Anyone that suffers with hay fever or other types of seasonal or atmospheric allergies will testify that an allergy is much more than a nuisance – it can make one’s life miserable. While the specific irritants may vary from one individual to the next, most people complain of the same symptoms: sneezing, watery eyes that itch, fluid retention, swelling, sinus congestion and irritation.
In some rare and extreme allergy cases, a life threatening infection can develop. This only adds to the fear and anguish suffered by those with allergies. With such a wide variety of symptoms it is easy to understand why the allergy business is booming. Most pharmaceutical companies now have their own form of an ultimate allergy cure available; but the problem is that most of these medications come with a long list of side effects, including drowsiness, which limits the convenience of the use of the medication.
If you happen to be like millions of other people you are looking for natural ways to remedy and deal with your health issues. The good news is that even with allergies, there are ways to do just that. To begin, the simple solution is to avoid the irritants – but of course, living in a real world, that is not always possible.
Besides prescription drugs there is a wide range of over the counter medications available. The problem is that many of these also contain ingredients that can cause drowsiness or have other unpleasant side effects.
There are some great herbal remedies for the various symptoms suffered due to allergies. Chamomile is a natural antihistamine and it also works to calm the nerves. On the flip side, chamomile belongs to the ragweed plant family, so anyone allergic to ragweed should avoid this remedy.
Your grandmother or mother may have told you about garlic and honey, this is an age old home remedy that seems to work very well. Garlic has decongestant properties and honey works to fight against everyday allergens – together these ingredients make the perfect remedy. Just steep one crushed clove of garlic in a cup of water, stir, then mix in one or two teaspoons of honey.
Ginger is known to boost the immune system and reduce the production of histamine. Ginger should be one of the first ingredients sought by anyone using natural allergy remedies.
Green tea keeps getting good press – and for good reason. In this case, green tea can help provide resistance against irritants that cause allergy attacks because the tea possesses a natural histamine blocker. If mixed with peppermint oil or leaves the user will also get the benefit of a decongestant that does not cause drowsiness.
Because dealing with flare ups is not fun, most allergy sufferers agree that being proactive is better than reacting to the symptoms. This means being alert to the irritants in your environment and either avoiding them or minimizing your exposure in whatever way possible. But when flare ups do occur you can relax in knowing that there are various solutions available.
It sounds too good to be true right? To lose weight without undergoing those nerve-wracking diets they advertise in TV and magazines. But before you get ahead of yourself, remember that no good thing comes too easily. You have to work hard on disciplining yourself to work towards losing those excess pounds and keeping them off. With that said, I give you these tips.
Important things to remember
People have an idea that just undergoing a diet plan will solve their weight problem but the fact is dieting per se is just a temporary measure and a very ineffective one. What most diet plans do is cut a lot of calories the food that you eat. This in turn alerts your body and puts it in starvation alert – meaning it slows down metabolism to make all the use it could get with the minimized ration of calories given it.
So once you get the weight off and thus go back to your normal feeding routine, your body goes on overdrive to get back all the lost calories and then some. So you end up heavier and bigger than you were before. Also, eating but being sedentary isn’t healthy at all. It is this sedentary lifestyle that makes you gain weight in the first place. Lastly, fat loss gained through a slow and steady progress is fat that will never come back. This involves inches lost and not pounds lost. A pound of muscle is more dense and more compact than a pound of fat. Our true goal is to lose body size by building muscle and getting thin.
Un-diet
Well, the fact that I say un-diet here is because there is no drastic change in your diet needed to proceed with this regimen. You just have to put everything in balance and you can gradually change it so that you can easily get accustomed to it over time, and eventually become a permanent part of your lifestyle.
The first thing that should be part of your new feeding system, to call it so, is fiber. Fiber can be obtained from eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains. You can start by eating a fresh apple or two a day until you get used to it. There are a number of benefits from an increase intake of fiber to help you lose your weight. Among these is relief from constipation and, consequently, hemorrhoids, prevention of disease like heart disease, diabetes, even cancer, and , most importantly, it helps in weight management. Eventually, regular intake of fiber could make hunger more manageable.
If you’re taking multi-vitamins, keep at it. Studies have shown a correlation between weight loss and constant intake of multi-vitamin supplements. Though there seem to have no conclusive report yet, it would not hurt to give it a try.
Another small change would be the amount of calcium you take in a day. You can simply increase your milk and dairy intake or, if you’re lactose intolerant, you can stock up on almonds and bony salmon. It is said that calcium burns fat through a chemical process call thermo genesis. Just make sure that it’s low-fat / non-fat milk though.
It is important to try to keep everything you eat in balance. Remember that And if you have eating food with low calorie counts do not necessarily mean that you should eat significantly less amount of food. You can still enjoy your favorite dishes by tweaking them a bit. Try substituting grilling or broiling to deep frying or maybe switch the high-calorie ingredients with their low calorie counterparts. You can experiment with this and have fun with it at the same time.
If you have some special dietary needs, always make sure to have a talk with your health care provider so he can give you a proper run down of the nutrients that you need and you two can make a weight loss plan from that.
Feel the burn
Another component to weight loss is movement. You have to be active to burn all excess calories. But you don’t need to punish yourself by running marathons on the treadmill; you can start by having a relaxing walk. Remember, that we’re aiming for gradual weight loss and walking will help you lose weight gradually. Also it is something pretty simple to do and you can do it anytime. Not to mention the peace of mind that walking so often gives. But if you want to have more fun, you could sign up for yoga or dance classes. You would burn the calories you need to burn, you also get a good cardiovascular workout and a lot of fun to boot.
Mind over Matter
Another important component for this system to work is your own mind. I don’t want to sound new age but it is the truth. Training and exercising your mind can greatly help you in achieving your goal.
Try to set aside a time once a day, maybe 10 minutes, where you will do absolutely nothing but listen to yourself breathe in and out. This exercise builds your concentration and makes you more aware of your body and it’s subtle hints. Try it as a daily exercise. It could help you reduce stress and tension. It will take quite a while before you get a hang of this but once you get to know your body, you’ll be more aware when you’re hungry and when you’re full, thus eliminating overeating and binges. Be aware though that this could probably the hardest part to do. It is best to have someone to help you though this to coach you on and give you the support you need.
Trying to lose weight is and to become fit is hard work but once you reach your goal, you are not only rewarded with a gorgeous body, you are also given the benefit of a longer life. Yet, with all that said, remember to love your beautiful yourself as you are.