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Your Guide to Combating Seasonal Allergies Naturally DR. MARITA SCHAUCH, BSC. ND, IS A NATUROPATHIC PHYSICIAN WITH A PRACTICE AT TALL TREE INTEGRATED HEALTH CENTRE, 5325 CORDOVA BAY RD., MATTICK’S FARM PH: 250-658-9222 DOCTORMARITA.COM
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othing quite puts a bummer on Spring and Summer like seasonal allergies. Dealing with sneezing, congestion, itchiness, runny nose, and all of the joys that come along with pollen sensitivity can leave you feeling like you’re missing out on the joy and ease of the season. Thankfully, I’ve got you covered with some natural tips for preventing and minimising seasonal allergy symptoms. WHAT CAUSES HAY FEVER? Allergies are an immune response to something that is otherwise ‘harmless’ such as pollen, pet dander, or dust. This happens when your body is exposed to an allergen and reads it as a ‘threat’ as it would a bacteria or virus. The body then ‘remembers’ this allergen and becomes hypersensitive to its presence. When you come into contact with these substances again, your body will release a chemical called ‘histamine’ in order to increase
mucus production to expel the substance from the body as quickly as possible. Histamine creates the classic hay fever symptoms you know like sneezing, itchiness, etc.
(Strawberries, spinach, kale, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, and potatoes.)
OVER THE COUNTER ANTIHISTAMINES Over the counter antihistamine drugs that many people turn to to combat the histamine response and reduce symptoms, can have side effects such as drowsiness, dry eyes, headaches, dizziness, and constipation that can be just as disruptive as the allergy symptoms.
2. Support Good Gut Health Having a ‘leaky’ gut or gut inflammation are linked to a greater immune response, including seasonal allergies. Avoid pesticides and limit inflammatory foods such as refined sugar, red meat, processed food, dairy, gluten, caffeine, and alcohol, get plenty of probiotics from fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, or miso, and pay attention to any food sensitivities
NATURAL ALLERGY PREVENTION AND REMEDIES 1. Limit Pesticide Exposure Pesticide exposure can trigger an inflammatory response that may leave you more sensitive to other allergens such as pollen. Eat organic foods wherever possible. But be sure to avoid the ‘Dirty Dozen’ which are the produce items that are more heavily sprayed with pesticides.
3. Get Support from Local Bees While no definitive research has been done on the benefits, many people have had great results in combating seasonal allergies by incorporating local bee products into their diet. Bee pollen and local honey are thought to help sensitise the body to the pollen of the local environment which can better prepare the body when Spring comes. The key is to get
products from local bees so that the pollen profile is from your community. 4. Vitamin C Getting adequate Vitamin C from fresh fruit and vegetables, such as citrus fruits, kiwis, strawberries, tomatoes, bell peppers, and broccoli or from supplementation may help reduce histamine levels. 5. Try Some Antihistamine Herbs and Nutrients Certain herbs have natural antihistamine qualities, and can be enjoyed as a hot or iced tea. Stinging nettle, thyme, parsley, tulsi (holy basil), and chamomile are all excellent options. Spices like turmeric and ginger may also be helpful. Quercetin can be a highly effective nutrient to combat the histamine response and is one of my top recommendations for this time of the year. 6. Stay Hydrated Staying well hydrated may also reduce the histamine response. You may notice that when you
aren’t drinking enough water that mucus is thicker, and drinking more water allows your body to flush out unwanted allergens more effectively. Aim to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, and eat plenty of hydrating foods such as fruits and vegetables. 7. Nasal Irrigation When symptoms are activated, using a nasal irrigation system, such as a Neti Pot to flush out the sinuses with saline water can help improve symptoms. 8. Use Essential Oils Dabbing some essential oils behind the ears (be sure to mix them with a carrier oil) such as frankincense or peppermint can help with hay fever symptoms. You can also add them into a diffuser in your home. I hope these tips allow you to soak up the season, breathe easy, and have plenty of fun and play on this beautiful island!
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How Sunlight Can Improve Your Sleep
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ll animals, plants and microbes have some sort of circadian rhythm - an internal “body clock” that is synced to a 24 hour cycle. Our circadian rhythms adjust to the natural daily pattern of sunlight: waking us as the sun rises, and preparing us for sleep when the sun goes down. If you’ve ever worked an overnight shift or traveled to a different time zone you know the awful experience of your circadian rhythm not matching your environment. So how does our internal clock know what time it is? Specific cells in our eye get activated by bright light and send a signal to our brain to coordinate our circadian rhythm. The part of the brain responsible for this process is called the suprachiasmatic nucleus. In our modern lives our circadian rhythms get confused figuring out when it’s morning and we should be awake, and when it’s nighttime and we should be preparing for
sleep. We don’t get enough bright light in the morning, yet flood our eyes with overhead lights and bright screens in the evenings. We can improve the accuracy of our internal clock and therefore improve our sleep by tidying up the signals we send to our brain. In the morning, get at least 10 minutes of natural sunlight, outdoors, within 30 minutes of waking. Why do you have to go outside? The brightness of natural sunlight is 32,000 to 100,000 lux, while artificial lighting is only 300 lux. Natural sunlight is over 100 times brighter than artificial light! And while our eyes cannot pick up on this difference visually, the cells in our eyes responsible for syncing our circadian rhythms absolutely can. By getting natural sunlight in the morning we send a very clear signal to our brain: “It’s morning! Wake up!” And this sets in process a 24 hour cycle that makes it easier to fall asleep at night.
To tidy up the messages we’re sending to our suprachiasmatic nucleus in the evening, avoid overhead lighting and other bright lights. When under overhead lighting, our brain receives the signal “It must be midday - the sun is directly above us.” Table lamps, candles, and moonlight are all acceptable sources of light and are much more cozy, psychologically getting you relaxed and ready for sleep as well. Try going for a short walk each morning this week and not using overhead lights at home after sunset. Scientific research has shown that these two things can improve your sleep…and who wouldn’t love an excuse to buy a few more candles?
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rritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a disorder that occurs in the gastrointestinal tract of approximately 11% of the global population and results in recurring belly pain and changes in bowel habits. Often, patients with IBS also have psychological symptoms, such as depression and anxiety. PerCuro Clinical Research Ltd. and Dr. Denis Petrunia are conducting a clinical trial that is testing a new investigational probiotic to determine its ability to improve these psychological symptoms and intestinal symptoms of IBS. If you choose to be in this trial, you will be one of about 184 adult subjects between the ages of 18 and 70 years enrolled at about 20 sites in Canada. You will be in the trial for approximately 14 weeks. You will first have a screening visit followed by a 6-week treatment course with the probiotic or placebo and then 4 weeks of follow-up. During the study, you will come to the site for four in-person visits for which you will be reimbursed and you will receive one phone call.
During the 6-week treatment course you will take 1 sachet of probiotic or placebo orally per day at the same time as breakfast. You will have a 50% chance of receiving the probiotic or placebo and neither you nor the trial staff will know which one you are receiving. The placebo looks like the probiotic, but it does not contain the bacteria and is used in this trial to see if the effects are due to the investigational product. According to the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation, Canada has one of the highest prevalence of IBS in the world. IBS can significantly impact an individual’s ability to live their life to its fullest. If you or someone you know has been living with IBS and would like to know more about this study, please feel free to contact PerCuro Clinical Research at 250-382-6270:
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Memory PLUS is a Silver Threads Service program for those 55+ who would like to enhance their memory skills in an active and social group setting. Service Memory PLUS Program The PLUS stands for Practice, to set you on the right path. The Laughter, Useful Strategies. Call PLUS refers to Practice Laughter 250 388-4268 or visit www. Useful Strategies. Memory PLUS is silverthreadsservice for more more than just doing crosswords, information. Sudoku or Wordle to keep yourself We encourage you to exercise sharp. your brain by solving an all about This weekly two-hour program Mindfulness word scramble. is currently being offered at inrab ______________________ both the Victoria and Saanich ehah ______________________ Centres. Participants learn in a group setting led by a qualified clumse _____________________ facilitator. In our comfortable rploeex ____________________ learning environment, participants sittilacyp ___________________ connect with peers, learn new strategies and techniques, and try inigotevc ___________________ games and challenges to increase grasteties __________________ cognitive function. lilks _______________________ Registration is now on for the next session. Wednesday, June 1st ureonsn ____________________ to July 20th, at either the Victoria Centre from 9:30am to 11:30am Registration is now on for the or the Saanich Centre 1:00pm to next session! 3:00pm. 8 sessions are $72 for Wednesdays, March 23rd to May members or $104 non-members. 11th or June 1st to July 20th. Silver Threads Service has Morning classes are at the been serving seniors in Victoria Victoria Centre, located at 1911 for 65 years, and prides itself on Quadra Street from 9:30am to creating a welcoming and inclusive 11:30am. Or there are afternoon environment for those looking classes at the Saanich Centre, to try out new experiences and located at 286 Hampton Road from classes. We offer two locations: 1:00pm to 3:00pm. The cost is 8 our centre in Saanich at 286 sessions - $72 Members or $104 Hampton Road, and our centre Non-members. Call 250 388-4268 in Victoria at 1911 Quadra Street. for more information. Memberships are valid at both locations. For more information on Memory PLUS, call the Victoria Centre at 250-388-4268. We look forward to welcoming you into our centres. ANSWERS: brain health muscle explore
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