Have you heard people bragging that they do not have allergies, that they can eat anything they like, that nothing bothers them? Over the years I have watched what happens to these toughies. Many of them are no longer with us, because they have succumbed to a sudden stroke or to advanced cancer. Until that time, they lived in blissful ignorance while their bodies were bombarded with hazards with which they were unable to deal.
Allergies are recognized by various symptoms. The weakest part of our anatomy will display the first signs of being attacked by allergens. If your respiratory system is your weakest part, you may experience asthma, hay fever, sneezing, or a dripping nose. If your nervous system is weaker than your respiratory system, you may have migraines, backache, muscle pain, or hyperactivity. Many people are subject to digestive tract disorders like diarrhea or constipation. Others show metabolic problems like unexplained weight loss or weight gain, and others have skin disorders like rashes, hives, eczema, or boils.
All these symptoms are warning signs. Our body is trying to alert us to danger. What do we do when we hear a fire alarm? We get out of the danger zone and alert the fire department. No one would consider disabling the alarm instead, just so we would not have to listen to it. What do we do when allergy symptoms alert us of danger? Many people turn the alarm off by taking antihistamines. I would rather deal with the fire. When I recognize the symptoms of allergies, I try to find the source of the fire so that it can be extinguished before it destroys me.
Allergy Symptoms Are Fire Alarms
Have you heard people bragging that they do not have allergies? That they can eat anything they like? That nothing bothers them? Over the years I have watched what happens to these toughies. Many of them are no longer with us, because they succumbed to a sudden stroke or advanced cancer. Until that time, they lived in blissful ignorance while their body was bombarded with hazards with which it was unable to deal.
Many years ago I read somewhere that people with allergies don't die of cancer. I have been waiting to prove that statement wrong but so far have not found evidence to disprove it. Allergies trip the body's alarm system and force us to deal with a problem before it destroys us.
Allergies are recognized by various symptoms. Each body reacts to allergies differently. The weakest part of the anatomy will display the first signs of being attacked. Some of the best known symptoms are:
- respiratory disorders like asthma, hay fever, sneezing, drippy nose
- nerve disorder like migraines, backache, muscle pain, hyperactivity
- digestive tract disorders like diarrhea or constipation
- metabolic disorders like unexplained weight loss or weight gain
- skin disorders like rashes, hives, eczema, boils
These symptoms are warning signs. Our body is trying to alert us to danger. What do we do when the fire alarm goes off? It wouldn't be wise to turn it off or disable it. It is just as unwise to turn off the body's alarm system. We need to deal with the fire.
Poisons are not Allergens
My family physician has set me straight on this topic. I was talking to him about being allergic to herbicide and mineral spirits. Those are not allergens, he told me. They are poisons. They are harmful to everyone. The body is supposed to react to them. If yours doesn't, you have a serious problem. Your body is so confused that it is no longer able to distinguish between harmful and beneficial influences. Your body will need a thorough detoxification to learn to react normally.
The same is true for nightshade plants. They do contain poisons which are lethal in large doses. Some sensitive people react to very small amounts of that poison and are unable to eat eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes. They also get a rash from touching the leaves. The most sensitive of these people even react to potatoes which contain only minute amounts of the poison.
Determining Your Allergies
People with allergies are generally very sensitive. Many of them know to what they are allergic without being tested, because they feel an aversion to items containing the allergen. If foods are not enhanced with taste-pleasing additives, toddlers will choose those which are good for them and avoid the ones to which they are allergic. If they are allowed to listen to their bodies, they may retain this ability all their lives. Those who are forced to eat food which is harmful will soon turn into fussy or cranky children. They may
- get colicky
- vomit
- be unable to sleep through the night
- wet the bed
- display bright red cheeks
- sport the famous allergic shiner
The red cheeks and those dark eyes are often considered attractive in a baby. They shouldn't be. They signal the body's alarm system screaming for attention.
There is one reaction to allergens which is often overlooked. Being exposed to allergens causes a state of alarm in the body which creates a high. Many people enjoy that high and unconsciously long for it. It is therefore not unusual for people to crave the very foods to which they are allergic. It is imperative that you take an allergy test for the items which you crave.
I know of two allergy tests which are easy to administer at home. The first one tests for food allergies only and is very reliable for all ages. The second one can test for any allergen, but it is difficult to administer to little children and occasionally to people who insist on being uncooperative.
Food Allergy Test
I don't remember where this test originates, but I have known of its use in Canada since the fifties when it was featured in a well-known Magazine called "The Toronto Star Weekly."
On an empty stomach, first thing in the morning, take your temperature. Read it accurately and keep a record. Eat the food you wish to test, only one, e.g. tomato, or milk, or wheat, or yeast, or whatever you want to test. Don't test for composite food like cake or soup but for the ingredients individually. Record which food you ate. Take your temperature again in half an hour. Record it. If your temperature has gone up, you are allergic to that item. My temperature always goes up 1/2° F. Yours may be a different amount.
If your temperature remains unchanged, you are not allergic to the test item.
Skin tests are no longer considered reliable, I have been told. Test results vary from one time to another. There has never been any variation with the temperature test during my 40 years of experience with it.
General Allergy Test
A local holistic physician introduced us to the muscle strength test which can be used to determine which items are harmful and which are beneficial to your system. The offending items are not necessarily allergens. They might be poisonous or simply not be good for you. The test is based on the principle that beneficial influences make you strong and harmful influences sap your energy.
The test is usually carried out using an arm, but it can be administered on different muscle groups. You need someone to administer the test.
Get ready all the items you which to test. Place them in a container which does not give away the nature of the item. The physician who introduced the test used empty vitamin bottles. If the container is transparent, you will need to blindfold the person. Have him sitting or standing comfortably, stretching out the favored arm horizontally. Place the bottle in the hand, telling him to hold the arm up when you try to pull it down.
Apply firm but not excessive downward pressure to the arm. If the item is harmful to the person, he will be unable to hold up the arm. Apply the same amount of pressure for each item tested. Record the findings. Repeat the tests in random order to make sure the result was not just a function of surprise.
Weight lifters have a tendency to show off and keep their arm up at all cost. Explain to him that this is not a weight competition. We already know that he is strong. We just want to find out what makes him stronger. That approach appeals to their pride and usually works. Very young children have a hard time remembering to keep their arm up. The tests need to be made into a game and have to be repeated several times to check for accuracy.
You will find that people are strongest when wearing natural fabrics like cotton, wool, linen and weakest when wearing synthetic materials. My experience tells me, though, that the older synthetic fibers like nylon, banlon, and rayon, may not fall into this class. Various fragrances also influence the strength in one direction or the other. Synthetic fragrances and those derived from poisonous plants are always suspect. Digital watches sap strength whereas analog watches do not affect it. This phenomenon is explained in a book by Diamond, the same man who writes the Lemon-Aid books about cars.
Don't Stimulate the Immune System, Strengthen It
There has been much talk of jump-starting your immune system with stimulants such as echinacea. It is supposed to have marvelous results in combatting infections and colds. Well, that may be true for most people, but it does not offer the same benefits to allergy sufferers.
I have tried it. It does absolutely nothing for me. I therefore prefer to keep my purple coneflowers growing in the garden instead of digging up the roots. My immune system is working at an elevated level most of the time in fighting off poisons and allergens which surround me all day long. It cannot be revved up to work any harder. The echinacea is therefore wasted on me. I am happy that my system does not respond to this stimulant. If it did, I might have a problems. It might get overworked and break down completely.
I get excellent results, however, from foods which strengthen the immune system instead of stimulating it. I got some hints from German herbalists and I have done a lot of experimenting and have come up with a list of the remedies which have helped me the most.
- Raw garlic has proven to be my number one long term as well as emergency remedy. During an asthma attack, a crushed or chopped clove of garlic swallowed with a glass of water will restore breathing within 10 minutes. Even after many years of using this remedy, it has lost none of its original efficacy. As long as you do not hold the garlic in the mouth or allow your teeth to touch it, your friends will not be bothered by the odor.
- Bioflavonoids run a close second. They do not have an immediate effect like garlic, but they will do more to strengthen the system than any other food I know of. They are available at a much lower cost in North America than anywhere else in the world, because they are a plentiful byproduct of the citrus juice industry. They can be purchased in 1 gram tablets. They are the effective ingredient in vitamin C and will strengthen every cell in your body. They are derived from the pulp of citrus fruit, especially from the white of the peel which some people throw out. Flavonoids do not deteriorate in water as does ascorbic acid. If I have the choice of eating out a citrus peel or eating the juicy flesh, I choose the peel every time.
- Natural vitamin A protects against infection which is a major ingredient of allergic symptoms. Caution: Synthetic vitamin A is toxic.
- Natural vitamin E has been about twice as effective for me than the synthetic form, but I am not aware of any toxic effects of either.
- Zinc is the healing mineral. It has always been used in German homeopathic remedies and skin creams, at least during my lifetime.
- ***Stinging Nettle is the #1 natural remedy for allergy problems. You can drink it as tea, fresh or dried. The mild taste can be enhanced by the addition of mints or fresh ginger root, both of which relieve breathing problems. The nettle looses its sting when it gets limp. To cut the fresh plant, place each hand in a plastic shopping bag and use scissors.
Avoid the Common Allergens
There are many known substances which cause problems to many people. Some are allergens which only affect those who have developed an allergy to them. Others are poisons and should be avoided even if there is no apparent reaction.
I will be adding to this topic frequently, whenever I happen to think of something. It is impossible to remember more than a few items at a time.
Common allergens vary according to geographical regions and according to ethnic background. It is good to remember that foods which were foreign to our ancestors are likely to cause problems if eaten frequently.
- Wheat is a foreign food to people of northern European background. Some North American families have been eating wheat bread every day for several generations. No wonder that wheat is one of the most common allergens on this continent.
- Cow's milk is a perfectly good food, for calves, that is. Even some babies have no problems digesting it. At about age 2, we lose the ability to metabolize milk. Continued use of milk often leads to digestive problems such as constipation or diarrhea or respiratory such as mucous buildup and asthmatic reactions. Europeans prefer to eat or drink fermented dairy products such as buttermilk, yogurt, and well-aged cheese.
- Nightshade plants. Fruit such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant contain a poison which causes allergic reactions such as rashes and problems with muscle control. Potato allergies are not as common, but they are possible.
These foods should be first on your list for allergy testing.
Don't Develop New Allergies
A varied diet is the best protection against new allergies. A prominent and highly successful allergy specialist in Regina, SK, recommends the four-day rotation diet for everyone, but he makes it mandatory for his patients who already have allergies. Whatever you eat today, you should not eat again for four days.
I have noticed that people do not easily develop allergies to foods which their ancestors have eaten for hundreds of years. Allergies to foods originating with other cultures, however, are common. Wheat is one of the most common allergens to people of European background but not to people of Middle Eastern origin, where wheat comes from. I have always had a natural craving for products derived from rye, barley, oats, and buckwheat. Those have been eaten by my ancestors since time immemorial, and they make me feel good. I will never develop an allergy to wheat. I just don't like the taste and stay away from it.
The same is true for fruit. I have never been fond of citrus fruit, and bananas do not agree with me, but I certainly like to pig out on cherries and grapes. They were always plentiful where my family comes from.
Herbs are even more crucial. I believe that God put all the herbs which I need for my wellbeing in my environment. I do, in fact, feel an aversion to many of the oriental herbs. I therefore stick to the ones which grow in northern Europe, which is where I come from. If I need advice from a herbalist, I try to find one who got his training in Germany. I leave oriental herbalism for those people who come from the Orient. It is best for them.
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