Читать книгу Allergy-Proof Your Life - Michelle Schoffro Cook - Страница 19

WHEN I FIRST MET my husband, Curtis, he suffered from severe seasonal allergies. Sneezing, sniffling, itchy eyes, and nasal congestion seemed to be part of his springtime routine. We moved in together about six weeks after our first date. Yes, it was quick, but we were and still are madly in love and have been together for nearly nineteen years now.

When we embarked on our first joint grocery order, we decided to “divide and conquer”: I picked up the fresh produce while Curtis tracked down the juice, pasta, and other staples. When he arrived back at the grocery cart, arms full of items on our list, I was shocked. I couldn’t believe the junk he had gathered. From sugar-loaded cranberry juice to white pasta and freezer pastry dough, I hadn’t expected so much junk from someone who was so fit and athletic. I said “that’s not juice” after noticing the sugar-water-cranberry solution, and we had a good laugh about our different eating styles.

Already a holistic nutritionist with a focus on the use of food to heal disease for several years by the time Curtis and I had that first grocery shopping experience together, I quickly realized that my sweetheart’s diet was playing a significant role in his allergy symptoms. I asked him if he would consider making dietary changes if they would likely help his seasonal allergies. Considering his love of the outdoors, as well as hiking, running, cycling, walking, he agreed.

I recommended eliminating all dairy products from his diet, including the ones hidden in his morning muffins and other baked goods that were a normal part of his diet. I also suggested that he significantly reduce all sugar from his diet for at least one month. My plan for Curtis involved eliminating all white-flour pastas and breads and any foods with trans fats and chemical food additives. I was impressed that he followed my plan to the letter for a full month. During that time, he observed that his allergies continuously improved and, by one month, were completely gone.

Curtis was pleasantly surprised that simply changing his diet reversed his seasonal allergies altogether. He also experienced more energy, increased vitality, better-quality sleep, and fewer headaches on this new eating plan. He stuck with the program most of the time but would occasionally enjoy a sugary treat. Curtis observed that if he ate too many of his old favorites, his allergy symptoms would come back, although they were never as severe as they once had been. And he felt empowered knowing that he could simply make dietary improvements and watch his seasonal allergies lift.

I have observed the dietary connection to seasonal allergies over and over again with many patients in my practice over the last twenty-five years. One eighteen-year-old young man exclaimed, “I can’t believe that just by eliminating dairy products and sugar my allergies are gone!” Although it may seem hard to believe, my experience proves otherwise. And as you’re about to learn, it is easier than you might think to eliminate these mucus-forming, allergy-aggravating foods from your diet. There are many excellent replacements for your favorite foods so you won’t feel deprived. I eat some of the best food of my life, even though I don’t eat dairy products and I rarely eat sweets made with sugar.