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Note: This is my first attempt at summarizing what I have learned about coping with allergies through natural methods. Since then I have been working on a site for everyone, people who have allergies and those who are trying to make sure that they do not get allergies: Allergy Lifeline.
Many years ago I read somewhere that people with allergies don't die of cancer. I have been waiting to prove that statement wrong but so far have not found evidence to disprove it. Allergies trip the body's alarm system and force us to deal with a problem before it destroys us.
Allergies are recognized by various symptoms. Each body reacts to allergies differently. The weakest part of the anatomy will display the first signs of being attacked. Some of the best known symptoms are:
These symptoms are warning signs. Our body is trying to alert us to danger. What do we do when the fire alarm goes off. It wouldn't be wise to turn it off or disable it. It is just as unwise to turn off the body's alarm system. We need to deal with the fire.
The same is true for nightshade plants. They do contain poisons which are lethal in large doses. Some sensitive people react to very small amounts of that poison and are unable to eat eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes. They also get a rash from touching the leaves. The most sensitive of these people even react to potatoes which contain only minute amounts of the poison.
The red cheeks and those dark eyes are often considered attractive in a baby. They shouldn't be. They signal the body's alarm system screaming for attention.
There is one reaction to allergens which is often overlooked. Being exposed to allergens causes a state of alarm in the body which creates a high. Many people enjoy that high and unconsciously long for it. It is therefore not unusual for people to crave the very foods to which they are allergic. It is imperative that you take an allergy test for the items which you crave.
I know of two allergy tests which are easy to administer at home. The first one tests for food allergies only and is very reliable for all ages. The second one can test for any allergen, but it is difficult to administer to little children and occasionally to people who insist on being uncooperative.
On an empty stomach, first thing in the morning, take your temperature. Read it accurately and keep a record. Eat the food you wish to test, only one, e.g. tomato, or milk, or wheat, or yeast, or whatever you want to test. Don't test for composite food like cake or soup but for the ingredients individually. Record which food you ate. Take your temperature again in half an hour. Record it. If your temperature has gone up, you are allergic to that item. My temperature always goes up 1/2° F. Yours may be a different amount.
If your temperature remains unchanged, you are not allergic to the test item.
Skin tests are no longer considered reliable, I have been told. Test results vary from one time to another. There has never been any variation with the temperature test during my 40 years of experience with it.
The test is usually carried out using an arm, but it can be administered on different muscle groups. You need someone to administer the test.
Get ready all the items you which to test. Place them in a container which does not give away the nature of the item. The physician who introduced the test used empty vitamin bottles. If the container is transparent, you will need to blindfold the person. Have him sitting or standing comfortably, stretching out the favored arm horizontally. Place the bottle in the hand, telling him to hold the arm up when you try to pull it down.
Apply firm but not excessive downward pressure to the arm. If the item is harmful to the person, he will be unable to hold up the arm. Apply the same amount of pressure for each item tested. Record the findings. Repeat the tests in random order to make sure the result was not just a function of surprise.
Weight lifters have a tendency to show off and keep their arm up at all cost. Explain to him that this is not a weight competition. We already know that he is strong. We just want to find out what makes him stronger. That approach appeals to their pride and usually works. Very young children have a hard time remembering to keep their arm up. The tests need to be made into a game and have to be repeated several times to check for accuracy.
You will find that people are strongest when wearing natural fabrics like cotton, wool, linen and weakest when wearing synthetic materials. My experience tells me, though, that the older synthetic fibers like nylon, banlon, and rayon, may not fall into this class. Various fragrances also influence the strength in one direction or the other. Synthetic fragrances and those derived from poisonous plants are always suspect. Digital watches sap strength whereas analog watches do not affect it. This phenomenon is explained in a book by Diamond, the same man who writes the Lemon-Aid books about cars.
I have tried it. It does absolutely nothing for me. I therefore prefer to keep my purple coneflowers growing in the garden instead of digging up the roots. My immune system is working at an elevated level most of the time in fighting off poisons and allergens which surround me all day long. It cannot be revved up to work any harder. The echinacea is therefore wasted on me. I am happy that my system does not respond to this stimulant. If it did, I might have a problems. It might get overworked and break down completely.
I get excellent results, however, from foods which strengthen the immune system instead of stimulating it. I got some hints from German herbalists and I have done a lot of experimenting and have come up with a list of the remedies which have helped me the most.
I will be adding to this topic frequently, whenever I happen to think of something. It is impossible to remember more than a few items at a time.
Common allergens vary according to geographical regions and according to ethnic background. It is good to remember that foods which were foreign to our ancestors are likely to cause problems if eaten frequently.
These foods should be first on your list for allergy testing.
I have noticed that people do not easily develop allergies to foods which their ancestors have eaten for hundreds of years. Allergies to foods originating with other cultures, however, are common. Wheat is one of the most common allergens to people of European background but not to people of Middle Eastern origin, where wheat comes from. I have always had a natural craving for products derived from rye, barley, oats, and buckwheat. Those have been eaten by my ancestors since time immemorial, and they make me feel good. I will never develop an allergy to wheat. I just don't like the taste and stay away from it.
The same is true for fruit. I have never been fond of citrus fruit, and bananas do not agree with me, but I certainly like to pig out on cherries and grapes. They were always plentiful where my family came from.
Herbs are even more crucial. I believe that God put all the herbs which I need for my wellbeing in my environment. I do, in fact, feel an aversion to many of the oriental herbs. I therefore stick to the ones which grow in northern Europe, which is where I come from. If I need advice from a herbalist, I try to find one who got his training in Germany. I leave oriental herbalism for those people who come from the Orient. It is best for them.
and receive a discount.
Allergies: Disease in Disguise
5 Years Without Food : The Food Allergy Survival Guide
Dr. Braly's Food Allergy and Nutrition Revolution
The Complete Food Allergy Cookbook
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