Don't let Hay Fever get up your nose !

Hay fever is a pain in the nose!

Tired of spending a small fortune for hay fever relief ?

As anyone who has ever applied fresh aloe vera to a cut, burn or blister knows, nature's power to heal can be awesome. But while we're content to let eucalyptus and palm oil extracts do their work on our skin and hair, and embrace the health benefits of cooking with wild herbs, leaves and berries, when it comes to common ailments many of us don't even think to look to nature for help.

Because tablets or pills are available off the shelf ,we've forgotten that many of those tablets or pills began on a bush. The first hint of flu or a headache has people queueing in line for nasal sprays, syrups and pills.

But quite often, you end up with side effects that may be worse than the original symptoms !

And here are some of nature's secrets :

Packing your diet with fresh fruit and vegetables is essential . The more natural antioxidants you can get into your system the better. Vitamin C has natural antihistamine effects, so include lots of leafy greens, peppers, papaya, tomatoes and broccoli.

Foods as medicine: Increase onions and garlic for quercetin and sulfur levels.If you eat fish, now is a particularly good time to enjoy the natural anti-inflammatory properties as found in oily fish. Eat salmon as often as possible for the anti-inflammatory benefits of the Omega 3’s .

Quercetin: Stabilizes the “Mast Cells” of our immune system and prevents their cell membranes from degranulating and releasing histamine in to the system. Histamine is what makes us cough, sneeze, itch and have watery eyes.

Vitamin C: Supports the immune system and the functioning of quercetin.

Nettles Leaf: Has been shown to be extremely helpful during allergy season.

Beta Carotene plays a role in healthy mucous membranes and foods particularly rich in this include broccoli, asparagus and apricots. And remember to use lots of garlic in your cooking if it’s to your taste! It's another great immune system booster.

If there are any foods that you find you are sensitive to, try to avoid them during hayfever season to avoid placing any additional burden on your immune system. If you suffer from other environmental allergies, then it is helpful to avoid such foods

Having an alternative medicine plan in store during allergy season will save you time, medication, and misery in the long run.