As I  made my way through our 42 Day Exercise Challenge, I was ecstatic with my shrinking  legs and derriere… but more than a little disappointed with my ever-present "poochy" midsection. I did crunches (even though I hate them), I did leg raises, I tried using an exercise ball… nothing worked!

Then a little voice in my head reminded me of an unusual term I first heard on Lindsay Brin's Complete Pregnancy Workout a couple of years ago: Diastasis recti. At the time I dismissed it as yet another pregnancy "worry" that most likely didn't concern me... but now I pulled out my videos and watched the section again. And my mouth dropped open.

We are nearing the finish line as we wrap up Week 5 of our 6-week diet and fitness challenge following the book 42 Days to Fit.  Boy, are we feeling good! 

The usual food challenges applied this week, but we were also instructed to ramp up our carb control by limiting our carb intake and avoiding all fast food.  Needless to say, fast food is usually out of the question when you're on a real food diet, so that last one was just routine.  And except for a favorite pasta dinner that I had promised my husband as a special treat one night this week, the majority of mealtime was focused on fruits and vegetables. 

A few weeks ago I came down with a cold, a bad cold. It shouldn't have been such a doosy… the rest of the family fought it off with just minimal sneezes and sniffles.

But not me.  My "pick up and go" got up and left me…  in bed -- yes, IN BED -- for two days. I ate Chicken Nettle Soup, drank tons of water, ate probiotics like candy and pilfered through my homeopathic remedies in search of relief. And yet the cold lingered. And then it moved to my chest where it maintained a slight presence for a week or two.  Why, you may be asking, would this woman heralding vitality find herself so lacking in it?

I've enjoyed learning about all the possible ways to fight nature with nature when it comes to seasonal allergies, and I hope you have, too!

We first covered the benefits of a real food diet and the several key ingredients in our recipe for better health. Next we took a quick tour of the herb realm and discovered some key herbs that not only boost our immune-system, but ward off seasonal allergies, too. Last time we discussed the little-known world of safe and efficient homeopathic remedies that can provide great relief for those already suffering from the sniffles and sneezes. Today, we'll briefly conclude this article on alternative options for seasonal allergy relief with a quick overview of some helpful essential oils.

If you're just tuning in to this series on seasonal allergies and the best ways to cope with the sniffles and sneezes, be sure to read part one and part two where we discussed a quick overview of what causes allergies and how we can use real food and the healing power of herbs to help bolster our bodies.

Perhaps some of you are reading this with tissue in hand and eyes streaming, wondering how fast real food and herbs will work to bring you relief. Truth is, Rome wasn't built in a day and neither are our immune systems. A bummer, I know.

Last week we began our series on seasonal allergies by discussing that the best way to win the battle of the sniffles is by fighting nature with nature. Previously we explored the world of real food and how we can use it to our advantage in bolstering our overtaxed and undernourished immune system, the primary culprit responsible for seasonal allergies. Today we'll discuss another realm of nature that offers us tremendous advantage in the fight against the sneezing and sniffling that defines the spring season for so many of us. Herbs.

Here in the Midwest the spring season is in full bloom. And so are the dripping noses, itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, scratchy throats, asthma and low energy levels; just par for the course of seasonal allergies. 

Allergies are nothing to sneeze at (do you like my pun?) and can leave us feeling as miserable as any winter cold can. The best way to cope? Fight nature with nature.