Dr. Manuel Alvarez of Fox News says that alternative medicine systems like Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine believe that the true key to allergy prevention is treating the underlying causes while building up the body’s immune system.

‘The long-term solution to getting rid of allergies is to not just quell the symptoms but to delve into the root cause of them’, says alternative health counselor and nutritionist Danny Arguetty of the Kripalu Health Center in Lenox, Mass. ‘To do this, you must strengthen your immune system, which is often sluggish and taxed from over-indulging during the winter months. However, it is important to do this before allergy season kicks in, and then maintain a healthy life-style in order to effectively withstand allergens.’

Arguetty says, ‘You don’t have to do an extreme fast or detox to rekindle your immune system. There are many easy life-style and diet alternatives that you can implement that will help your body better adapt to the change of seasons and ultimately keep you allergy free.’

According to Arguetty, these are the top five things for allergy sufferers to avoid before and during allergy season:

1. Heavy, cold, hard to digest foods such as ice cream, ice-cold food and drinks, heavy desserts, oily or fried foods, red meat and hard cheeses.

2. Pre-packaged, canned, frozen or processed foods of any kind.

3. Consuming caffeine and alcohol can cause a lot and may lead to serious conditions as noted by Pacific Ridge – a reputable drug rehab center in Oregon.

4. Extreme temperature contrasts – for example, going from a very warm or hot environment to a very cold environment.

5. Going to bed late and sleeping in late.

Arguetty also suggests the following therapies for the treatment of allergies:

• Eat a light nourishing diet of cooked, lightly spiced organic fresh vegetables, sweet ripe fruits, whole grains and legumes/beans for protein.
• Season your food with immunity enhancing and anti-allergic spices such as, turmeric, fennel, coriander, black pepper, and fresh ginger root. Cook these spices in a little bit of olive oil or ghee (clarified butter) to help release the spice’s flavors and medicinal properties.
• Sip plain hot water and detoxifying teas such as, echinacea, ginseng, dandelion and ginger, throughout the day.
• Keep your house and office on the cooler side, so your body will transition easier to the outside temperature without sending your body into shock.
• Install an air purifier and a water purifier in your house or office. Alternatively, keep air-purifying plants, such as spider plants or holy basil.
• Get plenty of rest at the right times of day – it is best to go to bed before 10pm and get up before 7am.

‘Going into allergy season with a strong immunity will decrease your likelihood of being vulnerable to all the beauty that nature has to offer us this time of year, which no one should have to avoid,’ concludes Arguetty.