Overcoming allergies, healthy getaways, high-tech fitness gear

Sniffing and sneezing for no apparent reason? It could be an allergic reaction to something in the air around you or the food you recently ate. Despite the notion food allergy is less prevalent in Asia, the most recent comprehensive study on the issue carried out by the Asia Pacific Association of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology (APAAACI) found its overall prevalence comparable to the West.

Now that allergies are on the rise in Asia Pacific regions, especially as diets and living styles become more Westernised, it pays to be aware of the main culprits and what they can do.

Allergic reactions can be triggered by dozens of things.

In Asia, these are most commonly insect bites or stings, eggs, shellfish, cow milk, nuts, medications – mostly aspirin, penicillin or painkillers frequently prescribed following surgery – as well as mould in buildings.

Shellfish is by far the most common food allergen in Asia. An allergic reaction to shellfish causes symptoms varying from oral irritation to anaphylaxis (an acute, fast onset allergic reaction ranging from rash to shortness of breath or low blood pressure). In Westernised nations, peanuts are the worst offenders and cause a similar range of symptoms.

Eggs and cow’s milk are two common allergy-causing foods for children in Asia and the West.

Prawns are the most problematic shellfish and the main allergen for adults and children across Asia. The main symptoms caused by an allergic reaction by these tasty morsels are itchy or swollen lips.

Unfortunately, not a whole lot can be done to ‘cure’ an allergy. A mild allergy can be treated with antihistamines or low-dose corticosteroids. Sometimes allergies can be outgrown, while in other cases they may stay with people for life, resulting in a doctor simply recommending a person avoid the offending source.

Severe allergies may require the need to carry an EpiPen, so the sufferer can self-administer a dose of a preventative substance should they mistakenly ingest an allergen, and give themselves time to reach a hospital for more serious treatment, if required. Want the good news? The Papua New Guinea diet is full of healthy natural foods that protect the immune system from developing allergies. Sweet potatoes, one of PNG’s favourite and most popular vegetables, are at the top of anti-allergy food lists. Full of vitamin C and specific root proteins that have anti-oxidant properties, sweet potatoes are so unlikely to cause allergic reactions that they are often recommended for babies.

Tropical fruits – especially guavas, bananas, papayas, grapefruit, and avocado – are all high in magnesium. Among the many good things magnesium does for the body is that it acts as a bronchodilator and antihistamine, thus making it an enormously effective allergy fighter.

Garlic has properties that inhibit inflammatory enzymes, while dandelions are jam-packed with dozens of allergy-fighting nutrients. Popular in PNG, dandelions are mostly found in the form of herbal tea. The leaves can also be eaten in salads and are even found in a PNG-produced line of gourmet chocolate.

Apples are a fabulous anti-allergy food for their high content of quercetin, a flavonoid proven to protect against allergic reactions by stabilising histamine-producing cells.