I am so ready to say goodbye to winter and hello to spring. I used to have a serious love/hate relationship with spring because I suffered from some serious seasonal allergies. Living in the valley where the pollen settles and coats every single surface in the spring and summer translates to a long couple of months of sneezing, runny nose, itchy throat, itchy eyes hell. To make it worse, taking allergy pills that made me feel the symptoms go away only left me feeling like foggy headed hot garbage. Then it all changed when I learned about local bee pollen in 2012. I paired it with local raw honey and never suffered from unmanageable seasonal allergies ever again. The magic of nature strikes again.

So here’s how it's done... 

In late February/early March, start adding local bee pollen and local raw honey to your daily routine. You can insert it wherever it makes sense for you. Add them to tea, your morning smoothie or take it straight up! Every morning I have hot lemon water and a shot of homemade fire cider to start my day. February through June I add a half of a teaspoon of raw honey to my lemon water and chase my fire cider with ⅛ - 1 teaspoon of local bee pollen depending on where I am in the process.

When beginning to take bee pollen, it’s important to start slow with a small amount and work your way up to more. Start with a few granules and see how you feel, how your body reacts. Every body is different, and you want to be sure you won't have a serious reaction to the pollen. From a few granules more to a pinch, then ⅛ of a teaspoon to ¼ of a teaspoon, gradually increasing your intake each week. Some people will consume up to a tablespoon daily. I personally stop at a teaspoon, because that’s what works for me and my body. 

In the first week or so you may experience mild seasonal allergy symptoms. This is because you are essentially exposing yourself to the allergens. By exposing the allergens to your body consistently, you are helping your body build a resistance to these allergens. 

Bee pollen is also high in antioxidants and has high anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Your whole system will get a boost while you rid yourself of those painful seasonal allergies!

Before the snow completely melts and the plants start to bud, get your hands on some local bee pollen and raw honey and give this natural remedy a try. I hope you’ll find yourself enjoying nature freely this spring and summer, allergy free. Thank you bees!