How Sugar Fuels Your Allergies + How to Fix It

#SugarBalancedLiving

Spring brings the wonders of nature alive, but sadly the blooms that make this season so colorful and lively leads to misery and frustration for those who suffer with seasonal allergies. To make matters worse, your diet and what you choose to eat can make those allergies worse - like eating lots of sugar and refined foods. Luckily I’ve gathered all the BEST natural ways to treat seasonal allergies, and find out why sugar and carbs are stimulating your ‘severe’ allergies and how to stop it!

Spring, the most beautiful season for watching birds chirp, bees buzz and watching flower bloom and sway in the soft breezes. It’s a time when flowers bloom and trees begin to grow and reproduce. The days grow longer and the temperature in most areas become more temperate.

Sadly though, what makes this seasonal so colorful, lively and pretty is what leads to misery and frustration for those who suffer with seasonal allergies.

If you’re here reading this, you’re probably one of the many thousands of people who suffer from seasonal allergies. Fresh cut grass, blooming plants, trees, flowers, and weeds release pollen, hitting an estimated, up to 60 million people each year exhausting seasonal allergies symptoms.

And… sadly hay fever and seasonal allergies don’t just occur in the spring, but can continue throughout the summer and into the fall. Being brought-up in beautiful sunny Florida also meant all year around chronic allergies that made my life miserable-- they were so bad that I looked like I’d being crying all day.

I got to the point I didn’t want to leave the house because that only made it worse, and at night I was in misery, as I suffered burning lungs and other irritating concerns about lung health, watery eyes, congestion, and had to wheeze through my mouth to try and sleep so that I didn’t set off a sneezing episode that would then result in a blinding headache.

The consistent inability to get a good night’s sleep just made everything worse, and I got into a bad habit of taking over-the-counter antihistamine (allergy tablets) everyday, sometime twice a day because I was desperate to feel normal- which of course led to nasty side-effects.

The turning point for me was seeing my mom suffer so badly too. I’m one of seven kids so I watched how although she was pregnant and breast-feeding, but she was passionate about not taking anything that could pass through to my siblings so she would just suffer.

It kicked-off an obsession on how to find a way to tackle these menacing allergies without expensive medications (which is why I have an entire Crush Your Allergies Blueprint that I use for myself and my family, which is included for my members to use and replicate within my Sugar Balance + Wellness Circle Online Monthly Membership Club©).      

But the thing that I’m going to be focusing on today is sugar’s powerful relationship to causing and intensifying your allergies, as well as 11 easy fast hacks to help you feel better today.

Symptoms of Seasonal Allergies

The first thing to do is to identify what ailments you’re suffering in case you have a cold or flu. So what are the most common seasonal allergy symptoms? Let’s take a look:

• Runny, itchy nose

• Itchy, watery eyes

• Sneezing

• Scratchy throat

• Itchy sinuses

• Congestion

• Ear congestion

• Excess mucus production

• Irritated itchy ears

• Exhaustion and sleep disorders

• Mood swings

• Irritability

• Low blood pressure

• Asthma

• Hives

• Eczema

Important Note Coronavirus (COVID-19):

As currently we’re living through the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic it’s extremely important to be aware and vigilant of possible misdiagnosis of seasonal allergies with COVID-19 symptoms because of the overlap. If you see signs and symptoms of the following it may be the initial stages of the virus and you should take immediate action. Thoroughly read my post which outlines life-saving information as well as head-to-toe guide on the best strategies to protect our health (through strong immunity and lung health) as well as our mental health (through meditation and practical steps) to help guide you, and download here the World Health Organization’s "rapid advice note".😐

Specific Coronavirus (COVID-19) Symptoms:

• Fever

• Fatigue

• Sore throat

• Dry cough

• Shortness of breath

So Who Shouldn’t Take Over-The-Counter Allergen Medicine?

So allergies just aren’t fun, and it doesn’t help that over-the-counter and pharmaceutical allergy medicines usually trigger a plethora of frustrating side effects that make them difficult to take, and don’t cure the allergies just treat the symptoms - and poorly treat the symptoms in my experience.

And… over-the-counter allergen medicines aren’t recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or people with high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney or liver disease, glaucoma, or with thyroid problems.

Luckily as I've learned from cleaning my diet, there are natural ways to treat seasonal allergies, especially by removing foods that trigger allergic responses and one of those biggest steps to naturally easing seasonal symptoms is avoiding foods that contribute to over-stimulation of your immune system, which activates your allergies. 

The biggest culprit to over-stimulating your immune system is SUGAR. Problem is that processed sugar is everywhere, hidden in places you would never think to look, and supported by a billion-dollar industry that’s profit depends on you consuming it. It’s also potently addictive (more than cocaine).

The fact is that no matter where you turn-- from the TV, to your favorite magazine, to browsing online, to the latest diet information and advisory, everyone is talking about the dangers of refined and added sugars and they are ALL UNITED in pushing for the reduction or elimination of it from our diets.🍩

ALL doctors, nutritionists, and scientists agree that added sugars aren't a necessary nutrient in your diet, and they can cause serious harm if eaten in large amounts on a regular basis.

Even in small amounts they suppress immunity and worsen viral infections [think: COVID-19- pretty horrifying consequences]. If you struggle with being unable to resist these foods (especially junk and sugar) and suffer from intense sugar [and or junk food] cravings then I can relate because I’ve been there myself and I’ve seen this struggle again and again, and I’ve helped people just like you and I who were experiencing the same things, that’s exactly why I created my Break My Sugar Addiction Program©.

So there is a scary link between added sugar, refined carbohydrates, and seasonal allergies, which makes sense because allergies are caused by a response in the immune system. Let’s dig deeper.

Sugar’s Connection To Seasonal Allergies 🤧

What Are Seasonal Allergies?

Seasonal allergies are different from other types of allergies like indoor pollutant allergies or a food allergy. Seasonal allergies are triggered by pollen, and the pollens change by season depending on which trees, grasses, flowers, weeds, or ragweeds are in bloom. Because pollen is carried for thousands of miles through the wind, the pollen that triggers your allergies may not even be from the area where you live.

You’re most definitely not alone in suffering from seasonal allergies, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America found that allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the U.S. Huge right?

And world-wide the allergy statistic are a staggering 10 % to 30 % of the global population.

Your Immune System Is Key To Fighting Allergies. Here’s Why:

Strengthening your immune system is one of the best ways to fight allergies naturally, because histamine, which is involved in your bod’s local immune responses, and is involved in the inflammatory response and has a central role as a mediator of itching.

Pollen in the air triggers a histamine response from your body, which causes your body to have to constantly fight off attacks during allergy season. Histamine is involved in local immune responses, and is involved in the inflammatory response and has a central role as a mediator of itching.

You see, if you strengthen your immune system, you’ll put up a better fight and most allergies should be headed off at the pass and won’t develop into full hay fever.

That's why by avoiding foods that provoke an immune response, you can strengthen your immune system.

If you’re a fellow allergy sufferer, the worst type of food you can feed yourself is sugar or aka a high blood sugar level spiking food. Because sugar raises inflammation in the body, which severely worsens symptoms of allergies.

This also applies to processed foods and other blood spiking foods, because they to trigger an inflammatory response, making you less able to combat allergens. This is why you should avoid sugar and most sweeteners, because, whether it’s white sugar, agave, or corn syrup, they're all processed like sugar in your body, spiking your blood sugar levels.

And ‘Yes’, I’m also referring to even the so called “healthy” ones like coconut sugar, agave, molasses.

While refined sugar is the most lethal for your immunity, replacements like coconut sugar, agave, molasses, whilst having some health benefits will still spike your blood sugar levels, out-weighting any benefits.

A Word On Honey…! 🍯

When it comes to chronic allergies, I even recommend heavily limiting honey, unless you have insulin issues in which I recommend no honey at all.

The reason why honey (only if its unprocessed) is okay, rather than agave or molasses, is because raw honey’s health benefits can exceed that nasty blood sugar level spike if consumed in moderation. So, if you’re a regular person with a stable well-being, a teaspoon of honey twice a week is good for your health, because of the powerful minerals found in unprocessed honey.

So what about refined-carbs? Should you avoid refined carb like white flour, and refined starches? That’s an emphatic, ‘YES’! -- because they too are extremely high glycemic foods (foods that cause our blood sugar levels to rise fast L) without any health benefits.

In short, ANY foods (or beverages) that spike your blood sugar can drastically worsen allergies.

Why exactly do most processed, non-whole form, high glycemic foods worsen allergies?!

To help you to clearly understand why processed, non-whole form, high glycemic foods worsen allergies, let me go quickly into a little more detail:

After you eat or drink ‘too much’ sugar (or any processed, non-whole form, high glycemic food) such as tucking into a cookie, slice of white bread, or drinking your favorite soda, the blood sugar spike literally causes a stress reaction in your body (exactly the same as if you jump out of the way of a moving car- crazy right?!) which then curbs the effectiveness of your immune system cells that would normally act as your body’s defense. This effect will last for at least several hours before returning to normal, and your body won’t fully recover for up to 24 hours.

Let me repeat that in case it didn’t sink in: consume anything that spikes your blood sugar and your immune defense is knocked out for 24 hours- holy-moly that’s mind-blowing.

Let’s look at this in context. Eat like that EVERYDAY and you’re walking around 24/7 with an impaired immune system.😫

This means you’re going to be super susceptible during those several hours to picking up some allergen, and then feeling really awful (hello old me… from a couple years back!!).

Here’s the next thing you need to know.

The large majority of your immune system actually lies within your digestive tract, so your body needs you to keep a proper balance of good bacteria versus bad bacteria. Seems simple to do right? BUT, when you go eating that excess sugar, your body is overrun by unwanted party crashers (bad bacteria), leaving you susceptible.

Sugar’s role in insulin resistance, weight gain, and mood swings:

Consuming excess amounts of sugar (especially refined sugar) means your body will need to keep constantly pumping insulin to move the sugar into the cells, which can eventually result in insulin resistance, a condition that can lead to diabetes.

Sugar can also negatively impact psychological health, because the insulin sometimes overcompensates and pulls your blood sugar down too low, which causes mood swings, fatigue, and mental fog. This then makes your day extra stressful, and that stress leads you to gravitate towards pleasurable sugary foods as a comfort, exacerbating the issue.

You can probably see now how it all works and why added sugar (& most processed, non-whole form, high glycemic foods) causes inflammation and stresses your immune system, leading to your allergies getting worse.

If you’re looking for another alternative, your best bet will be getting your sweet fix from your daily servings of fruit, or using unmixed pure natural stevia or monk fruit. This is the only sweetener I've found to be clear of blood glucose spiking effects, and have no seriously nasty side effects (as long as eaten in moderation) like most artificial or alcohols sweeteners out there

Taking sugar, refined and some simple carbs and most sweeteners out of your diet will help keep inflammation down and stop the trigger of antihistamine reaction, and bring back the smile on your face- I can definitely relate to this! #allergyfree

Hacks To Naturally Ease Allergies

It’s clear now that the biggest step to boosting our immunity in an attempt to help clear or ease seasonal allergies is by avoiding added sugars and reduce most processed, refined carbs, and non-whole form high glycemic foods which we go through step-by-step in Sugar Balance + Wellness Circle Online Monthly Membership Club© because YES it matters!

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But, before I let you go, I thought in an attempt to help you as much as I possibly can, in helping you to be able to actually enjoy the spring season for once.

I will quickly run down some smaller steps that can further increase your immunity and protect you from allergies naturally.

Eliminating sugar alone will most likely ease, or even keep you from developing seasonal allergies. But why not combine it with other natural hacks, to create a seriously powerful immune system and protection against hay fever.

Lets quickly run it down, shall we:

11 Powerful Hacks To Crush Seasonal Allergies

• Eat more hot and spicy foods – If you struggle with excessive mucus, hot spicy foods will help to thin the mucus. The best foods and spices are: garlic, onion, ginger, cinnamon and cayenne pepper.

• Bone broth – Bone broth, from chicken, beef or lamb, is anti-inflammatory and will help ease respiratory problems and helps to expel excess mucus.

• Probiotic-rich foods – Probiotic foods will support a tough immune system. Examples of probiotic-rich foods include: kefir, sauerkraut or kimchi and yogurt.

• Apple cider vinegar – Apple cider vinegar is all the rage and for good reason. It helps support lymphatic drainage, and to boost immunity.

• Fresh veggies – Vegetables which are high in quercetin make great choices, including swiss chard, cabbage, beets, and carrots.

• Eat more omegas! - Omega 3 Fatty Acids have natural anti-inflammatory effects that boost the immune system. Find them in foods including eggs, walnuts, seeds, and fresh water fish.

• Avoiding clothing made of synthetic fabrics – Synthetic clothes can produce an electric charge when rubbed, which then attracts pollen.

• Wear gloves and a mask when gardening – and avoid touching your eyes.

• Reduce your exposure to indoor allergens – Vacuum your home regularly, leave shoes by the door and use a dehumidifier.

• Drink more green tea – Green tea has a strong ability to inhibit mast cell activation and the release of histamine, reducing cedar pollen allergic symptoms.

• Helpful herbs and supplements – Nature contains a plethora of compounds offering allergy relief, by supporting your immune system and easing symptoms. Some of them include: Quercetin, Vitamin C, Bromelain, and Eucalyptus oil. Of course, always consult a doctor before taking anything new.

That’s it, you’re now ready to take on the spring (summer & fall) allergies seasons with confidence and without fear. I’m sure if you implement the tools and advice from this blog post, you’ll finally be able to enjoy all those spring festival, barbecues and outdoor hangouts with all your friend and family without being terrified of pollen and allergens just like me – and my mom!

The outdoors is supposed to be enjoyed, especially in the spring when the temperature is perfect, and the trees and flowers bloom and sway in the gentle spring breeze.🌼

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Follow the hacks that naturally ease allergies and I recommend you cut your sugar intake to 25g and get that 25grams of sugar from only natural whole forms of foods like fruits, veggies and milk. Avoiding excess refined carb and added sugar is a great way to reduce your allergies.

Of course you can treat yourself every-here and there to a treat of chips or a donut, but if you feel your allergies coming on, recognize that your immune system is stressed out, and avoid sugar and other non-whole form high blood sugar level spiking foods and drinks for a few days and give your body a chance to rejuvenate and fight.

I know when you’re suffering from a runny nose, itchy eyes and constant sneezing it may seem like a comforting idea to turn to something comforting like a pastry or some fries. But that will just cause a spiral of worsening allergies. If you find it difficult to reduce sugar and junk food, I recommend you check out my article which has some nifty hacks and steps you can take to easily reduce sugar and junk food in your diet, click here.

Now, before you go, make sure your efforts to reduce sugar not being sabotaged… what?

When you buy packaged foods, make sure to thoroughly read the labels – even savory foods can still contain plenty of sugar, from bread to salad dressings!

Always check to see if sugar is listed as an ingredient – meaning it’s added and not just naturally occurring grams of sugar – because you don’t want to be eating sugar without your knowledge, and be secretly destroying your immune system when you think you’ve avoided sugar, and boosted your immunity.

Also, be wary as food manufacturers use many sneaky ways to hide sugar and hide the amount of added sugar listed on nutrition labels, using sneaky names. SO, because I want to help you avoid these hidden sugar I've put together a FREE guide.

I highly recommend you check out my full list of ‘sugar under another name’ in my guide 27 Hidden Sugar Foods to Watch Out for Checklist + Shopping Guide

Bye for now folks, I hope enjoy your spring season with health, fun and of course little to no-allergies! P.S. If you know anyone who suffers from allergies, please do share this article with them, this information can be life changing!!😊

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It’s your turn!

Do you suffer with seasonal allergies? How do you ease symptoms naturally? Are you now looking to reduce sugar?!

Let me know in the comments or on Instagram @itsisabellem using #SugarWithIsabelle!

That’s it from me, 👋

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