Health Food against Allergies

 

Dear readers,

it is the 30th of January. Winter will maybe keep those flowers and buds in his icy grip for another month, but then...he will release spring's beauty and with it all the pollen that make our eyes itch and our noses run. At least for many of us it is like that in the meantime, especially people, who live in city environments. 
The other kind of allergies, which is increasing constantly, are food allergies. 

So in the end in order to escape these tiring, exhausting sneeze attacks and itches and after long and tiresome allergy tests we consume pills to find relief or worse cortisone as there seems to be no help from nowhere.

There is something we can do though. We can prepare our bodies during winter in order to be better able to fight off the attacks of springtime. We can do this by improving our nutrition, by eating natural, healthy food and thus build up a strong immune system, which will also be able to combat food intolerances. 

What is an allergy?
An allergy is an excessive response of the body to certain environmental substances known as allergens. Our immune system hyper reacts to these allergens, activates antibodies to combat this basically harmless substances and thereby harms the body. The symptoms of allergy are varied and range from a runny nose (mucous membrane), itchy skin, frequent sneezing on an impairment of the airways (asthma) or gastrointestinal symptoms to acute emergencies.

Almost all foreign substances are potential triggers of allergies. Common allergens are pollen, pet dander, dust, cosmetics, chemicals in soaps or detergents, drugs, metals but also food.


But never mind what it is you react to, it is always a consequence of a disturbed immune system. To keep the immune system up and running as we have learned earlier we need to cure our intestines as everything starts from there. A healthy nutrition supports the mucuous menbrans of our intestines, our airways and our skin. 


How do I support my immune system against allergies?

In our diet we have to take special care of an adequate supply of vitamins C, E and B. These vitamins bring the immune system back into balance by supporting the functions of immune cells. Simultaneously the allergic reactions of the body can be reduced by especially vitamin C, which degrades the mistakenly by the immune system produced histamine. 

Histamine is a substance that is produced by the immune cells as a consequence to the allergic reaction in large quantities and this histamine again triggers the allergic reactions. A vicious circle! Which we can only try to break through the right nutrition.

Also, zinc, calcium and methionine (an amino acid that is found in broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach and green peas) act as an anti-histamine, reducing the symptoms of hay fever. 

Very important is an adequate supply of magnesium and manganese (found in mustard greens, collard greens, lettuce, spinach, cucumber, squash and peanuts, pineapples, strawberries, millet and barley. Spices that contain manganese include turmeric, cinnamon, peppermint and thyme).
 
Deficiency of these substances can increase allergy tendency. Vitamin B3 (contained in calf liver, peanuts, tuna, chicken, halibut and mushrooms), however, slows the release of histamines, thus slows down the allergy.  

Pantothenic acid (in calf liver, peanuts, brown rice, watermelon, broccoli and chicken eggs) and gamma-linolenic acid  (in the oil of evening primrose plants, borage seed and blackberry seeds) reduce inflammation and also act against congestion.

 

Supporting the immune system should not only take place upon the occurrence of allergic reactions. It is crucial, to early pay attention to a balanced diet with those nutrients, so as to assist the body's immune system ideally. 

Best is a healthy, naturally based diet all around the year.

 

Alkaline drink

Dear readers,

just a quick one this morning as I am working vigorously on my second book, which will be again about "Ayurveda at Home", but this time with much more focus on nutrition and filled with wonderful recipes and a 9-day Detox Plan. I hope to launch it around March/April.

My first book is selling well, as I had already mentioned, you can buy it directly through me, but: it is in German only.

This morning when I had my smoothy after the Yoga Meltdown workout, my recent post about alkaline food came to my mind. Alkalizing our bodies is of utter importance as most of our today's food is far too acid. This leads to illness, aging and gives cancer cells a perfect environment to grow. We have to balance the acidity in our bodies and add more alkaline food to our daily nutrition. Please read my respective post! 

The following wonderful and easy recipe you could call a "Vegetable Tea" as you can prepare it and have it with you in a thermos and sip on throughout the day. In case you find it too bland, experiment with some honey or add a dash of salt and pepper. 


You need:
 
-4 cups filtered water
-1 celery stick
-1 small or 1/2 a large zucchini
-1 cup fresh parsley
-1 cup string beans
-1" piece of fresh ginger
-lemon

Bring the water to a boil in a medium-sized pot. Meanwhile, chop all the vegetables and slice the ginger; add to the pot. You can also add a few slices of lemon, or squeeze in the juice of a lemon wedge at the end. Simmer on a low boil for half an hour. Store hot in a thermos and consume throughout the day. Makes about 4 cups. This is something you can easily prepare in the morning while having your shower and preparing for work. So, no excuses! 

Switch up your greens - Health Food

Dear readers,

welcome to the 4th day of 2013! How has your year been so far? Have you already accomplished one of your NY's resolutions? Like...getting back into your healthy diet routine, for example?

I am pretty sure you have...so what I thought about this morning when I was fixing my lunch break sandwich and building it up with tomatoes and salad was that I had somehow seen this salad too often in my life. Not these 2 particular leaves obviously, but this type of salad! Boring! And as I looked outside the window where rain was pouring down on the huge diversity of green we have around here I thought why not create a small jungle even on our sandwiches and in our salads? 

There are so many greens around with each of them providing a high number of benefits - let's use them! They grow them anyway, so let's also consume them!

Let's see what we have...

1. Baby spinach
Make sure the leaves are really tender and fresh, otherwise they tend to be quite bitter. 
What does it have?
It is packed with vitamins and minerals, let me just point out that is is very high in Vitamin K (essential for your bones) and in beta-carotene. Yes, that is the stuff for the eyes. Apart from that, baby spinach is high in antioxidants. 

2. Radicchio
What does it have? 
I am a big fan of this red leafy vegetable as it peps up any salad with its bitter taste, which adds a nice twist to other dishes as well. I have already grilled it and boiled it. It is jam packed with antioxidants and contains folic acid and the important selenium.





3. Butter lettuce

What does it have?
First of all it comes with this wonderful, nearly sensual texture. Further, it is an excellent source of Vitamin K and contains mildly anti-inflammatory agents. 






4. Arugula
What does it have?
Arugula comes in the well known form of Rucola, but is also available in the form you can see on the left side with more tender and less bitter leaves. 
It promotes eye health through a high content of Vitamin A, as well as Vitamin K and a good package of folate. Arugula is also a vegan source of iron. 
 


5. Watercress
What does it have? 
 I love watercress, it is on all my sandwiches and in all my salads. The fresh, crispy, slightly sour taste adds a nice twist, plus it is packed with nutrients. It is considered a superfood due to its extremely high content of antioxidants. Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A and C and can lower cancer risk. 








 

6. Tatsoi
What does it have?
And here comes the most exotic lettuce. Look out for small, tender leaves, the thick leaves can have a bitter, slightly metallic taste. 
It is rich in phytonutrients and comes with Vitamin K. 

  


Enjoy a new world of greens in your kitchen!