Experts Say Pollen Counts Highest In 10 Years

CBS KDKA 2 ^ | May 1, 2006

[DannyTN]

"opted to plant a high proportion of male trees...they didn't think about the other effects...."

Yes, now not only are our allergies worse, but we have very angry frustrated trees.

[linda_22003]

There ya go. They'll probably turn gay and demand pollination rights among their own kind.

[Minnesoootan]

Any truth to eliminating dairy products from a diet helping allergies? Just curious if you may be doing that with yours.

[roaddog727]

Let's look at this from a different perspective:

a Higher pollen count could lead to the extension that more plants are growing than they were 10 years ago. If this is true, then that would mean there are more plants Producing O2 and consuming CO2. This would finally lead to the hypothesis that we are actually DECREASING Greenhouse gasses, further leading to a DECREASE in the GREENHOUSE EFFECT.

AL GORE and the ENVIRO-WHACKO's: BUSTED!

[Politicalmom]

Me, too. I never take naps, but I keep zonking over lately.

I feel horrible all the time.

[Smokin' Joe]

All those nasty plants. Secondhand plant sex is bad for you....

[Marie]

Here in Texas, the fleas are going nuts.

[rintense]

No kidding! My allergies are the worst they've been in 10 years.

[AmericanChef]

-Any truth to eliminating dairy products from a diet helping allergies? Just curious if you may be doing that with yours.-

For sure that's part of it. Dairy products produce MUCUS, and the more mucus you have the more miserable you are! You could also avoid foods with a fairly high sugar content, like orange food and citrus, wheat, and bananas. Dairy products can play havoc with your cells as well; it actually passes through your system and the dairy globules explode inside your body. Don't get me wrong - I love dairy! But this is essentially what it does, which is why so many people can't tolerate it. Not very digestible.

You could also avoid things that give a lot of people - in general - problems like peanuts, apples, wheat, pork (sad face here) and celery. And eggs, but the yolks contain good vitamin E which is also beneficial to relieve symptoms.

[Minnesoootan]

i don't have allergies but an older(also overweight) sister sufers year round,I read an article by a fitness guru that said he could eliminate allergies within a few days if you just cut out dairy....I told my sister to try it but she just laughed.

Thanks for the info!

[TruthSetsUFree]

Would you mind posting your allergy diet? I know I'm interested and I imagine it could be helpful to others as well.

Thanks!

[AmericanChef]

By request, here's the article I wrote, "Hayfever Helper" - I was miraculously sneeze and scratchy-eye free last year. It was so wonderful. It might be a bit high on the veggie side for some of you, but wouldn't you rather give it a shot and relieve your suffering? So here it is:

Everybody seems to agree (“everybody” meaning medical pros and paraprofessionals) on certain foods and food stuffs that just might help with allergy suffering. This here’s the lowdown:

Foods naturally rich in vitamin E include nuts, such as almonds, vegetable oils (sorry – olive oil seems to be a no-no), seeds, wheat germ, spinach and other dark, green leafy vegetables, plus egg yolks. There are no studies proving that taking a supplement works any better than getting your E from foods.

Everyone agrees on Omega 3s. Lots of studies have been conducted on the links between Omega 3s and asthma, allergies, and the dreaded eczema (or, at least I dread it, as I’ve suffered with it since my early 20s; less as I grow older). Not only in relieving symptoms, but to prevent them as well. Get your Omega 3s in the foods below. Cabbage and above, in bold, are the best sources, but all are in the “good” category:

Flax Seeds (I use ground, which come in handy packages in the stores now; keep in the fridge or freezer, as they can become rancid)
Cloves, ground
Nuts, Walnuts
Salmon
Oregano, ground
Cauliflower
Scallops, Baked, Broiled
Peppermint leaves, fresh
Mustard seed
Cabbage
Lettuce, Romaine
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Squash, Winter
Tofu
Squash, Summer, All Varieties
Halibut
Collard Greens
Spinach
Kale, Fresh, Boiled
Soybeans, Cooked
Shrimp
Greens, Turnip
Cod
Strawberries
Green Snap/String Beans
Snapper
Tuna, Yellowfin
Chamomile is naturally antihistaminic and helps to reduce the body's reaction to pollen. Try some tea.

There seems to be conflict in the use of foods rich in beta-carotene. It’s found in many foods that are orange in colour, including sweet potatoes, carrots, apricots, pumpkin, and mangoes. Some green leafy vegetables including spinach, are also rich in beta-carotene.

I imagine some of the conflict comes in through our old friend, mucus. Foods that produce mucus will of course increase your hayfever symptoms. Sugars will do that, and orange means sugar! Logically, then, I’m guessing the beta-carotene is best coming from the dark green veggie variety. Other mucus-producing foods are dairy products, citrus, wheat, and bananas. Avoid alcohol; use vinegars instead.

Hayfever sufferers might also benefit from eliminating the use of tomatoes, peanuts, wheat, apple, carrot, celery, peach, melon, eggs (so much for the beneficial egg yolk) and pork.

Vitamin C is also up for grabs, since many fruits contain it, but are also on the “bad” lists. Oh – looks like we’re back to green veggies again! I’ll stick with strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries for fruits; maybe a star fruit once in a while, or a custard apple.

Nothing like planning ahead! Here’s my hayfever menu plan for Week One:

Breakfast:
I’ll stick with soy milk smoothies, using strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, with a couple teaspoons of ground flax seed.

Lunches are my big meal these days, as I’ve decided that getting a chance to work off the meal during my busy day is better than sleeping on it:

Cod with wilted greens, almonds, oregano and a balsamic vinegar drizzle

Chicken (nobody says you can’t have chicken!)-Green Bean-Walnut lettuce wraps with mint, mustard, and a touch of mayo.

Mashed cauliflower with sauteed cabbage; basil, thyme, maybe adding a bit of ground cloves and curry into half of it, and a few chickpeas thrown in – sort of bubble and squeak. I could eat a ton of cauliflower “mashed potatoes”. Skip the butter and sour cream – salt and pepper will do ya. If you MUST have stuff in it, make it a soy product.

I don’t normally eat leftovers, but when you get a cabbage or a pile of greens, you usually have to buy more than you need, so leftovers it is!

Dinners:
Green salads with soy cheese, leftover nuts or seeds; vinegar and oil dressing is what I usually do anyway, with salt and pepper. My needs are simple ones.

A couple of soups made from vegetable stock or broth with combinations of Brussels sprouts, broccoli, scallions, greens, a few lentils or black beans for oompf; I’ll keep some shrimp or scallops around to add if I get bored, and some saffron to go with it. Otherwise, a blend of your fave herbs and spices will do the job.

Desserts:
Dang, forget the ice cream! I’ve gotten quite a sugar-free popsicle obssession going on right now. I’m pretty sure my body doesn’t know the difference between real and artificial sugar, so maybe it’s time to attack my weaknesses and give it up.

Good luck to you! Happy Sneezing!

[TruthSetsUFree]

Thanks so much! I appreciate your taking the time to type all that out and am saving a copy to my hard drive.

Just saw on the news that with the rain here today the pollen count has dropped. Praise God for that!