Seasonal allergies are the worst!

I’ve been dealing with them my entire  life. I remember being a little kid, waking up in the morning and not being able to open my eyes in the spring time. My seasonal allergies caused an extreme amount of drainage to pour from my eyes during the night. By morning it had crusted over, causing my not to be able to open my eyes, until my mom gave me a warm compress.

 

I have tried everything.

From allergy pills to Neti Pots, I’ve tried it. Nothing seemed to work for me. At one point I actually just stopped taking the allergy pills because I felt just as bad on them as I did off of them.

 

I do not think I should have to sacrifice my alertness to achieve allergy relief. However, when an allergy pill did relieve my symptoms, this is what happened. So, I’ve been on the hunt for a natural solution.

 

Over the years, my allergies have gotten a little better. I account this to moving to a new town. While my allergies are still most definitely there, they are not as extreme as my childhood. When I visit home in the spring time, though, all symptoms are go.

I travel home quite frequently, as my father and I own a business together there. So while I may start my morning off perfectly fine, halfway through my trip to work, my eyes are itching, I’m coughing profusely, and I’m sneezing like one of the Seven Dwarfs.

 

I need relief.

 

I’ve heard quite a bit about Yerba Mate (pronounce Ear-Bah Mah-Tay) over the years, and increasingly so in the past year. Most of what I hear are the benefits of Yerba Mate when it comes to increased energy without the traditional caffeine crash. The plant does indeed naturally contain caffeine, however, the effects appear to be nothing like those experienced by coffee drinkers.

 

Yerba Mate, the plant, is native to South America. It is traditionally served as a scorching hot drink in a calabash (gourd) in Argentina. The process and tradition of it are similar only to the Japanese Tea Ceremony. Additionally, Yerba Mate is drank out of a metal straw.

The process for making and serving traditional Yerba properly is noted as being somewhat difficult and dangerous. Argentinians do not typically use tea bags when preparing Yerba Mate. They use loose leaf Yerba and prepare it in a very specific way. There is one exception.

 

 

Children prepare or are served Yerba Mate with tea bags and at much lower temperatures. This is the method I used. While I am fairly confident I could figure the process out, I simply wasn’t committed to doing it the first time on my own. I would much rather see and be involved in the traditional preparation process from someone who actually knows what they’re doing.

As far as the temperature is concerned, I highly recommend you drink it at a safe and comfortable temperature, so as to avoid injury.

 

So why Yerba Mate for seasonal allergies?

I am not a person who follows trends, so I hadn’t really paid much attention to Yerba Mate. I’d heard the benefits of energy, and honestly that wasn’t something I needed help with. Therefore, I kind of just ignored it. Then I bought a tea sampler that included Yerba Mate Lemon Myrtle Tea. Now I needed to do some research.

 

 

I like to know the benefits of my teas. In reading, I found Yerba Mate has an abundance of benefits that span far beyond energy increase; one of them being relief from seasonal allergies. The plant is high in antioxidants (seven out of the nine that exist), thus proving the ability to reduce inflammation, expel mucus, and reduce and even destroy infection. Lemon Myrtle could help as well.

 

Lemon Myrtle is a tree native to Australia. The leaves, fruit, and flowers can all be harvestedd and used. The leaves hold the most benefits, as they are rich in essential oils known for their antiseptic (antimicrobial) and antiviral properties. This is perfect for allergies and preventing sinus infections.

 

Pairing Yerba Mate with Lemon Myrtle was genius, but would it really work?

 

I gave the tea a try, hoping to experience the benefits of Yerba Mate and Lemon Myrtle for my seasonal allergies. I had no expectations of actually liking the tea, as I absolutely hate the flavor of lemon.

Surprisingly, I didn’t totally dislike the taste. While I would prefer it without the lemon, the flavor did not bother me.

 

The tea was naturally sweet. I rarely add anything to my beverages, and was surprised just how sweet the tea was on it’s own. I felt the effects of the Yerba and the Lemon Mrytle pretty quickly.

 

About 10 minutes after drinking the tea, I did feel slightly more energized. this is interesting to me because caffeine makes me sleepy (as in I have on more than one occasion drank coffee before bed so I could sleep). Soon after, my throat felt less scratchy and my nasal passages were cleared. I actually felt no seasonal allergy symptoms for the rest of the day. Not even a cough or a sneeze.

 

Needless to say, Yerba Mate is here to stay in my kitchen. I think I’ll even invest in more with the Lemon Myrtle.

 

Are you a Yerba Mate fan? What have you used to combat seasonal allergies?

 

 

Yerba Mate can be used to treat:

Seasonal allergies, High cholesterol, Diabetes (high blood sugar), Arthritis and joint pain, Obesity, Weight gain, Slow metabolism, Parasites, Bacteria, Fungus, Food Poisoning, Low energy, and Concentration

Yerba Mate can be used to prevent:

Heart disease, Cold, Flu, Viruses, Obesity, Weight gain, Intestinal parasites, Bacteria, Fungus, Fatigue, and Cancer