4 Tips to Fight Allergy Season
The dry eyes, itchy throat, runny nose, and lingering headache need to GO. Keep reading for the Functional Medicine take on why we get allergies and how to fight them.
Before we hit you with some great tips to send allergies packing, it might be helpful to know allergies are caused by a combination of an over-reaction of the immune system, inflammation, gut issues and/or candida overgrowth.
Ipso facto, we want to focus on improving the immune system, cleaning up the gut, and lowering inflammation by understanding the root cause of the allergies.
Here's how to fight allergy season:
1. Clean up your diet. We know it's not sexy, but it will help. By limiting inflammatory foods - processed sugar, gluten, dairy, alcohol - inflammation will lessen and your immune response will improve. Win-win.
2. Check your indoor air quality. We all know the pollen outside is CRAY CRAY, but did you know our allergies are also greatly affected by INDOOR AIR? Yep. @molekuleair air filters are incredible, and we suggest saving your pennies to put one in your bedroom. Replace air filters often, and we know it seems counter-intuitive, but open a window for at least 15 minutes a day to improve indoor air.
3. Ditch synthetic fragrances. Sure that Tide smells good, but it's not doing anything for your inflammation threshold. In fact, it's making it worse. We promise making the switch to safer cleaning products, personal care products, candles, etc. will make a difference!
4. Stock up on the following goodies at R+R:
Elderberry: This has been used for centuries to improve immune response + fight inflammation (aka the name of the game to fight allergies!) We've got both @cassiegreenhealth and @harvestfarmacy elderberry in stock. Run, don't walk.
D-Hist for adults and D-Hist, Jr. chewables for kiddos are on the shelf ready for YOU. These contain a targeted blend of flavonoids,antioxidants, proteolytic enzymes and botanicals designed to provide comprehensive support for seasonal challenges.
Peppermint + Lemon Essential Oils: Carry in your bag and put a dot of each on your palms, rub together, and cup your hands over your nose and mouth while you breathe deeply. Diffuse & dot on temples or wrists.
Q&A With R+R Co-founder, Taylor Dukes, MSN-FNP, BC
Today we’re checking in with our R+R Co-founder, Tayor Dukes for all the scoop on her faves! She’s also live on our IG Stories kicking off our #RRtakeover series here. If you’ve ever wanted a peek inside the life of a wellness guru, now’s your chance!
Today we’re checking in with our R+R Co-founder, Tayor Dukes for all the scoop on her faves from wellness to everyday life. She’s also live on our IG Stories kicking off our #RRtakeover series here.
What does Wellness mean to you?
Healthy from the inside out: body, mind and spirit. You can eat all the healthy food in the world and do all the effective workouts, but if you are not sleeping, focusing on stress relief and truly fulfilled in life- you will not experience true wellness.
George strait says, There’s a difference between living and living well. And living well to me means so much more than just not being sick. I love sleeping well at night, waking up with energy in the morning.
Name three non-negotiables in your life.
Faith. Family. Friends
When it comes to health: Eating well 80% off the time, sleeping at night and using non toxic products
Your fave Instagram accounts to follow?
Morning routine?
Pre-baby or now, ha? No but really, I wish I had a better morning routine. Let’s go with ideal morning routine. It doesn’t happen every morning but this is it:
Wake up, brush my teeth/face and apply my non-toxic products, put peppermint oil on my head, frankincense on my wrists, drink: lemon water, bone broth and black coffee (in that order), spend time journaling and reading Psalms. While my oils are diffusing :)
Evening routine?
Have a glass of wine some nights, take an Epsom Salt bath, read a book, apply all my oils, take magnesium, get to bed.
Travel essentials?
Magnesium, healthy snacks, supplements, oils
Instant energy boost?
Organic, cold-pressed green juice!
Most used condiment?
Does organic olive oil count? I love Kasandrino’s olive oil or organic dijon mustard.
Favorite smoothie recipe?
I don’t make a ton of smoothies at home but anything on the JuiceLand menu! I love recreating their smoothies at home.
How do you take your coffee (or tea)?
Black and always organic
Go-to cocktail?
Kombucha margarita: Kombucha, tequila, lime, fresh mint or basil
3 ingredients/foods you can't live without?
Avocado, cold-pressed juice, vegetable soups
Go-to gift?
A Day of Wellness at R+R or a Spa Day at Milk + Honey.
How do you reset?
I always start my reset the night before with a good night’s sleep. Eating healthy and cutting out refined sugar, gluten and dairy. Getting a massage, fresh air/sunshine and listening to worship music.
When you feel sickness coming on you…
I do all the things! Prioritize sleep, lots of veggie soups, organic, cold-pressed vegetable juices, no alcohol. Supplements- Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Zinc, Elderberry, Immunity baths, and Homeopathic remedies based off of symptoms. Anything viral- I take Viracid and Oscillinum.
Thank you Taylor! We loved learning more about you and your daily life! Don’t forget to follow along with Taylor today in our #RRTakeover series on Instagram stories.
9 Ways to Have a Great Morning
If you’re in need of some guidelines to help you start loving mornings again, we’ve go you covered. From wake time to exercise recommendations (psst they’re not intense, we promise!) and everything in between, keep reading for 9 ways to start your day on the right foot. We promise you can still have your coffee.
1. WAKE UP BEFORE YOUR HOUSEHOLD
Only you know what time this is. We recommend allowing yourself a solid hour before you hop in the shower to get ready for work and/or before carpool duties begin.
2. SIP WARM LEMON WATER
We recommend heating your water over the stove or via a tea kettle rather than using your microwave. Squeeze the juice of 1/2-1 lemon into your water, sip slowly and enjoy. This supports detox pathways, gut health and immunity. If you want to overachieve and if you can handle the taste, drop 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar in there for added liver support as well as 1 tsp of Glutathione. Glutathione is an amazing antioxidant pertinent to our immune system function and the body’s ability to properly detox.
If you need your morning caffeine to even begin to function, do so after your lemon water is finished and try to limit to 1 cup per morning to catch the buzz without the jitters.
3. DEEP BELLY BREATHING
According to our Co-founder Taylor Dukes, this is especially important for anyone prone to anxiety. Deep belly breathing naturally stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system to promote balance and focus. While sitting down or lying down, count to 4 as you inhale, hold for 4 countes, exhale for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts. Continue for 3-5 minutes or more, and feel free to incporate this throughout the day, especially before and after a stressful situation.
4. INCORPORATE QUIET TIME
We cannot stress this enough! The most important way to armor yourself for the day is to carve out time with the Lord studying his word and praying. Read your Bible or favorite devotional and spend time praying or meditating. We love the She/He Reads Truth App and New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp if you need a good starting point.
5. JOURNAL +/OR BRAIN DUMP
Use this time to reflect on what you learned in your study or to simply record whatever is on your heart or up in that brain. This is a great time to make a Gratitude List as well!
Brain dumping is especially helpful if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Setting aside any perfectionistic tendencies, simply write down anything and everything clouding your thoughts or occupying the to-do list sector of your brain. From here, you can hone in on priorties of the day, week, month and revisit as needed.
6. GROUNDING
We’ve got a great post on grounding here to help you understand the benefits and how to incorporate to maximize the benefits.
7. LIGHT STRETCHING
We love a good sweaty workout, but we highly recommend something lighter in the mornings —especially in seasons of stress. Low-impact stretching, yoga and pilates support the parasympathetic nervous system to better equip your body to handle stress in a healthy way.
8. SELF-MASSAGE WITH A GUA SHA
A gua sha is a small piece of jade in a shape designed to promote lymphatic drainage in and around your face and neck, to remove toxins and pollutants for clearer skin and to stimulate blood flow to brighten your complexion.
Keep reading for how-to use!
Gua Sha and Jade Roller pictured above available for sale at R+R! Call 817-720-6220.
For lymphatic self-massage with the Gua Sha:
Apply a light oil to clean skin.
Place the long edge of the gua sha at the bottom of your chin angled almost flat to jaw line.
Using *gentle* strokes, pull the edge along your jawline to the base of your ear 5-7 times on one side.
Using the same edge and angle, then start at the base of your ear and *gently* pull straight down toward your collar bone 5-7 times.
Repeat on both sides.
Pro-tip: Do not forget the step to pull toward your neckline because this essentially drains the lymph - a very important step!
You may also take the smaller more pointed or curved edge toward the back of your head where the base of the skull meets the top of the neck and rock back and forth with the gua sha along the base of the skull. This feels amazing!
For depuffing and skin brightening, use the same gentle pressure starting at the side of your lip and pull toward cheekbones all the way to your hairline. It is helpful to place the opposite hand gently along your lips as you stroke.
9. EAT BREAKFAST
Nutritionist and R+R Co-founder Dabney Poorter recommends eating within 1 hour of waking and to be sure to incorporate protein, healthy fat and thoughtful carbs (ie berries and or veggies).