Donna Martini

This Week's Questions:

  Asks:

I have chronic nasal allergies that are really troubling. They affect my life daily and I practically live on antihistamines. Is there an alternative?

  Answers:

There are natural alternatives to antihistamines, but I will leave that answer for the Vita-Man to answer. However, I would like to address a potential cause. Many people don’t realize that nasal allergies (most especially ones that occur all year) are from food intolerances. I have had clients get off daily Claritin use by eliminating wheat and dairy from their diet. I happen to have an intolerance to wheat and if I eat flour-products, such as bagels or bread, my nose clogs immediately. Any continuous use can cause chronic rhinitis, post nasal drip, sinus headaches, runny nose and other uncomfortable symptoms. The symptoms start when the body takes in orally, anything that it is sensitive to.  The reaction to the negative food is what is called a histamine or immune response. Your body says, “I don’t like this” and tries to tell you so by reacting with a warning sign, like nasal symptoms, arthritis, gastrointestinal distress, etc.. It is a very simple process to understand, but many people do not “listen” to their body’s response and assume it is just a bad day and not related to the food that they eat. The best way to find out if you have a food intolerance that is causing these symptoms is to simply stop eating the known allergens (worst offenders are wheat, dairy, corn, soy) and see what happens. You can achieve this through an elimination diet. I am preparing one for this site, but in the meantime, you can find them on line. I hope this was helpful! Read More…

  Asks:

How are allergies treated? Is there any permanent cure? I have to live on antihistamines for my rash that keeps flaring up for no apparent reason.

  Answers:

I agree with your Pilates instructor, but it might be a good idea to check with your doctor to make sure you have no neck issues (calcification, arthritis, herniated disc) that may be exacerbated by this type of exercise. If nothing is wrong with your spine, then go back to the belief that it will probably get better. The reason your neck hurts is because you are using neck muscles instead of core muscles to do all of your forward bending and upper body lifting. If you lead with your head instead of using your abs with each crunch, your neck muscles get over used and strained. If you think about it, you don’t need your neck at all to lift your shoulders in a lying down position. So when you feel the strain in your neck as you lift your upper body, hold yourself up for a few seconds and purposely try and relax the neck and head by rotating it to the left and the right, and dropping it forward to release the tension.  This little maneuver was what I used when I first started Pilates. Good luck and I hope you stick with it. It is definitely worth the effort! Read More…