Photo by Caroline Hernandez on Unsplash
In short: Seasonal allergies happen when your immune system reacts to pollen and releases histamine, which gives you the sneezing, the itchy eyes and the runny nose. Food can’t switch that off, but a plate rich in colourful fruit and vegetables, some fermented foods, plenty of water and a few simple habits at home can make the season more comfortable. They work alongside the advice of your doctor or pharmacist, not in place of it.
The first warm day of spring. The trees are in blossom, everyone is opening their windows, and you’d love to have your coffee outside. Then it starts: a tickle in your nose, three sneezes in a row, eyes that itch and water, a scratchy throat. By the evening you feel as if you had a cold, and you know it will be like this for weeks.
What makes spring so beautiful for many people brings real discomfort for those with seasonal allergies. If that’s you, here is what you can do in your kitchen and in your home to make these weeks easier.
What happens in your body during an allergy?
An allergy is your immune system being overprotective. It meets something harmless, such as grass or tree pollen, and treats it as an intruder. In response, your body releases a substance called histamine. Histamine is what causes the symptoms: sneezing, a streaming or blocked nose, tingling eyes, an itchy throat.
Antihistamines are medicines that block the action of histamine. They help many people. Some of them can make you drowsy, and if that bothers you, your pharmacist can tell you about the different kinds. Please don’t stop a medicine you’ve been prescribed because you’d like to manage “naturally”. The two go together very well.
Which foods are worth eating in allergy season?
No food is an allergy medicine. Still, some foods contain substances that are of real interest here, and you probably have most of them in your kitchen already.
Foods rich in vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of the nutrients your immune system relies on, and it’s found in many fruits and vegetables:
peppers
broccoli and cauliflower
citrus fruits
kiwi
strawberries
cantaloupe melon
tomatoes
winter squash
It doesn’t keep well in the body, and it doesn’t like long cooking, so eat some of these every day, and some of them raw or lightly cooked. I explain why colour on your plate matters so much in my article on eating a rainbow.
Pineapple
Fresh pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain, mostly in the core and the juice. It’s traditionally associated with easing swelling, especially in the sinuses. Bromelain is also sold as a supplement, and for that, ask your doctor or pharmacist first. A few slices of ripe fresh pineapple are simply a pleasure.
Fermented foods
A large part of your immune system lives in your gut, and fermented foods help to look after the bacteria there. You could try:
yoghurt
kefir
sauerkraut or kimchi
kombucha
natto
Begin with small amounts, a spoonful of sauerkraut with your lunch for instance. A few people with allergies find that fermented or aged foods don’t agree with them, because these foods contain histamine themselves. If that’s you, leave them out. If you’d like to make your own, I share my recipe in fermented foods for beginners, and I explain the gut side in the gut health trio.
Foods that contain quercetin
Quercetin is a natural plant pigment, found in many fruits, vegetables and teas. It’s often mentioned in connection with allergies. You find it in:
apples, with the skin on
berries and grapes
red onions
broccoli and peppers
green tea and black tea
buckwheat tea
Did you notice how often peppers, broccoli and berries appear in these lists? You don’t need anything exotic. A salad with red onion and peppers, an apple in the afternoon, a cup of green tea: that’s already a lot.
Are there foods to go easy on?
Any food you’re allergic to must of course be avoided completely.
Beyond that, it’s very individual. Alcohol is the one that most often seems to make hay fever feel worse, and wine in particular. Some people also react to the sulphites used as preservatives in wine, dried fruit and some processed foods. Others find they feel more congested when they eat a lot of sugar or very processed food.
You’ll often read that dairy, wheat, caffeine or chocolate should all go. I wouldn’t cut out whole food groups on that basis. What suits one body doesn’t suit another. Watch how you feel, write it down for a couple of weeks if you like, and change only what truly makes a difference for you.
One more thing to know: some people with a pollen allergy notice an itchy mouth when they eat certain raw fruits, vegetables or nuts. If that happens to you, mention it to your doctor.
What helps at home during pollen season?
The less pollen reaches you, the less your body has to react to. These habits are simple, and together they add up.
Drink water through the day. When you’re short of water, mucus becomes thicker and harder to clear. Keep a glass or a pot of herbal tea within reach. More on this in how staying hydrated helps your mood and energy.
Limit your exposure on the worst days. When pollen is high, or on dry, windy days, stay indoors when you can. Sunglasses help your eyes, and a mask helps if you have to garden or mow.
Shower before bed. Pollen and dust sit on your skin and in your hair. Wash them off, so that you don’t take them to your pillow.
Wash clothes and bedding often. Change when you come home, and on high-pollen days dry your laundry indoors.
Wipe down your pets. Dogs and cats that spend time outside come back covered in pollen. A damp towel over their coat at the door makes a difference.
Think about your floors. Carpet holds dust and pollen that a vacuum cleaner doesn’t fully remove. If your symptoms are strong every year, a hard floor that’s easy to wipe may be worth considering, at least in the bedroom.
Clear the clutter. Fewer things on surfaces means less dust. Start with your bedroom. If you’d like a gentle push, read my minimalist spring cleaning.
Keep doors and windows closed when pollen is high or the wind is up. Air the house after rain, when the air is cleaner.
Try this today
Put a red pepper, a kiwi and an apple on your shopping list.
Swap your evening glass of wine for a herbal tea this week, and see whether your nose notices.
Shower and wash your hair tonight before bed, and put a clean pillowcase on.
Close the bedroom window during the day and open it after dark or after rain.
Frequently asked questions
Can food replace my allergy medication?
No. Food and home habits can support you and may make the season more comfortable, but they do not replace medicines your doctor or pharmacist has recommended. Never stop a prescribed treatment on your own, in particular if you also have asthma.
Which foods are worth eating more of in pollen season?
Colourful fruit and vegetables rich in vitamin C, such as peppers, broccoli, kiwi, citrus and strawberries. Apples, berries, red onions and green tea. Fresh pineapple. And fermented foods such as yoghurt, kefir and sauerkraut, if they suit you.
Should I cut out dairy, wheat or sugar?
Not as a rule. Some people notice that alcohol, a lot of sugar or very processed food makes their symptoms feel worse, and others notice nothing. Watch your own reactions, and ask for professional advice before removing whole food groups.
What can I do at home to reduce pollen?
Keep windows closed when pollen is high or the wind is strong, shower and wash your hair before bed, change your pillowcase often, dry laundry indoors on high-pollen days, and wipe down pets when they come in.
When should I talk to my doctor?
See your doctor or pharmacist if your symptoms spoil your sleep or your days, last for weeks, or are not eased by what you are doing. Wheezing, a tight chest or a cough at night should always be checked. Difficulty breathing, swelling of the lips, tongue, face or throat, feeling faint, or a sudden widespread rash are an emergency: call the emergency services straight away.
Would you like some help?
Eating with the seasons, with plenty of colour and foods that look after your gut, is one of the things we work on in my group programmes in nutrition and health, such as Six Tuesdays in Montignac. If you’d like to hear when the next group opens, write to me at hello@catherinepolet.coach.
Would you rather work one to one? I also coach online. Book a free 20-minute call, and we’ll look at what’s on your plate through the year, so that spring can be a season you enjoy again.
About Catherine
I’m Catherine Polet, a holistic nutrition health coach, yoga and autogenic training teacher for more than 30 years, author and speaker. I help people find a way of eating and living that suits their own body, online in English, French, Spanish and German, and in person in Southwest France.
