As the days get colder, the nights get longer and the rain
gets heavier, I celebrate the best thing about winter (besides Christmas, tall
boots and hot cocoa) – no more hayfever! As a long-time allergy sufferer, I
have tried many different options to reduce symptoms; nothing says glamour like
runny eyes, a red nose and a wad of used tissues in your handbag. But in
keeping with my quest for going greener, this year I tried some non-chemical
style options, and I’m glad to stay, they kept the red at bay.
The Sinus Rinse
The sinus rinse works by flushing out irritants from inside the nasal cavity and
gets up in there much better than simply blowing the nose. Whilst irritants or
allergens can easily attach and remain inside for a few or more days, the sinus
rinse forces them out - a nasal eviction for pesky tenants.
But it does take some getting used to. The first time the sinus
rinse solution shot up one nostril like Old Faithful and gushed out the other
like Niagara Falls, I thought I was in a remake of The Perfect Storm - my boat
had capsized and I was going under; where was George Clooney to save me now!?
It took a little practice, but after a couple of days I learned to close my throat
so the water was contained solely in my nose, and I comfortably rinsed and
evicted with ease. A gentle blow on a tissue got rid of any excess water and I
was less itchy and runny than before. After a couple of weeks of daily use, I
noticed a big difference on days when I was in a rush or had gotten ready too
quickly – oops! The blush was already on when I suddenly remembered that I had
forgotten a vital step of my new routine! And a word of advice – rinse your
nose before putting on any make-up ... as the water comes rushing out your
nose, you’ll feel like you’re on the Maid of the Mist without the blue poncho
or umbrella in sight, and a make-up overhaul will be necessary.
Side note: This device is also useful when you have a cold.
It can flush out all the white blood cells that accumulate in your sinuses to
remove the infection, and a daily rinse will allow your inner green goddess to slide
down the drain instead of clogging your nose, allowing you to breathe better
... always nice!
If you can put up with the initial learning curve, I highly
recommend trying it out. It is more natural, and preferable than my doctor’s
suggestion to take a steroid nasal spray for half the year; any product with this many warnings on the initial page of the product website can’t be good for long term use!
GG Rating – Good for Flaxseed Fanatics because of the initial
discomfort.
Bee Pollen
I first heard about bee pollen on this awesome blog and Sarah does a much
better job of explaining the benefits and how it works, so I’ll leave that to
her. But let’s just say that half a teaspoon of local bee pollen in my morning
smoothie or on top of my cereal did wonders for my allergies and my immune
system. Local bee pollen, which, according to Sarah is better because “it will
help to tune your body into your surrounding environment”, can be quite
difficult to find. I went to at least five different health food stores before
I struck gold (or, shall I say, gold-coloured nuggets of bee pollen!). Like the
sinus rinse, the taste of bee pollen takes a little getting used to and it’s
hard to describe. When it first hit my
tongue, I was hit with the image of a bee rolling around in a flower and then
scraping the flower parts off of its body, along with some bee body fluids. And
if that doesn’t entice you to try it, the texture reminds me of a million tiny,
undercooked merengues – little nuggets that are slightly chewy and slightly
melty. Both taste and texture can be easily disguised, however, in a
banana/blueberry/almond milk smoothie and you can get the benefits without
engaging your gag reflex (which will have had enough of a workout with the
sinus rinse).
The only downside is that you need to be prepared to pay - local
bee pollen isn’t cheap! However, a small jar for £5.99 should minimize allergy
symptoms for about two months, allowing one to be both chemical free and
glamorous (no sneezing here!) for the whole of allergy season, and well into
the cold nights of winter beyond.
GG Rating – Good for Spelt Supporters as the taste and texture are
easily disguised.
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