A fine, yellow-green dust coats cars, porches, sidewalks and everything else outside my home right now. The trees and flowers are blooming, and pollen dust storms are visible in the distance.
This is spring in the southeastern U.S.
And I used to loathe going outside this time of year. Plagued by itchy, watery eyes, and a sneezing, runny nose, I used prescription and over-the-counter medicines not only in the spring, but year-round, to help me get through.
But then I stumbled upon something that changed my life, and I haven’t used any medications since.
I’ve been overcoming allergies naturally.
As a child, I had classic “hay fever,” which meant I sneezed at anything outside spring, summer and fall. I grew up on a farm, which was a problem since I discovered I also was allergic to cats, horses, mildew and mold. I had used over-the-counter and prescription medications my entire life.
As long as I took them and didn’t miss a day, I stood a decent chance of not suffering too much. But if I missed a few days and got behind on them, I felt miserable for several days until the drugs got into my system.
How I Stumbled Upon Overcoming My Allergies
I had been in direct sales for 15 years. I joined a different digital scrapbooking company, Heritage Makers, in 2014. The company had been purchased by a nutrition and healthy lifestyles company called Youngevity.
But I had no interest in nutritional supplements. I only took a multi-vitamin sporadically because my doctor said I should. But I didn’t feel any different because of it. One I found at a big-box store had artificial ingredients in it. No thanks.
But with this new company, I learned a bit about its core product. I skeptically agreed to give it a try for 90 days. I never expected to notice much of a difference.
But about 3 1/2 months later, I realized that I hadn’t taken my allergy medicine for a few days. And I didn’t feel crummy without it. Since it was July, I decided to not get the prescription filled right away, to see how I would fare without it. I survived ragweed season in late summer without any problems, only taking my supplements and my steroid nasal spray. When I used up the last of that spray in September, I decided to wait on getting it refilled.
I also started changing what I eat. As suggested, I had been avoiding inflammatory foods such as oils, wheat, barley, rye and oats, but I wasn’t following it strictly. I did eventually start to follow a gluten-free lifestyle, and I now limit my dairy intake because of the sinus congestion and mucus it seems to cause.
All of that together, I think, help reduce the inflammation that fed my allergies.
How it Affected My Other Allergies
I entered a second spring pollen season wondering if I could get through without prescription or over-the-counter medications. I did, and it still amazes me. It also amazed me when I spent 90 minutes in the home of friends who have cats, and I didn’t wheeze and sneeze.
With these results, I’ve become a believer in the importance of giving our bodies what they need to support themselves. I hope I never have to take allergy medications again.
As another round of the yellow-green dust invades our area, I wanted to share my story, and I hope it gives someone else hope and courage that they don’t have to suffer, either. Pay attention to what you’re putting in your body, and your body will serve you well.
Welcome! I’m Amy Hoogervorst, an integrative health coach and a healthy lifestyles educator, offering grace and space for a healthier you. If you’d like to get my newsletters and updates, please click HERE to subscribe. Thanks for visiting!
