Are You Allergic?

How to know if you are allergic to something new...

So you want to become a forager, try a new herb from your garden or just want to understand how to navigate a little more safely, you've come to the right place! In this blog post, we will break down the easiest way to gauge if you are allergic to a 'new to you' plant before you ingest it. This is not a foolproof method though and does come with a warning that if you have known severe allergies of any kind, proceed with caution and have an Epipen handy at all times during this process and up to 30 minutes after.

Testing new herbs

1. You will want to make sure you have everything you need in case you do have an allergic episode, including an Epipen if necessary. Also, be sure to be nice and hydrated starting the night before you do your test. This will help your body handle everything better in the event of an allergic reaction.

2. Take your pulse using an athletic watch or you can count for 1 minute how many heartbeats you had in that minute. This will tell you how fast your heart was beating prior to testing yourself.

3. Take a dropper and on the inner side of your wrist place a room-temperature drop of whatever it is you are testing, tincture, tea, dried herb matter, or even a soap.

4. After about 5 minutes, check your pulse again and see where it's at. If it just increases a beat or two, this plant is just not something your body needs right now. If the difference is drastic, DO NOT ingest or mess with this herb future.

5. If your heartbeat stays the same or even lowered a little bit and after 10 minutes you do not have a red mark on your wrist where the material was touching you, it's very likely that you are not allergic to this plant.

6. Still, pay attention to what it feels like every time you do ingest a new herb after doing the arm test. If your mouth tingles, your stomach hurts, or any other sensations bother you, listen to your body and don't continue to ingest it.

7. If something does happen, have your EpiPen ready and tell someone what you ingested. Seek medical assistance immediately from a licensed medical professional.

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