Fog Lifted

As I slowly come out of an allergy-induced haze, I am mentally checking the boxes on my holistic cheat sheet of treatment options.  Which begs the question, why did I never slow down long enough to make an actual list? Maybe it was the sinus pressure that kept me from sitting up long enough to jot one down.  Maybe it was the foreboding transparency of just how unconventional I've become.  

Oh well.  Never too late.  Carpe diem.

I figure this will be nice to have documented when my descendants skeptically tell their kids that Great Great Grandma Bunny used to do all this crazy stuff to feel good.  I love the idea of Google dispelling future hearsay on my behalf.  Although I really hope that in 100 years most of this treatment protocol isn't crazy at all.  Is it too optimistic to think Reiki may one day earn the same modern shrug-off as, "I took some NyQuil last night?"  In either case, file this away in the time capsule.

• Saline.  Hopefully one day I'll live at the beach and this won't be the first line of defense, but I keep Simply Saline on hand.  It's got more zing than a squeeze bottle so you barely have time to flinch.  

• Essential Oils.  Lavender, lemon and peppermint make a nice allergy blend.  I've been using a drop of each on the bottom of my feet.  It was lovely.  Until I couldn't resist the urge to deeply inhale the lovely aromatic scent of the peppermint.  Helloooooo mucus membranes!  Don't try that one at home, kids!

• Chiropractic.  A really good adjustment can feel like a big "Whoosh!" radiating from the top down.  For everything from the pesky sinus headache to the all-encompassing football helmet of intense discomfort I use chiropractic.  

• Apple Cider Vinegar.  If there was a health coach version of the father in My Big Fat Greek wedding, that would be me.  Except instead of Windex I'm touting Bragg's ACV. There are seemingly endless uses for this product.  You can read about several of them here. When it comes to allergies ACV helps drain the lymphatic system.  Out, damn mucus!

• Massage.  Sometimes that lymphatic system needs a little extra coaxing.  Plus when you're down and out you can't have too much self-care, am I right?

• Green (or Pink?) Juice.  Ginger has tremendous anti-inflammatory qualities.  I like to alternate through the recipes in Jason's Vale's Funky Fresh Juice Book.  I recently stumbled upon this little pink gem:  Two apples, 1/4 medium pineapple, 2 stalks celery, 3cm ginger root, small handful raspberries, and small handful ice cubes. 

• NAET.  Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Techniques.  What is that?  Applied kinesiology with a side of acupuncture.  Does it work?  Ask the hundreds of breastfeeding moms who were relieved of their elimination diets and you'll get a resounding 'yes.'

• Reiki.  Can't have too much healing going on.  I will attest that given the chance your body has an incredible ability to reach homeostasis and heal itself.  

• Water, Water Everywhere.  I drink it, I soak in it, I sit in a room of the vaporized form... Normal rule of thumb in my book looks like this, but during periods of congestion I up the ante.

• Manuka Honey.  If I wasn't allergic to it!  Workin' on that (see NAET above). 

Hey, look at that!  Our first Top Ten List!  

So why go to all this effort?  Wouldn't popping a Zyrtec just be easier?  Yeah, probably.  In the short term.  But that's not why I'm here.  Sometimes it's more about paving a brighter future than the quick and dirty.  My mission is to turn your focus inward and encourage you to ask whether there's a better way. Would you believe me if I said that seemingly benign ragweed allergy my be an invitation into uncovering an even bigger inflammatory marker in your body?  I really like this whole article, but if nothing else, read the last section "More Than One Way to Heal" for some crunchy-good food for thought.

As for my ultimate goal?  Being 100% allergy-free would be nice.  Is it possible?  I'm not sure yet, but I'll die trying.  These days I live virtually free of environmental allergens (foods are another story...).  But that's a relatively new phenomenon for me.  What changed, you ask?  I discovered my "bigger inflammatory marker" and tossed it to the curb.  But we'll save that saga for another day.  

In the meantime I'm taking suggestions for new favorite flower now that lilies are on the Most Wanted List.  Please list your least ACHOO-inducing blooms below so Hubby has a thriving go-to list next time around.  

xoxo Rachel