Allergy Elixir

So it's been a long long time since I've written a post. But, over the past couple months I have really felt like it's time to write again. I am not a writer. That's my husband. Love him ;). I am just a woman with a passion for life, health, and beauty. I believe I have learned a lot over the past few years and wanted to share it for whoever is interested.

I am not a doctor, nor do I claim to know everything, or the science of all things. I just know what has worked for me. What I've tried. What I've done that has helped my skin, my body, my health. I do work for two amazing homeopathic doctors. One who takes the organic/au natural route on most things. The other who veers a little steeper to the modern medicine cures with holistic combined. I believe this has helped me in many ways to appreciate all the earth and modern medicine has to offer. But, on with the blog post. I just wanted to get that out there. :)

I live in Los Angeles, California and we are known for our beautiful beaches, Hollywood, awesome weather, and allergies! Yes Allergies. Ugh. That is how I truly feel about them. Ugh!

Growing up in Michigan I never had a problem with allergies. So after about 2 years of living in L.A. I started getting watery eyes, a runny nose, constant sneezing. It was awful and I couldn't figure it out. Who knew you could develop allergies? You think from living in China 3 years with all the pollution, my body would have developed them then. Nope. But alas, now I have allergies and it's not fun. Most of the time I'm fine but there are a couple weeks every few months when they try to rear their ugly head. So I started trying things. I didn't want to be put on an allergy pill the rest of my life. Allergies are the bodies immune response to something that maybe isn't toxic but the body thinks that it is and gives a reaction. (Here's Webster's def. -exaggerated or pathological immunological reaction (as by sneezing, difficult breathing, itching, or skin rashes) to substances, situations, or physical states that are without comparable effect on the average individual). Basically it's our body being super sensitive. 

So what can you do about it? Well, you can go on an allergy pill. I know people who swear by these and have a lot of success with them. For me personally, I wanted to try different things to see if I could forgo the allergy pill in favor of a more homeopathic and natural help. So here are 4 things that have tremendously helped me avoid allergies in Los Angeles.

1. Buy an air purifier - I cannot say enough about this. Do your research. Figure out what size you need for whichever room you have it in. I recommend the bedroom as you spend 6-10 hours a day in there. Heck why not get one for every room. They really do help. You can pick up a good one for $80-$100. I only have 1, but if my budget would allow I would have one in every bedroom and the living room. They really do help you breathe easier as they remove pollutants like dust, pollen, and mold spores from the air.

2. Make sure you have a great vacuum with a hepa filter. Again do your research. We were using a cheap $80 vacuum for the first 2 years of living in L.A. We never felt like it cleaned well. It didn't have a hepa filter. Not sure if this caused my allergies to develop or not, but I can't help but think it had something to do with it. We did a lot of research and got an awesome deal on a Dyson vacuum this past Black Friday. When we brought it home and gave it a spin in the living room, we were disgusted at what it picked up. And this was after we had just vacuumed with our cheapy vacuum. Don't be cheap on your vacuum. No seriously! Do your research, read reviews, and find a good deal. It is possible

3. Nasal Rinse Kit. Oh I love this one. It's so messy. Not really. Just use it in the shower. Neilmed has a great one. Not the neti-pot which is annoying to use. Get the "squirt" bottle. If I skip a few days of using it I can tell. It really clears the sinuses. Both my docs recommended it to me and we recommend it to all our patients who struggle with allergies or blocked sinuses. I try to use it every other day but my boss swears it works best used every day, even twice a day depending on how bad your allergies are.

4. The final thing I recommend is my favorite and also the title of this blog post. It's something I call The Allergy Elixir. It's a combination of water with peppermint , lavender, and lemon oils. This I learned through my own research and when I was introduced to essential oils. Now I must let you know that if you do use this elixir, make sure the essential oils you are using are pure grade and can be ingested. This is very important. I use Doterra. But I know Young Living is another good one and again there are more. Just do your research to make sure you have a pure product. When allergies do start to rear their ugly head I combine about 1-1.5 cups cool water, 1-drop peppermint oil, 1-drop lemon oil, and 1-drop lavender oil. I sip on it if I have time or I just drink it down if I don't. Immediately I feel relief and my sinuses feel clear and alive instead of congested and irritated. I swear by this elixir.

I will end with this. You don't have to suffer. Allergies are pesky and annoying and I still deal with them now occasionally. I also know that these 4 things have helped me tremendously and I hope if you try them they help you too.