Going carb free and getting clear sinuses was an unexpected bonus!
I’ve been reading up on the Keto or low carb diet, for many reasons. However one side effect of low carb eating was clear sinuses. Previously it was so bad I needed medication for it.
I hate medications and hope to not need or have to take them, EVER!
I know my allergy trigger is mold specifically, but my house is clean and dry almost always, plus, it is winter. Winter is a time when I am not outside exposing myself to things like damp leaves or musty hay, my allergy symptoms should be settling down at this time, but they were not, they were getting worse.
The quest began for answers to this burning question: Why were my allergies on fire? And why, when I cut out starchy carbs, did they suddenly clear up?
I researched why low carb clears sinus symptoms, I felt the need to learn more. Once I started looking, I found a lot of good information. The mucus lining that keeps your sinuses moist and traps irritants from entering your lungs. Sinus congestion could be cold, flu, or allergies, deviated septum, even pregnancy! (see your doctor for persistent sinus issues)
So what did I learn?
[bctt tweet=”The fungi in your sinuses feed off the sugars circulating in your bloodstream, thereby growing with wild abandon.” username=”Bodynsoil”]
Reducing carbohydrate intake helps reduce overall inflammation in our body, now I’m learning low carb also helps clear up sinuses. The body fights fungal infections via your immune system injuring the mucus lining, which causes post nasal drip.
When my carb intake increases my body starts farming my very own personal fungal factory in my sinuses, sounds rather gross!! (It was too)
Image Via: OasisWellness.com
Possible symptoms of sinusitis include:
- Stuffy or runny nose
- Difficulty breathing through the nose
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Pain and/or swelling in the sinus areas (nose, eyes, cheeks, forehead)
- Jaw pain
- Dental pain
- Ear pain
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Bad breath
- Difficulty sleeping (especially chronic)
You can check inflammation in the coolest way ever, scary flashlight face!! Well not quite, but almost and who wouldn’t want to!
“If you have a bad cold and are not sure if it has changed into sinusitis, there are a couple of simple tests you can perform. Mucous (from bacterial or viral infections) will often fill up sinus cavities if sinusitis is present. Tapping on the sinus cavities can help tell if they are backed up or not. Also, try shining a flashlight on the facial skin outside sinus cavities. Light will be visible inside the mouth if they are not clogged. Your health care provider can perform these tests, or a friend or family member who is knowledgeable about sinus cavity locations.” Via Oasis Wellenss
As always, see your doctor if you are suffering from chronic sinusitis. Until then, review these suggestions for natural treatment of sinusitis, marked off in red what I am already doing or want to try:
What helps alleviate symptoms other than reducing carbs in your diet?
- Hydration. (Drinking enough water sounds easy)
- Moist Air
- Warm Compresses.
- Avoid Environmental Pollutants.
- Liver Support.
- Yeast/Candida is suspected. They worsen with carb intake! Be watchful for symptoms of yeast overgrowth and other factors such as antibiotic use
- Wild Mediterranean Oregano Oil is highly beneficial in controlling yeast overgrowth as well as helping with allergies and sinus inflammation.
- Healthy Diet. Eliminate sugar, white flour, dairy, hydrogenated oils and pre-packaged foods.
- Salt-Air Respiratory Inhaler.
- Steam. Inhaling steam with a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil
- Don’t Skimp on Sleep.
- Immune Enhancement
- Raw Garlic
So began my journey increasing sleep, cutting back on carbs, taking steamy showers, and eating a healthy diet. I’ll use moist salt are as an excuse to travel to the ocean.
So far what have my results have been:
- My sinuses have been clear on days with no starchy carbs.
- I am fitting into clothes that I haven’t worn since my little gene experiment last year.
- My body measurements are going down, which explains how I can fit into my smaller sizes.
- I’ve been pouchy these last few months, but not anymore! Now my lower abs have flattened out.
- I get to eat bacon more often.
- My strength training is going very well and my training volume has increased, who knew!!
I deem this a success thus far and plan to continue this journey to see where it takes me. More information will follow, I am using myself as a guinea pig of sorts, even though I know sharing is caring.
Do you have irritated sinuses and have you tried a low carb diet?
Contact me for information if you’re interested in changing your eating habits and discovering a healthier you.
Would love to watch a journal of a typical every other day or so….. if you ever get to a part like that. I cut our gluten 18 months ago, and still am horrible about the exercise stuff. Still too heavy where warrenting exercise kills me, enough that I have nothing I can accomplish for days and days after. Working out NEVER gives me energy or makes me feel like I have done something good. It just doesn’t. I’m not saying that to be a downer. Just have trouble. I KNOW I crave sugars, all the time…….. I really need to know more about carbs/sugars… but can’t seem to figure out what to replace with.
I love your adventure. I hope I can grow (smaller) with you!
I am running this test in my eating, but it is rather controversial still. Not because the information hasn’t been in place stating it is safe, but because we have been told for 40 years that fat is bad for you, studies have proven it isn’t. so that is what we I am doing basically, eating more fat, specifically field grown non gmo beef and coconut oil.
In life you have three choices for nutrition: protein, fat, and carbs. Up to this point I’ve always advocated keeping the three in balance; then I watched Fatheads the movie, which started my on a journey. From Fathead I read “Why we get Fat,” by Gary Taubes, he talks about the misinformation we’ve been given regarding nutrition and how it has had such a negative impact on our nation’s midline.
After Taubes, I read “The Renegade Diet,” by Jason Ferreggia; this is geared towards fitness people, but he talks about 12-14 daily fasts (8pm to 10am the next day) which gives the gut time to regrow flora; then eating no carbs for 4 hours, workout, and adding in carbs for the next 4 hours. (there is a whole back story as to why this is done) I liked Ferreggia as he is a “clean” organic grass fed kind of guy. His thinking goes along with Taubes and what was detailed in Taubes book..
It was at that point I was informed about “Carb Back Loading,” again more for fitness people, written by DH Keifer. In this book he talks about how eating carbs immediately after a workout fuels the muscles and helps bypass the bodies natural ability to store carbs as bodyfat. (Again, there is a science behind this, skipping detail in this comment section) However, shocking as it sounds, he has another process for men over 15%, and women over 22% bodyfat, they need to complete in an effort to change how their body processes ingested carbs; exercise helps, but isn’t needed.
This eating style is done by doing a prep phase of eating only protein and fats predominately each day. For those ten days, you eat less than 30 grams of carbs in a day; no more than 10grams per meal and only from green vegetables. It is also best to avoid dairy due to it spiking insulin, insulin spikes trigger the body to either grow muscle (if needed post workout) or to store fat. After the prep phase of no carbs, called ULC eating, you have one day where you do something physical, even a long walk, then eat quick, non fibrous, carbs for up to six hours, then no more carbs for 6-7 days; repeat. The premise is that in the ten days your body burns through its carb stores and then has to relearn its ability to utilize stored bodyfat for energy.. The reason you eat carbs on the 10th day is due to the eventually adaption of the body in learning how to burn bodyfat for energy, the carbs gives the body a jolt of energy and restarts the metabolism process.
Again, there is a lot to this eating regarding doing it in a healthy manner, it can only be done for 6 months at a time and like anything, doesn’t work for everyone. You can see how eating such a high fat diet, filled with red meat, is rather controversial and why I am keeping it to myself for the moment. I’ve struggled emotionally with this protocol as the fatty diet goes against everything I had thought was true, even though I’ve long suspected it was okay to eat fats, I did so very limitedly.
It has been 6 weeks, 2.5 weeks of which I have been very committed to it and yes, my weight is shifting and I like it.. I’m also continuing to lift weights as I always have, but not doing as much cardio and what cardio I do is mostly HIIT training, which is more efficient in helping women burn through carb stores. HIIT training is high intensity interval training, even that I am doing at an easier pace: 30 seconds of very intense work with 4 minutes of moderate level work, which is repeated 6 times..
Feel free to ask me questions Laur, I’m always here to help..
Thanks Janet,……… I’ll have to figure out how to count the carbs? on fresh green veg……… my green veg that I can eat are spinach (I like raw), peas, green beans, broccoli.. those are pretty much my likes. (considering I only used to eat peas, I’m doing better!) Do you have a chart reference avail (link?)
PS, ironically I have a “cook Paleo” recipe book, and a Why do Paleo book already…. know some of the concepts. Have thought about the fats, and protiens ofter, but I know I throw my whole thing off with the sugars and the carbs.
Looking into it! Thanks
Use myfitnesspal.com or fitday.com plus, I love sweet potato too, but they are considered a sugar and are eaten on a carb night..
I’ve read a lot of things about the Paleo diet but I’ve never read that it helps with sinuses. That’s really cool, If I ever get stuffed up I’ll cut out carbs and sugars.
Wow, that is so cool that Paleo helps with chronic sinus issues. Thank you for sharing this information!
It works for me, I recognize now that my sinuses get congested when I eat a lot of carbs.