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7-Day Menu for Spring Allergy Season

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Spring allergies got you down? Research suggests that following the right diet may help ease allergy symptoms in some people.

For example, clear soups can help thin mucus and clear nasal passages. Some studies suggest that the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus strain L-92, often added to yogurt or milk, may help ease Japanese cedar-pollen allergy. Vitamin C may help minimize many spring allergy symptoms.

WebMD turned to two nutritional experts for their advice on foods to help you fight allergy symptoms:

Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, mother of a child with bad seasonal allergies and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association
David Leopold, MD, director of integrative medical education at the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in San Diego
The meals in this 7-day menu plan feature foods high in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and other nutrients that our experts say may help ease inflammation and minimize complications of hay fever.

Even better, these healthy foods benefit your body in many other ways: boosting heart health and strengthening your immune system, too.

Day 1: Meals for the Spring Allergy Season

Breakfast: Homemade or low-sugar instant oatmeal made with skim or 1% acidophilus milk fortified with vitamin D, kiwi halves or orange wedges, and a cup of freshly brewed coffee or tea.

Lunch: Roasted turkey sandwich with light cream cheese and cranberry sauce on whole wheat bread, 3-Bean salad with light vinaigrette (made with canola or olive oil), plain or light yogurt (with active cultures) with frozen strawberries or raspberries stirred in.

Dinner: Teriyaki Salmon with a side of steamed brown rice and broccoli served with a cup of hot miso soup (or other broth-based soup).

Acidophilus milk is regular cow’s milk, but it has the probiotic bacteria, Lactobacillus acidophilus, added to it. The miso soup, along with other warm broths and teas, can help loosen mucus and ease congestion.

Salmon is one of the best food sources of the potent omega-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA. Gerbstadt recommends fitting in fish three times a week for these anti-inflammatory omega-3s. Studies have suggested the consumption of fatty acids reduce inflammatory markers and may improve lung function. More research, however, is needed.

Day 2: Meals for the Spring Allergy Season

Breakfast: Peach smoothie made with frozen or canned unsweetened peaches, banana, and yogurt with active cultures, hot green or black tea.

Lunch: Vegetarian pizza (with garlic, onions, mozzarella cheese), fruit salad (red grapes, apples, cherries, or pears).

Dinner: Chicken (or lean beef) and vegetable stew served with a whole grain roll or crackers and a glass of skim or low-fat milk with active cultures.

All of the fruits (except bananas) and some of the vegetables in today’s menu (garlic, onions) are rich in quercetin, a flavonoid phytochemical that has reported antihistamine properties — good for nasal congestion.

Drinking warm fluids from tea or broth or tomato-based soups can help soothe throats and relieve sinus congestion.

Day 3: Meals for the Spring Allergy Season

Breakfast: Honey-wheat raspberry pancakes (stir frozen raspberries into pancake batter), freshly brewed coffee or tea or hot chocolate.

Lunch: Salad Nicoise made with albacore or solid white tuna canned in water, potatoes and tomatoes tossed with a light vinaigrette featuring olive or canola oil, red grapes.

Dinner: Spicy lean beef (or chicken) enchiladas made from steamed corn tortillas or tortillas lightly coated with canola oil and shredded Jack cheese, steamed summer squash.

This menu gives a second fish serving for the week and several produce items that contribute antioxidants including, vitamin C (berries, potatoes, tomatoes, kale). Using vegetable oils that are higher in monounsaturated fat and/or omega-3s and lower in omega-6 fatty acids (like canola and olive oil) may benefit people with asthma.

Spicy ingredients in the enchiladas (cayenne pepper, onions, or garlic) may help thin mucus and clear nasal passages. Use Jack cheese instead of cheddar. Aged cheeses may contribute dietary histamine and possibly provoke allergic symptoms. Other foods thought to contain high concentrations of histamine include sauerkraut, wine, and processed meat, although Leopold says sulfite-free wine is probably fine.

Day 4: Meals for the Spring Allergy Season

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs made with one higher omega-3 egg and 1/4 cup egg substitute topped with shredded Jack or mozzarella cheese and served on a toasted whole wheat English muffin, strawberries, freshly brewed coffee or tea.

Lunch: Vegetarian quesadilla (made with grilled onions and bell peppers, Jack cheese, and a whole grain tortilla) served with fat-free refried beans and hot sauce or taco sauce, yogurt parfait (made with layers of light or plain yogurt with active cultures and vitamin D, frozen blueberries, and fortified whole-grain cereal).

Dinner: Ground sirloin or turkey meatloaf served over horseradish mashed potatoes (hot cooked potatoes blended with low-fat milk and horseradish to taste), steamed carrots.

The scrambled eggs along with the fortified yogurt and whole grain cereal will add a hefty dose of vitamin D. Studies suggest an association between vitamin D deficiency and increased risk of asthma and wheezing. It has even been proposed that vitamin D deficiency may explain a portion of the current asthma epidemic.

Caffeine from tea or coffee can act like antihistamine in the body, according to Leopold, but the tea and coffee need to be of high quality and freshly brewed. Hot liquid in general will have soothing effects on the throat and sinus congestion.

Horseradish not only offers the mucus-thinning benefits of other “hot” spices, but studies have indicated that some horseradish constituents may have antibiotic activity. The hot sauce will also help clear the sinuses.

Day 5: Meals for the Spring Allergy Season

Breakfast: Toasted whole wheat bagel and light cream cheese, melon wedges, freshly brewed hot coffee or tea.

Lunch: Italian chicken wrap made with grilled chicken, pesto, fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and romaine lettuce, fresh fruit cup.

Dinner: Ginger shrimp stir fry made with shrimp, kale or broccoli, fresh ginger, and a little canola oil served over steamed rice or cooked noodles with a side of mandarin oranges.

All of the vegetables in today’s menu are rich in quercetin, a flavonoid phytochemical that might help suppress the allergic response by controlling the release of histamine.

Fresh ginger is featured in the shrimp stir fry (the third serving of fish this week). Anecdotally, according to Leopold, using spices like ginger, cayenne, and turmeric seem to help patients who suffer from seasonal allergies.

Day 6: Meals for the Spring Allergy Season

Breakfast: Blueberry wheat muffin or scone with a latte made with skim or low-fat vitamin D fortified milk.

Lunch: Spicy sirloin burger topped with Jack cheese and Ortega or pasilla peppers served on a whole grain bun with apple slices and freshly brewed green tea.

Dinner: Spinach lasagna made with whole wheat noodles, marinara sauce with garlic and onions, part-skim ricotta and mozzarella cheese, served with orange segments.

From tea to tomatoes, today’s menu is brimming with high-antioxidant plant foods. Low intakes of dietary antioxidants may contribute to increases in asthma and allergy, so featuring plant foods rich in an assortment of antioxidants in as many meals as possible may be helpful.

The apple slices and the garlic and onions in the marinara sauce contribute quercetin and the lasagna features two non-aged cheeses. The spicy peppers may help allergy symptoms temporarily by encouraging the sinuses to run.

Day 7: Meals for the Spring Allergy Season

Breakfast: Whole grain waffles topped with fresh or frozen strawberries and a glass of skim or 1% acidophilus milk fortified with vitamin D.

Lunch: Chicken salad made with cashews or walnuts, Dijon or spicy mustard and plain or vanilla yogurt (with active cultures and vitamin D) served on Romaine lettuce with a cup of mango cubes, freshly brewed coffee or tea.

Dinner: Thai curry tofu with cauliflower and broccoli florets served over steamed brown rice or cooked noodles, with a cup of broth-based soup such as won ton or hot and sour soup.

This menu includes two servings of probiotic-containing dairy foods, several foods with quercetin (tea, strawberries, lettuce, and broccoli) plus several top vitamin C-rich foods (strawberries, romaine lettuce, mango, cauliflower, and broccoli). A high antioxidant intake may be helpful for people with seasonal allergies.

Getting enough vitamin D each day benefits our health in a myriad of ways, including possibly decreasing the risk of asthma. One of the easiest ways to get vitamin D is through fortified dairy products such as the milk and yogurt in this menu. The hot soup, curry spice, and spicy mustard will help get the sinuses running. Curry and mustard typically contain turmeric which seem seems to offer additional relief with allergy symptoms.

SOURCES:Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, Certified Diabetes Educator and Specialist in Sports Dietetics.David Leopold MD, director of Integrative Medical Education at the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in San Diego.Natural Standard Research Collaboration, Integrative Therapies for Allergies.American Dietetic Association Nutrition Care Manual, 2009.Thorax, August 2001; vol 56, pp 589-595.Journal of the American Dietetic Association, January 2005; vol 105, no 1, pp 98-105.The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, June 2006 vol 83, no 6, pp S1536-1538S.American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May 2007 vol 85; no 5, pages 1185-1196.The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, March 2007; vol 85, no 3, pp 853-859.The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, March 2007; vol 85, no 3, pp 788-795.Journal of the American Dietetic Association, August 2005; vol 105, no 8, p 26.The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition October 2006; vol 84, no 4, pp 903-911.

Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD on 3/9/2010


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