For you, pollen, dust mites, fungi, and the arrival of cold weather in autumn are synonymous with... sneezing, itchy nose, ears, throat, and eyes, postnasal drip, coughing, and shortness of breath? Respiratory allergies, such as allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma, and conjunctivitis?

Autumn, like spring, is the pollination period for some plants. It's also the time when cold weather arrives and dust mites and fungi accumulate in the air and in our homes.

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you know that frequent nasal rinsing and hydration are essential for treating and preventing them. You've also become accustomed to using anti-allergy HEPA filters at home; showering before bed or when you get home after a full day outside to remove pollen, especially from your face and hair; and washing your bedding more frequently to eliminate dust mites. All these small gestures are important, it's true. But at the root of any allergy is the hypersensitivity of our immune system. And if you really want to stop feeling like your head is about to explode with so much inflammation and irritation… you need to delve much deeper into understanding yourself and your body.

Allergy is an immunological reaction to an antigen (allergen), manifested by tissue inflammation and/or organ dysfunction. It can be local or systemic.

What happens in a seasonal allergic reaction?

Seasonal allergy symptoms are the result of the immune system's reactions to attacks from the external environment—such as pollination in the fall and spring. To 'protect' us from these external agents, the immune system reacts. Chronic inflammation puts our immune system on high alert, and it is in this state of hyperactivity and hypersensitivity that it overreacts to environmental triggers through congestion, coughing, sneezing, inflammation of the nasal airways and eyes, swelling, mucus production, and, consequently, mental confusion, fatigue, irritability, stress, and anxiety.

By understanding how this inflammatory reaction works, we can understand how our lifestyle and diet are so important in modulating and reducing these allergies.

What is histamine and why is it so important for our body?

Histamine is the substance released by our bodies when we come into contact with allergens. That's why we often hear about taking antihistamines.

Histamine has several receptors and impacts several systems in our body, including the immune, digestive, and nervous systems. It's a neurotransmitter that increases stomach acid, helps the body defend itself against bacteria and viruses, keeps us more awake, regulates hormones, aids muscle contraction and blood vessel permeability, and mediates allergic reactions. That's why it's so important to manage your levels when it comes to allergies, but taking a lifelong antihistamine won't solve your allergy problem.

Because it is naturally produced by the body, histamine's main function is to generate inflammation, to help our body isolate external and problematic aggressive agents.

In an allergic reaction, the immune system releases a high and excessive amount of histamine, leading to inflammatory reactions that create typical allergy symptoms: nasal congestion, headaches, eczema, sneezing, itchy eyes, and more. Naturally, we have two enzyme systems that can prevent excess histamine in our bodies. These enzymes break down histamine when it starts to rise and return it to normal levels. When this happens, everything is fine and normal! However, these enzymes are often inactive or deficient in our systems.

Multiple factors contribute to excess histamine. Therefore, it's important to study and investigate which ones impact your particular case.

Food Allergy VS Delayed Food Hypersensitivity

To stop your seasonal allergies, it's imperative that you identify your food sensitivities. But how do you do that?

Food allergy and delayed food hypersensitivity are distinct medical conditions. While both are signs of immune system dysregulation, there are differences in how our immune systems react to each.

Food allergies trigger what's called an immediate IgE-mediated reaction. It's rapid, occurring within minutes and lasting up to 4–8 hours after exposure. It can be a reaction to a food, an environmental trigger, etc.

Food allergies are also responsible for about 35% of childhood eczema cases.

Food sensitivities are mediated by IgG. Symptoms can last for one day (24H) or up to four days (96H).

There can be several food sensitivities, the most common being gluten, which cross-reacts with gluten, dairy, and fructose and causes digestive symptoms. Due to intestinal inflammation, these sensitivities can lead to chronic health symptoms, including:

• digestive: gastroesophageal reflux, allergic constipation, infant colic, allergic eosinophilic gastroenteritis and irritable bowel syndrome;
• skin: hives, angioedema, dermatitis, eczema, atopic dermatitis, itching and rashes;
• mood and behavioral problems, to name a few.

Diet, nutrition and gut health go hand in hand

Where to start? With the INTESTINE?

To stop your seasonal allergies, it's imperative that you identify your food sensitivities. But how do you do that?

Our gut and the outside world are directly connected through our gut. It absorbs nutrients from food and prevents the entry of bacteria, pathogens, and undigested food.

Intestinal inflammation and infections, dysbiosis (dysbiotic bacteria can produce histamine), and nutritional deficiencies (we need nutrients to create enzymes that break down histamine) are all directly related to our allergic reactions. After all, almost 80% of the immune system is located in the gut, right? Therefore, taking care of our gut is the first step to improving our quality of life when it comes to seasonal allergies as well.

So start this action plan by eliminating everything that causes inflammation (bacteria, fungi, parasites) and doing the so-called elimination diet.

Do an Elimination Diet and Identify Your Food Sensitivities

If you're eating foods you're sensitive to every day, your immune system is hyperactive and working overtime, creating inflammation in response to those foods. So, when seasonal allergies hit, your immune system is already irritated… and less able to fight them off. By eliminating these foods from your diet, you're calming the inflammation and, in doing so, reducing seasonal allergies.

The purpose of the elimination diet is to identify which foods are causing problems for your immune system, stimulating anti-inflammatory and antihistamine activity in your body. It involves removing several toxic and inflammatory foods from your diet for at least four weeks. Then, you begin the reintroduction phase, one by one, of the removed foods, eating them three times a day for three days, and waiting until the fourth day (observing and noting symptoms).

How do you identify if you're sensitive to a particular food? If you experience headaches, fatigue, skin problems, digestive issues, joint pain, or mood swings when you reintroduce the food into your diet, you might be more likely to notice.

In the Digestive System Reset Program , we go into greater detail about how to safely reintroduce foods into your daily life and how to know which ones are causing reactivity.

Which foods to remove:

• toxic and inflammatory foods
• Dairy products (milk, cream, butter, cheese, ice cream, whey)
• Wheat, rye and barley
• Foods containing gluten: ketchup, beer, soy sauce,
• Sugar
• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Corn
• Soy
• Eggs
• Peanuts
• Pistachio
• Processed and packaged foods
• Citrus fruits
• Solenaceae (Potato, tomato, eggplant, pepper)

For individuals with thyroid dysfunction or autoimmunity, you should still remove grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

With a holistic approach, and over time, you can become less and less sensitive to food and environmental antigens.

To repair and inoculate the digestive system, use foods and supplements that aid in good digestion and nutrient absorption, such as digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid (HCL) , L-glutamine and probiotics — learn how to choose the most suitable probiotic here .

Be part of the solution - invest in a balanced immune diet

— Avoid dairy products during allergy season, as they can thicken mucus secretions, making unpleasant allergy symptoms even less tolerable, and trigger the release of histamine. — Introduce foods rich in quercetin — it's found in foods like raw red onions, red apples (especially the skins!), red grapes, red cabbage, broccoli, spinach, capers, watercress, cherries, green and black tea leaves, bee pollen, and chili peppers.

— Introduce spices and aromatic herbs into your daily diet, either through herbal teas or on your plate, that are considered antihistamines and strengthen the immune system. Nettle, peppermint, parsley, turmeric, ginger, chamomile, thyme, and holy basil (tulsi) are some of them.

—Drink organic OOLONG tea, which inhibits allergic reactions. This is equivalent to 3 teaspoons steeped for five minutes a day.

— Hydration – Drink at least 10 glasses of water daily throughout the day. Adequate hydration reduces histamine responses.

—Eliminate foods high in histamines or that trigger histamine release. Unfortunately, chocolate, wine, and strawberries top the list!

— Artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives can increase histamine release. Another reason to stick to natural, unprocessed foods!

What supplements are a powerful tool against allergies?

Stinging nettle ( Urtica dioica ) is a plant that contains flavonoids with anti-inflammatory properties that block histamine production and keep nasal passages healthy.

Quercetin is a powerful "natural antihistamine" with detoxifying, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and "mast cell stabilizing" properties. It reduces the release of histamine from mast cells when exposed to an allergen, making it a better preventative.

Simultaneous vitamin C supplementation helps activate quercetin. Bromelain, an enzyme found in pineapple, has anti-inflammatory properties and can help thin mucus, along with N-acetylcysteine.

Candidiasis and allergies. What's the connection?

When we're experiencing a seasonal allergy attack, we're often prescribed antibiotics. Unfortunately, antibiotics kill both the bad bacteria that are making us sick and the good bacteria we need. This attack on the good bacteria ultimately leads to Candida overgrowth. What should you do in these cases? Turn to supplements like oregano oil, paud'arco, grapefruit extract, and probiotics to restore your beneficial bacteria.

Take care of your anxiety

Those who suffer from these terrible allergies often experience another 'twin' suffering: anxiety. Stress has a major impact on the immune system—it's actually an environmental toxin. Neurotransmitters, the chemicals our nervous system produces to send messages to our body and brain to regulate mood, are also directly captured and activate immune system cells called macrophages. The adrenaline rush caused by this stress further impairs the allergic response. Exercise, meditation, breathing techniques, and restful sleep are priorities.

And by the way, why not plant a hypoallergenic garden in your home? It can be therapeutic and essential for people with allergies.