“Dr. Warren, what can I do about my allergies?”
I receive this question in my clinic about 10x per week. A couple of years ago, I would have just given them a protocol (which I will get to later) and sent them on their way. And 90% of the time, they would see symptoms improve in a day or two.
Sounds good, right?! Not to me. This is because the other side of the story is that almost all of my patients would have reoccurring sinus issues that popped up with each change in season, outdoor activity, or new stressor in life. This observation concerned me. While allergists claim the leading culprits are the pollen and allergens that we breathe in, I knew there had to be more to it.
Think about it. Why can you have a hundred people standing in the same park, breathing in the same air, and yet only a subset of the group develop sinus and allergy issues? Then it hit me. It’s not the air that determines your allergy issues, it’s your body’s internal response to the outside world.
The core of the problem is a failure to adapt to your environment. So let’s clear the air a little bit (pun intended). It’s not the air you breath in, it’s you! The great news about this discovery is that you can control and change how efficiently your body adapts and builds health by the choices you make on a regular basis!
With this truth in mind, let’s talk about some strategies to help you adapt more efficiently to your outside environment. In order to understand how to help the body adapt at its highest capabilities, we must first look at what controls the process of adaptation in the body, and that is the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is a region of the forebrain that orchestrates the autonomic nervous system, pituitary, and all of your homeostatic functions. So if we want to work on more efficient adaptation, we need to support the hypothalamus!
Top 3 for Hypothalamus Support:
1. Adaptogens: Rhodiola, Ashwaganda, Cordyceps, ginseng, maca
2. Proprioception: exercise, vibration platform, chiropractic adjustments
3. Positive thoughts, prayer, and meditation
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The second thing that we have to look at is other areas of your own internal environment that we need to support in order to boost your ability to heal and adapt.