By Michéle Boisvert

If you experience difficulties such as sneezing, fatigue, headaches, and red watery eyes every year around springtime, you are probably one of the many victims of seasonal allergies! According to recent studies,[1] more than 20% of the Canadian population is afflicted by this chronic illness. That's why Homeocan, Canada's natural products laboratory, has created non-drowsy remedies for relief from allergy symptoms.

In this article, I will explain why these allergies manifest, how to avoid them, and how to relieve their symptoms naturally: prepare yourself to learn all about it here!

Why Do Seasonal Allergies Occur?

A person can suffer with seasonal allergies from a young age, however they can suddenly start occurring at any point throughout one's life. They are not contagious and are, for the most part, very easily diagnosed given the period during which they occur and the associated symptoms.

Seasonal allergies, also referred to as Hay Fever or Allergic Rhinitis, occur when an individual is exposed to a substance called an allergen. As a response, the body starts to produce antibodies and histamine to fight against this foreign substance, thereby causing the typical symptoms of seasonal allergies. These symptoms are very similar to those of a cold: runny nose, sinus congestion, sneezing, red eyes, fatigue, and headaches.

The substances which are most frequently recognized by our bodies as allergens and are thus responsible for seasonal allergies are tree pollen, various grasses, and ragweed.

 How to prevent allergies from occurring?

 Seasonal allergies are difficult to prevent, especially given that pollen is all around us during the peak season. However, certain good habits can keep this seasonal discomfort at bay. For example:

In addition to these good habits, it is important to boost your immune system in preparation for spring. By doing so, your body will be ready to fight its effects effectively and quickly when pollen begins to appear. The symptoms you dread every year will become less severe, and last for shorter periods of time. Homeocan’s Pollen Plus is the ideal treatment to prepare you for the allergy season. Just let the contents of the tube dissolve under the tongue once a week in order to reap its benefits. Additionally and fortunately, unlike many anti-allergic rhinitis medications, Homeocan’s Pollen Plus does not cause drowsiness!

How to relieve allergy symptoms?

When allergy symptoms begin to take over your body, they can quickly become unbearable! Fortunately, there exists a few tips to ease their effects. Did you know, for instance, that certain foods have natural antihistamine qualities? A few examples are garlic, red onions, and citrus fruits.

Certain essential oils, namely, Narrow-Leaf Eucalyptus essential oil, have incredible benefits when it comes to relieving allergy symptoms! Homeocan’s Narrow-Leaf Eucalyptus essential oil is recommended as it gently decongests the nose and facilitates breathing.

Homeopathy can be an effective tool against seasonal allergies. Hay Fever pellets were especially created by Homeocan to help alleviate different allergic symptoms easily and quickly. Simply take 3 to 4 pellets as soon as the first sign of an allergic reaction begins. And then you can repeat this step every 15 minutes until you feel better. This practical, natural remedy is suitable for all the members of your family and will quickly become your ally against allergies and their symptoms.

Thanks to Homeocan’s Pollen Plus and Hay Fever pellets, you will finally be able to breathe with ease through the spring!

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ABOUT HOMEOCAN:

History: 30 years ago, Michèle Boisvert, a pharmacy graduate, founded Homeocan. Today Homeocan is the largest Canadian homeopathy company with a state of the art Laboratory based in Montreal.

Values: Homeocan’s mission is to produce and distribute natural remedies for the health needs of the whole family, even our four legged friends with HomeoVet.

Baru is a rare, primitive legume that offers a rich source of vegetable protein along with several other nutrients in high concentrations

Have you ever heard of baru? Even the hardiest adventurer will consider this a novelty. Wildcrafted from the world’s last agricultural frontier, this flavourful legume seed from Brazil is a new vegetable protein source in North America. Being low in carbohydrates, and packed with antioxidants, fibre, and several minerals, baru seeds are an incredible addition to any healthy diet as a snack, or ingredient for baked goods and smoothies.

They come from the South American Cerrado, considered the world’s richest savanna. It is a vast tropical ecoregion of Brazil, with core areas in the plateaus of the centre of the country. For the last 15 years, its vegetation has been reduced to a quarter of its original size by deforestation, and replaced mainly by GMO crops.However, the emergence of baru seeds could put this deforestation to a halt.

The baru tree is a tall, primitive legume that also presents a sustainable alternative to this agricultural expansion, as local communities forage the wild seeds as a source of revenue. The tree needs native pollinators and pristine water tables to bear fruits; so, the higher the demand for baru, the higher the incentives to preserve one of the oldest biomes in the world.

Currently less than 10% of the Cerrado is protected in Brazil - contrasting with over 40% of the Amazon rainforest. Brazil's unrelenting crop expansion depletes water resources, and the resulting lack of deep-rooted trees stops rainfall from entering water tables. This generates a feedback loop called "self-amplified forest loss", a phenomenon that currently affects both the Cerrado savanna and the Amazon rainforest. They both share a complex water cycle, covering half of South America. Take deep-rooted trees away, rainfall gradually fades out and desertification on both environments ensues.

Similar to large peanuts in shape and flavour, baru seeds are very versatile and can replace peanuts and tree nuts in any recipe. They are peanut-free and nut-free, a unique trait due to the tree's evolutionary path. It precedes most known legumes by 10 million years, and does not share allergy-triggering proteins of later species such as soybeans and peanuts.

RECIPE: VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE BARU OATMEAL COOKIES

Ingredients: 

In a bowl, mix all ingredients until smooth. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place parchment paper on baking sheet. Roll dough in tiny balls and flatten them. Leave two inches apart, as they'll grow. Bake for 25 min. Allow them to cool down. Enjoy!

Retailers

We at Baru Baron are the first company to introduce baru seeds in the Canadian market. They are currently available online, and in these selected health food stores in Toronto:

And in Vaughan:

Your shop doesn’t carry Baru Baron? Are you interested in selling Baru Baron products at your business? Would you like to work with them as ingredients?

Please e-mail us at orders@barubaron.ca for any inquiries! You can find out more, on https://www.barubaron.ca and their Instagram account @barubaron.

By: Dr. Evan Lewis, PhD

Everyone in Canada knows someone with diabetes. That is because there are now 11 million Canadians with type 1, type 2 or pre-diabetes. Over 50% of all diabetics will develop diabetes induced nerve damage, diagnosed as diabetic neuropathy within 10-years of their diabetes diagnosis. (more…)