Nutrition to Relieve Sinus Pain
January 29, 2018
Do you wake up with a sinus headache? Have you noticed that certain foods trigger congestion or a runny nose? Hear about how to naturally relieve these symptoms with real food.
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Transcript
KARA: Good morning and welcome to Dishing Up Nutrition. This is brought to you by Nutritional Weight & Wellness. My name is Kara Carper. I'm a licensed nutritionist and I will be co-hosting today's show with my friend and colleague, Kate Crosby. Good morning.
KATE: Good morning. Great to be on with you Kara. It's been a while and as she said I'm Kate. I'm Kate Crosby, I'm a nutrition educator and counselor. So I want to start the show off by asking you a few questions. Maybe you woke up this morning with a sinus headache. Or maybe, don't you remember those days of mucus draining down your throat? Or does your head feel so full you can't think? Feels like it might burst? Well I've had these problems, these sinus problems, for years on and off and they're not fun. I often feel like I can't think clearly, my energy is so low. But they also can be really embarrassing. You're blowing your nose during important meetings, distracting the focus of the meeting. Or your nose runs unexpectedly down your upper lip and you're searching madly for that Kleenex. It's a real pain and it's very embarrassing.
KARA: Well if you haven't guessed it our topic today is going to cover sinus pain, sinus infections, all the things that go along with chronic sinus issues that people often have. And if you do have recurring sinus problems you're not alone. At least 35 million Americans suffer with sinus problems each year. So we're going to talk today about the possible causes of sinus problems. We're going to give you some solutions and practical tips that you can do to hopefully just prevent all of these sinus issues.
KATE: Absolutely. So you know many of you may not realize that a sinus problem is actually inflammation. So it's swelling, swelling of the tissue lining of the sinuses which can then soon lead to the infection. So the inflammation, that swelling, can create a lot of mucus buildup and then you experience that sinus pain, that terrible bone aching pain.
KARA: And I am quite certain that if you go to your doctor with any type of sinus problem you're going to be prescribed an antibiotic as the treatment of choice. In fact, in the United States sinus problems are the fifth most common medical problem for, you know, the reason antibiotics are prescribed. Not everybody wants to take antibiotics though. I actually had a client who was just mentioning this week she had a sinus infection and was avoiding antibiotics because of the repercussions that people get post antibiotics.
KATE: Antibiotics wipe out all bacteria -the good probiotics that we want in our gut along with the infection bacteria.
KARA: Exactly and people often get yeast infection as a result. Yeah, so this particular client said, you know she didn't think it was bacterial so she waited it out and it did go away. But I told her to listen today because maybe she can prevent that from happening. If there is a safer way to get over a sinus problem you know. Let's talk about what some natural solutions might be.
KATE: Perfect perfect. But Kara we're nutritionists, we got to go to food first. As many of you probably know some foods are really beneficial for your immune system but some are going to be really harmful and those are the ones that can set you up for inflammation of that sinus lining.
KARA: So before we even talk about foods that are beneficial for your immune system. Let's talk about foods that are harmful. You know how many of you already believe or know that certain foods are going to affect your immune system and might make you more susceptible to coming down with a sinus problem? And if not, you know just be aware. Are you aware that there is a food connection to your sinuses?
KATE: You know for all the sinus infections that I had, I never had a clue that food might be affecting my sinuses. But you know I bet many of our listeners can relate to this. Do you ever notice that if you've had a glass of milk or probably more likely eaten a bowl of ice cream, the next morning you might wake up with a runny nose or you might be clearing your throat all morning or your sinuses are just all congested? Well that's an indication that food is really affecting you. Food does make a difference and for a lot of people dairy products like the milk or that yogurt or the cottage cheese, can all lead to more congestion and inflammation of those sinuses.
KARA: And cheese as well. I'm not sure of you said cheese?
KATE: Yeah, cottage cheese, cheese, regular cheese. I mean I think of dairy products as being very mucus producing. Well that's the last thing that you want if you've got sinus problems. You know and that was me in my 30s and 40s my diet was bread and cheese. And I just was constantly inflamed, not knowing it.
KARA: So part of it was the cheese and we'll talk more about the bread later in the show. And you and I were discussing before the show, we both are pretty much not eating dairy for the same reasons. And dairy really causes a lot of excess mucus for me.
KATE: And me too. I just instantly feel it. You know eating a chunk of cheese I will feel it within ten minutes or so.
KARA: Right. I actually wasn't sleeping as well. And people that have heard me before on the show, know I struggle with sleep, so I need my sleep. But when my nose is all stuffed up I find myself like not sleeping nearly as well because I can't breathe as well and that was happening from dairy. So I had to give it up. Yeah but I still see a lot of clients who are used to having their bowl of ice cream before bed. If ice cream leads to mucus buildup in your sinuses or a runny nose, would you be willing to stop eating ice cream, cheese, milk, and yogurt for about six weeks? Now if you hear this you might be thinking, "How can I give up some of my favorite foods?" Well here's how, I stop buying it and just give it a few weeks. Really I think you'll be surprised. You know four to six weeks if you stop cheese, yogurt, milk, and ice cream you will notice that your sinuses are not nearly as plugged.
KATE: Yeah absolutely. Most people, interestingly enough when we say go dairy free, most people still can continue using heavy whipping cream and butter because these products are mostly fat and fat typically isn't the inflammatory part of the product that is causing all the problems. Butter and heavy whipping cream don't contain that casein and the lactose which are the culprits in creating so much inflammation for people.
KARA: That's right, they're really just you know the fat. So that's not going to be as inflammatory. If you're someone who craves ice cream and you have trouble giving it up, I'm going to give you a tip on what I do and actually Kate does as well. It works as a great substitute because we know that ice cream and milk products create inflammation in the body. So I have a really good blender but a food processor will also work for this recipe. So I put in a cup of frozen organic peaches into the blender. You can use other frozen fruit as well. Berries are great, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries. Then I add a half can of full fat coconut milk and it just blended together. Then I'll put two teaspoons of pure maple syrup, blend it again and it makes it great. It's like a coconut peach soft serve ice cream.
KATE: It's delicious.
KARA: You were just saying that you made it and you loved it.
KATE: I made it with frozen mango. Oh it was delicious.
KARA: And it's not creating inflammation in our bodies. The coconut milk actually helps to reduce inflammation. And the fruits, some fruits are a little bit lower sugar than others especially berries, but fruit in general is going to be so much lower in sugar than just eating regular ice cream. It's really refreshing. It’s a dairy-free, low carb, low sugar treat. So we kind of call it a safe ice cream alternative.
KATE: It's delicious. You know dairy products can be problem foods for lots of people. You know it's probably a well-known fact that 70 percent of the world's population cannot even digest dairy products. So we at Nutritional Weight and Wellness know that dairy products are inflammatory for so many people. In fact one of my clients told me that after she stopped eating ice cream she no longer had her knee pain because that inflammation in her knee had basically gone away by stopping that dairy.
KARA: Oh that's wonderful. I mean she probably didn't even know that that was going to happen.
KATE: So that's why Kara and I do what we do.
KARA: Exactly. We love to hear that feedback from clients. We'll talk more about inflammation after a break. We do have to go to a quick break. You're listening to Dishing Up Nutrition. Have you seen or heard the evening news reports stating that influenza has reached epidemic proportions this year? The hospitals are full, people are missing work for weeks at a time. At my daughter's school there have been kids out of school for over a week. In one of the classes there were ten kids sick out of 24. So now there have even been several deaths stirring this cold and flu season. That being said all of us need to get ahead of this and support our immune function. Here's a preventative measure you can start doing today to reduce your risk of getting a cold or flu. Reduce your sugar consumption to no more than six teaspoons a day, which is 24 grams of sugar. So you have to look at food labels because so-called healthy bottled iced tea contains 16 grams of sugar. That's four teaspoons right there. A 12 ounce glass of orange juice contains nine teaspoons of sugar. You know plain ice tea has zero sugar and eating an entire orange has two teaspoons of natural sugar. So just really be on the lookout for hidden sugars and you have to be choosing foods with either no sugar or under six teaspoons so we'll be right back.
KATE: Welcome back to Dishing Up Nutrition brought to you by Nutritional Weight & Wellness. So are you tired of having those menopausal symptoms like hot flashes? Maybe you are having trouble sleeping. Or is your mood tanking? Are you really irritable? Or maybe you're gaining weight. Well here's the good news, there are lots of natural solutions to these symptoms. You can work individually with one of our Weight and Wellness nutritionists to get answers or we also invite you to attend our Menopause Seminar on Saturday, February 17 at our Maple Grove location. How many of you have ever noticed that after you eat that muffin loaded with sugar you experience a hot flash? Well we're going to explain a lot of those things. We've got simple solutions for those really annoying symptoms. So how would you sign up? Call our office at 651-699-3438 or you could go to our website, weightandwellness.com look for classes and sign up that way.
KARA: So before a break we were talking about how dairy can be inflammatory. Dairy can also be a source of excess mucus production. And you know both of those things can lead to a higher risk of getting some kind of a sinus infection or sinus issue. But you know we get a lot of questions from class participants and clients about getting enough calcium.
KATE: If you're not eating that dairy.
KARA: Right, so if somebody is wanting to give up dairy to not have as many sinus issues they may be concerned, you know, how am I going to get my calcium if I'm not eating cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese? If I'm not drinking my milk is the big one we hear. So we're just going to give you some facts. So one cup of milk contains 300 milligrams of calcium. But here's the thing, only 30 percent of that calcium is absorbable. They call it bioavailable, but that just means absorbable. Now on the flip side if you take a cup of cooked bok choy, which is a green veggie, or you take one and a half cups of kale, two cups of broccoli, those portions all contain the same amount of calcium as that one cup of milk but it's more absorbable in the body. 50 to 60 percent of that calcium is going to be absorbed. Isn't that interesting?
KATE: I think living in Minnesota, a dairy state, we've been, you know, told that the only source of calcium is dairy. And while it does provide us with some calcium, there are so many other sources of calcium for us so we can build strong bones.
KARA: Any type of greens, you know, spinach, like we said broccoli, kale, Swiss chard, and collard greens, turnip greens just basically all greens are rich in calcium. Nuts and seeds contain calcium. And grass fed meat, pasture raised animals are going to have more calcium.
KATE: Yep yep you know in addition to eating those leafy greens and broccoli to obtain your calcium though, you need to make sure that you've got a good level of vitamin D in your blood. This is so that you can absorb that calcium to build the strong bones which is usually what our clients are concerned about when they ask for calcium and if I'm not eating dairy where my getting my calcium? So eating your greens is great but having enough Vitamin D is essential. You need that vitamin D so that it helps you actually absorb that calcium and get the calcium into your bones. You know you also need a little magnesium as well.
KARA: Right and sometimes we even here you know we need as much magnesium or often more magnesium than calcium. Like basically twice as much magnesium as calcium. More people are deficient in magnesium compared to being deficient in calcium. Vitamin D is also vital for a healthy immune system. So it's going to help you ward off everything that we were talking about before the break the influenza, colds and a lot of those colds can actually lead to sinus infections. So not only is vitamin D good for immune system it's going to help you absorb your calcium that you're getting from your greens your kale, your broccoli.
KATE: Yeah I mean it's kind of a nifty way it all fits together but you know I know we're sort of digressing here but I also want our listeners to know that dairy isn't the only source of calcium. So be sure to get enough magnesium along with your leafy greens and your D because that magnesium often will keep the calcium in solution and then it will be absorbed into your bones. You know many of us, as Kara was mentioning, are deficient in magnesium, maybe 60 to 70 percent, so often we have to encourage our clients to take a magnesium supplement to get enough. You'll get some magnesium from those veggies as well but usually we're so deficient that a supplement is necessary.
KARA: It's a little harder to get magnesium from our foods when compared to calcium so that's why more people are deficient. You know as long as we're talking, we were talking about inflammatory foods earlier and we're talking about how dairy can be inflammatory. And one other food source that can be inflammatory is gluten coming from wheat, barley, oats, and rye. An interesting book that I've been reading talks about how gluten can affect your immune system. The book is called The Autoimmune Solution by author Dr. Amy Meyer. And she says 30 percent of people have a gluten sensitivity, not celiac, but a gluten sensitivity. When these gluten sensitive people eat foods that contain gluten it can trigger an immune response and inflame their airways. So in regards to sinuses eating foods with gluten can inflame your sinus tissue just like dairy. And Dr. Meyer wrote that if you eat just a simple bowl of granola, which usually contains gluten, or maybe you have fish but you broil it with soy sauce you may not realize that, you know, soy sauce has MSG and gluten. You might, you know if you get a migraine on Wednesday, two days after you had the granola or the soy sauce. You might actually break out and get acne you may have bloating or gas, or joint pain. You may be thinking, "well that couldn't be related to what I had two days ago" but that seemingly healthy food that contain gluten could have triggered all of these issues. And not only all those issues like migraines and acne and joint pain, you could certainly get congested and inflamed sinuses from gluten.
KATE: Yeah, it is surprising. You know drawing the dots, lining them up and making the connections between the foods that really cause you inflammation and problems. Sometimes it's a little difficult detective work because there can be a delayed response. Gluten often one with a delayed response. So people poo-poo it and say “oh no it wasn't that”.
KARA: Right. I had that two or three days ago, but it could be a delayed reaction.
KATE: So sinus infections and congestion occur when your nasal cavities become swollen and inflamed. And then that sinus pressure builds and that's when you get that sinus headache with that pain around your face and eyes. I know for me it feels like my skull is in a vice. It's just terrible. Now normally your sinuses are filled with air. But when they become inflamed and blocked they fill with fluid or mucus and that's where germs like bacteria and viruses and fungus can grow. All of these can cause an infection in your sinuses. And our advice is to avoid these inflammatory foods.
KARA: Exactly. And it is time for us to go to another break. You're listening to Dishing Up Nutrition brought to you by Nutritional Weight & Wellness. We are a small local nutrition education and counseling company that's been helping people understand the importance of eating real food for the past 25 years. And we now have seven locations, maybe one of these locations is convenient for you. Our offices are located in Eden Prairie, Lakeville, Maple Grove, Mendota Heights, North Oaks, St. Paul and Wayzata. We teach at least 100 classes every month. You know in person, online, at corporate settings. We have 11 nutritionists. We're really busy lately, aren't we, with January being here. We work with clients in person or via phone and Skype. We have 20 nutrition teachers. They're teaching, they're teaching everywhere. We have 20 support staff that can answer your questions. They can help you get signed up for classes, find what you're looking for. You can call our office any of our offices you can call the same number 651-699-3438. Check out our website weightandwellness.com. We might be small but we work with people all over the world and we'll be right back.
KATE: Welcome back to Dishing Up Nutrition. On Friday, February 2 we are starting something new and fun. It's Friday Fun-Day at the Green Lotus Yoga Center in Eden Prairie. And one of our offices is housed in the Green Lotus Yoga Center. Our nutrition educator Melissa is going to be offering a class called Habits Habits Habits. The class will occur from 4 to 5 pm and it's only $10. So if you're stuck in unhealthy habits let Melissa help you get unstuck. Come early and you can enjoy a Green Lotus Yoga class. This winter has really been a challenging one even for us Minnesotans so we could all use a little fun. So go to weightandwellness.com or call our office at 651-699-3438 and you can sign up for that class that Melissa will teach, Habits Habits Habits.
KARA: Great class for this time of year. So we are saying you know we're right in the heart of cold and flu season. It really seems that everyone's coughing, blowing their nose where ever you go. And the most common cold symptoms that you can get are a runny nose or stuffy nose, not fun. And some other normal cold symptoms you may experience are congestion, post nasal drip, sinus pressure like you were talking about, you feel like your head is in a vice. That's no good. People get sinus pressure around their face and their eyes or even their neck, in the back of their hand. Of course there are the cold symptoms like fatigue, the chronic cough and the sore throat. Now if you have sinus pain and you have discharge but it's no longer clear you might be starting to get a sinus infection. It's kind of that dark yellow or green. That's a sign of infection. And when your sinus symptoms last more than 10 days again it could be a sinus infection because a lot of sinus issues occur after a cold. How can you protect yourself from getting a cold in the first place? Because that's going to reduce your risk of getting a sinus infection. Well you know at Nutritional Weight & Wellness, we believe it all goes back to supporting your immune system by eating healthy anti-inflammatory foods. Kate how do you how do you recommend eating anti-inflammatory foods?
KATE: Well we already know that gluten, that's found in wheat and barley, oats and rye, is inflaming. So how about this idea, at least for now avoid eating those sandwiches at lunch, especially the sub sandwiches. They're just loaded with gluten and wheat, that bread is really enticing but full of the inflaming gluten. I'd like to suggest sort of an immune boosting soup that I make a lot. A friend of mine gave me this recipe and the recipe is for Hamburger Soup. It's really easy to make it taste delicious. I think in the last month I've had it about three or four times. Yeah well you can get it off our website as well, weightandwellness.com. So I'm going to just explain it rather briefly. Again it's called Hamburger Soup. So you're gonna to want to get your big soup pot out and melt some butter, about three tablespoons of butter and then you're going to sauté a diced medium onion, along with some diced carrots, celery tops and zucchini. Four carrots, four celery tops and four zucchini all diced up. Sauté those seal them up with all their nutrients in that nomy nomy butter. You don't need to cook them all the way through at this point. And then you're going to add your two pounds of ground beef you're going to scramble it up. So it's all divided up and then you'll add some spices a little thyme, like four teaspoons of thyme, 10 peppercorns, a couple of teaspoons of salt, and a bay leaf. And the last two things that add are a quart of broth and the recipe calls for beef broth. I don't like the taste of beef broth so I use chicken broth. And then a 20 ounce can of tomatoes, stewed diced very light, not heavy and no sugar. Throw that all into your pot. Put the lid on. Cook it for about 45 minutes until all the veggies are tender and then enjoy it. And this recipe serves about six people. Now I balance it off with a few gluten free crackers and butter if you want. Or another favorite thing of mine is to take a brown rice tortilla cut it up into six or eight and sauté each piece in butter. Makes a good cracker. There you go. There's your immune-boosting soup.
KARA: Great. So it's not like we're totally avoiding unlike anything crunchy like that but you're having a gluten free cracker or gluten free tortilla it's just less inflammatory to go along. That sounds wonderful. Thank you for sharing that. I'm sure that we all agree that washing our hands more frequently during the cold and flu season is a good habit. But we also need to protect our immune function with the correct foods. Which brings me to why this is definitely a time to avoid sugar. Yes, still wash your hands frequently but also cut back on or even completely get rid of sugar and processed carbohydrates.
KATE: Oh boy, that would be great at supporting your immune system.
KARA: Wouldn't it? And you'll talk more about why in a second here but to all of you beer drinkers out, there we really suggest that you avoid drinking beer because you know you're going to avoid inflaming your sinuses. And that actually goes for most alcohol I would say. But beer is particularly high in sugar and yeast and gluten.
KATE: Yeah. Now you know there's this study from Loma Linda University. We often quote it on Dishing Up Nutrition but today I think I'd like to repeat it because it really is important. The study found that when you eat 100 grams of sugar, that's you know approximately 25 teaspoons of sugar. Now you could easily find that in a liter of soda or maybe even a small blizzard.
KARA: OK so a liter of soda has about 25 teaspoons of sugar.
KATE: I know. Is that a mind boggler? Yes. You didn't know you were drinking sugar, did you. And I know when one sips down that soda. So when that happens when you've eaten that twenty five teaspoons of sugar you're white blood cells are 40 percent less effective at killing germs. Well what happens is your immune system slows down for about five hours after you eat that. I like to think of it as the sugar is paralyzing your immune system. It's slowing it way down. So then your white blood cells, known as the killer cells, are put out of commission. So what might that mean for you? Well suppose you're out to lunch with a friend and you are drinking a large soda and your friend sneezes. Now since your immune system is out of commission you could most likely get the cold or virus. Since your white blood cells are working in slow motion, some of that virus gets through and you could get sick. So that's how it happens.
KARA: Wow. Let's talk about another way sugar affects our immune system. Do any of you remember Dr. Linus Pauling? He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1954. He discovered that sugar competes for space in your white blood cells with vitamin C. We all know that vitamin C helps your immune system to fight off viruses. Kate what did Dr. Linus Pauling's research findings show?
KATE: Well here's, here's the research that explains why sugar reduces our immune function. You see our white blood cells actually need vitamin C to destroy these bacteria and viruses but interestingly enough sugar and vitamin C are really similar in chemical structure. So when you eat that sugar it directly competes for space in your immune cells with the vitamin C. Well the more sugar you're eating the less vitamin C that's going to get into your white blood cells. That means your immune system is less able to function and ward off the viruses. Well that's a pretty graphic picture I hope our listeners can see that.
KARA: Yeah, it's interesting though and that's definitely one more reason to cut down on eating sugar and to increase your intake of vitamin C. You can get vitamin C through supplementation or eating food. Eating kale or spinach salad is a great way to increase your vitamin C levels. Adding frozen strawberries, frozen organic strawberries to your protein shake is another good way. Even eating a bowl of chili for lunch is great the tomatoes in that chili will give you a lot of vitamin C to support your white blood cells.
KATE: Really interesting. So the tomatoes in that hamburger soup, that's going to help you too.
KARA: You bet. So let's take our, let's take another break here. You're listening to Dishing Up Nutrition. With all of the reports about this year's cold and flu season, I want to mention a product that most of the staff at Nutritional Weight and Wellness have added to their supplement list as a preventative measure. We have a liquid grapefruit extract with green tea it's called Advantage Liquid Concentrate. We either use that daily or you can just use it if you feel something coming on, at the onset of a cold. It's inexpensive. It's really effective. One of our staff members can give you ideas on how to use it. So why get sick if something as simple as taking a few drops of Advantage Liquid Concentrate can actually prevent a viral or bacterial infection. And we'll be back in a minute.
KATE: Well welcome back to Dishing Up Nutrition. Next week I'll be back with Cassie discussing weight gain that often occurs during perimenopause. 70 to 80 percent of women gain weight during perimenopause and they are not happy about it. But Cassie and I are going to look at the reasons this happens and probably most importantly we're going to present some real solutions that you can follow. So be sure to tune in next week. Well before we went to break we were talking about how vitamin C can boost that immune system. But there are other things you know you might be in the middle of having a cold or an infection. And boy that's when it's tough. You know you might be asking well I've already got the sinus congestion, I've got a lot of pain and discomfort in my face, around my eyes, in my head. So you know many people need help clearing up the congestion. So we're going to just share a few natural remedies we often recommend to our clients. And we know your goal is always to reduce that nagging symptom and stop the sinus congestion from turning in to an infection and then causing all that pain.
KARA: To start I often suggest a homeopathic formula. It's called Aqua Flora which is designed to reduce the symptoms of an overgrowth of yeast. So I want to say that again you know a lot of times these sinus issues, even sinus infections, infections are caused from an overgrowth of yeast. You know that can lead to congestion or an infection. And you know that to be honest that's the reason that a lot of times antibiotics are not effective is because if it is stemming from a fungal infection it's not a bacteria. So an antibiotic isn't going to take care of it.
KATE: Yes. And that often happened with me.
KARA: Oh it did? Yeah I do hear that people go on antibiotics and they don't get rid of their sinus infection.
KATE: And Aqua Flora was a big wonderful product for me for that very reason.
KARA: It's a very gentle and effective formula. It's a homeopathic formula and homeopathic formulas are designed to help your own immune system control the yeast overgrowth and reduce inflammation. Quite often within days the symptoms start clearing up. We have successfully used Aqua Flora for over 20 years with amazing results. I like it because it's really easy to take. You just get up in the morning and you take two tablespoons of Aqua Flora in water stir it and drink it and within days you're going to start feeling better. Most of our clients do.
KATE: You know sometimes I often recommend adding a product to the Aqua Flora. The product is called Sinatrol. So it's going to help kill any bacteria or fungal infection in your sinuses. It helps to keep the mucus running and keeping it thin. It helps to break down the mucus. It controls some inflammation and soothes your sinuses. Sinatrol contains nutrients and botanicals, herbs, that actually kill the fungus and yeast as well. And those herbs are designed to support your immune system. And the interesting thing, it has no harmful chemicals.
KARA: There's no side effects. It's just herbal and you know there are some amino acids, N-Acetyl Cysteine.
KATE: That helps keep that mucus flowing.
KARA: Thyme, turmeric. It's got some ginseng, bromelain, licorice and berberine. Yes a lot of those are natural, like they work like an antibiotic. They're naturally anti-microbial and antifungal.
KATE: And that's the beauty of this product do sort of two things at once. When I suggested for a client I usually encourage them to stay on it for a good seven to ten days even if the sinus infection has cleared, just to be sure that they've killed everything.
KARA: So before we discuss other beneficial supplements I just want to remind everyone to be drinking more water than usual. That helps keep the mucus clear. If you're used to drinking eight glasses of water per day you want to increase that to 10 or 12 glasses. You want to keep that mucus running and thin, like you said, because when your sinuses block up that's actually when an infection can set in which causes more pain and discomfort. So just stay hydrated.
KATE: Drink, drink, drink. You know another one of my all-time favorite supplements is a product for sinus congestion. It's called D-Hist sort of sounds like anti histamine and that's kind of what it does. This product is made by Ortho Molecular a company that I absolutely adore. It's also a product we've recommended for about 20 years with amazing success. Maybe you're the person who gets congested sinuses in the fall or spring during those seasonal changes. Well if that's you, then I'm going to suggest taking three to six D-Hist capsules on an empty stomach for a couple of weeks. Now because especially during those seasonal changes. You know for me though I'm so susceptible to sinus issues I take 2 D-Hist every single day whether it's spring or winter or summer.
KARA: I do too. We were talking about how we both get up in the morning and take I take 1-2 every day. I just can't you know, it prevents me from having congestion or any like even a small allergic reaction. It just kind of helps prevent all. D-Hist works so well because it contains ingredients like quercetin, bromelain, stinging nettle and again, N-Acetyl Cysteine. We have a little overlap from the ingredients in Sinatrol, those ingredients support healthy nasal and sinus passages. And just like with Sinatrol there are no chemicals, no side effects, no drowsiness. You know how those antihistamines at the drugstore can cause like a hangover?
KATE: Yes, or they speed you up.
KARA: Right, it's one or the other. It is none of that with D-Hist. That is why I love it.
KATE: So talk a little bit about quercetin or bromelain.
KARA: Well sure. So I mean I mean basically they're anti-inflammatory.
KATE: So they're eating up inflammation.
KARA: And we want to have those on an empty stomach. Otherwise I mean they're still great with food, but they work as a digestive enzyme. That's not what we're talking about today. You want to take it on an empty stomach to reduce inflammation and help with your sinuses. And that's how it works like an antihistamine. And you know I have the bottles right here too I just wanted to mention that we do have D-Hist Junior for kids.
KATE: Do you ever use that with a little Olivia?
KARA: Well she actually loves it and so she always wants it, like she goes “I think I'm having an allergy.” Just because she likes the taste of it. But it's chewable. And it's the exact same ingredients in a lower dose. Could be for adults too. They don't like to swallow but it's ideal for kids. Yes. So I wanted to mention that.
KATE: Well what about probiotics?
KARA: You know probiotics are so important, that's good bacteria, because 70, is it 70? It's more than that. Most of our immune system is actually in our gut.
KATE: Exactly. So those probiotics very important. I looks like we better wrap up.
KARA: I think we have about a minute left.
KATE: So you know we've been talking about a lot of conditions that that set you up for sinus infections. And remember we always believe food is first. So avoid the sugar and dairy and gluten containing products. Eat quality fish and meat, lots of healthy fats, and drink a lot of water.
KARA: That's right. And if you struggle with sinus problems we encourage you to make an appointment with one of our Weight and Wellness nutritionists. You know you might have a food sensitivity that's dragging down your immune system. We can really pinpoint what's going on and tailor an individual program to help you out. Our goal at Nutritional Weight & Wellness is to help each and every person experience better health through eating real food. It's a simple yet powerful message, eating real food is life changing. Thanks so much for listening and have a wonderful day.
