April Showers Bring Earth Day Flowers… and Allergies

The month of April derives it’s name from thе Latin wоrd ‘aperit,’ meaning, “to open.” Aрrіl may therefore be thought of the month when things begin to open – tree’s leaves and flowers’ buds come out from their winter hiatus, and spring begins to bloom! It is fitting, thus, that April is the month wherein “Earth Day” lies. This year, on Monday, April 22nd, Earth Day will be celebrated around the globe for the 49th year since its inception in 1970.

The initial spark to honor our Earth and environment with a national day came to Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin. After seeing the gruesome aftermath of the colossal 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, the senator was inspired by the emerging anti-Vietnam-war movement in which thousands of college students were participating. He hoped to unite the activism of these passionate individuals towards a newly awakening consciousness about the environment and air and water pollution. By connecting activism and the environment, he aspired to drive environmental protection onto the national political agenda. The rest, as they say, became history.

The following excerpt is taken from the Earth Day Network ( www.earthday.org) –

On April 22,1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.

 

 

Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, city slickers and farmers, tycoons and labor leaders. By the end of that year, the first Earth Day had led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. “It was a gamble,” Gaylord recalled, “but it worked.”

As we approach Earth Day next week, consider your own impact on the environment, and how you might be able to decrease your carbon “footprint.” Ride your bike to work, or take a scooter. Carpool with friends, or in an Uber or Lyft. Pick up trash that you see on the side of the road or while walking through a park. Pick up after your pets. Eat seasonally, locally, and from restaurants that source their ingredients these ways. Turn off the water when you brush your teeth. Take shorter showers. Switch to sustainable, clean energy if at all possible. Avoid single use plastics such as plastic bottled water, plastic straws, and non-compostable plastic silverware. Set up a compost heap for food scraps somewhere on your property or see if your community already has one accessible such as in a community garden. Properly recycle plastic, paper, glass, or metal that you can’t refuse, reduce, or reuse!

Now that we’ve taken a moment to honor the planet, let’s think about what all those Earth flowers, along with pollens, grasses, weeds, and mold can do to our sensitive sinus systems. Many people suffer from seasonal allergies, and if you’re one of them you’re in good company! The pollen and mold count in Denver can multiply on a massive scale during the month of April due to rising temperatures. Allergic rhinitis generates more than 12 million doctor visits each year, with the majority of those visits being during the spring months! About 35 million Americans are allergic to pollen and mold spores. To make matters worse, climate change has created a more severe spring allergies environment, with earlier days of warmth extending “Ragweed Season” an additional 27 days each year in North America.

Acupuncture has had a long history of battling allergies. While sneezing, stuffy sinuses and itchy eyes typically drive patients to turn to antihistamines for relief, acupuncture also has a high track record of successfully combating these symptoms. Several studies, such as this one published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, reveal acupuncture’s potential power in providing alleviation of bothersome allergy symptoms. Regular treatments over the spring months may be able to not only reduce recurring symptoms, but also aid in reduction of the use of antihistamines and other allergy medications.

In addition to acupuncture, maintaining a ritual of balanced nutrition can help to alleviate the symptoms caused by allergies. If JUICING is your thing, you may really dig the allergy-combating recipe below:

Ingredients

• 3 celery ribs
• 1/2 cup pineapple
• 1 green apple
• 1 lemon, peeled
• 1/4 cup fennel (chopped)

Celery juice can help combat H. pylori, streptococcus, mold, and more that may be lingering in your body’s digestive tract. Apples house an important flavenoid called quercitin, which can help reduce and control allergic inflammation. Pineapples contain bromelain, which can help speed the recovery of acute sinusitis. The bromelain has strong anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects, thus reducing allergic reactions and speed up recovery. Lemons aid in reducing mast cells from releasing excess histamines, which cause the immune system to be over-reactive to pollens and allergens in the environment. The selenium found in fennel stimulates the production of killer T-cells, which may improve the immune response (PLEASE NOTE – if you are not a fan of fennel’s subtle licorice flavor, you may want to substitute with parsley instead).

If allergies play a part of your spring season on a regular basis, consider mentioning it to your acupuncturist during your next clinic visit. We have both herbs and acupuncture treatment protocols to help bring you back to a place where you can stop suffering, and maybe even literally stop to smell the roses. 🌹🌹🌹