host posted on April 08, 2009 13:03
Eventually, I’ll get around to writing an article about some illness, and it won’t be autobiographical. But it seems that almost every time Doug asks us to write on a particular ailment, I’ve actually had that problem, myself!
Allergies are no exception. Oh, how I used to love this time of year, simply because the cold of winter was over, but how I used to hate it because the tyranny of allergies was at hand. Spring meant shorts and flip-flops and t-shirts, but it also meant that I’d be sneezing and stuffy-headed, and eventually, laid up with a “secondary” sinus infection.
If you experienced these things prior to the mid 80’s, you know how miserable it was when you had to take medicine for your allergy symptoms. Every allergy medicine back then should have come with a free pillow because you couldn’t take any of them without eight hours of slumber. Everything put you to sleep in a hurry.
Then came a drug called Seldane, in 1985. As an allergy sufferer, this was heavenly. It effectively relieved my allergy symptoms, but didn’t make me drowsy.
Then, one day, when we went to get a refill on my Seldane, the pharmacist said, “Oh, sorry. We can’t sell this anymore.” It turns out, the drug had a serious side effect that the FDA didn’t know about when it approved the drug – fatal cardiac arrhythmia. So, it was possible that death was the price you could end up paying in order to relieve your itchy eyes. (It’s OK to laugh at that, but it’s only funny if it didn’t happen to one of your children. For some parents, they’ll never have dry eyes again because of this drug.)
Truth be told, when I found out about how this drug was killing people, I wasn’t tremendously excited when newer drugs came out to replace it. It really didn’t thrill me when I heard about Claritin and Allegra. I already felt as though I cheated death once; why would I play Russian roulette again?
Thank goodness for Doug Kaufmann! Doug has spent a lot of time in the world of allergies. Heck, that’s how he came to Dallas – a Johns Hopkins-trained physician heard of Doug’s successes in helping allergy patients in California, and asked him to relocate and work at his clinic in Dallas. It’s because of his success in these allergy clinics that he was ever asked to talk about his experiences on the radio, and then on TV. If you enjoy watching Doug every day on Know the Cause, please understand that one of the reasons you get to do so is because he’s pretty good at this stuff. If you have allergies, listen up.
Even as an “alternative medicine” guy, I didn’t get COMPLETE relief until I was taught the fungus link to allergies, (see any of Doug’s books for details). Yeah, I’d have some modicum of success with a symptom or two, but I still had a stuffy nose, and I still couldn’t mow the grass until I got to the root of the problem. Doug helped me to realize allergy-overcoming success.
SO, here’s a bird’s eye view of what I did:
1. I used the Phase One Diet. This is the first thing I encourage all my nutrition clients to do. To reverse allergies, I stopped eating grains and sugar for a period of time to see how my body responded, and I found this strategy to be extremely effective. There are at least 5 foods I tell clients about that I believe exacerbate seasonal allergies, but grains and sugar, alone, could make a huge difference. IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE, this is the most important strategy.
2. I started taking a combination of supplements. Fish oil was the first. It has omega-3 fatty acids in it, which are incredibly anti-inflammatory – something you want for allergy relief. Americans get ten times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3s; instead, it should be a one-to-one ratio. This imbalance can create all sorts of inflammation symptoms, including being vulnerable to allergy attacks. I recommend Nordic Naturals exclusively.
3. I took foods and supplements rich in “flavonoids,” which are nutrients found in fruits and vegetables that protect them against mold. The flavonoids I like for allergies include quercetin, rutin, and OPCs (found in grape seed extract). These, combined with extra Vitamin C and nettle leaf, gave me wonderful relief.
4. I discovered that the lining in my gut contributed to my allergies. “Leaky Gut Syndrome” is a condition in which yeast literally pokes holes through the gut wall, food is inadequately digested, and toxins actually “leak” through. When this happens, the immune system goes on the offensive, causing strong allergy symptoms. If you drink alcohol, eat lots of sugar and grains, take aspirin or ibuprofen, drink chlorinated water, or have ever taken antibiotics, you are at risk. But the solution is thankfully quite simple. You need to add probiotics to your system. These are a critical step in alleviating and preventing allergy symptoms over time. Two other excellent gut-health supplements – colostrum, and the amino acid L-Glutamine – were also essential in my own allergy recovery.
5. A profound help came when I bought a good air treatment system. Unlike any air purifiers you see on infomercials or stores at the mall, I like the kind that are quiet, have no fans, and work using a photocatalytic, ionic process that actually pull allergens out of the air in your home or office. They have no filters to change or clean, and they work better than anything on the market.
If you’re like me, and are ready to take advantage of the terrific weather just around the corner, take it from someone who USED to have to walk around with a box of tissues and antihistamines. If you just follow Doug’s tips and mix in a few inexpensive supplements, this could be your most symptom-free Spring ever.
Kyle Drew