How to Manage Food Allergies With Yoga

Harness the Power of Yoga and Ayurveda to Transform Your Relationship with Food Allergies - By Beth Rush

Reading time: 3 minutes

Discover how yoga and the ancient philosophy of Ayurveda (knowledge of life) can change your experience with food allergies.

Understanding Food Allergies

Almost 6% of the American population suffers from food allergies. For those who live with the condition, food allergens can trigger an immune response within minutes and lead to symptoms like itching, swelling, trouble breathing and dizziness. Severe reactions can cause anaphylaxis, which makes it hard to breathe.

People with food allergies must avoid consuming possible triggers. The most common food allergens are eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, soybeans and wheat. In addition to health concerns, food allergies cost families $21 billion yearly in medical bills and cause high levels of stress and anxiety.

The Ayurvedic Approach

You might benefit from learning about Ayurveda if you suffer from food allergies. Ayurveda is a natural and holistic approach to medicine that focuses on balancing your dosha to alleviate health issues. Dosha refers to the combination of elements — space, water, earth, fire and air — that control mental, emotional and physical health.

Every person has a unique dosha, which can become irritated and imbalanced by food allergens. Ayurveda treatment for this imbalance involves herbal remedies and lifestyle changes that reduce stress and inflammation. Most Ayurveda practitioners recommend yoga to manage food allergies.

How Yoga Can Alleviate Food Allergies

While there is no cure for food allergies, Ayurveda believes that yoga helps manage food-related reactions and symptoms by:

Reducing stress: Along with exercise, yoga involves breathwork and meditation that can help with stress management.
Improving immunity: By decreasing stress and anxiety, you can boost your immune system and improve its response to food allergens.
Increasing body awareness: Yoga can help you become more aware of your body and how food may affect it.
Aiding digestion: Yoga can lessen uncomfortable digestive symptoms through increased circulation, gut mobility and decreased stress.

Ayurveda Tips for Food Allergies

Ayurveda and yoga are valuable tools for managing food allergies. Try a combination of the following to make a change in your life:

1. Do Specific Yoga Poses

These yoga poses can help you on your food allergy journey:

Salamba Sarvangasana (supported shoulder stand): This pose helps to calm the mind and relieve inflammation in the nose.
Viparita Karani (legs up the wall pose): This pose can improve circulation.
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge pose): This gentle backbend opens your chest.
Surya Namaskar (sun salutation): Sun salutation involves a series of 12 yoga poses that encourage mindfulness, breathing and meditation.
Matsyasan (fish pose): This pose stretches the spine and opens the rib cage.

2. Use Breathing Techniques

Breathing is vital to Ayurveda and yoga as it improves lung function, increases blood oxygen levels, and clears the mind and body. These benefits can aid in food allergy management. You can try Pranayama (breath control) techniques or practice Swara Yoga.

3. Eat Well and Drink Water

Ayurveda also emphasizes fueling your body with healthy nutrients to control food allergies. Dietary changes like eating properly cooked food and plenty of fruits and vegetables can help. You should also avoid spicy, salty, fermented and junk food and eating late at night. Along with a good diet, you should drink lots of water and limit alcohol consumption.

Enhance Your Life With Yoga

These techniques and guidelines can lessen the effects of food allergies on your lifestyle and health. Stick with any changes you make for at least a few months to see the benefits yourself.