Seasonal allergies
Reprinted from Sunshine Sharing Vol. 1 No. 1

According to WebMD "Seasonal allergies affect more than 35 million Americans, with symptoms occurring anywhere from early spring through late November." According to Dr. Ellen Tart-Jensen "Allergies occur when the immune system is compromised.  They occur when the clear fluids of our bodies called the lymph fluids become congested.  They also occur to people that have been under lots of stress and have weakened adrenal glands.  Some people have genetic tendencies for allergies.  People can be allergic to almost anything, but the most common allergens are pollen, mold, dust, animal hair, cosmetics, perfumes, drugs such as sulfa, food additives, chemicals found in soaps and lotions and certain foods.  Allergic reactions include congested sinuses, sneezing, wheezing, coughing, nose blowing, watering, burning, itching eyes, sore throat, itching skin, hives, skin rashes, headaches, fatigue and sometimes vomiting.  Asthma is also often a result of certain allergic reactions.

If you suffer from air born allergies, you should avoid the lymph congesting foods such as wheat, dairy products and sugar.  The lymph is the clear fluid that lines the sinus cavities and lungs.  Wheat, milk and sugar are very pasty and gluey and can cause those areas to be congested.  You should also make sure you have good elimination.  Constipation can cause allergies to be worse because poisons can become backed up in the body. 

Whatever types of allergies you have, you should work to have good elimination and a strong immune system.  85% of the immune system is in the intestinal tract and lymph system. If the bowels and lymph fluids are clean and the immune system is strong, you will not react to the allergen.  A good idea is to follow Dr. Jensen’s cleanse in his book, Tissue Cleansing Through Bowel Management.  This cleanse can truly change one's life for the better. 

Dr. Bernard Jensen wrote and lectured a great deal about the wonderful immune building properties of probiotics.  He even called probiotics the forgotten soldiers that fight for us in our intestinal tract.  Probiotics are in the nourishing fluid that is secreted by the milk glands of all mammal mothers for the first few days after birth, before the milk begins to flow.  This is nature’s way of providing powerful immune factors, friendly bacteria (that fight bad bacteria and help the bowel to work properly).  The friendly bacteria protect the body against infection and allergies, and provide a healthy intestinal flora that is one of our greatest lines of defense.  Probiotics also help to relieve constipation.

Probiotic 11 can be purchased in capsule form and may be taken by both children and adults.  It is wonderful to feed the immune system and is especially important for those who were not nursed as babies or those who took lots of antibiotics.  According to studies, probiotics can help to alleviate all types of allergies, strengthen frail children and adults, and support the body to prevent chronic fatigue, constipation, environmental illness and fibromyalgia.  Probiotics also strengthen the bowel so it can fight yeast known as Candida Albicans.  For those who can’t swallow pills, the capsules can be broken open and the contents stirred into juice, water or almond milk."
         
Next to a good diet, one also needs to reduce what damages one's immune system:
1. If possible eliminate all chemicals products from the inside of your home or apartment. An onslaught of toxins is stressful, as in the case of sudden exposure to toxic chemicals. This causes an overload on the immune system.
2. Keep rooms free of dust & ventilated. (open your windows and let the fresh air come in!)
3. Do not smoke.
4. Keep your digestive AND eliminative system in shape!
5. Relax: Stress does cause some suppression of the immune system, which may lead to the allergic response. Stress may not always be emotional. It can come in other ways which attack the body's immune system and destroy its defenses.

What You want To Remember
An allergy is the body's defense against a substance which is not normally harmful to the body. Pollens, dust, insect bites and stings, foods, molds, and animal hair, to name a few, cannot really hurt the body. They are known as allergens.
Some cosmetics, drugs and chemicals give "normal" allergies and cause inflammation.
When your body is attacked by such "allergens" the immune system may over-react by producing too much histamine. The release of histamine (hist = because it is made up of histidine residues, amine = because it is a vasoactive amine) causes several allergic symptoms. 

Mast cells of the immune system produce histamines, which act on receptors in your nose and throat.
1) It contributes to an inflammatory response. 
2) It causes the tissue in your nose to swell (producing a stuffy nose), your nose and eyes to run or itch. Sometimes this allergic reaction also triggers an itchy rash on your skin, called hives.
A weaken immune system may have the wrong reaction to allergens as it releases an excess of inflammatory chemicals (histamines). This, in turn, produces the undesirable symptoms mentioned above.

Allergies have to be treated properly, if left untreated they can aggravate or lead to other conditions such as asthma and sinusitis. It is then that modern medicine comes to the rescue with what is known as antihistamines. Science then can say: The use of antihistamines allows us to live more safely and comfortably by counteracting the body's immunological mistakes.... in the short run, yes as it treats the symptoms, and that is good, but not the causes and that is bad. It seems to me that the body does not make mistakes but rather answer to our own man made mistakes which cause the wrong reaction! Antihistamines also often produce undesirable side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness and even depression, dry mouth, nausea and vomiting, restlessness or moodiness (in some children), difficulty urinating or inability to urinate, blurred vision, confusion are some of the possible side effects.

Let us deal with allergies "naturally" with some common sense approach!

Diet
The reason why we insist on the proper diet when dealing with allergies is to avoid as best we can, the over production of histamines. What is interesting is that "the mechanisms involved in an allergic response is the release of leukotrienes, an agent which can restrict bronchial tubes up to 1,000 times greater than can histamine. The production of leukotrienes is made possible by the presence of arachidonic acid, a fatty acid found exclusively in animal products. Arachidonic acid in the human body usually comes from dietary animal sources such as meat, eggs, dairy or is synthesized from linoleic acid." Karyn Siegel-Maier

It might be a good idea to considerably reduce the consumption of meat and dairy products while suffering from allergy. Try to increase the amount of organic fruits and vegetables as many of those contain a substance called quercetin (one of the active ingredient in our Hista-block formula). Quercetin effectively inhibits leukotriene and histamine release from mast cells. "Using nature-based products can be a very useful way to handle mild allergies and a useful adjunct for more significant allergies, and there are many types of treatments you can safely try," says Mary Hardy, MD, director of integrative medicine at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Unless it is an allergy that is life-threatening, try one of these methods before you reach for the multi-colored pills.
By treating your allergies naturally with vitamins, minerals, and herbs, you also need to boost and strengthen your immune system and provide adrenal support. In other words, not only are you fighting your allergy symptoms, you are also helping your body fight illness down the line.

2. Supplements
First let us relieve the symptoms to feel much more comfortable right away.
HistaBlock
This Nettles Combination supports the body in times of respiratory discomfort brought on by changing seasons, airborne particles, environmental conditions and a host of other causes.
A powerful combination of stinging nettle, quercetin, bromelain and immature orange peel (which contains synephrine).
HistaBlock provides nutritional support in the fight against seasonal respiratory distress. This formula provides antioxidant strength to maintain stable mast cells and supports the body's efforts to maintain normal mucous membranes, keeping nasal passages open.
Another excellent NSP product to consider is Seasonal Allergy (ALJ) (liquid or in capsules)

If stressed... remember that stress reduces the effectiveness of the immune system.
Adrenal support
Scientific evidence suggests that the ingredients in Adrenal Support may offer help in supporting adrenal functions and maintaining health. The B vitamins, for example, support most of the biochemical processes in the body, notably energy production. Vitamins B1 and B2 are necessary for helping the body endure emotional stress and protecting the cardiovascular system.

3. Boost the immune system
Immune Stimulator (You need to read the entire description of this extraordinary combination)
Promotes macrophage activity in your body, leading to a chain reaction of immune activity, which will strengthen your entire system against enemy attack. It is important to always take this product on an empty stomach.
Also, any supplements that contain fiber should not be taken at the same time as Nature's Immune Stimulator, as they will inhibit its ability to get past the first stages of the digestive system.
Night time is a good time to take this product.

4. Finally, support the liver (very important!)

 

Milk Thistle combination
If your immune system is given a boost (immune stimulator mentioned above) then it will unload in the blood system debris, toxins etc. that will then be filtered by the liver. Given the general state of health of a great majority of people in the western world, you can bet the liver is not in the best of condition! So... support and strengthen your liver! Some causes of liver damage and disease include alcohol, environmental pollutants, medications, and viral infections.

Considered the most complex, powerful, and useful organ of the body, your liver requires some tender maintenance and care in order to perform its many functions. These are just a few of its arduous duties:

— Resisting infection.
— Maintenance of many blood chemical levels.
— Cleansing of the blood (in concert with the kidneys).

Milk thistle helps protect the liver from the toxins it collects and breaks down. It contains a constituent called silymarin, which has been the subject of numerous studies. Silymarin may help stabilize cellular membranes, preventing the intake of some toxins and subsequent tissue damage.

Milk Thistle Combination provides nutrients that must be present for the liver to perform its 500 or more functions. This combination boasts its liver-protecting and free-radical fighting ingredients plus N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC). NAC optimizes the production of glutathione in the liver. Glutathione is used in the breakdown and elimination of toxins in the body. NAC is also a powerful antioxidant that helps support the liver and may support the eyes and respiratory system.

Energique Homeopathic products to the rescue
(Click on links below for details)
Allerstat II
Envirostat
Nasal Spray
Animal Antigens
Grain-Seed Antigen
Mold Antigen
Weed-Grass Antigen

Herbals (Also By Energique)
Allercom
Echinacom