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Hay fever treatment: 7 steps to beat pollen

Spring! The sun is shining, the weather is warmer, we're spending more time on the patio, and the plants and flowers are blooming beautifully. It's so frustrating to be sitting on the patio with a runny nose, sneezing, coughing, or itching. How do you get rid of it? In this blog post, we'll share how to treat hay fever without side effects. Unfortunately, more and more people suffer from this and treat it with antihistamines every season. Antihistamines often have side effects, such as lethargy, gastrointestinal problems, fatigue, dizziness, and headaches. Therefore, it's better to treat hay fever naturally, without side effects. Read on for all the tips for a natural hay fever treatment!

What is hay fever?

Hay fever is a seasonal allergy triggered by pollen from trees, grasses, flowers, and plants, and causes many uncomfortable symptoms such as runny noses, itching, sneezing, and coughing. Now on to hay fever treatment.

Step 1: Reduce/avoid histamine-rich foods

Many healthy foods contain histamine. Think of it this way: the more of these foods you eat in a day, the more histamine, the more hay fever symptoms you'll experience. We're not saying you should never eat these foods again, but eating less histamine during hay fever season can help treat it.

Histamine-rich foods: (so avoid) aged herring, aged cheese, canned or fermented products like sauerkraut, yogurt, olives, and beer. But pork, soy sauce, peanuts, cinnamon, pickles, tomatoes, kiwi, strawberries, chocolate, spicy herbs, fast food, and sugary products also contain a lot of histamine!

We like to think in terms of possibilities: what's possible? Breakfast with oatmeal, a smoothie, a vegetable omelet, chia pudding, and lunch with spelt crackers, lentil pasta, coconut yogurt, salads, soups, or delicious curries. Need inspiration? Then check out our recipe: vegan pumpkin soup

Which foods lower histamine? Organic apples, broccoli, cucumber, watercress, artichokes, and blackcurrants. And also drink two cups of (cooled) nettle and rooibos tea daily, which is a natural histamine reducer. There are also supplements that support the immune system and help lower histamine levels in your body.

For this, read this blog: hay fever treatment with natural supplements .

Step 2: Bee pollen

What? Bee pollen for hay fever treatment? Bee pollen contains quercetin, which may act as a natural antihistamine. It's important to start using bee pollen slowly because of the large amount of pollen it contains. Small amounts stimulate the body to produce antibodies, which reduces symptoms (too much can actually worsen them).

Dosage: Start with a few grains a day and gradually increase. Once you're used to it, take one tablespoon of bee pollen per day. Add this to a smoothie, salad, coconut yogurt, or spelt crackers with nut butter. It's important to use organic bee pollen, preferably before hay fever season.

Step 3: A strong liver

The liver helps break down histamine, so you want it to function properly. Liver function can be impaired by various factors, such as stress, medication use, constipation, and alcohol and caffeine consumption. Stress is also a major culprit. What can you do?

• It's best not to drink alcohol. Try a kombucha instead of that wine.
• Make sure you get enough relaxation during the day
• Drink nettle tea
• Eat a moderate amount of sugar. This exhausts your liver.
• Eating too little is also a form of stress. So nourish your body!

Step 4: Clean air

Did you know that the average Dutch person (with an office job) spends up to 90% of their time indoors? Did you also know that the air quality indoors is about five times worse than outdoors ? An air purifier that filters pollen can therefore be useful at home or in the office.

Step 5: Boost your lymphatic system

To stimulate histamine removal, it's helpful to boost your lymphatic system. This ensures that all waste products are removed from your cells. How do you do this? Exercise, massage, wearing a non-wired bra, and using a Gua Sha stone or jade roller can all help. Cold showers and contrast showers stimulate blood vessels and their pumping action, which keeps fluids flowing freely.

Step 6: Pollen calendar

It's also helpful to check when your hay fever symptoms flare up. This depends on the specific pollen. How can you find out? Check Hooikoortsrader.nl .

Conclusion

A natural hay fever treatment requires perseverance, reading up on the subject, and seeing what works for you, but don't give up! We recommend following these tips and adjustments for at least 100 days. That's a good three months. Only then will you know if they're working for you.

  

Need more inspiration?

Visit our Instagram page or check out our other recipes and blogs for more healthy and tasty ideas.