This spring will be perfect for you—if you’re a bird or a bee.
If you’re a human who suffers from allergies, it has the potential to be a nightmare.
After we suffer through the tree pollens in March and April, grass pollens hit most of the country in May and June.
But, Mother Nature has a way of balancing things out. Even as she challenges your sinuses, she offers remedies to ease your pain.
Allergy-Fighting Foods
Try some of these foods known to naturally help with hay fever, congestion, and other allergic reactions when spring is in the air.
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Broccoli
Bring on the broccoli when your sinuses are blocked.
This member of the crucifer family is high in vitamin C: one cup of raw broccoli contains about 80 milligrams (mg).
Research has shown 500 mg of Vitamin C daily can ease allergy symptoms.
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Citrus fruits
Thanks to their mega-doses of vitamin C, citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, and grapefruits are good weapons in the quest to breathe freely when pollen and other irritants are in the air.
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Collard greens
Collard greens offer allergy-fighting carotenoids.
To help your body absorb their nutrients more readily, eat collard greens with a fat. Try sautéing them in extra-virgin olive oil.
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Elderberries
Elderberries contain flavonoids that reduce inflammation.
Ease your suffering by imbibing some elderberry wine, enjoying a glass of juice, or spreading some jam on toast or crackers.
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Garlic & Onions
The quercetin in onions and garlic (apples too) acts like an antihistamine so it minimizes allergic reactions.
Try roasted garlic or carmelized onions on a slice of pizza or with bruschetta.
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Miso soup
Miso (and other broths) are known to help mitigate the mucus that builds up in the nasal passages during allergy season.
Other mucus-clearing foods include spicy foods, such as horseradish, cayenne, or chili powder.
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Beets, purple/red grapes
The anthocyanins that give certain foods, such as beets, purple or red grapes, berries, and cherries, their dark violet-like color have anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce swollen membranes that make breathing difficult.
Tea for Allergy Relief
A wide variety of herbal teas can ease seasonal allergy symptoms. Here are a few to try.
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Rooibos Tea
Rooibos has components that naturally block the release of histamines.
Rooibos is even thought to help allergy-sensitive systems to metabolize the irritants.
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Ginger Tea
Ginger tea is a natural antihistamine that helps reduce nasal inflammation.
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Peppermint Tea
Peppermint tea is a natural decongestant that can slow the production of histamines and the symptoms that go with them.
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Green Tea
Green tea is rich in antioxidants and helps block the body’s reaction to allergens like pollen, dust, and animal dander.
