Can A Spring Cleanse Help With Allergies?

Spring is coming!  Spring is coming!  For many of us this is very exciting news, but for allergy sufferers, there may be some mixed feelings about the onset of spring and/or summer (and/or fall and/or winter depending on the allergy trigger!).  Yay for warmth and the beauty of new buds.  Boo for the itchy, watery eyes and sneezing that come with it.  

While there are many herbs and medications that can help with the symptoms once they start, there are also options to help the body prepare for the burst of pollens into the warming air.  One such option is to engage in a spring cleanse in order to lighten the load – to take a few straws OFF of the camel’s back so to speak – so that our bodies can adapt more readily to the change of increasing pollen count that bring the spring allergies. 

Allergy sufferers can give themselves an advantage by gently supporting their detoxification pathways ahead of exposure to their allergens. We’re talking liver, kidneys, and bowels predominantly. 

The immune system is a graceful and fluid network that simultaneously protects us from the outside world and acts as guardians over our own cells. 

An underactive immune system can lead to frequent infections or slow healing after an injury.  If our immune systems are hyper-responsive then there may be allergies or autoimmune disorders.   

Allergies are essentially the immune system responding to perceived threats in order to protect us.  Even though we know that animal dander, pollens, and some mould spores are not inherently dangerous to the human species (we know this from our non-allergic buddies who breathe freely even when the blossoms are bursting forth, while mowing their lawns, or after smooching a pet) for allergy sufferers the immune system goes into high alert when exposed to these otherwise innocuous substances. 

Once the immune system has identified certain molecules as dangerous it keeps memory cells circulating to quickly respond to an attack. This is great when exposed to a virus we’ve seen before as we are less likely to become ill, but when it’s a pollen that comes out year after year we can feel less appreciative of the immune system’s long memory… 

Our ancestors tended to go through a spring cleanse without any conscious intention.  An opportunity to detoxify was simply what nature provided for them at the change of the seasons.  After a winter of dried, cured, salted, and otherwise preserved foods the thawing world around them offered up bitter shoots, new greens, and freshly melted ice water.  In autumn the abundance of ripe plants shored up nutrient stores and supported a fall detox as well. 

Bitter foods help to stimulate the length of the digestive tract.  From pumping more bile through the liver, to increased muscular movement along the intestinal tract, there’s an uptick in digestion from bitter elements.  Without realizing it, our forebearers had a boost to their digestive systems that helped to cleanse away old, stagnant matter from their bodies, and ready them for the seasons of abundance ahead.  

Fresh greens supply chlorophyll, a natural detoxification aid, as well as a host of vitamins and minerals to help re-nourish the body after the limited selection of winter foods.  One study looked at a form of chlorophyll from seaweed and found it to be effective in reducing allergic rhinitis (nasal inflammation) with greater benefit from two months than one month of use. (2)    

Increased access to clean, pure water serves to rinse away the old (both inside and out – spring is when we tend to cleanse our homes too!) and help to make space for new opportunities and growth.  If nothing else allergy sufferers should focus on staying properly hydrated. 

Perhaps the very changes that brought pollens to our great-great-greats also helped them to withstand any negative effects (allergies) from them?  The surge of nutrients into the body in late summer/autumn may have further supported the immune system and prevented allergic reactions to moulds and dust when heading into winter.  Perhaps we should follow mother nature’s rhythm and focus on removing toxins and boosting nutrients each spring and fall as well?   

In our modern world where many foods are available year-round bringing out of touch with the rhythm of nature, we can mimic the benefits of Mother Nature’s wisdom by incorporating a cleanse kit such as the Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox or Gentle D-Tox.  The Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox program is designed for those with “normal” to slow digestion, while the Gentle D-Tox is better for people with more sensitive tummies, and both can be used up to four times a year as a seasonal cleanse.