The Juice Lady's Remedies for Asthma and Allergies

SNEEZING AND WHEEZING. Itchy, watery eyes. Hives and rash on the skin. Upset stomach and diarrhea. Even anaphylactic shock. When the immune system goes into overdrive, it can be anything from a nuisance to a life-and-death situation. Allergies run the gamut of symptoms, but all are caused by your immune system overreacting to typically “innocent,” or harmless triggers—these can include dust mites, pollen, mold, animal dander, or, in the case of food allergies certain dietary items (for example, milk is a common culprit). These triggers are called allergens, and they can be found throughout the environment.

If so your body is releasing histamine and other substances as an overreaction to these otherwise harmless allergens. Your immune system is causing an allergic reaction to take place, creating inflammation in various parts of the body and symptoms such as the following:

• Hay fever: includes itchy, watery eyes; sneezing; post-nasal drip; coughing; and sinus headaches

• Asthma: commonly related to allergies; causes coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath

• Anaphylactic shock: a life-threatening reaction in the entire body; the throat may swell and close off and blood pressure may drop, as a result of blood vessels’ sudden and extreme dilation.

COMMON MYTHS

Myth: Allergies are all in your head.

Fact: For most people allergies are a real medical condition. However, allergy symptoms may be aggravated by stress or emotions. Although stress and emotions don’t cause allergies, they can exaggerate your body’s response to the allergens. Scientists don’t fully understand the relationship yet between allergic responses and emotions.

Myth: Moving to Arizona will cure allergies.

Fact: For years people bothered by seasonal allergies to pollens and molds thought that if they moved to the desert Southwest, where the foliage and climate are different from other regions, their allergies would disappear. Although the desert is lacking in maple trees and ragweed, it does have other pollen-producing plants, such as sagebrush and cottonwood, ash, and olive trees. People who are sensitive to some pollens and molds often find that in a new environment they eventually develop sensitivities to new allergens. For example, people sensitive to ragweed may become sensitive to sagebrush pollen.

Myth: Most people outgrow hay fever.

Fact: Many people believe that hay fever is a childhood disorder that you outgrow by the time you reach adulthood. On the contrary, hay fever can develop at any life stage, and you can recover from it at any point in your life.

Myth: No one ever dies from allergies.

Fact: Although it’s true that many allergies are more of an inconvenience than anything else, some allergic reactions can be serious. People who are highly sensitive to allergens can experience life-threatening shock (anaphylaxis) after being stung by a certain insect, being injected with a certain drug, or eating a certain food. Asthma attacks can also be fatal. Severe reactions must be taken seriously and treated promptly and properly.

To fully understand allergies and asthma, it’s important to know how your body’s immune system works. The main players in the majority of allergic reactions are white blood cells known as lymphocytes.

Lymphocytes are manufactured in bone marrow. Some migrate to your thymus, where they develop into specialized types of immune cells. Some lymphocytes migrate from bone marrow and the thymus to your lymph nodes and other organs, including your spleen, tonsils, adenoids, appendix, and small intestine. Other lymphocytes circulate throughout your body in blood and lymphatic vessels.

The role of lymphocytes is to seek out and destroy harmful foreign invaders that enter the body. In allergy sufferers lymphocytes view innocent substances such as pollen, dust mites, and dander as harmful and launch an attack against them. These are known as allergens.

When allergens enter your body, certain lymphocytes combat them by releasing a variety of chemicals. One of these is called histamine, which acts as an irritating stimulant. Often other white blood cells respond to allergens by releasing powerful chemicals intended to destroy them.

These immune responses result in a host of signs and symptoms that vary in severity. When histamine and other chemicals are released in the lungs, lung tissue becomes inflamed, causing the secretion of mucus and the swelling and narrowing of air passages. This leads to wheezing, coughing, and sometimes, shortness of breath.

When these chemicals are released in nasal cavities, they cause a runny nose, teary eyes, and itching in the nose, throat, roof of the mouth, and eyes. Histamine in the skin produces hives and other rashes. When the chemicals are activated in the digestive system, abdominal cramps and diarrhea may result.

Occasionally your entire body is affected in a serious allergic response known as anaphylactic shock (anaphylaxis). Blood vessels dilate and air passageways narrow, causing a drop in blood pressure, difficulty breathing, and other signs and symptoms. Unconsciousness or death may result.

Each allergen stimulates its own specific set of antibodies. For this reason a person may be sensitive to ragweed, but not to mold allergens. It is, however, fairly common for a person who’s allergic to one substance to be allergic to others.

A surprising number of substances found outdoors, indoors, or in foods can cause an allergic reaction.

You may be allergic to substances in certain medications, parts of plants (such as pollen), dust mites in household dust, animal dander, molds, fungi, or insect venom released during a sting, such as a bee sting. Some people are also sensitive to chemical changes that occur in the body in response to exercise or to exposure to heat or cold.

Because allergies have so many different symptoms, it may seem impossible to treat all of them. You may decide to choose which symptoms to treat—for example, you may attempt to treat hay fever with antihistamines, a runny nose with a nasal spray, or an upset stomach with antacids. But if your allergies are more pervasive or difficult to treat, you may need to do something more. Prescription medications are a common “next step” in the battle against allergies—drugs such as steroids can give at least temporary relief, but they can also suppress parts of your healthy immune system in addition to the part of the immune system that has gone awry. Boosting your natural immunity is frequently a better solution to the problem of allergies.

WHEN TO CALL 911

If you are experiencing swelling in the tongue or throat, a sudden drop in blood pressure, and/or trouble breathing, especially after encountering a known allergen, call 911 immediately. You may be experiencing the extreme allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.

Treating the root of the problem rather than the symptoms is always a better idea—and the same is true for allergies. Focusing on shoring up the entire immune system can bring true health rather than just the alleviation of symptoms.

First, a determination is needed to discover exactly what is causing your allergies—what allergens are triggering your system. There are a number of tests available to help you determine what your allergens are: skin tests, blood tests, or an elimination diet to pinpoint food allergies.

Once you understand what your body is overreacting to, you can then work to desensitize your immune system to its potential triggers. The standard medical procedure is through allergy shots, injections that contain a small amount of each allergen. You will receive increasing doses of the allergen in injections that you receive on a frequent to semi-frequent basis. As the amount of the allergen increases in your shots, your immune system is able to build up a tolerance to those allergens—and it will no longer respond with an allergic reaction each time you encounter it in the “real world.” Be aware that some people have a worsening of symptoms with new and strange symptoms that accompany them after receiving allergy shots.

There are many other things you can do that are natural and don’t have harmful effects. Read on and you’ll discover natural remedies that work.

There are various types of allergies that people regularly experience. Hay fever, which is characterized by itchy eyes, nose, and skin; sneezing; and a runny nose, is usually caused by airborne allergens. These allergens typically float through the air and include materials such as pollen, dander, and dust mites. The inflammatory chemical called histamine causes the miserable symptoms; histamine is released by the immune system as an overreaction to something usually considered harmless. Up to one-third of people who experience airborne allergies—especially of the seasonal variety—may also suffer oral allergy syndrome (OAS), which results from sensitivity to and cross-reactions between seasonal airborne pollen proteins (found in weeds, grass, and trees) and proteins found in some fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and herbs.

Are you allergic to ragweed pollen? Then you might experience OAS symptoms if you eat bananas, cucumbers, melons, zucchini, sunflower seeds, chamomile tea, or take the herb Echinacea. If you are allergic to birch tree pollen, you might suffer from symptoms if you consume peaches, apples, pears, cherries, carrots, hazelnuts, kiwifruit, or almonds.

THAT PESKY POLLEN

Wherever plants grow, pollen is in the air at some time of the year. Trees, both deciduous and evergreen, produce pollen in spring. Grasses and most flowers produce their pollen during summer months. Late-blooming plants such as ragweed produce pollen in early fall. In warm climates with long growing seasons, pollen may be present in the air for ten months of the year. In climates with shorter growing seasons the pollen is present for less time.

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Ragweed, a roadside plant, heads the list of hay fever–causing plants east of the Rocky Mountains. Other plant pollens that produce allergy symptoms include sagebrush, tumbleweed, pigweed, spiny amaranth, burning bush, and English plantain.
   Grasses that cause troublesome pollens include rye, timothy, redtop, Bermuda, orchard, sweet vernal, and bluegrass. Most trees, including maple, oak, ash, birch, poplar, elm, pecan, juniper, and cottonwood, produce pollens that can trigger hay fever.
   Pollens that are carried by insects from one plant to another tend to be larger grains that are relatively harmless. Those carried by the wind are lighter and smaller and can cause hay fever. The amount of pollen in the air depends on the weather. Hot, dry breezes stir up pollen, whereas dampness washes the pollen to the ground.
    Most pollen particles are so small that they can be carried by the air into a house through doors and screens. It doesn’t take much pollen to produce an allergic reaction—as little as twenty particles per cubic yard. Many plants can produce up to a million such particles!
   The most effective way to avoid pollen is to stay indoors, especially when pollen counts are high. Keep doors and windows closed. Air conditioning can also be helpful.

In addition to hay fever and OAS, food allergies are an unfortunate fact of life for many people. They occur when the body’s immune system, again, overreacts to something ordinarily considered harmless—usually a protein in a certain food or ingredient. Food allergies have risen alarmingly in the general population over the past several years. Food allergy symptoms vary widely among different people—and can even differ at various times in the same individual. People with food allergies commonly experience either skin reactions—rash, hives, psoriasis, or eczema—or gastrointestinal irritation, including nausea, vomiting, irritable bowel, inflammatory bowel disease, and/or diarrhea. Incidentally, hay fever–type symptoms can result from food allergies; in other words, some foods may cause some people to sneeze, wheeze, and cough. Also, consider the following list of symptoms, which can be the result of food allergies:

I would be remiss to discuss food allergies without mentioning the serious reaction called anaphylaxis, caused by some food allergens in certain individuals. There are approximately thirty thousand episodes of anaphylaxis yearly—and one hundred to two hundred deaths per year in the United States from this syndrome alone. The leading cause of deadly food allergies (leading to anaphylactic shock)? Nuts—especially peanuts, which are actually legumes.

Certain individuals may not be allergic to certain foods, but they may have a sensitivity to them, meaning they should avoid those foods to in turn avoid adverse symptoms. There is an endless number of foods that can cause an allergy or sensitivity, but the most common culprits include dairy, wheat (gluten), corn, eggs, fish, nuts, soy, chocolate, peanuts, shellfish, the night shades (tomato, potato, pepper, eggplant), citrus fruit, preservatives, and colorings. Food intolerances, or sensitivities, are mistaken for food allergies, but they are not exactly the same, as food allergies must always involve the immune system. Lactose intolerance is one of the most common types of food intolerance, occurring when an individual is missing an important enzyme necessary to digest milk sugars. It does not involve an overreaction of the immune system, and as such, it is not a food allergy, but it can make sufferers miserable through gas, bloating, and abdominal pain. In such individuals, milk and dairy products should be avoided.

There are a number of reasons for the drastic rise in the number of food allergies in this country over recent years. A primary underlying condition, which can promote the development of food allergies, including poor digestion, is “leaky gut.” This condition allows too many intact food proteins to be absorbed into the bloodstream and chronic intestinal infections by yeast, bacteria, or parasites.

Another contributor seems to be genetically modified (GM) foods. In 1960 we saw the introduction of “miracle seeds”—improved varieties of wheat, corn, and rice, which dramatically increased the crop yields of American farmers. Through the use of pesticides, irrigation, and genetic engineering, these miracle seeds doubled or tripled harvests on the same size plots as previous harvests. The seeds and growing practices quickly spread to farmers in other countries with the hope that they would help end world hunger.

This dramatic increase in crop production was called the “Green Revolution.” It was a revolution without a doubt, but far from green—which has come to mean buying organic, purchasing foods locally, and promoting sustainable farming and animal husbandry (compassionate care for domestic animals). The hybrid seeds and genetically engineered crops gave us wheat with more gluten so manufacturers could make fluffier bread as I just mentioned, which caused allergies and gastrointestinal problems such as Crohn’s disease, colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome.

Pesticides killed bugs, but they also killed songbirds; they are wiping out our bee population, and they are contributing to cancer, digestive problems, and other diseases in humans. In the end, they have killed many of us. (Studies show there is an increased incidence of cancer among farmers, indicating the impact that pesticides have on the human body.¹) And we must ask ourselves why birds and fish are mysteriously dying by the thousands. Are they the “canaries in the coal mine”? Are we next?

Then along came “designer foods” concocted by food scientists, promising specific health benefits, belched out by big factories, and most often devoid of life-promoting ingredients. They led us astray with their “good health promises” that didn’t deliver what they said. As a whole, people are sicker than ever before in history. As you can see, we can’t trust the jingles, commercials, and marketing ads. They gave us slogans like “Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet!” And, “More doctors smoke Camels.” Here’s the truth: we’ve been the human guinea pigs for decades.

We continue to learn, often too late, that many popular products have caused food allergies, made us sick, caused deaths, and took our money to boot! Do you want these people guiding your food choices? There’s a little voice inside calling you home—away from the clamor and spin of the big companies with clever marketing slogans and foods designed to hook you to crave more unhealthy stuff—to the simple goodness of the earth, free of chemicals, genetic tampering, and the fluff that’s killing you. The voice is calling you to compassionate eating, sustainability, and supporting local organic farmers. It’s time to rethink your perception of food and to discover that you are not too busy to make the time to prepare whole, living foods. You’re too busy not to. It’s time for a revolution in the way you eat and the way you think about food. If you return to nature’s living bounty, you can heal your body and mind along with the earth.

Though I recommend that you buy all organically grown produce, it is especially important for sufferers from allergies to avoid conventionally grown foods on the “dirty dozen” list.

1. Eliminate airborne allergies as much as possible. Clean your environment as frequently as you can, paying careful attention to carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, and other surfaces where dust and other particulate allergens can collect. Take special care to keep your bedroom allergy-proofed. Enclose your mattress, box spring, and pillows in allergen-resistant coverings, and frequently wash your bedding, towels, curtains, and clothing in hot water, using a fragrance-free detergent. Install an air purifier that has a HEPA filter (one that can trap tiny particles), and only vacuum using a machine with such a HEPA filter. Clean your furnace and air ducts annually. Clean any place where dust can collect—frequently and well.

2. Get rid of the stress in your life. Your immune system can be weakened by stress—and this weakened state can leave you vulnerable to allergic reactions.

1. For food allergies, keep track of any offending food(s) and avoid them as much as possible. Use the Elimination Diet to determine which foods create the worst symptoms. And don’t forget that a food allergy or intolerance may be caused by something you like and eat often—people often develop cravings for foods to which they are allergic. After you have determined which foods you are allergic to or intolerant of, be sure to rotate all of the food that you eat, both to control allergies you already are aware of and to prevent the development of new allergies or intolerances (the more you eat a certain food, the more likely you are to develop an allergy or intolerance). And finally, as much as possible, be sure to avoid all foods to which you are sensitive in any way.

THE ELIMINATION DIET

Many times, the best way to identify food allergies is with something called the “oral food challenge.” Any potential food allergens are initially eliminated from the diet altogether, and then gradually reintroduced to see if symptoms then occur.
For the first seven days, eat only the foods listed in the diet—usually with many restrictions to help cleanse your system. (Read labels carefully to be sure you are eliminating all other foods, as some foods may “sneak in” without your being aware.) If your symptoms (such as rash or stomach upset) are related to food sensitivities or allergies, they will usually vanish by the end of the seven-day period. If they don’t, a reaction to a food still remaining in your diet may be responsible. In that case, proceed to an even more restricted diet. When the period of time is complete (typically another seven days), you may then introduce one food every two days. Keep a detailed food diary as to when each food or ingredient was reintroduced and what symptoms appeared (or did not appear) after it was eaten. Some reactions may be delayed up to forty-eight hours, so keep that in mind as you analyze your diary.

2. Consume more raw fruits, vegetables, and fresh vegetable juices. Eating more raw foods in your diet can actually cause allergy symptoms to lessen over time.

3. Avoid sugar and alcohol. Sugar and alcohol both contribute to an acidic condition in the body that aggravates allergic reactions.

1. Bioflavonoids, especially quercetin, molybdenum, and selenium, can reduce histamine levels and greatly relieve allergy symptoms. Yellow onions and shallots are good sources of quercetin and can help with allergies right away.

2. Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is produced by the body to reduce inflammation. You can ingest GLA through supplements of evening primrose oil.

3. Vitamin C supports the immune system, and thus provides many natural defenses against allergies.

4. Amylase is a digestive enzyme that breaks down complex carbohydrates into simple sugars. It’s also present in saliva. So while we chew our food, it goes to work on carbs. That’s why it’s recommended that you chew each mouthful of food about thirty times. The pancreas also makes amylase. And amylase is plentiful in seeds that contain starch. (You can juice most seeds of fruits and vegetables.) Its therapeutic use is in the regulation of histamine, which is produced in response to recognized invaders to the body. Histamine is a responder in allergic reactions such as hay fever and is what causes hives, itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, and runny noses. Amylase breaks down the histamine produced by the body in response to allergens such as pollen or dust mites. Some health professionals believe it may help the body identify the allergen as not being harmful so it doesn’t produce the histamine in the first place. This is one reason that people on a high raw plant diet often experience improvement in their allergies. For the most effective approach to increasing enzymes such as amylase, you may want to take an enzyme supplement. I especially like an enzyme formula that is taken between meals—it cleans up any undigested particles of food floating around the system and greatly improves digestion. A popular side benefit is that your hair gets thicker and your nails grow stronger!

Because seasonal airborne allergies typically cause problems from early spring to the time of the first frost, use these remedies during this time of year. Quercetin may be as helpful as over-the-counter medications in inhibiting histamine release, but without side effects such as drowsiness. By inhibiting histamine release at the outset, quercetin stands in direct contrast to many medications that attempt to nullify the effects of histamine—after an allergic reaction has already taken place. When combined with the herb nettle, quercetin is helpful to prevent or reduce sneezing, itching, and inflammation of the nasal passages. Use pantothenic acid, a B vitamin, to deal with the effects of nasal congestion.

Dosages:

• Nettle: 250–300 mg on an empty stomach three times daily. Standardized to contain at least 1 percent of the herb silica.

• Vitamin C: 1,000 mg three times daily. If diarrhea develops, reduce the dose.

To build up your immune system before allergy season starts, begin a daily dosage of astragalus at least one month before spring pollen begins to perpetuate. However, do not take astragalus if you have a fever or show any signs of an infection. Children with chronic allergies can be given a dose of astragalus two to three times each day for a week.

In addition, licorice is an inhibitor of phospholipase A, an enzyme that precipitates inflammatory reactions. Use a medicinal form of the herb. Do not use licorice candy. Use DGL (has no glycyrrhizin) if you have high blood pressure, kidney or liver disease, diabetes or heart disease, and do not use for more than six weeks.

Drink alfalfa sprout and celery juices to raise your blood alkalinity, which in turn helps prevent allergic reactions.

In addition, parsley juice can stop allergy attacks once they have started; drink it immediately upon experiencing allergic symptoms and it may soon help reduce them. (As always, however, if you are experiencing anaphylactic symptoms, call 911 right away.) Additionally, parsley juice contains more than three times the vitamin C of orange juice, so to help keep your immune system strong, add parsley juice as part of your juicing regimen. Parsley can be toxic if overused, and should be avoided by pregnant women, but a safe dose which will bring the most effectiveness is one-half cup of parsley per day.

• Neti pot. Also known as “nasal douche” or “nasal lavage,” this irrigation uses salt water and a special little pot, which delivers a stream of salt water into the nasal cavities through one nostril and allows it to drain out through the other nostril. You may purchase a neti pot at many health stores and holistic pharmacies.

• Allergena. A homeopathic sublingual immunotherapy, Allergena reduces the body’s negative reaction to allergens. These homeopathic allergy drops build immunity by giving microdoses of what a person is allergic to so the body becomes safely conditioned to tolerate those allergens and reduce allergic symptoms. Allergena is made for eight zones. Look online to determine your zone. Each zone is designed for the grasses, trees, and weeds of that zone. You will find these drops at health stores.

• Drink peppermint tea. Peppermint’s essential oil acts as a decongestant. Also certain substances in peppermint contain anti-inflammatory and mild antibacterial constituents.

• Wasabi or horseradish makes sinuses and tear ducts open up because allyl isothiocyanate, a constituent in wasabi, promotes mucus flow. The tastiest way to get those allyl isothiocyanates is by putting horseradish on your meat or a bit of wasabi onto your favorite sushi. Another option is to purchase grated horseradish and take 1/4 teaspoon per day.