This allergy season, practice simple self care. Check your tongue for coating. Coating on the tongue is known as ama, a toxic byproduct of incomplete or improper digestion, poor food combining, unseasonable eating, and stress. (1)
To help combat ama, improve digestion, and fight inflammation leading to hypersensitivities including seasonal, environmental, and other food allergies, use turmeric in hot water with a pinch of freshly ground black pepper. While recent studies have shown that the digestive system has a difficult time absorbing curcumin, the bioactive flavonoid found in turmeric (2), Ayurveda has recommended for millennia that turmeric, known as haridra in Sanskrit, be taken with an anupan or delivery mechanism to improve bioavailability. (3)
Depending on your constitution and the season, turmeric may be ingested along with maricha (black pepper) or pippali (Indian long pepper) in hot water, added to warm cow’s milk (known locally as golden milk), or mixed in honey to improve efficacy and delivery to deep tissues of the body.
Simple self-care during allergy season
Original post 5/15/15
Updated 9/23/15
Sources
1. Sumantran, V. Tillu G. Cancer, Inflammation and Insights from Ayurveda. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012; 2012: 306346. Free full text available online at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3398688/#sec6title
2. Douglass, B and Clouatre. D. Beyond Yellow Curry: Assessing Commercial Curcumin Absorption Technologies. J Am Coll Nutr. 2015 Apr 9. doi: 10.1080/07315724.2014.950392. Free full text available online at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4536942/