This spring will be perfect for you—if you’re a bird or a bee.

If you’re a human who suffers from allergies, it has the potential to be a nightmare.

After we suffer through the tree pollens in March and April, grass pollens hit most of the country in May and June.

But, Mother Nature has a way of balancing things out. Even as she challenges your sinuses, she offers remedies to ease your pain.

Allergy-Fighting Foods

Try some of these foods known to naturally help with hay fever, congestion, and other allergic reactions when spring is in the air.

• Broccoli

  ​Bring on the broccoli when your sinuses are blocked.

  This member of the crucifer family is high in vitamin C: one cup of raw broccoli contains about 80 milligrams (mg).

  Research has shown 500 mg of Vitamin C daily can ease allergy symptoms.

• Citrus fruits

  Thanks to their mega-doses of vitamin C, citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, and grapefruits are good weapons in the quest to breathe freely when pollen and other irritants are in the air.

• Collard greens

  Collard greens offer allergy-fighting carotenoids.

  To help your body absorb their nutrients more readily, eat collard greens with a fat. Try sautéing them in extra-virgin olive oil.

• Elderberries

  Elderberries contain flavonoids that reduce inflammation.

  Ease your suffering by imbibing some elderberry wine, enjoying a glass of juice, or spreading some jam on toast or crackers.

• Garlic & Onions

  The quercetin in onions and garlic (apples too) acts like an antihistamine so it minimizes allergic reactions.

  Try roasted garlic or carmelized onions on a slice of pizza or with bruschetta.

• Miso soup

  Miso (and other broths) are known to help mitigate the mucus that builds up in the nasal passages during allergy season.

  Other mucus-clearing foods include spicy foods, such as horseradish, cayenne, or chili powder.

• Beets, purple/red grapes

  The anthocyanins that give certain foods, such as beets, purple or red grapes, berries, and cherries, their dark violet-like color have anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce swollen membranes that make breathing difficult.

Tea for Allergy Relief

A wide variety of herbal teas can ease seasonal allergy symptoms. Here are a few to try.

• Rooibos Tea

  Rooibos has components that naturally block the release of histamines.

  Rooibos is even thought to help allergy-sensitive systems to metabolize the irritants.

• Ginger Tea

  Ginger tea is a natural antihistamine that helps reduce nasal inflammation.

• Peppermint Tea

  Peppermint tea is a natural decongestant that can slow the production of histamines and the symptoms that go with them.

• Green Tea

  Green tea is rich in antioxidants and helps block the body’s reaction to allergens like pollen, dust, and animal dander.

Crohn’s disease and colitis are serious, complex, and potentially debilitating inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) that affect more than one million Americans.

Symptoms of IBD

They are characterized by physical damage and inflammation in the intestinal lining and both systemic and gastrointestinal symptoms

• diarrhea
• cramps
• digestive upset
• fatigue
• malnutrition
• unhealthy weight loss

Even though IBD can be life threatening and often requires medical treatment, it also tends to be responsive to diet changes, supplements, and herbs.

Our holistic goals are multifaceted:

• address nutrient deficiencies
• decrease inflammation
• decrease immune dysfunction
• heal the gut

...and, overall, to encourage healthy digestion and elimination.

How to Maintain Gut Health with IBD

• Avoid Problematic Foods

  Most holistic practitioners and patients find avoiding problematic foods is the most dramatic and effective way to get IBD under control.

  People with IBD often have underlying food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities, which cause digestive discomfort and may also increase inflammation and the body’s autoimmune response.

  Common problematic foods include coffee, gluten/wheat, dairy, and eggs, but people vary widely. You need to avoid only foods that actually bother you; no one diet works for everyone.

  Elimination-Rechallenge Dieting

  Consider an elimination-rechallenge diet and/or immunoglobulin G (IgG) food allergy and celiac disease testing to sleuth it out. Start by avoiding anything that irritates.

  After you heal your gut and are symptom-free for several months, you may find you can reintroduce some foods without issue.

• Address Nutrient Deficiencies

  Nutrient deficiencies and malnutrition are common in IBD, especially Crohn’s. Food moves too quickly through the digestive tract, and poor intestinal lining impairs the ability to absorb nutrients. Eating nutrient-dense yet easily digestible foods, plus taking targeted supplements, can help improve energy levels, immune function, gut repair, and vitality.

  Common nutrient deficiencies in IBD include:

  • vitamin B12
  • vitamin D
  • folate
  • calcium
  • magnesium
  • zinc
  • iron

  Start with a good-quality multivitamin/mineral designed for easy absorption. You may find you need additional specific supplements.

  Before taking iron or megadoses of other nutrients, have your levels tested.

• Boost Good Bacteria

  Probiotics are gut-healing allies. Beneficial bacteria help maintain good gut health and function, decrease inflammation, improve nutrient absorption, and encourage healthy immune function. Increasing research suggests that supplementing the diet with probiotics gradually shifts gut ecology for the better.

  • Consider a high-potency product that delivers both Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.
  • Eat more fermented vegetables:
    • kimchi and live sauerkraut
    • miso (fermented soybean paste) soup
    • yogurt and kefir (if you’re not dairy sensitive)
  • Ginger root encourages beneficial bacteria while fighting pathogens.
  • Fiber from food or supplements promotes good bacteria and helps normalize bowel movements and decreases IBD and colon cancer risk.

• Deal with Pathogens

  IBD and dysbiosis, an overabundance of pathogenic gut bacteria and yeasts, go hand in hand, worsening each other.

  Herbs for Pathogens and Dysbiosis

  If you have signs of pathogens and dysbiosis, the following herbs are used specifically and temporarily to deal with them:

  • high-berberine plants
    • goldenseal
    • Oregon grape root
    • coptis
    • barberry
  • oregano-like plants
    • bee balm
    • thyme
  • pau d’arco
  • clove
  • ginger
  • cinnamon
  • garlic
  • tannin-rich plants
    • various Rumex species
    • oak
    • alder

  Unlike antibiotic medications, these natural remedies are less likely to compromise good bacteria. You may want a practitioner’s guidance for pathogen identification and treatment options.

• Heal the Gut

  Promoting gut repair is an important aspect of managing IBD that conventional medicine ignores.

  • Slimy Herbs

    Slimy herbs are gut-healing stars because they soothe inflamed gut lining and promote tissue healing: licorice, slippery elm, marshmallow root, and aloe inner gel.

    (Aloe latex is a laxative and a gut irritant—counterproductive for IBD. Avoid whole-leaf preparations.)

    The slimy demulcent and mucilaginous properties of these plants are best extracted in water:

    • steep teas overnight
    • add them to drink mixes
    • try chewable tablets

  • Licorice

    Licorice heals the gut in multiple ways, but it can also cause hypertension and kidney issues when taken in high doses or long term. The offending compound is removed from DGL tablets, offering most of the healing properties without the safety concerns.

  • Supplements

    On the supplement front, the amino acid glutamine encourages gut repair, as do butyrate, silica/horsetail, gelatin, collagen, and bone broth.

  It takes time to heal the gut. You may notice immediate improvement, but these remedies should be taken long term, until you’ve been symptom-free for several months.

Taking the time to brew a hot cup of tea can help ease anxiety and stress.

Researchers have found that simply holding a warm mug gives you a more generous, kind demeanor and improves your perception of others.

Of course, the herbs themselves offer many other health benefits, aside from mental health management.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re in need of a stress-free tea time.

Different Types of Tea

The tea world can be divided in half: camellia and herbal.

• Herbal Teas

  Herbal teas contain no Camellia sinensis. Instead they are flavorful infusions of botanical roots, bark, leaves, seeds, and other plant parts.

  Technically, an herbal tea is known as a tisane. Rooibos, or red tea, constitutes its own province in this realm.

• Camellia Teas

  Camellia sinensis leaves are used for a variety of types of tea: black, oolong, green, and white.

  The differences between each involve various degrees of oxidation and how the tea leaves are processed.

  All these teas are rich in flavonols (plant-based antioxidants) like quercetin, kaempferol, and myricitin.

  • Black Teas

    Black tea leaves are oxidized up to four hours. Oolong oxidizes for two to three hours.

    During oxidation, camellia leaves evolve chemically, resulting in characteristic color and flavor changes.

    Due to oxidation, black tea has a stronger, more bitter taste than green or other teas.

    Benefits of Black Tea

    • Heart Health

      Several studies suggest drinking between three to five cups of this tea daily may support heart health.

      One study shows that those who drink more than 16 fluid ounces of black tea daily have a 50% lower prevalence of cardiovascular disease than those who don’t drink tea.

      Another study indicates that people who consume more than three cups of black tea a day can reduce their risk of having a heart attack by 43%, compared to those who don’t drink tea.

      Drinking black tea may also boost heart health by improving cholesterol levels. A U.S. Department of Agriculture trial found that those who drink five cups of black tea daily, while consuming a diet moderately low in fats and cholesterol, had a decrease in LDL cholesterol of 11% in only three weeks.

    • Bone Strength

      In addition, black tea seems to improve skeletal mass in older women.

      One study assessed bone mineral density (BMD) in tea drinkers and non-tea drinkers to find that tea drinkers had an average of 5% greater BMD than non-tea drinkers.

      Study authors suggest that tea’s flavonoids may influence BMD.

    • Stress Recovery

      Black tea may even assist the body in recovery from stress.

      Men who drank tea four times a day for six weeks had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their blood after a stressful event, compared to the control group that did not drink tea.

  • Green and White Teas

    Green and white teas, by contrast, are not oxidized at all but are steamed, rolled, and dried.

    Green tea comes from mature leaves. White tea results from immature leaves harvested prior to their opening fully, when the buds feature a fine, white, hair-like substance.

    Green and white teas are the least processed forms of true tea, giving them slightly less caffeine, more antioxidants, and greater health benefits.

    Benefits of Green Tea

    Perhaps the most notable tea for health is green. Many reports cite it for overall good health, possible cancer prevention, and other benefits.

    Green tea boasts more scientific research than any other tea, though it’s fair to assume white tea is at least as good. Matcha is a Japanese green tea that has ten times the nutritional value of regular green tea in terms of antioxidants and vitamins. 

    Green tea’s health-promoting properties are ascribed to the superior level of active catechins due to the leaves’ unfermented state.

    One active green tea substance, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), seems to prevent changes in cells that can lead to chronic disease.

    Drinking green tea regularly is linked to:

    • improved cognition
    • weight loss
    • immune function
    • improved mood
    • decreased inflammation
    • lower cancer risk
    • increased metabolism

Specific Stress-Free Teas to Try

• De-Stress with Tulsi

  This tea, also known as holy basil or sacred basil, is well-known in its native India and has recently become popular in the United States. It is planted in temples around India.

  The leaves and flowers have adaptogenic properties, which means they help the body adapt to stress, decreasing its effects.

  In addition to its calming and energizing properties, tulsi:

  • decreases inflammation
  • improves cognition and mood
  • lowers blood sugar
  • boosts immune function
  • balances cortisol (a stress and blood sugar hormone)

  Tulsi blends well with green tea. Steep the herb for five minutes or as long as you like.

• Savor Cinnamon Bark Tea

  Cinnamon bark makes a deliciously sweet tea that’s free of sugar and caffeine.

  It has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, and it lowers blood sugar by making cells more sensitive to insulin.

  Cinnamon is an astringent herb that tightens and tones the digestive tract in cases of diarrhea and leaky gut.

  If you’re making tea with plain cinnamon, seek the whole sticks or chips because the powder transforms into a mucus-like consistency.

  You can simmer cinnamon for 20 minutes or let it steep for an hour or longer.

• Revel in Hibiscus

  If you’ve tasted any red or fruity tea blend, you’ve probably sipped hibiscus.

  Also known as roselle and “rosa de Jamaica,” hibiscus comes from Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America.

  Sipped cold and sweetened, it helps keep you cool on a hot day. Unsweetened, it tastes more like tart cranberry juice.

  Hibiscus is made with the flower calyx of the plant, but it provides more fruit flavor and color than almost any dried fruit. It contains anthocyanin and bioflavonoid compounds similar to berries.

  Recent research has uncovered health benefits:

  • Hibiscus performs as well as several hypertension medications.
  • It also helps lower cholesterol and blood sugar.
  • Like cranberry juice, it may help prevent urinary tract infections.
  • Sipped with honey, it soothes sore throats.

Seek Good Vibes

The source of your tea matters. Organic teas will contain fewer pesticides and other synthetic farming agents while having a better impact on the environment.

Several popular tea brands have been under scrutiny for potentially containing illegal levels of pesticides.

For tea coming from far away, seek fair-trade options, which ensure that the people who grew your tea (often in developing countries) are treated and paid well.

Many herbal teas are available from farms that use organic methods and put good vibes into your tea. 

Good Vibes Matter

In one study, tea drinkers who drank tea “treated” with good intentions from Buddhist monks had greater mood benefits than those who drank tea made from the same ingredients but without the “treatment.”

Choose the Best Tea for You

While tea provides all sorts of benefits, some may be better for your lifestyle than others.

For example, tea has a small amount of caffeine. If this interferes with sleep, makes your heart go pitter-patter, or frays your nerves, consider naturally decaffeinated green tea or very lightly brewed white tea.

Be sure to research the ingredients in your brew, as well as the side effects they could cause, in order to embrace the best tea-drinking habit for you.

If you or someone in your family is experiencing constipation, you’re not alone.

Most of us will have trouble with this common affliction at some point in our lives.

Thankfully, there are natural ways to get things moving.

What Is Constipation?

Constipation is usually defined as a change in the frequency of bowel movements—the “normal” range is three times a day to three times a week.

Constipation can be acute or chronic, and is characterized by a host of uncomfortable symptoms:

• passing hard stools
• feeling bloated or full
• nausea
• abdominal pain
• strained bowel movements

What Causes Constipation?

These can all lead to bathroom trouble:

• dehydration
• lack of exercise
• illness or chronic disease
• high stress levels
• lack of dietary fiber

The Importance of Fiber

The most common cause of constipation is a low-fiber diet.

Fiber adds bulk to stool, making it easier to move along the digestive tract.

Americans typically fall short of the recommended daily fiber intake (25 g for women, and 38 g for men).

Consuming more high-fiber foods can relieve and even prevent constipation.

What Can You Do about Constipation?

It’s easy to boost your fiber intake by incorporating more vegetables, fruit (especially dried fruit), whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds into your diet.

You can meet your daily fiber needs with 2 cups of fruit and 2 ¹⁄₂ cups of vegetables per day.

Small changes can make a big difference. Easy ways to boost fiber intake for the whole family include:

• adding oats to baked goods
• adding fruit to cereal
• using veggies in stews or casseroles

Tips for Kids with Constipation

Constipation can be painful and stressful for children, but it is surprisingly common, affecting up to 30 percent of kids. Here are some ways to keep things running smoothly:

• Keep kids hydrated. Water is best, and it helps to soften stools.
• Boost fiber intake with whole grains, vegetables, and fruit.
• Warm foods at breakfast can stimulate digestion.
• Make movement a priority—kids should engage in at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day to encourage healthy digestion.

Every winter, many of us worry about catching a cold or flu. But with added concerns related to the COVID and RSV, people are thinking about preventive health more than ever.

Luckily, you can fend off cold, flu or other illnesses by living a healthy lifestyle and embracing immune-boosting foods and supplements.

Below, you’ll find a list of herbs, vitamins, and even a few delicious snacks that can naturally improve immunity.

Herbs and Supplements for Immunity

• Maitake Mushroom Extract

  Researchers studying stress's potential to reduce the immune system's ability to fight infection found that an extract of maitake mushroom stimulated phagocytes, white blood cells that target bacteria.

  A combination of extracts of maitake and the Ayurvedic herb ashwagandha proved even more effective at reducing stress and boosting immunity.

• Olive Leaf

  Olive leaf fights bacteria and viruses, and helps defend against colds and flu.

  Research suggests olive leaf's compounds can modulate the body's inflammatory response and promote peak immune system performance.

• Probiotics

  Gut-friendly bacteria are needed not only for a healthy digestive system but also for a robust immune system.

  Probiotics can be taken supplementally, or eat unsweetened yogurt with live cultures or drink kefir several times a week.

  Other cultured or fermented foods offer beneficial bacteria too.

• Vitamin C, D, and E

  The immune system requires C to function, and D and E support immunity.

  Vitamin C aids the production of anti-stress hormones and immune system proteins, and stimulates production of infection-fighting white blood cells.

• Zinc

  An essential mineral that promotes healthy immunity, zinc is found in every cell. Following zinc depletion, all kinds of immune cells show decreased function.

  Women need 8 milligrams (mg) of zinc a day and men need 11 mg. Pregnant or breastfeeding women need a bit more.

  If you feel yourself getting sick, lozenges containing zinc may help speed recovery from the common cold.

Immune-Boosting Foods

• Almonds

  Not only are almonds a delicious part of many meals and treats, but they also provide an all-natural dose of vitamin E that can support your body’s overall immune function.

• Elderberry

  Available as a supplement, elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is antioxidant-rich and contains vitamin C, a known immune booster. 

  Research indicates that elderberries may help prevent flu viruses from taking hold. If you do get sick, evidence shows that this herb with help you recover more quickly. It seems to work best when taken early in an infection.

  In her book, Herbs for Children's Health, world-renowned herbal educator Rosemary Gladstar says elderberries combined with echinacea "make a perfect immune-stimulating cold remedy for everyone in the family, including the youngest of children."

• Garlic

  That strong flavor comes from sulfur, which fights viruses and gives your immune system a healthy boost.

  Garlic enhances immune function to protect against infection and contains other substances (vitamin C, zinc) that support immune response.

• Green Tea

  This superfood offers impressive health benefits including immune support, according to research.

  Sipping tea is a good way to lower stress and relax, but you can also take this as a supplement.

• Oranges

  Oranges and other citrus fruits pack plenty of vitamin C, which helps fight infections.

• Salmon

  Salmon is a great source of vitamin D, which enhances cells that battle viruses.

  Salmon is also a terrific source of omega-3 fatty acids, which can boost brain and overall health.

• Yogurt

  Yogurt is a delicious snack or side that goes with many healthy foods.

  It’s also packed with immunity-boosting probiotic bacteria.

Adding Immune-Boosters to Your Diet

Incorporating nutritious foods and supplements doesn’t need to be hard. In fact, there are a handful of recipes that will help you do this naturally. Here’s one great example of a quick and yummy salmon dish.

For more on how to live a lifestyle that promotes immunity, check out this article for a plethora of healthy tips.

Collagen is a key component of the skin’s structure, responsible for keeping it firm and elastic. As we age, our bodies begin to slow the production of collagen, resulting in fine lines and wrinkles, and decreased moisture.

Eating a healthy diet, staying hydrated, and exercising regularly can help slow the process of collagen loss and dryness. Read on to learn how collagen supplements can play a part in maintaining healthy, youthful skin.

How Collagen Can Help Protect Skin

• Counteract Dryness with Collagen

  Research indicates that collagen supplements can help counteract the natural signs of aging. A group of healthy women with visible signs of aging were given a daily collagen supplement for 12 weeks.

  At the end of the study, their skin had improved dramatically, with fewer visible lines and wrinkles, and a significant decrease in dryness and scaling.

  Researchers concluded that collagen supplements helped to increase collagen production.

• Battle Fine Lines and Wrinkles

  To reduce skin wrinkles, Alexis Parcells, MD, recommends 2.5 daily grams of hydrolyzed collagen type I or a mixture of types I and II for demonstrated benefits after eight to 12 weeks.

  In a large, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, women who took a daily dose of 2.5 grams of hydrolyzed collagen experienced a 20 percent reduction in crow’s feet after eight weeks.

  Another outcome of the supplementation was that the women’s own production of procollagen—the precursor to collagen—increased by 65 percent.

• Collagen Boosts Nail Growth

  A recent study revealed that daily oral supplementation with collagen peptides improved symptoms of brittle nail syndrome (nails that are rough, ragged, and peeling).

  Participants saw their nail growth rate boosted by 12 percent, and a 42 percent decrease in the frequency of broken nails after supplementation.

  A whopping 88 percent continued to see improvements four weeks after the end of the treatment period.

• Collagen Can Improve Elasticity

  A 2017 pilot study determined that oral intake of a collagen supplement derived from eggshells can improve skin elasticity by 12 percent after five weeks of supplementation.

  All study participants reported satisfaction with facial skin softness—and a majority were satisfied with facial skin hydration, body skin hydration, and effects on hair—at the end of 50 days of treatment.

• Peptides: Skin Deep

  Several studies have shown that oral supplementation with collagen boosts collagen peptide levels in the blood, and now a new study confirms that those peptides show up in the skin, as well.

  Using a mouse model, researchers were able to observe collagen peptides in blood plasma and skin and determined that, “. . . functional peptides can be transferred to the skin by dietary supplements of collagen.”