastic bag that keeps out insides in and the outsides out – it is a sophisticated, semi-permeable barrier that is involved in many functions critical for good health, such as fluid regulation, detoxification and Vitamin D synthesis.

Dysfunction of the skin can occur in conditions such as acne vulgaris, eczema/dermatitis, psoriasis and acne rosacea.

There are many factors which influence the health of the skin. I am going to discuss two of the most important ones:

Immune health – Allergies, Auto-Immunity and Infections

Eczema/dermatitis is an allergic condition where the body reacts to an allergen (this can be a contact allergen or an internal allergen) and creates an inflammatory response in the skin.
Psoriasis is considered to be an auto-immune conditions, where the body attacks the keratinocytes causing inflammation, as well as an unmediated over proliferation of keratinocytes.
Infections are a common factor in most skin conditions. Eczema is often associated with a Staphylococcus aureas infection, and we know that this bug creates inflammation and immune activation in the skin.
Acne vulgaris is caused when the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes feeds from the excess sebum that is produced, thrives, and then causes inflammation in the pore.
Acne rosacea is associated with an infestation of the mite Demodex folliculorum. This causes inflammation of the follicles when it gets out of check. Although a little disturbing to note, this mite is on everyone. It is when our immune system is low and does not control them that problems arise.
Conditions such as the cold sore virus and fungal infections have a direct connection with our immune system. These conditions are obvious infections, and therefore our immune system needs to be strong and fit to keep these at bay.

Digestive Health – Bowel regularity, Microflora and “Leaky Gut”

There is a strong connection between digestive conditions and skin conditions. In a 2004 study analysing the correlation between skin and digestive health it was found that 14% of patients with ulcerative colitis, 24% of patients with crohns disease and 25% of patients with coeliac disease had a skin condition.
The balance of bacteria in the digestive system, if disturbed can cause a large array of problems. The good bacteria control our immune system, certain vitamin and enzyme synthesis and are important for regulating inflammation. The gut microflora are disturbed by medications such as the pill, anti-biotics, by poor diet, alcohol or in conditions such as constipation. An imbalance in the microflora can worsen or cause many skin conditions such as eczema and acne rosacea.
Acne rosacea has a strong connection to infections of the small intestine. A common cause of this is an overgrowth of Helicobactor pylori which stimulates inflammation and dilation of the blood vessels in the face. This bug is famous for causing reflux, but it can also cause acne rosacea. A 2002 study showed that eliminating H. pylori infections improved 51 out of 53 patients with rosacea. The good news is that there are fantastic herbs and essential oils that kill this bug.
According the Bernard Jensen, a famous iridologist and nutritionist: “When the bowel is underative, toxic wastes are more likely to be absorbed through the bowel wall and into the blood stream. The blood then circulates these toxins to every part of the body and deposits some of them in tissues, with the greatest amount retained in the constitutionall weakest tissues.” This is known as a condition called “leaky gut” and can be understood to mean that a slow, sluggish bowel can cause issues in other parts of the body because chemicals that were meant to be excreted have been re-assimilated into the body. This phenomenen is also known as auto-intoxication. Leaky gut occurs when the membranes in the bowel become inflammed and porous, usually due to long term constipation, food allergies or microbial imbalances. You can be tested for leaky gut with a urine test, however this can often by picked up with iridology.

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