With the unseasonably warm winter weather, trees and grasses will be pollenating earlier than usual. This could be a challenging season for allergy suffers.
The highest percentage of people who suffer from spring allergies, show a pattern of congested liver, toxic blood and spleen and kidney adrenal weakness. A congested liver inhibits the free flow of qi or life force energy and this tends to stimulate the body’s inflammatory response. The immune system will also, at some point, react to the toxins in the blood as if they were invaders to the system, putting further stress on the organs of the body.
The spleen is fundamentally the digestive fire in the center of the body. If this fire get’s low it causes what we call a damp cold condition inhibiting the proper digestion of food. Consequently phlegm begins to build up in the stomach and the congested liver will tend to flare it up into the lungs and sinuses. This pattern of liver congestion and spleen weakness sets the stage for the overactive histamine response of the immune system, which identifies the pollen in the air to be an invader to the body.
As we begin the process of moving from deep winter to early spring there are several strategies that can be practiced to help reduce the allergic response in the body. One of the simplest ways to reduce and eliminate these symptoms is by decongesting the liver, purifying the blood and strengthening the kidneys and spleen.
1. Begin to gently detoxify the blood and decongest the liver. This can be accomplished by increasing raw green vegetables in the diet and by gently increasing aerobic exercise. Hatha yoga, Tai Qi and Qi Gong are excellent systems of exercise that are very effective at decongesting the liver. There are many excellent liver and systemic detox formulas on the market and they can be used now to stimulate a gentle liver and blood detoxification in preparation for spring.
Triphalais a legendary formula because it not only gently detoxifies the liver, stomach and lungs but it also directly supports the regeneration of new tissue throughout the body. The formula is discussed in ancient Ayurvedic texts and the authors considered it to be a major medicine for health and longevity. This life giving combination is also used as an essential base for most Tibetan medicines. An excellent brand is available in the Natural News Store.
2. Keep the kidney energy warm and strong for another month or two until the weather truly changes and becomes stably warm. The direct application of heat to the kidneys through the use of hot water bottles, heat lamps, and heating pads is excellent. Use herbs that nourish and target the kidneys. Properly blended rehmannia, eucommia, morinda, dipsacus, rhodiola, ginger, are just some of the many effective kidney herbs. Your naturopath, acupuncturist and oriental medical practitioner can help you chose the herbs that are right for your body.
Traditional Botanical Medicine’sAdrenal Protectorprovides well balanced nutrition for the kidneys and adrenals.
3. Support the Spleen The following is a statement of fact in Traditional Chinese Medicine: “Keep the stomach cool and moist but keep the spleen fire warm and dry”. If you tend towards spring allergies then be sure to minimize dairy products, and refrain from eating and drinking cold liquids and foods from the refrigerator. We can warm and dry the spleen by eating squash, sweet potato, oatmeal, chicken, fish, and brown rice vegetable stir fries. Herbs of choice are ginseng, atractylodes, codonopsis, ginger, and licorice.
The formula called Minor Bupleurum Combination is the most prescribed formula in Oriental Medicine and it is used extensively in Japan to treat the liver and spleen imbalance that is at the root of so many overactive allergic reactions. The ingredients in the formula accomplish all three of the aforementioned actions over time. It must be used consistently for months prior to allergy season in order to be effective. Time and time again, I have seen allergy suffers reduce and even eliminate their symptoms when they maintained these rejuvenation strategies.
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