No matter what phase of life you are in or what health concerns you are working with, one simple way toward better health and balance is to eat in alignment with the seasons. What does that really mean?

#1 Choose foods that counter balance the weather. When it is cold outside, choose mostly warm, cooked foods. Add warming spices like ginger, garlic and onions to your recipes. Keep raw foods and icy cold drinks to a minimum. Conversely, in the throws of summer, choose mainly raw fruits and vegetables as the staples of your diet. Add lots of cooling fruits and vegetables like cucumbers, celery, watermelon and lettuces.

#2 Adjust your proportions seasonally. Winter is the time to eat a bit more and do a bit less. It’s not uncommon to hold onto a few pounds during the colds months so that your body retains more heat. Eating lighter meals and smaller portions will help keep you cool as the summer heat approaches.

#3 Cleanse at the ideal time. Spring is the best season to begin a new cleanse. This could be as simple as a cleaner diet than the typical holiday fare that tends to last from Thanksgiving through New Year’s. A cleanse can also be something more long term that targets organ detoxification. Whatever your approach, Spring is an ideal time to make those changes. As the plants and animals are springing anew, you can too!

#4 Eat locally, when possible. Get organic produce fresh from a farmer’s market for optimal nutrient density. Even better, a small garden in your own backyard yields some of the freshest, tastiest produce you can find. Eating the seasonal foods that grow in your region is one of the simplest ways to eat a healthy diet that is in alignment with the seasons.

Whether you are an Austin native or a newly transplanted resident, sooner or later you will have some experience with Austin allergies. This incredible city is bursting with plant life. And year after year it is inundated with pollen, mold, grasses and trees that challenge your immune system.

Medications, herbal medicines and allergy shots are among the many things that people try to improve their quality of life with allergies. But what about diet? What difference can it make in the life of an allergy sufferer?

A lot! Although pollen, mold and grass allergies are environmental, HOW your body deals with those allergens is internal. What you eat can make all the difference in how your immune system responds to your environment.

THE BEST DIET to reduce your allergy symptoms…

INCREASE: organic fruits and vegetables and healing supplements like spirulina, vitamin C and echinacea. These adaptogenic foods and herbs are alkalizing, detoxifying and healing for all health conditions, including allergies.

REDUCE: wheat, meat, eggs, dairy, corn, soy and processed foods. These foods create inflammation in the body and wreak havoc on the immune system.

A nutritional consultation always provides a more detailed approach to symptom relief. But start right away to clean up your diet and see how much better you can feel!