Helix Clinic blog

To mark World Allergy Day this year, our practitioner Pia is offering £10 off the first acupuncture treatment booked before 9th December for allergy-related disorders.

Acupuncture can be very effective in the treatment of allergies. Chronic allergy can indicate a deficiency in an aspect of the kidney’s yang energy, that can be remedied over time with a combination of acupuncture, heat treatment (through heat lamp or moxibustion) and attention to dietary factors. For more information, please feel free to contact us with any allergy-specific questions you may have.

Tags: allergies

Why does the body crave foods that could be causing us harm? Often people find they love eating a particular food only later to find out that they are intolerant or allergic to it.

They key to this strange effect may lie with endorphins, chemicals that are produced by the body to relieve pain. Endorphins are our natural pleasure chemicals that give us a high and a sense of well-being, and studies have been done that suggest endorphin production increases during allergic reaction.

If this is the case, then the possibility of addiction to foods that are harming us becomes more understandable. As the body adapts to the higher levels of endorphins associated with a particular food, it starts to feel withdrawal symptoms if those endorphin levels are not maintained. When we finally succumb and eat the food that our body is craving, the release of endorphins will give us a temporary boost and a sense of well-being, but this is most likely followed by an imminent crash. The classic sugar boost and crash that most people have experienced is the most obvious example.

The trouble is though, as we continue to crave and eat the foods that we are allergic to, longer term cumulative allergic symptoms start to build up. Headaches, asthma, chronic tiredness, eczema are all common allergy-related symptoms.

If one can break the addiction cycle related to food allergies, these more chronic long term symptoms should start to disappear. Acupuncture and especially ear acupuncture have been shown to be effective in combating addiction, partly because acupuncture also helps to release endorphins that can help to combat the periodic cravings.

Tags: addiction, allergies, endorphins

Food allergy and intolerance week is between the 19th and 23rd January this year. We’d like to help raise awareness during this week by pointing out a couple of good resources for allergy sufferers or people with food intolerances.

Allergy UK is the UK’s leading medical charity for people with allergies, food intolerances and chemical sensitivity. On their site you’ll find plenty of information, as you might expect, as well as a few good ways to help support their work.

We particularly liked Allergy Chums, to help a child with allergies.  Character stickers, clothing, ‘write on’ wristbands, and lunch box decals help to protect your child while they are out & about, featuring characters like Nutley the Nut free Squirrel,  Cedric the Dairy free Cow and Multiple Allergy Monkey. 10% of any orders made will be given to the Allergy UK Blossom Campaign, a children’s campaign to help provide support to children with allergies and their parents.

And if you are feeling like brightening up the winter grey, why not buy some flowers, where 15% of your purchase will go towards the charity Allergy UK!

Tags: allergies, food intolerances