Spring and summer are such lovely seasons: birds start chirping again, the weather gets warmer, flowers start blooming, and it finally gets nice enough to spend time outside again.
For all the wonderful aspects of spring and summer, there are also a few not-so-great parts — specifically, seasonal allergies.
If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you know how miserable they can be. Having seasonal allergies can feel like having a head cold, but for weeks or months at a time.
You get a runny nose, your eyes get watery, your head gets all stuffed up, and you might even get an itchy or sore throat. There's no easy way to put it: seasonal allergies are just terrible.
If you find yourself popping allergy pills all spring, there are actually some natural things you can start doing to combat your seasonal allergies, like eating these specific foods.
Read on to find out more about which foods can help fight allergies!
Thumbnail Photo: Wikimedia / mcfarlandmo // Wikimedia / Simon A. Eugster
Seasonal Allergy Food #1: Local Honey
Many people know that local honey can help fight seasonal allergies, but why?
According to WebMD, locally produced honey contains pollen from local flowers and plants that may cause seasonal allergies.
When you consume small doses of local honey early in the season, it may help you develop a tolerance to the local pollen.
Seasonal Allergy Food #2: Tomatoes
Sarah Baker, a plant-based nutrition and health coach, told Fox 32 Chicago that some of the best foods for fighting allergies are ones that contain quercetin.
Quercetin is an antioxidant found in many fruits and veggies. It not only fights off free radicals, it also lowers our bodies' reaction to histamine (like a natural antihistamine).
One food that contains a lot of quercetin is tomatoes! So, fill up on this tasty red veggie to help with your allergies.
Seasonal Allergy Food #3: Green Tea
Sarah Baker explained that when our immune system senses an allergy, it releases histamine, which protects our bodies.
Histamine then causes those annoying reactions in your body, like a runny nose, itchy eyes, etc.
Another food that contains the histamine-lowering quercetin? Green tea!
Sarah recommends that instead of immediately reaching for a cup of coffee in the morning, you should think about pouring yourself a cup of green tea instead.
Seasonal Allergy Food #4: Dark Leafy Greens
You guessed it, dark leafy greens are also high in quercetin.
Dark leafy greens are healthy for so many reasons — they're one of the best veggies you can eat — but the fact that they can also help with seasonal allergies is just one more incredible benefit.
Seasonal Allergy Food #5: Berries
If you're not a veggie fan, you're in luck — there are plenty of fruits that are high in quercetin as well.
Berries — like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries — contain large amounts of quercetin, so they can also help fight your seasonal allergies.
Seasonal Allergy Food #6: Pineapple
Pineapple, which doesn't contain quercetin, actually has a different method of fighting seasonal allergies.
Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down protein and minimizes irritations from allergies.
The bromelain in pineapple can minimize your swollen/itchy eyes, redness, and runny noses.
Seasonal Allergy Food #7: Avocado
Foods that are rich in magnesium, like avocado, can help relax your muscles and open up your airways.
If you ever notice that your throat or chest feel tight from allergies, turn to magnesium-rich foods for relief.
Seasonal Allergy Food #8: Oatmeal
You might think that the only magnesium-rich foods are fruits and veggies, but there are actually a lot of other foods that contain plenty of magnesium as well.
One such food is oatmeal. That means that during allergy season, you might want to start your morning off with a healthy bowl of oatmeal!
Seasonal Allergy Food #9: Beans And Nuts
Other magnesium-rich foods include beans, nuts, and seeds!
But if you have a little more of a sweet tooth, you might be surprised to know that dark chocolate is actually rich in magnesium as well!
So yes, dark chocolate can actually fight off seasonal allergies!
All-Around Healthy Diet
If you consider all the foods that help with seasonal allergies, you might notice that they all have one thing in common: they're all natural, healthy, and delicious!
Are you excited to try to fight allergies with these tasty foods? Please SHARE this article with your friends and family!
