Allergies – It’s Not the Pollen that’s Got You Sneezing!
Sneeze. Scratch eyes. Blow nose. Repeat. For about 50 million of us, this is how springtime usually goes down. Pollen becomes enemy number 1 and we frantically look for a quick fix. But pollen isn’t the problem. Your gut is.
How does your gut cause allergies?
About 75% of your immune system resides in your gut. Factors like diet, stress, infection, and environmental toxins can compromise your immunity by damaging the lining of our intestines. Damage to the gut lining is also known as increased permeability or “leaky gut,” and causes systemic inflammation by allowing undigested food particles, pathogens, toxins, and other foreign substances to pass through the gut and into the bloodstream.
When there is a chronic invasion of these foreign particles, our immune system can become overworked and hyperactive and begin reacting to everything it comes in contact with, including pollens, molds, and other allergens in the air. So, often times our seasonal allergies are a misdirected immune reaction to air particles that should not cause any problems in the body. Seasonal allergy sufferers are sneezing, wheezing, blowing, and dozing off because they are feeling the effects of a leaky gut. This is the same reaction that can cause autoimmunity – or the attack against our own body tissue. So, it’s important to address the root cause of your seasonal allergies to avoid other, worse conditions like eczema, arthritis, psoriasis, fibromyalgia, and other autoimmune conditions.
Another factor that contributes to leaky gut and allergy symptoms is an imbalance of gut bacteria. Our digestive tract holds several pounds of bacteria that play a major role in immune function. These bacteria – also known as our microbiome – are a balance between both good and bad bacteria. When there is an overabundance of bad bugs and a lack of good ones, inflammation and allergy symptoms are a given. Balancing our gut bacteria is necessary for fighting off seasonal allergies. Research suggests that people who take probiotics throughout allergy season have lower levels of antibodies that trigger symptoms, and a high level of antibodies that protect against allergic reactions. Other findings show that supplementing pregnant women and newborns with probiotics help prevent childhood allergies.
How to restore gut health and eliminate seasonal allergies?
1. Eliminate foods that are irritating your gut: gluten, dairy, soy, corn, sugar, alcohol, and processed foods are the most common offenders. If you already have an autoimmune condition, try also removing eggs, grains, legumes, and nightshade vegetables. Also, if you know you’re reacting to a particular food not mentioned here, remove it. Food journaling is an excellent way to figure this out!
2. Fix your leaky gut with healing foods: gut friendly foods include probiotic-rich ferments like sauerkraut or kim-chee, whole-fat grass-fed yogurt (raw if possible). Bone broths made from pasture-raised bones contain collagen and L-glutamine, two powerful gut healing nutrients. Sip 2-3 glasses daily. Turmeric contains curcumin, an amazing natural anti-inflammatory for the entire body and especially the gut. Wild caught, fatty fish is also a healing food for the gut, containing lots of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. Finally, pick up some soothing aloe vera juice from your health food store and take 2 tablespoons three times per day to reduce inflammation and support healthy a mucosal lining.
3. Apple cider vinegar – ACV supports healthy stomach acid levels and improves digestion. Try taking a teaspoon in a small amount of water 15 minutes before a meal.
4. Digestive enzymes – enzymes help us to breakdown foods properly and minimize the possibility that large, undigested particles will irritate our gut lining. A high quality digestive enzyme with each meal will work wonders for your digestion.
5. Probiotics – as you can see, probiotics are important for gut health and to help reduce seasonal allergy symptoms. Look for a quality probiotic with at least 6 strains and 15 billion CFUs. Probiotic needs are unique to your health history and symptoms. Meeting with a holistic nutritionist can help you choose the best option for you.
As you can see, your gut health plays a significant role in whether or not you can enjoy the spring season. Contact the Element team today and set up a nutritional consult to find out more about how you can fix your gut and reduce stubborn allergy symptoms.
Kris Smyth:
Her Health Coach certification was received in 2011 through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN). This certification allows Kris to be a coach and a support system in helping clients reach their health goals. In 2013, Kris moved from NYC to Denver to earn her Nutrition Therapy Practitioner certification at the Nutrition Therapy Institute (NTI). Kris was educated by highly experienced naturopathic doctors and nutritionists in science-based nutrition and nutrition protocols to effectively help prevent dis-ease, support healing and optimize health. In 2016, she received her second certification through NTI to become a Master Nutrition Therapist. Kris has also worked alongside acupuncturists, naturopaths, and functional medicine practitioners to further enhance her knowledge and experience in holistic health and nutrition.
Kris currently lives in Brooklyn where she runs Kris Wellness and partners with some of the best wellness practitioners in Brooklyn. She is the premier Holistic Nutrition Consultant at The Meal Collective – a natural food chef service offering private and group chef services that provide its clients with convenient, healthy, and therapeutic meals. She also works at Element Healing Arts in Carroll Gardens, offering individualized nutrition consulting to its clients. Finally, Kris is a nutritionist at InviteHealth, a high quality supplement company with shops all over the greater New York City area.
The Real Deal Kraut Recipe
Fermentation is not an exact science. Rather than thinking about specific ingredients or amounts, just focus on the process itself and the rest will just happen….it’s truly magical!
Fermentation is the transformation of food through living bacteria and their enzymatic activity. When we ferment vegetables, we create living probiotic bacteria. Probiotics are crucial to optimal health, supporting digestion, immunity, mood, blood sugar, and much more. The basic sauerkraut process of fermentation is simple: add salt to vegetables to create a liquid and ferment away!
Ingredients:
Head of green cabbage (or mixed green and red cabbage)
Sea Salt
Approx 1 tsp Caraway Seeds
1/2 Apple
Equipment:
Large bowl
Pint size mason jar
Small cup or mason jar
Cheese cloth
Instructions:
1. Wash your cabbage
2. Slice or grate cabbage into a large bowl
3. Cut the bottom quarter of your apple off and set aside (I’ll explain later)
4. Slice the remainder of the apple (about ¼) and mix into cabbage
5. Salt your cabbage generously. You want the salt to pull all the liquid from your cabbage so salt away! Plus, salt keeps unwanted bad bacteria at bay.
6. Let your cabbage rest for 10-20 minutes
7. Massage the $%&! out of the cabbage. Literally, squeeze ALL of the liquid out of the cabbage by any means necessary.
8. Taste your cabbage. It should taste salty enough but not way too salty. If it’s too salty, add more cabbage.
9. Add caraway seeds and mix together.
10. Stuff cabbage into mason jar. Allow the liquid to rise above the cabbage. The goal here is to keep the cabbage under the liquid line.
11. Weight with the bottom quarter of your apple.
12. Take a smaller jar filled with water and place on top of apple to weight it down. This may sound strange but go with it…you want to really make sure the cabbage is submerged. However you accomplish this is fine! Remember: anything above the water line is vulnerable to bad bacteria.
13. Cover with a cheesecloth (or tea towel) and store in a cool, dark place for one week to forever. The longer the ferment, the more fermenty it will taste so it’s totally your preference!
Note: you may see some foam or mold growing on the top of your ferment. This is normal. Only worry if you see a strange color ferment (black and whites are normal). Just scrape off the top and keep it going.
May the fermentation gods be ever in your favor! Should you have any questions – email me at chefmb@mealcollective.com!
MaryBeth Romeo:
Chef MB is a Certified Natural Food Chef with a passion for community and culture, both inside and outside the kitchen. Her specialties include paleo- and evolution-based diets and fermented & cultured foods. She is also vegan, gluten-free, and food allergy friendly.
Chef MB helps clients take back their flavor and their health by providing:
● Targeted therapeutic meal planning for specific health conditions & disorders
● Whole-foods based menus for general health and longevity
● Food sourcing options for optimal health & best community intentions
● Therapeutic cooking techniques
● Education about healing foods and how to cook for health
Chef MB is a certified Natural Foods Chef through the Nutrition Therapy Institute of Denver Colorado. Through the Nutrition Therapy Institute, Chef MB completed an intensive culinary curriculum for the whole-foods based chef to include: whole-foods based culinary classes, therapeutic meal planning and cooking techniques, and basic nutrition for the therapeutic chef.
Chef MB has also completed a 1-month live-in fermentation residency under the direct supervision of Sandor Katz, Fermentation Expert and author of The Art of Fermentation, at the School for the Foundation for Fermentation Fervor.
Chef MB has been working as personal chef, providing delicious and therapeutic meals, for over three years. Prior to her formal education and career, Chef MB has a long history of loving food and cooking with passion, as well as many years of experience in the foodservice industry. Chef MB continues to grow her natural foods and culinary knowledge by attending seminars and conferences and through self-education and exploration.