Seasonal allergies affect a large portion of the population, and the pharmaceutical companies take advantage of that little fact by marketing all kinds of medications that should combat the allergens. In reality, these chemical relieve the symptoms of the allergy for a short time period. Not only are we left with an unfavorable chemical in our bodies, but we have usually forked over a good amount of money for these products that only work for a short period of time.
When I was diagnosed with seasonal allergies (many years ago), I was given a prescription for one of these products, which I used religiously. I DID NOT like the way it made me feel, I was constantly "cloudy" and felt like I was moving through a dream-world. Side-effects aside, I didn't have itchy, watery eyes or a stuffy nose so it must not be a horrible product, right? WRONG! This is just a partial list of many of the side-effects associated with OTC and prescription allergy medications: drowsiness, raised blood pressure, insomnia, lightheadedness, or nervousness, and the list goes on.
Well, after I was fed up with the side-effects I started doing some research on natural allergy relief (I was also nursing my 2nd son at the time and didn't want to pass the meds on to him) and was very surprised to learn that I could very easily combat my allergies (not the symptoms) with honey (maybe Mary Poppins was on to something with the whole "spoonful of sugar" idea)! Now, this doesn't mean that you can run to the grocery store and grad the squeezy bear of honey to use. In order to help combat allergies, you need to use LOCAL RAW HONEY. Here is the reasoning behind that: local honey is honey that is produced by bees in your area. This means that the pollen the bees are collecting are from vegetation in your area (the same vegetation that causes your runny/stuffy nose, and itchy/watery eyes). A teaspoon of local honey, taken several times a day, can build up your resistance to local allergens therefore relieving you of allergy symptoms over time.
Now, it doesn't work immediately, but it DOES work. I have been using this method of allergy relief for many years (with myself and my children) now and I will never cease to be amazed at the way it works!
There are other great benefits of having local honey around your home, as well as the bee pollen that you can purchase from those local bee keepers, but I've got to "buzz" (I know, horrible pun!), so that's a post for another time.
You have one life to live; do well, eat well, be well!
BS, CHC, AADP
Thank you for this post, Bridget! My husband Brian normally has terrible allergies this time of year, but we went out and got some raw local honey as you advised, and he's hardly felt anything at all so far! It's especially amazing because people are saying the allergies around here are really bad this year, even worse than usual. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that he is benefiting from the honey remedy! That golden liquid is definitely worth it, it truly is a super-food!
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