Tarika Ahuja – Nutrition To Reduce Allergies And Improve Immunity

Skin is the largest organ in the body. In the Far Eastern and Vedic philosophy it is connected to the kidneys and is known as the 3rd kidney. So one has to keep the blood quality stronger in minerals and essential fiber and fats for it to be strong. Also, sugar and acidic foods makes the skin more sensitive. Millets, amaranth, dark coloured beans, dark coloured leafy greens, sesame seeds, almonds should be consumed. It’s also not just about what you take but also what you avoid – so avoid sugar, commercial desserts/pastry, bread, yeast and other acidic foods.

Keeping away from mucus rich foods such as bread, sugar, dairy is an important step. Eating whole grains such as brown rice, millets, and calcium rich foods also helps – e.g. ragi, amaranth, broccoli, kidney beans, kala channas etc.

Thalesmic needs a more organized approach and a one-to-one consultancy than just tips as its a state that reflects more deficiencies. Amla, ginger, haldi shots should help. As should spirulina. Also, mustard and mooli greens and gourd family vegetables.

Please see my book called THE ASTHMA CURE for attending to allergies related to lungs and sneezing etc. Black seed oil – edible quality should help her condition.

Stop all white sugar and flour for him. It is important when there is lack of concentration happening, to reduce/minimize sugars and inflammatory foods in the body. A whole grain when crushed into flour – you are dispersing its original strength and energy into flour and so it doesn’t support building concentration. Eating whole unrefined organic foods is the first step. There is a chapter about your question in my first book called BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN: The Parent’s Essential Guide to Raising Strong Balanced Healthy Children. Please refer to the details in this chapter called “Supercharging the brain and improving concentration.”

This seems like a classic case of mineral and nutritional deficiencies. It would be helpful to get her on a full fledged plan with a good Ayurvedic or holistic nutritionist. Increasing her physical activities would also help. Most problems when tackled from holistic perspective cannot be only a one-point suggestion/remedy or answer. We need to look at the whole person, child in this case and create a full plan and education and cooking lessons. Enthusiasm will return once the body is well nourished. Also, check her hemoglobin, Vit D and calcium. Exercises that strengthen the legs and abdomen would also help – for e.g. swimming, cycling, certain yoga asanas, and soak feet in hot water with a little sea salt in it 2 x week before bedtime. All these should help bring her concentration back to the body and the present moment. Also, include kala chana and green moong dal in the diet 2 times a week each. Many more changes – but let’s begin with these.

Yes for sure a change in diet, exercise and lifestyle plan. Yes, genetics plays an important role in our lives in terms of what is possible, However, our current health condition can be improved with organized and systematic efforts with aware guidance. Do you and your daughter have a diet rich in animal proteins? If yes, this should be reduced. Also, if fruits consumed should be 100% organic and seasonal for this problem. A diet rich in whole grains, beans/unpolished lentils, vegetables, fermented foods, alkalizing drinks and natural supplements would be necessary. Avoiding sugars and and reducing animal proteins is also important. The diet should also be rich in amla, haldi, green moong dal, horsegram lentil and gourd family vegetables. Home-made brine and haldi pickles and sauerkraut (easy-to-make cabbage pickle) – recipes for all these in my second book – THE ASTHMA CURE. Oil-less lemon pickle should also be added. I do not recommend high intake of dairy. It contributes to more mucus and acid environment in the body. Small quantities of organic ghee is okay – but other dairy foods are not recommended by me.

There are few factors we need to look at – overall immunity – how good or bad it is,  inflammation and inflammatory foods such as white sugar, tomatoes, hot spices, eggplant, capsicum, yeast, maida – all these need to be reduced.

Excessive sneezing, eczema, allergies – all are connected to a more acidic blood condition. It is advisable to reduce/avoid white sugar, refined flour and hot spices from the diet. Also, reduce night- shade vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplant, capsicum for 2 months and see if it helps. Again, this needs a full diet change as the condition has reached extreme sensitivity. Please try taking black seeds oil as well.

There are many factors that affect our health. Yes, diet and lifestyle (for a child the amount of exercise, yoga and recreation) are definitely a foundational cause to help or problems. Eating habits should change. Nausea – lemon pickle and black seed oil should help.

This needs to be attended in conjunction with a doctor. I would recommend an oil-less diet plan for 10 days to begin with – rich wholefoods/unrefined foods and no sugar or refined flour. Also, including foods high in iron, calcium and magnesium – more natural seeds, red pumpkin, kulath dal, kalongi, occasional esabgol (alternate days at night for these 10 days) etc. This too is an extreme condition for which this platform may not be enough to answer – needs intensive guidance for a few months to regain health and immunity.