ADDRESS

189 Hammersmith Court
Burlington, ON, L7L 4N4

PHONE

905-825-3528

Ragweed Season is Here

Ragweed Season is Here

Quote of the month:

“The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d rather not (eventually you’ll like it!)”

Did you know that seventeen species or types of ragweed grow in North America?  Ragweed also belongs to a larger family called Compositae. Other members of the family that spread pollen by wind can also cause symptoms.  They include sage, burweed marsh elder and rabbit brush, mugworts, groundsel bush and eupatorium according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.  The main types of ragweed are common ragweed, western ragweed and giant ragweed. On a side note, don’t confuse goldenrod (tall with lots of tiny yellow flowers) for ragweed.Seeing as Ragweed season is soon (if not already) upon us, we thought it would make for a great newsletter.

Up to a third of allergy sufferers experience cross-reactions. In other words people can react to foods that may be chemically similar ragweed. Symptoms may include the usual itchiness, tingling, and swelling of the tongue, mouth, and throat. Cooking reduces the reaction — enough for some allergy sufferers to be able to indulge — but it’s not a solution. So if ragweed pollen affects you, watch out for: bananas, cantaloupes, honeydews, watermelons, cucumbers, zucchini, chamomile tea, and sunflower seeds.

Here are a few other examples of cross reactions:

  • If birch pollen makes you sneeze, watch out for: apples, apricots, cherries, kiwis, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, tomatoes, carrots, celery, green peppers, parsnips, peas, potatoes, anise, caraway, cumin, dill, fennel, parsley, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and walnuts.
  • If grass pollen makes you sneeze, watch out for: kiwis, melons, oranges, tomatoes, and celery.

Here are some tips to help improve the functioning of your body’s immune system:

  • Drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces daily
  • As most of your Immune system is in your intestinal tract (at least 70%), you need probiotics to help heal – we recommend Nature’s Sunshine Probiotic 11 or Threelac.
  • Cleanse monthly to keep on top of all that debri building up in your body which can trigger allergies in the first place!
  • 80% of your foods should be without bar codes – in other words, real food with lots of greens and bright colours
  • Take essential fatty acids…we recommend Auum instead of fish oil(ask us why). They are anti allergy and anti-inflammatory.
  • Alkalize your body – your body’s pH plays a large role in your health.
  • If Ragweed really bothers you, come see us for some laser acupuncture to help bring your body back into balance so that it no longer reacts to it!

Did You Know?

  • Christine is now a Certified Acupuncturist. Her certification papers will be officially ready on August 18th!!! Next course…TCM (traditional chinese medicine)!  Thank you very much to all the people who volunteered throughout the year to be one of her many case studies
  • Propolene Glycol (anti-freeze) is used in cosmetics, moisturizers, ice cream, salad dressings and dog food (to name a few), to keep things smooth and creamy
  • On another not so pleasant note…red raspberry flavouring comes from the anal glands of beavers…yum!

Upcoming Events

  • Aug 7 to 10th – Our offices will be closed; with the exception of Thursday August 9th.
  • August 19th – Burlington Children’s Festival Spencer Smith park 10am-10pm.
  • Sept 15th – Burlington Holistic Community Event – complimentary sessions provided by practitioners, potluck and meditations time TBD
  • Bi-weekly – Business Referral Lunch 11:45am until 1pm Golden Griddle @ Walkers and Harvester – next date Monday August 20th (as August 6th is a holiday)