It’s time for the most dreaded point of the year: cedar season. While it’s true there are many allergens that stick around for the long haul in San Antonio, cedar season is upon us. So before you lose all of your senses, here's a guide to help when that Texas pollen starts to assault you. It’s never too late to get well and be at your best for all of those amazing holidays coming up.

Drink
Nothing stops a sore throat and general discomfort like the warm tradition of a hot toddy. Toddies are a more natural approach to stopping that cough and helping you sleep. Your grandmother’s grandmother couldn’t be more right; hot toddies have been around for ages and as your allergies ramp up, it’s the best ticket in your home to an all-organic approach. The other good news: Hot toddies are popping up on drink menus around town. Main ingredients you need: whiskey, honey, tea, and lemon.

Get in on the green tea phenomenon. The Japanese have long considered it a medicine because it contains natural antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that actually help detox you a little bit every day.

Eat
We know you don’t want to, but your taste buds have betrayed you. And your body will thank you. It needs warm and delicious sustenance to keep it moving and fight off that pollen. And if you’re already sick, it will help send recovery beacons to your immune system. El Mirador has an amazing sopa tarasca dish that could be just the soup you need, but if you’re too sick to go, prep it in advance or have someone amazing make it for you.

The other roads that lead to wellness in the food department: spicy foods. Cayenne pepper can actually relieve pain and congestion. Or rather, an ingredient found in cayenne pepper — capsaicin. Two other noteworthy keep-you-well ingredients: citrus (try the fresh seasonal varieties) and mushrooms like shiitake can help build a strong immune system.

Myth busters
Some remedies are legendary, unfortunately they just don’t work on cedar. Two such tall tales are honey and tequila. While we encourage you to imbibe on both, they don’t work for all of your allergies. Honey from local bees is said to cure what allergy ails you, but there’s a catch: The allergies it will help are the pollen the bees disseminate, and cedar is airborne. Keep eating that local honey, it will help with other allergies, just not the evil cedar one.

Now on to tequila. Where did this myth even come from? "Sipping tequila will burn out your allergies in a week." Um, no it won’t, and we’ve tried. The end.

Massage with essential oil
With cedar comes pressure ... sinus pressure. Massage with essential oils like thieves oil on the crown of your head can make a big difference for your overall well-being. Our go-to for feeling better, YKnot Massage, explained that you cannot ignore the benefits of a targeted massage to help relieve your allergy woes. Massage is an all-natural and organic approach. By massaging the head, face, and neck you can help the many different pressures you experience during allergy season.

Sleep
Yeah, that’s it on this one. Stay home. Sleep. Repeat.

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