If you “sneeze” and “wheeze,” there is usually more to the story than simply encountering pollen, ragweed or dust.  Allergies and asthma are a sign that your immune system is working in overdrive and there are several reasons why this can occur.

Understanding Allergies
Allergies are your body’s reaction to allergens, particles your body considers foreign. When your body encounters an allergen, your blood plasma cells release IgE (immunoglobulin E) which attaches to mast cells.

Mast cells are immune cells that are found in great numbers in your surface tissues, such as in your skin and in the mucous membranes of your nose and throat. When mast cells become activated, they release a powerful cocktail of histamine, leukotrienes, and prostaglandins, which trigger the entire cascade of symptoms you associate with allergies: sneezing, wheezing, runny nose, sore throat, hacking cough, itchy eyes, etc.

Pollen, mold spores, dust, airborne contaminants, dust mites, pet dander, environmental chemicals, cleaning products, personal care products and certain foods can all cause allergic reactions. Every person is different in what he or she reacts to or whether they even react at all. It turns out, what you eat can determine how you react.

The Foods You Eat Can Determine How You React
You have probably heard us talk about how certain foods can cause an inflammatory reaction within the body leading to illness and disease.  It turns out this same mechanism can be responsible for triggering allergies and asthma.

The foods and beverages most notorious for causing inflammation are sweets, sugary drinks, baked goods, grains and grain products including bread, pasta, rice, etc., trans fats/hydrogenated oils, and vegetable and seed oils.  These items cause an increased production of IgE, the primary chemical that leads to allergy symptoms.

Consider Taking The Paleo Challenge to Become Allergy-Free
We are big proponents of the paleo diet.  This is basically the same diet that humans had in the Paleolithic time period.  Also known as the caveman diet, eating paleo involves eating the same foods that were available at the time.  They include fish, meat, poultry, vegetables, fruit and nuts.

Many people have adopted a paleo lifestyle and have lost weight, lowered blood pressure and cholesterol naturally, reversed chronic diseases and experience far fewer allergies and asthma symptoms.

Click HERE for a complete list of foods that can help reduce inflammation, allergies and asthma.  Besides eating the right foods, TAKING THE RIGHT SUPPLEMENTS can also make a difference in allergies and asthma.