Dealing with allergies

Thursday, November 29, 2012 by: Hesh Goldstein
Tags: allergies, symptoms, remedies

(NaturalNews) Allergies can do just about anything to almost any part of the body. Common symptoms are runny nose, watery eyes, ear infections, sinusitis, tonsillitis, asthma, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, nausea, cramps, colitis, gas, constipation, menstrual disorders, hypoglycemia, emotional disturbances, skin rashes, hives, etc., etc., etc.

When dealing with allergies, it is usually the result of a hyper-allergic system rather than a system with one or two allergies. And this can usually be seen with a person who is allergic to one thing, only to develop more allergies to more things as time goes by.

Usually, the allergy problem stems from weak and overstressed adrenal glands.

Overstressed adrenals could come from a diet containing sugar, refined carbohydrates, alcohol, and/or coffee, which put an excess burden on these glands. Hypoglycemia, a result of such a diet, and prolonged psychological stress, creates a vicious cycle of stress, adrenal exhaustion, and allergy.

There is a common history with those with allergies. As a kid many symptoms of allergy were present, but disappeared in pre-teen and teen years. But, usually with the onset of some stressful situation like a divorce, or the death of someone close, a stressful job, a kid throwing tantrums or the kid just plainly being a pain in the okole, these symptoms come back.

Then, of course, vaccines and drugs create skin rashes, eczema, psoriasis, etc., because of negative effects on the thymus gland, which can also manifest in mononucleosis, hepatitis, or the flu.

The thymus gland produces, what are called T-regulatory cells, which help suppress or reduce allergic reactions. But vaccines, drugs, chemical exposure, viral infection and radiation easily destroy these cells.

In other words, the thymus plays a pivotal role with most allergies. Antibiotics are notorious for allergic skin reactions that are hard to reverse and repeated vaccinations do not help matters at all. You must realize that once a foreign protein is introduced into the bloodstream, some degree of allergic reaction is inevitable.

For the most part, what we eat plays a key role in allergies.

A gluten intolerance causes a malabsorption of any grain that contains that protein. What happens is that the intestines become irritated and lose their normal mucous membranes necessary for proper absorption. Then, because of the thinning of the bowel's walls, toxic substances are allowed to be absorbed into the bloodstream. This then causes allergic symptoms far from the original, complicating the process and leading to multiple allergic symptoms.

Dairy intolerance is also a very common problem because many people lack the enzyme to digest milk sugar from birth while others lose this lactase enzyme later in life. Up to 85 percent of Orientals and Hispanics are deficient in lactase by adult life. Caucasians of European descent usually retain adequate levels while those of non-European descent do not.

If the lactase levels are too low or not there at all, dairy cannot be digested and it ferments, causing diarrhea, constipation, gas, abdominal pain, and many other systemic allergic reactions. And, the protein in milk itself can also cause problems.

Part of the problem with gluten and dairy intolerance comes from improper weaning. Because the infant's intestine is way more permeable than an adult's, large proteins, or their fragments, can be absorbed directly into the blood. So, if protein-containing foods like dairy, wheat, or eggs are introduced into the diet too early, they can set the stage for life-long allergy.

Breast milk protects against this foreign protein absorption into the blood by sealing the intestinal area, making it less permeable. But, most kids are either not breastfed, or are breastfed for too short a period and then weaned to pasteurized, homogenized, antibiotic-ridden, pesticide and growth hormone containing cow's milk. If the kid were breastfed for a minimum of 9 to 12 months and then weaned to raw goat's milk, which is closer in constitution to mother's milk, fewer allergies and allergists would exist.

Usually, the kid is given wheat too early anyway. It takes anywhere from 4 to 6 months for the necessary starch digestive enzymes to manifest in the first place. What you will find is that kids with the most colds and allergies generally eat the most starches too early and the ones that are breastfed longer and eat less starches but get plenty of fruits and vegetables, are usually very healthy during their first year of life.

Now, back to eggs. Eggs are the third major food allergen, after wheat and dairy, and should not be given to a kid until he is at least one year old. To prevent allergies in early years, no more than two poached eggs a week should be given. What's even more interesting is that I read a report that at least 80 percent of the eggs produced are inflicted with salmonella poisoning. Yummmmmy! But who in their right mind would want to eat a chicken's period anyway?

What usually happens is that when a parent adds foods to their young kid's diet, they usually do not pay attention to observing any adverse reactions. If your normal diet is fried sausage, fried eggs, fried potatoes, hamburgers, potato chips, candy, and Coke or Pepsi, and you feed that to your kid, do you really and honestly believing your kid will not have an adverse reaction?

It is essential that the first foods to an infant be as close to their natural state as possible, either raw or conservatively steamed, in a small amount only, and separate from any other foods. And this should be done for 2 to 3 days at one meal, to observe for a rash or any other allergic reaction. If there is no reaction, you can increase the amounts and combine them with other tested and compatible foods.

If a reaction occurs with healthy foods like broccoli or cabbage, discontinue these foods for about 6 to 8 weeks and then try again. If reactions persist, the kid may indeed have a specific food allergy. From what I have been told by naturopathic physicians is that more likely than not, the second or third try will be met with success. When foods are introduced properly, specific food allergies are very rare.

Another factor in allergies is liver congestion and toxemia. Coupling this with digestive enzyme deficiencies, or other causes of incomplete digestion, it will increase allergic reactions. A damaged or toxic liver is far from a good thing. A simple liver cleanse, not for children, would be to drink organic, unfiltered apple juice every couple of hours and drink equal parts of lemon juice and extra virgin, organic olive oil or organic coconut oil once a day. It's good if you can get up to at least a half a cup or a cup of the lemon juice/oil combo. Do this for a few days at least and repeat for a couple of months.

Another contributing problem to allergies is the widespread use of chemicals, pesticides, GMOs, and other destructive additives to the food supply like aspartame, MSG, food colorings and all the other crap designed to increase shelf life.

Yeast infection has been found in stubborn cases of allergies because the yeast proliferates and irritates the mucous in the intestines, causing it to become more inflamed and more permeable, allowing foreign proteins to enter into the blood.

The object of natural healing is to strengthen the entire system, especially the overburdened adrenal glands. If specific allergens exist, they need to be avoided where possible to allow the system time to repair itself and establish equilibrium.

If an isolated food that causes a reaction can be discovered, it needs to be eliminated. After doing this for a while, you can add them back to the diet slowly and in moderation, keeping your eye on any reactions.

There are also tests out there to diagnose allergies. Some are costly and all of them put together will not identify all allergies. There's the RAST (Radioallergosobent) Test, but you will need to know what your specific allergies might be. The Cytotoxic Test is a bit more effective than the RAST Test because it tests about 40 common foods. The problem is that one might produce a positive result and the other a negative result for the same food. Then there's the Pulse Test, which adheres to the concept of an allergic reaction causing the pulse rate to rise.

What many people try is the Elimination Diet and Fast. You would have to fast for about 5 days and then add foods individually back to the diet to observe a reaction via the pulse test (a rise in the pulse rate due to the adverse reaction to the food) or by only eating one food for several days to test for a negative reaction. The problem is that most reactions take about 5 days to settle down and 3 to 5 days to begin again. It is definitely not a simple or easy process but it is highly effective in accurate diagnosis.

Then, when you find out what you are allergic to, say bye bye to the food.

In any acute phase of allergic reaction, periods of juice fasting are very useful. The fast will eliminate toxins and establish equilibrium within the body. If you do this use organic veggies only. The primary vegetable used should be carrot with others added for variety. My favorite is carrot/apple/ginger juice because the apples make the juice sweeter.
Raw food vegetarian diets are very beneficial, alternated with the vegetable juice fast or a full hypoglycemia diet (see below), minus the allergic foods, because low blood sugar is a constant cause or coexistent factor in most people with rampant allergies.

Because food allergy is, in reality, a chemical, pesticide, additive, GMO, or color allergy, unsprayed, organic vegetables, fruits, and grains must be adhered to.

Hypoglycemia Diet:
The traditional low-carb, or high-protein diet so often advised is not the answer. What is needed is a high-fiber, unrefined, carb diet with adequate protein. Instead of three squares a day, six smaller meals are better, or three smaller meals with three snacks in between.

Dried fruits, fruit, fruit juices, and vegetable juices are all considered rapidly absorbable and should be eaten in moderation. In this case, no gluttony. Fruit should be eaten with some protein, like nuts. Fruit juice should be diluted with 80 percent water, and in small quantities. The rest of the diet should be vegetables, whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, bulgur, millet, and buckwheat, and protein like beans and lentils. Oatmeal and granola work fine as well. When you make oatmeal, it's okay to cook it with rice milk, bananas, blueberries, and strawberries. The sweetness of the fruit will permeate the oatmeal.

There is always a solution to the cause of a problem that can eliminate the necessity of drugs, which merely address a symptom and never the cause.

Aloha!

About the author:
I have been doing a weekly radio show in Honolulu since 1981 called "Health Talk". In 2007 I was "forced" to get a Masters degree in Nutrition because of all the doctors that would call in asking for my credentials. They do not call in anymore. Going to www.healthtalkhawaii.com enables you, among other things, to listen to the shows. I am an activist. In addition to espousing an organic vegan diet for optimum health, I am strongly opposed to GMOs, vaccines, processed foods, MSG, aspartame, fluoridation and everything else that the pimps (Big Pharma, Monsanto and the large food companies) and the hookers (the doctors, the government agencies, the public health officials, and the mainstream media) thrust upon us, the tricks.
After being vaccinated with the DTP vaccine as a child I developed asthma. After taking the organic sulfur crystals (they are harvested from the pine trees in Louisiana) in November of 2008 for 10 days my asthma reversed and has not come back over 4 years later, 18 cases, so far, of autism have been reversed, as has cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, osteoarthritis, joint pain, astigmatism, gum disease, increased sexual activity, heavy metal and radiation elimination, parasite elimination, free radicals elimination, faster athletic recovery time, increased blood circulation, reduced inflammation, resistance to getting the flu, reduction of wrinkles, allergy reduction, reduced PMS and monthly period pain, nausea, migraines and so much more. And it's only possible because of the oxygen it releases that floods the cells of the body. The sulfur, as proven by the University of Southampton in England, enables the body to produce vitamin B12 and the essential amino acids. You can find out more about this incredible nutrient also on my website - www.healthtalkhawaii.com -.
My book, "a Sane Diet For An Insane World", has been published. It can be viewed at
www.asanediet.com.