For most of us, spring signifies a time of rebirth.  The dying and gloomy days of winter bring emotion and reflection to our souls, preparing us for change, and a new outlook toward growth and rejuvenation for the year ahead.  We clear out our houses and minds of unwanted clutter, and fill them with goals and aspirations for the future.  Spring is a time for clarity and optimism.  However, for those with seasonal allergies, spring can be anything but clear.  Instead, we are clogged with mucus and plagued with chronic fatigue that can drain us of our life-force. 
     Three years ago, my husband, two children and myself were among those suffering.  My husband and teenager were on the extreme end, with debilitating tree pollen allergies that kept them fearful of the outdoors for 3 months of the year, or relying on nasal sterols for relief.  My younger son would suffocate with lung mucus, dependent on steroid inhalers until the season passed.  My own seasonal allergies were mild in comparison, but a dusty room could send me on a sneezing and itching rampage for hours.
     After beginning the Paleo diet, we were filled with a new sense of hope and control over our health.  I had long been intrigued with the power of food and nutrition, and its role in governing the inner-workings of our bodies and minds, but to physically see such powerful results in such a short period of time was an awakening.  You truly ARE what you eat, and making the wrong choices will, over time, wreak havoc on every aspect of your being.  With that in mind, I came to understand that this same concept outlines the pathway back to optimal health as well. And so began my journey.
     From what I have come to understand, allergies, whether food or seasonal, are responses from an over-active immune system.  The more bogged down and drained our immune system is, the less power it has to effectively deal with outside influences, and the more reactive it will be to these harmless particles. So the big question is:  What is bogging down our immune systems?
    Although each of us may have unique and differing factors affecting our bodies, there are some that are nearly universal. Stress, poor sleep patterns and lack of sunshine are a few of the more obvious.  However, most of us fail to recognize the fact that our digestive system, constantly bogged down with poor digestion, inflammation, and toxins, will utilize the bulk of our immune energy.  New research is also finding that the microbial populations residing within our gut have the most profound influence, not only on our digestion, but on our immune system as a whole.  This is unfortunate for many of us Americans who have grown up on undernourished, chemical-laden diets, medications, bouts of antibiotics, and fanatically sterilized environments. Most of our guts are full of pathogenic bacteria, parasites and fungus, and increasingly depleted of the beneficial bacteria which play such an important role in our health.  This in turn leads to sluggish digestion and inflammation which can set off a chain of health and immune problems.  Although medications may alleviate our symptoms, the true path to curing these issues lies in a complete internal make-over; one that involves both physical and mental cleansing, healing, relaxing, and stimulating.
     I will blog about our own journey regularly, with hopes of inspiring any readers out there to begin their own.  For me, it has been three years of research, trial and error, and more research, coated with frustration, failure, and the strength to endure. But I am thrilled to announce that our seasonal allergies, which were reduced to mild as of last year, are now non-existent! I look forward to the changes another year will bring us!