Allergy season morning drink

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P-1H64KTLg]
As I write this, we received a fresh new layer of snow and it’s looking like winter again…

However, this past week was BEAUTIFUL and we saw a lot of snow melt. I could feel my eyes and nose starting to get itchy so I quickly switched into allergy season mode. My usual morning detox drink has been replaced with this allergy concoction: stinging nettle infusion, local honey and a squeeze of lemon. I’m not really sad about it because it tastes sooooo good – way better than the detox drink!

The concoction is actually a stinging nettle infusion, which means the herb matter sits in boiled water for several hours to pull all of the nutrients out. I usually make mine in the evening and drink it the next morning. To make the infusion, use 1 part stinging nettles to 4 parts boiled water. Place in a glass container (I use mason jars).

• Stinging nettles: In addition to being great for allergies, a nettle infusion also has a bunch of  fringe benefits. “Nettle rebuilds the adrenals and the kidneys, keeps the blood vessels flexible, shines up the hair, improves skin tone, nourishes the immune system, and moderates or eliminates most allergies.” (source)
• Local honey: I stress the word “local” because you want to be exposing yourself to pollen from your area. You are using the principle of homeopathy where like cures like. “When a person eats local honey, they are thought to be ingesting local pollen. Over time, a person may become less sensitive to this pollen.” (source)
• Lemon: The benefit of lemon on allergies stem from its role in strengthening the immune-system and its high levels of vitamin C. Oh, and it just helps make the drink taste delicious.

The benefits from this drink are not going to be immediate so I use high-quality essential oils to manage my acute symptoms. A diluted blend of lemon, lavender and peppermint goes on my chest and under my feet 2 – 4 times per day. I’ve also been having great results with a drop of Arborvitae under my feet morning and night.

This weekend, I am going to add Quercetin supplements to this regime which have been very helpful to me in the past. Quercetin has amazing anti-histamine properties.

How do you naturally deal with seasonal allergies?

M.