Springtime is almost here! Spring is my favorite time of the year. I love to see everything turning green again, all the colorful flowers and trees budding and blooming, warm days and cool nights, longer days and later sunsets, I love it all! Well except one thing that is…allergy season!
That is the one thing though that is not so lovable about springtime to me and to many others. For a brief period of time during spring, because of all the pollen produced by all the beautiful flowers and trees, springtime means misery. Itchy eyes, runny nose, itchy skin, headaches, earaches, sneezing and coughing are some of the reasons it can definitely be a miserable time for some. Everybody suffering from these symptoms is looking for relief. Most people find that relief with prescription and non-prescription medications such as anti-histamines, steroids, nasal sprays, or injections. Because of the side effects associated with these medications, more and more people have been seeking out and inquiring about natural alternatives. Over the past several years, I have discovered quite a few good natural alternatives for allergy symptoms that I will share with you over the next several blog posts. One of the best things you can do to lessen the severity of allergy symptoms is to take preventative measures now. I and many others have found the following preventative recommendations to be very helpful, and I have no doubt that you will as well if you take the time to implement them now.
First there are several common sense things you can do to lessen the amount of pollen you are exposed to. If at all possible try to stay indoors on the days when the pollen is at its worst and make sure you have new filters in your heating and cooling systems that are designed to trap more of the pollen that can enter into the house. If you do have to be outside there are pollen masks that you can purchase at your local pharmacy.
The second recommendation is to find a bee keeper in your area and buy some honey from him or her. Even though there are no scientific studies to prove it, raw unprocessed local honey can be very helpful in preventing the allergy symptoms. I have tried this and know many others who have as well, and they will tell you that it does make a big difference. My suggestion would be to take at least a teaspoon of local honey two to three times a day starting now before allergy season is in full bloom and to continue throughout the season. Honey has been around since the beginning of time and is spoken about in the Bible on several occasions and has been used throughout history for various medicinal purposes.
Proverbs 24:13 – My son, eat honey, for it is good, Yes the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste
There are many references to the Promised Land, the land Moses was leading the Israelites to after leaving Egypt, being a land flowing with milk and honey.
In 1 Samuel 14, Johnathan, after winning a great battle against the Philistine army, is walking through a forest that was oozing with honey, the Bible says. You can imagine how exhausted Johnathan would have been having just fought a battle, and in verse 27 it says, “so he reached out the end of his staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.” Now that is the kind of honey that I want, honey that replenishes your energy!
If you have a local farmer’s market in your area, that is a great place to look for a local beekeeper selling their raw unprocessed honey and a great way to support local business as well!
Healthy Blessings,
Dr. Phil
P.S. The latest episode of the Feeling Good Podcast is live now! Check it out today
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