Berman Leslie Beth DC

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Although we welcome the return of longer days and more plentiful sunshine, some of us must brace ourselves to battle an ever-rising pollen count. To make matters worse, our sped-up, stress-filled world constantly challenges us to rise to the occasionand to look beautiful as we do it. It can be a daunting task. Of course, the multitude of available inhalers and antihistamines offer some temporary symptomatic relief. But for true relief with no nasty side effects, I favor launching a holistic assault from every possible angle.

How does one prepare for the battle? My battle plan is grounded in the perspective of functional medicine, so I begin with a survey of the areas of the body that may or may not be functioning. For example, defense against allergy attack requires a healthy, functioning immune system with the ability to detoxify the incoming assailants. The body has a wondrous capacity to deal with toxins, but it does have its limits. Take the liver: its great at mopping up our internal messes, but think of it as a sponge that eventually, inevitably, needs wringing out. If your liver enters the allergy wars already taxed to near or at its defensive capacity, how can it resist the coming allergenic insurgency? We often overlook the fact that our detoxification system is busy year-round mitigating the damage from antagonistic foods, animal dander, dust mites, and a thousand other belligerents that go bump in the night.

So, lets set our defenses. I like to start by opening the drains, with a ten-day liver detox program. This at least helps level the playing field. Some of my patients experience an improvement just with this. Then, we look at foods and other everyday assailants, and either remove them or desensitize the body to their effects. Add some properly designed supplementation, to shore up weakened systems and reinforce the drainage troops, and Voila! Kleenex count drastically reduced.

What a surprise! Improving the overall function of the body is the key to resolving many health issues, including allergies. Given half a chance, your body will compete admirably. So, whats getting in your way? Lets find out together.