Tag Archive for: allergies

Who doesn’t like a glass or two of wine? Over 330 million cases of wine is purchased yearly in America and the average person consumes 267oz yearly. White wine, specifically Chardonnay, is the favorite just beating out Cabernet by a slim margin. But how healthy is wine for your diet, skin, allergies and overall health?

aaIf you’re watching your diet, wine is high in calories and you need to consider that before guzzling away. The average glass of wine has around 125 calories, 3.5 grams of sugar and 5 grams of carbs. So, one or two glasses are fine but more than that and you are blowing your calorie intake for the day.

Wine can both aid and age your skin depending on the amount consumed.  Red wine contains Flavonoids, antioxidants and Resveratrol. Resveratrol comes from grapes and works it’s magic by not allowing the telomere (ends of DNA strand) to shorten, thus causing the aging process. However, consuming too much wine/alcohol can have the reverse affect. For example it you look at a heavy drinker’s skin they tend to be blotchy, red and dehydrated. Unfortunately for me and many people, wine can cause allergies. Many people are allergic or become allergic to tannins, sulfites and histamines. All of these can cause hives, redness, itching or congestion. Personally red wine is worse that white for me, but neither make me feel great, so I am trying to stay away, it’s so hard!

Red wine tends to be a tiny bit healthier than white wine. Remember anything in nature that is dark in the colors blue, red and green is beneficial for our health. Think blueberries, spinach and red wine. Red wine is also particularly good for the ‘good cholesterol‘. Red wine is considered heart healthy! So the moral of the story is, if you don’t have allergies to wine-drink up, in moderation of course…….just look at the Italians!

 

Pollen, trees, weeds, grass and mold, OH MY! These are no friends of mine and as a runner they can be a real problem. Last year during the spring I had one of the worst allergy attacks of my life after a run in Central Park. The good news is that there are precautions and steps you can take to prevent or lessen an allergy attack when working out outside.

  • Plan your run/workout when pollen counts are lowest. The worst time to run is between 5am-10am when pollen counts are generally at their highest. Start watching the weather and track the pollen, mold and grass count in your area. Keep a chart of the numbers and when you feel good or bad. This way you will know what bothers you.
  • Try taking a Zyrtec before a long run. Zyrtec does not have any pesky side effects, like drowsiness or dryness.
  • Investing in a pair of wrap around sunglasses may be a good idea too. Glasses will keep your eyes protected.
  • Do not run on days when you feel tired. Your immune system is most likely down and you are more susceptible to allergies.
  • Do not run on windy days. The windier the air the more mold, pollen and dust is blowing around. If you must run on a windy day, definitely wear glasses and possibly a mask or a bandana around your nose and mouth.
  • After you run outside shower immediately when you get home. Wash your hair and make sure to wash your eyes and nose too. Blowing your nose helps clean out your nose.

Let us know what your tips are for running and exercising outside during allergy season. Happy trails!