Category: Recipes

Breakfast, we’re told, is the most important meal of the day. Which is why a quart/litre of green juice/smoothie is my absolute favourite. Sometimes though I’m feeling a bit more decadent, or want something to snack on later in the day, or even for dessert. And that’s how this antihistamine and anti-inflammatory breakfast fruit loaf was born.

Because I’m no longer limiting my histamine intake, I served mine up with delicious home made raspberry jam (1 cup raspberries, 1/2 cup apple juice, 1 tsbp coconut sugar, 10 grapes, pinch of salt and a little lemon juice). Raspberry isn’t considered low histamine on most food lists, so you might want to try high quercetin blueberries, apples, pears or quince for your jam instead.

I used a generous helping of my apple and carrot juicing leftovers, but you can just go ahead and use grated apple and carrot instead. I’ve made this with both coconut and date sugar – lovely either way, but you could also just use dates, or home made applesauce.

You can use baking powder/soda if you’re ok with it – I usually leave it out.

I chopped up the loaf and froze it, then popped the slices into the toaster as needed and served with a generous smear of jam.

Nutrient breakdown: 

Some varieties of sorghum flour possess anti-inflammatory properties [1].

Apples are high in histamine lowering, mast cell degranulation preventing quercetin [2].

Carrots are anti-inflammatory [3].

Coconuts possess anti-inflammatory and pain killing properties [4].

Ginger is an antihistamine (H1 and H2 receptor antagonist) and anti-inflammatory [5].

Duck eggs are very high in Vitamin B12 [6].

Vanilla is an anti-inflammatory [7].

Fruit loaf

Prep Time: 5-10mins | Cook Time: 30-40 | Servings:  8-12| Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

1 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup apple juicing remains

1/2 cup carrot juicing remains

2 tbsp ginger juicing remains

1/2 cup coconut/date sugar

1/4 cup coconut butter

2 eggs (or 1/2 cup vegan coconut yoghurt) I use 1 large duck which provides 70% RDA Vitamin B12

1 tsp vanilla (if tolerated)

pinch salt

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 200C/350F.

Combine the flour, apple, carrot, ginger, vanilla and pinch of sea salt in a bowl. In a blender, or in a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs and coconut butter till fluffy. Make a well in the flour and spoon in the egg mix.

Combine, pour into a small to medium baking tin and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Remove from the oven, tip out onto cooling rack.

Slice and freeze.

Join my mailing list for more recipes and to be the first to know when registration for my low histamine webinar opens!

Take a peek at my low histamine and antihistamine cookbooks for more high nutrient recipes.

If you’ve found this information useful I’d appreciate your support (at no extra cost to you!) – please check out my online store for your health foods, supplements, kitchen items and beauty product purchases. Affiliate sales through my online store go towards maintaining the website, funding travel to interviews and purchasing all the lovely foods for my free online recipes. You’ll find these items in the “Shop with us” drop down menu on my homepage.

 Please don’t forget antihistamine, pain killing foods can still hurt us, so please always check with your doctor before adding new foods to your diet. 

———-REFERENCES———–

[1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20673059

[2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16081068

[3] http://www.everydayhealth.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-pictures/foods-that-fight-inflammation.aspx

[4] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19429325

[5] http://journals.tums.ac.ir/upload_files/pdf/_/2382.pdf

[6] http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/vitamins-minerals/the-8-best-foods-for-vitamin-b12.html

[7] http://www.rethinkingcancer.org/blog/spice-of-the-month-vanilla/

Here’s an explanation of why I include higher histamine food in my personal diet (but not yet in my cookbooks!).

Four years had passed since a mushroom graced my palate, when, on a whim, I bravely ordered up “Field Mushrooms with Parmesan and Arugula, in a Butter Garlic Sauce” in a small country pub in the unashamedly hippie English town of Hebden Bridge.

My man feigned indifference at my order, but I imagined he was secretly excited.

Maybe I was projecting, but I’m quite sure he had only half believed my declaration of a few months ago: “I’m going to eat whatever I want, no matter what *loody list it’s on, because I’m CONVINCED I’ve healed.”

I then enlisted his help to make sure I didn’t slip into old patterns, by attributing any symptoms to food or beauty products. Easier said than done. Till I hit upon a little technique combining meditation, quietening what I believed to be an overactive amygdala, with just a pinch of neuro-linguistic programming. I’m still working on it, but will be sure to share when I can figure out how to, without anyone getting hurt. I’m actually hoping to interest a doctor in it so that it can safely be trialled.

Why did I believe this would work? This year I came across some studies on pavlovian conditioning in allergic reactions. For those unfamiliar with the original experiments, dogs were given food every time a bell rang. Eventually they began to associate the bell with food, and so began salivating, even when no food was forthcoming. The studies I found showed a similar result in allergy patients who exhibited an elevation in tryptase (one of the markers of allergic reactions and mast cell disorders) and others, even though they weren’t actually exposed to the allergen they believed they were.

To learn more about how our brain is involved in histamine reactions and inflammation click here.

To be honest though, I also knew that Dr Fuhrman believes people with histamine intolerance should still eat mushrooms, but also a whole host of other foods rich in phytonutrients, in order to heal. Though I’ve always thought the man walked on water, and I believed whole heartedly in his dietary approach, I allowed my previous experiences with inflammatory foods when my body was in complete disrepair, which just so happened to also be high histamine, to taint my present relationship with food (for more on Dr Fuhrman’s thoughts on needing to eat more foods in order to heal histamine and salicylate intolerance as well as mast cell disorders, please read this).

So, where does that leave Yasmina, about to indulge in some yeasty funghi, smothered in parmesan and butter? Well it left me hungry while they removed the buttery, cheesy mushies they placed in front of me, by mistake, as I had ordered them dairy free – I mean come on, I may be eating what I want, but what I want is still high nutrient and anti-inflammatory.

You’ll find more recipes like this in my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook

CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR OWN PERSONALISED HEALING HISTAMINE PLAN. 

It would have been weird to try and use my re-introduction technique right there at the table. More boring than weird really, as this lunch took place in what seemed like nothing more than a stolen moment in between five hours of hard core meditation on my mindfulness meditation teacher’s course. So rather than go into a meditative state for the 20th time that day, I simply focused on the conversation, the roaring fireplace warming my stone floor cooled bottom, and dove into my gloriously garlicky, parmesan and butter free portabella mushrooms.

I may have even, after shunning the lovely crusty white loaf in the direction of the waitress, had a split second change of heart and lunged for it after all, deftly nipped the very crustiest bit, before expertly mopping up the saucy dregs from my plate. It was the perfect heart warming, soul affirming experience, more than enough to buoy my spirits for the coming two hour meditation session, after my 5:45am wake up call.

So, back to the present day.

Thanks to my initial plunge into the fun-ghi pool in Hebden Bridge, I was pretty much over my fear of them. I had even higher expectations for my own creation – seeing as I planned to incorporate the usual high nutrient, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory bevy of ingredients to balance out the use of higher histamine ones.

Nutritional breakdown

Mushrooms: inhibit tumour growth (in animal studies) [1], beneficial to the liver [2], potentially prevent breast cancer [3], kill pain and are anti-inflammatory, particularly inhibiting prostaglandins (the stuff that causes brain fog!) [4]. Though they’re ok to eat on Dr Fuhrman’s list (cooked, not raw) and those of others, they do however appear on high histamine lists (though I have yet to understand the testing methodology), so please be aware that despite these benefits, they will be harmful to some. 

Antihistaminic: turmeric, arugula, spring onions, chives, coriander, garlic [5].

Anti-inflammatory: carrots, spring onions, olive oil, chives, arugula, turmeric, coriander, garlic, white pepper [6].

CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR OWN PERSONALISED HEALING HISTAMINE PLAN. 

Anti-inflammatory Mushroom Summer Rolls

Prep Time: 20-30 | Cook Time: 0 | Servings: about 10 rolls | Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients:

4 cups chopped mushrooms

1 bag arugula

2 carrots, shaved

4 spring onions, chopped

chives for garnish

turmeric (I used two pieces about the size of my pinky. I love the stuff but this might be too much for you)

garlic (I used 2 cloves)

salt

white pepper (lower oxalate than black)

olive oil

coriander

1 pack rice paper rolls

1 cup boiled vermicelli or other thin white rice noodles (white because it’s lower oxalate)

Optional

Japanese Mirin rice wine for cooking (like for your partner or if you’re beyond the elimination phase)

1 large fillet of salmon (I used one)

Directions:

In a large pan saute the garlic, spring onions and turmeric in a little olive oil, till fragrant. Add in the mushrooms, carrots and the salmon if using, seasoned with a little salt and white pepper, if you wish.

If using mirin, drizzle it on.

Toss in the cooked rice noodles and arugula and season again.

In a kettle heat up some water till almost boiled. Pour into a shallow plate and then once cool enough (but not cold!) place a rice paper in it till soaked through but not mushy. Carefully withdraw from the water and flip over. This might take a little practice…

Remove and place on a dry surface. In the middle of the roll lay down a couple of pieces of coriander and some of your noodled veggies.

Fold the upper and lower parts of the roll over, then roll horizontally to seal up.

Use two long pieces of chives to nicely tie up the rolls as in the picture.

You’ll find more recipes like this in my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook

CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR OWN PERSONALISED HEALING HISTAMINE PLAN. 

 Please don’t forget antihistamine, pain killing foods can still hurt us, so please always check with your doctor before adding new foods to your diet. 

REFERENCES….

[1] http://www.mushroomsandhealth.com/files/Files/Mushroom%20Varieties.pdf

[2] http://www.mushroomsandhealth.com/files/Files/Mushroom%20Varieties.pdf

[3] http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2172/10/12/

[4] http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/66/24/12026.short

[5] The Anti-Cookbook, Yasmina Ykelenstam

[6] The Anti-Cookbook, Yasmina Ykelenstam

I’ve waited FAR too long to post this recipe – why? Because there’s an outcry every time I use an ingredient that some lists consider to be high histamine. Here’s the (high nutrient) scoop – if you’re past the elimination phase of four – six weeks, your palette is yours. I believe it’s up to you to determine which foods help or hurt, but to be honest, in my experience (and that of a growing number of people who write to me and those who book consults with me), once the initial crisis has passed and we’ve calmed our body down through first eliminating everything that bothers us, then supporting the body with proper nutrition (more on how I did it here), eventually we need to deal with our brain being stuck in a place of fear.

Now I’m not saying those who experience anaphylaxis should run out and eat foods they think make them react, but rather that I believe focusing on the negative side of the food experience, ie approaching the table and kitchen with fear and dread, always looking out for the possibility of a reaction, can leave the brain stuck in a PTSD-like state, where the belief that food or an action will cause pain, becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Yes, we still have mast cell disorders and histamine intolerance or allergies, but hopefully the work we have done means our body has healed to a certain degree, or has moved on from the original crisis.

Once my inflammation was under control I needed to understand that these things couldn’t hurt me in the same way as before, and so I worked on my beliefs and approach to life. More on how I use my brain to control the histamine itch here and how I use meditation to control my stress response (stress causes mast cell degranulation/histamine release) here.

You’ll also find more on why I use higher histamine (high nutrient) foods here. My books, till now, feature traditionally low histamine foods.

You’ll find more recipes like this in my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook

CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR OWN PERSONALISED HEALING HISTAMINE PLAN. 

I recently had fun lightly adapting the recipes of two more talented ladies, Monique at the Ambitious Kitchen and Katie over at Chocolate Covered Katie.

The result – high nutrient chickpea blondies that can easily be adapted once more to your tolerance. I used store bought Steenbergs chocolate chips (I know, gasp! I used something store bought!) that are made of cacao, sugar and nothing else. You can go ahead and use carob chips, dried fruit (I think chopped dates or blueberries will be great), home made cacao chips (I preferred the store bought results), some nuts, or anything you like. Should you not use something that’s sweet, I’d add a little more sweetener to the mix.

Yes, I ate two of these. No, I don’t plan on making a habit of it. Yes, I was totally fine after. No, I’m not saying these are low histamine, but rather that cacao has health benefits I use to help me heal. You can make yours very low histamine by using carob chips or dried fruit. Yes, I realise sugar of all kinds is inflammatory. Why did I make these? Because I wanted a high nutrient treat to share with friends and their kids. Lol, ok, I think I covered all the bases here 🙂

Chickpea Blondies  

Prep Time: 5 | Cook Time: 25 | Servings: | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

1 bottle chickpeas or 1.5 cups soaked overnight and pressure cooked chickpeas, well rinsed

1/2 cup almond butter (or sunflower for lower oxalate, or 1/2 cup banana)

1/4 cup coconut nectar (or your choice of liquid sweetener)

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1 scraped vanilla pod or 1/2+ tsp vanilla powdered

pinch of salt

1 capsule Twinlab (or other non-ascorbic acid vitamin C)

as many chocolate/carob chips, chopped dates or dried fruit as you like

 Directions:

I used bottled chickpeas for this recipe because you really need to make sure you work with super soft chickpeas. It’s possible to get them that texture at home if using a pressure cooker, but I’ve never managed to do it just by boiling. If using store bought, make sure to sample first. You want them to melt in your mouth.

This recipe was tested with both sunflower seed and almond butter. I preferred the latter, but the former was also really tasty!

The original recipes call for more liquid sweetener – I found this made the blondies too mushy, so I cut it back some and added a little granulated coconut sugar instead.

When I say powdered vanilla, I mean organic, raw, all natural vanilla with nothing else in it.

The vitamin c is in place of bicarb of soda and baking powder. You can use them instead if you prefer. I’m just trying to cram as much goodness into food as possible, in order to balance the histamine. 1000mg of vitamin c usually does the trick!

 Ok, here we go!

Pre-heat your oven to 350F/180C.

In a blender combine the chickpeas, almond butter, coconut nectar, sugar, vanilla, pinch of salt and vitamin c, if using. Process till smooth.

Mix in the chocolate chips and then pour into a baking tray. I made mine about 1.5 inches thick.

Bake for about 20 mins, till cooked through but not dry.

Enjoy!

You’ll find more recipes like this in my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook

CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR OWN PERSONALISED HEALING HISTAMINE PLAN. 

Drool alert!

It’s the antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ice cream I’ve been promising…you don’t actually need an ice cream maker, but it sure makes it easier! I include instructions for with and without.

Dulce de Leche is one of my all time favourite ice cream flavours – a kind of toffee/caramel taste. The literal translation from the Spanish is: “milk  sweet” or “sweet of milk”. It’s traditionally made from condensed milk, but thanks to the creamy butternut texture and the caramel flavour of the coconut sugar, we’re all set. You can however heat up the mixture to condense it before freezing. Adding a couple of eggs will also make it creamier, but I prefer vegan ice cream (I know, I’m an odd duck!).

I used coconut sugar, but you can use dates for a more chewy/caramel texture. You could also swirl in a date/almond milk caramel.

Why this is a health food:

Butternut squash is an antihistamine and anti-inflammatory food.

Coconut possesses anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain killing) properties.

Ginger and turmeric are both antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods.

Vanilla is anti-inflammatory.

If you’re not into any kind of sugar, add dates, apple puree, or anything you like to sweeten it up. I found 3/4 of a cup of coconut sugar excessive, but friends loved it.

Desserts like this are why I scoff at people who say my diet is boring.

It’s only as boring as the limits of your imagination!

Enjoy 🙂

You’ll find more recipes like this in my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook

CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR OWN PERSONALISED HEALING HISTAMINE PLAN. 

Creamy Vegan Dulce de Leche Ice Cream (antihistamine and anti-inflammatory)

Prep Time: 10 | Cook Time: 20 | Freeze time: 1-3 hours  | Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash
1 cup thick coconut cream
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1/2 tsp – 1tbsp pure vanilla (as tolerated, optional, to taste)
1/2 tsp – 1tbsp grated ginger, optional, to taste
1/2 tsp – 1tbsp grated turmeric, optional, to taste
pinch of salt

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 200C/390F.

Slice your butternut squash in half and place in the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes till soft (use a fork to test), scoop out the seeds, discard. Then scoop out the flesh.

Place in a blender to puree.

In a powerful blender combine the butternut, coconut cream, coconut sugar or dates, vanilla, salt, ginger and turmeric, if using.

Ice cream maker

Pour very very slowly into your pre-frozen ice cream machine. Churn for about 20-30 minutes, according to your machine’s directions.

Place in the freezer for another 30 minutes+.

By hand

Pour into a container and freeze. Every 30 minutes break up the ice crystals, until the ice cream is frozen.

With a geared juicer (ie Samson/Oscar) or Vitamix

Freeze your ice cream mix till hard. Cut into chunks and lightly process in blender or juicer.

Enjoy!

You’ll find more recipes like this in my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook

CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR OWN PERSONALISED HEALING HISTAMINE PLAN. 

 Please don’t forget antihistamine, pain killing foods can still hurt us, so please always check with your doctor before adding new foods to your diet. 

Are you getting a little down about your Christmas options?

Don’t fall into the traps I did years ago…

It really doesn’t have to be feast or famine (so to speak). It’s totally realistic to plan out a survival strategy for the holidays: pre-festivities detox, munching plan for the main events and a recovery plan so there’s still room in your (histamine) bucket for New Year’s eve!

Soooooo…here’s a little something I whipped up that I’ll definitely be serving up for my low histamine Christmas.

Crumbles/crisps have never really been my thang. They’re too sickly sweet, usually topped with even more sugar (ice cream), and I invariably walked away from the dinner table with a treacly rock in my stomach, slowly working its indigestive charms till I managed to score some tums.

Oh what fun!

But this year I plan neither to spend the festivities nursing a warm cup of ginger infused water while half heartedly trying to assure friends that the drool on my chin is just a part of the healing process, nor will I spend the 26th-2nd riding the porcelain express.

And so my lovely little low histamine dessert with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredients (as always!) is just what I need to keep me from lashing out, tourrettes-like into something that’s going to mess with my zen vibe.

Here’s the benefits breakdown: 

Some mangoes possess antihistaminic properties (depending on variety) but all are anti-inflammatory [1].

Ginger is as potent an H2 receptor blocker as Zantac (prescribed for stomach acid) and is also an H1 blocker (like Claritin for example) [2].

Some varieties of sorghum flour are anti-inflammatory [3].

Almonds are highly anti-inflammatory [4] and high in beneficial nutrients like vitamin E.

Coconut is anti-inflammatory and also a pain killer [5].

Dates are anti-inflammatory, but listed as high histamine on some lists. I eat them.

You’ll find more antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods as well as a thorough nutrient breakdown in all recipes in the Anti-Cookbooks (regular and paleo). 

Mango Crumble w/Ginger

Prep Time: 10 | Cook Time: 20-40  | Servings: 2 | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

1 mango, sliced
1/2 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp lime/lemon/lemon basil
1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup almond/oat flour (coconut for low oxalate*)
1/2 cup coconut oil (or your choice of oil)
1/4 cup dates or 1/2 cup coconut sugar
raw vanilla
pinch salt

Optional
Coconut cream

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 180C/350F.

Place your sliced mango in a small to medium pot. Splash with some water, then add the ginger, lime/lemon and a pinch of salt.

Cover and cook on low heat till tender (about 10 minutes).

Meanwhile, in a food processor combine the sorghum with the almond/oat flour. If you want to go lower oxalate, coconut flour is a great alternative – but you’ll need something to give a bit of texture and binding. A few sunflower seeds, an egg/s or some apple puree.

Then toss in the dates/coconut sugar, oil, raw vanilla and a pinch of salt. To use less oil – sub 1/4 cup pureed apple for the coconut.

Into a small baking dish (or oven proof glasses) spoon the mango and then top with the flour.

Bake at 180C/350F for 20-30 minutes, until the crumbly layer is nice and golden.

Serve with coconut cream (optional).

 Please don’t forget antihistamine, pain killing foods can still hurt us, so please always check with your doctor before adding new foods to your diet. 

Join my mailing list for more recipes and to be the first to know when registration for my low histamine webinar opens. 

Take a peek at my low histamine and antihistamine cookbooks for more high nutrient recipes.

If you’ve found this information useful I’d appreciate your support (at no extra cost to you!) – please check out my online store for your health foods, supplements, kitchen items and beauty product purchases. Affiliate sales through my online store go towards maintaining the website, funding travel to interviews and purchasing all the lovely foods for my free online recipes. You’ll find these items in the “Shop with us” drop down menu on my homepage.

——-REFERENCES——–

[1-5] The Anti-Cookbook

Don’t forget to check out part 1 of this Thanksgiving meal…

Smashed Jerusalem Artichokes w/Healing Herbs

Ingredients

4-8 cups scrubbed or peeled jerusalem artichokes, chopped

4 medium shallots or 2 onions, chopped

thyme, to taste

basil, to taste

garlic, to taste

olive oil

Preparation

Parboil the chokes.

Meanwhile, sauté the shallots or onions, thyme, garlic and basil.

Toss in the jerusalem artichokes and sauté for a few more minutes.

Withdraw from the heat and use either a potato masher or a pestle and mortar (as I did) to lightly smash the potatoes.

Butternut Squash Pie

I was never a baking aficionado. By the time I got stuck into cooking (I used to pride myself on barely knowing how to boil an egg), I was already on the low grain bandwagon, before committing to pretty much going almost totally grain free (and certainly totally gluten free). So for something as precious as the crust of your Thanksgiving pie, I’m sending you to an expert – Gluten Free Girl. Her 3, 2, 1 pastry method is pretty fool proof – with a few caveats!

Or you could make your own paleo crust…

My instinct is always to make raw pies. They’re healthy and delicious – requiring no eggs. Problem is, they’re an acquired taste, and it’s unlikely that families will greet them with anything but suspicion on Thanksgiving.

My second personal preference is to go flour-free, but I recognise that most people are still eating it, and if going flour-free, the pie would best be left to firm up overnight in the fridge. Though I’m always talking about not eating leftovers, I will eat pretty much most things that were cooked that day. For me 18 hours is where it gets a little dicey…

I really recommend trying this recipe a few days in advance (maybe put together a mini pie, or freeze it for a later date), as you don’t want to ruin your Thanksgiving if something goes wrong.

The ingredients of this pie are antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, low oxalate and paleo.

Creamy coconut is easy to make at home. Crack open a mature coconut. Chop it up into smaller bits and then toss into a powerful blender (I use a Vitamix) with about a cup of water. Buzz and then strain in a nut milk bag.

Pour into a bowl and allow to settle somewhere cool. In about an hour (less if it’s cold), you’ll see that the really creamy stuff has risen to the top. Scoop up as much as you can. The layer that forms again once you’ve scooped it all up is also great, but more watery.

For the sugar I chose to use my favourite new find – Coconom. This great stuff has added organic juiced ginger, tamarind and turmeric.

LOVE it!

If you can’t find it in your area, I would try a little freshly (finely) grated ginger and turmeric. Again, please try this recipe ahead of time…

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash, peeled/seeded and oven roasted till soft

1/4 cup (creamy) coconut milk

2 eggs (I used duck eggs but you can use what you like)

1/2 cup sorghum flour (paleo, medium oxalate)

1/2 cup coconut sugar (I used Coconom Turmeric & Tamarind)

fresh raw vanilla, to taste (as tolerated)

Preparation

In a medium bowl mix the roasted butternut squash, creamy coconut, eggs, flour, sugar and vanilla.

Pour into your pie shell and bake at 360F/180C till firm, but cooked through. Should take between 45mins and an hour, depending on your oven.

Hope you enjoy the recipes!

Don’t forget to…

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Join my mailing list for more recipes, to be the first to know when registration for my low histamine webinar opens, and for a 10% discount on my books!

Take a peek at my low histamine and antihistamine cookbooks for more high nutrient recipes.

As those of you who checked out my histamine intolerance supplements video will know, I sound American, but not so much so that you can’t tell I’m not actually from the states.

It has definitely confused people over the years.

My phonetically accurate pronunciation of Arkansas (Ar-Kan-Zas) caught my supervising editor at CNN’s political unit in DC by surprise. I had been successfully blending in till that point – my accent was that strong.

I am however not American, in the slightest. My background is European/Mid Eastern and I grew up in Spain.

But some of my happiest family meals took place in Washington DC with my very favourite third cousin/auntie/surrogate mom, HM, who taught me to love Thanksgiving. A wonderful cook, homemaker, mother and yoga enthusiast (who took me to my first ever ashtanga class), HM’s Thanksgivings can’t be topped – but I certainly had fun trying!

Sadly, having spent three hours cooking – the alternately overcast and blindingly sunny weather foiled my efforts to photograph what was a really lovely lunch…

My Thanksgiving Menu

Low histamine, low oxalate, paleo, gluten free, dairy free

Roast Duck w/Rosemary Garlic Jus

Juicy Stuffing (from the upcoming Get Juicy Cookbook)

Secret Cranberry Sauce

Smashed Jerusalem Artichokes w/Healing Herbs

Gluten free Antihistamine & Anti-inflammatory Butternut Squash Pie (Dairy Free)

It’s quite a mouthful, so I’ve decided to split the recipe into two to make it more manageable! Part two will be out in just a few days, in plenty of time to head to the supermarket for Thanksgiving!

Why duck?

Well, I cooked Thanksgiving lunch in early November, somewhat on the spur of the moment, and I live with a vegetarian.

A butterball turkey for one person seemed inadvisable. Aside from that, I’m a big duck fan!

I chose Jerusalem artichokes for their pre-biotic and anti-inflammatory properties [1] (as well as flavour of course!) and butternut squash for dessert because pumpkin appears on some lists as high histamine, while butternut squash is not only low histamine, but also possesses antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties [2]. I chose to stick with traditional cranberry because I’ve never had a problem with it and it doesn’t appear on most lists. You could easily go for blueberry or apple for this recipe – both would be delicious. Cranberries possess many anti-inflammatory properties [3].

I went a little crazy with a new ingredient – Coconom ginger coconut sugar and Coconom tamarind turmeric coconut sugar. WOW. They’re basically raw coconut sugar with freshly squeezed organic juices of ginger, tamarind and turmeric!

There’s an incredible antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ice-cream coming up soon made with these – absolutely blew me away!! Drooling again thinking about it…don’t forget to sign up to my mailing list to make sure you don’t miss it!

But, as always, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Down to business…

Roast Duck w/Rosemary Garlic Jus and Juicy Stuffing 

Serves 2

Inspiration for this recipe from the Gressingham duck folks here in the UK. 

Ingredients

1 duck

1 head garlic, chopped in half

handful rosemary sprigs

olive oil

salt and pepper

1-2 tbsp coconut nectar (optional)

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/390F.

Pat the duck dry. Remove the giblets if still inside. Pierce the back legs a few times with a fork, on each side.

Place the duck on a baking tray. Spoon on the coconut nectar (if using) followed by a drizzle of olive oil.

Add the garlic to the tray, then sprinkle everything with rosemary, pepper and salt.

Bake for 45 minutes, basting along the way.

I then turned mine around and baked for another 45 minutes. You’ll have to check your cooking time according to the weight of your duck. There’s more info and a great tutorial here. You’ll know the duck is ready if, when pierced, the juices run clear.

Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 – 20 minutes.

Juicy Stuffing

Serves 2

This recipe is from the upcoming Get Juicy book – a collection of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory juicing leftover recipes. Please use your judgement in adjusting this recipe – in the book I use it as a salad crouton recipe – but I loved it as stuffing!

Ingredients

1 head Broccoli

2 zucchini

1 cup arugula/rocket

2 carrots (omit if very low oxalate)

1 onion or large shallot, chopped

1 clove garlic

thyme

basil

rosemary

nigella sativa seeds

1/2 cup Flour (I use rice or chickpea – try sorghum for low oxalate and paleo)

2 eggs (or one duck egg – many with egg allergies can tolerate them but please check with your doctor)

4 tbsp olive oil

Preparation

Juice together…

Broccoli

Zucchini

Arugula/rocket

Carrot (use cucumber if low oxalate)

Then…

Collect the roughage from the broccoli, arugula, carrot and zucchini juice.

Saute the onion/shallot, garlic, thyme, basil and nigella till fragrant. Add in the juice roughage.

Tip into a baking dish, add in the eggs, flour and oil. Mix. Drizzle with a bit of duck fat/jus and bake at 180C/380F for about 30 minutes.

Cranberry Sauce

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

1/4 cup ginger coconut sugar (I used Coconom – you can use coconut sugar and a little fresh grated ginger)

1/4 cup water

squeeze of fresh lemon

1-2 tbsp duck fat (optional – really incredibly tasty though!)

Preparation

Place the cranberries in a small pot with the water. Bring to the boil.

Lower to a simmer and add in the coconut sugar (and grated ginger if using), stir till dissolved. (I recommend using the ginger – gives it extra zing!)

Squeeze in the lemon. The mixture should start firming up now.

Optional – stir in a little duck fat/jus from your roasting duck (I highly recommend this!)

Be sure not to miss part two – sign up to my mailing list (more recipes and research too)! 

And don’t forget to check out the Anti-Cookbooks (Paleo and regular) for a six page list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods…

——-REFERENCES——

[1] The Anti-Cookbook

[2] The Anti-Cookbook

[3] http://www.cranberryinstitute.org/news/PR/PR100605.htm

My obsession with Indian food turned up a water chestnut flatbread that I just couldn’t turn down. Water chestnut isn’t a nut at all, but rather a grass-like sedge native to Asia. According to Wikipedia they’re high in riboflavin, vitamin B6 and copper, both of which help us make the histamine-lowering DAO enzyme.

So far I’ve used it to batter sprats (very small English fish similar to sardines), make cake,  flatbread, pancakes and even waffles (tricky this one).

It’s also so glutinous that eggs aren’t needed.

As I’m personally not paleo, so I chose to serve this paleo flatbread with lentils! 

Traditionally served during Hindu fasting periods, it has a bit of a bitter taste that some might initially take issue with. A little fresh apple juice countered the bitterness, but I personally LOVE it. A little thyme, garlic, whatever pleases you, can go into this gluten free flatbread.

Water chestnut flour is low oxalate [1], low histamine (its seeds are even antihistamine!) [2], anti-inflammatory [3] and paleo! Wow.

As outlined in the Anti-Cookbook: nigella, ginger, turmeric, coriander, thyme, garlic and onion all possess antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties.Thyme’s benzoate’s may be problematic for some. 

Water chestnut is also rich in mast cell stabilising luteolin [4].

I talk about the benefits of luteolin and other mast cell stabilisers and how they lower histamine here.

Enjoy!

Here’s a little video I put together on how to make this great flatbread, but you’ll find the full recipe below!

Lentil Daal w/Water Chestnut Flatbread

Prep Time: 10 | Cook Time: 10 | Servings: 2-4  | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

Daal
1 cup lentils, soaked and boiled
medium onion, finely chopped
fresh ginger, 2 tbsp grated
fresh turmeric, 1 tbsp grated
coriander
lemon, to taste (or omit)
1-2 cloves garlic
1-2 tbsp ghee (optional, can use olive oil instead)

Flatbread
1 cup water chestnut flour
1/2 – 1 cup water (depending on desired consistency)
1-2 tbsp olive oil
thyme (makes it more bitter though)
garlic
nigella seeds

Directions:

Daal

Lentils can be a mast cell trigger for some. Here’s why I still eat them.

In a pan sautee the onions, turmeric, ginger and garlic in a little ghee or olive oil.

Once soft and fragrant, add in the lentils.

Pour in a little water and cover.

Simmer for 2-5 minutes.

Serve with flatbread.

Flatbread

Blend the chestnut flour, water, olive oil and garlic. Toss in the nigella, thyme.

Heat a little oil in a pan.

Pour the batter into a largish pan, the kind suitable for crepes, quickly rotating the pan to coat its entirety. This can be a bit tricky as the batter begins hardening almost immediately.

Cook until flatbread is firm. This will take a while…

You’ll start seeing a powdery residue on the uncooked side. Carefully flip over and cook till nice and toasty looking.

If it took too long to cook, or isn’t firm enough, just use less water. 

Please don’t forget antihistamine, pain killing foods can still hurt us, so please always check with your doctor before adding new foods to your diet. 

———————–REFERENCES———————

[1] Low oxalate list of Susan Owens

[2] http://www.sumobrain.com/patents/jp/Histamine-liberation-suppressing-agent/JP2001048766.html

[3] http://www.ijprd.com/EVALUATION%20OF%20ANTI-INFLAMMATORY%20ACTIVITY%20OF%20FRUITS%20OF%20TRAPA%20NATANS%20LINN.pdf

[4] http://foodfacts.mercola.com/water-chestnuts.html

My man declared this incredibly creamy gluten & dairy free, anti-inflammatory artichoke and antihistamine herb pasta his new favourite dish!

I have to agree.

It’s the perfect lunch or dinner, to be enjoyed by two.

For those of you who don’t already know – my man doesn’t have histamine, dairy or gluten issues – he’s just often totally up for checking out whatever I’m eating, if not mostly totally happy for me to feed him my weirdo diet.

That’s not to say that he doesn’t get into all kinds of other treats…

For those of you still primarily cooking separate meals – I’ve found it’s all in the pitch. Don’t tell people what they’re eating – till they tell you how delish it is!

In particular, going on and on about the histamine thing isn’t doing us favours.

People don’t like illness, so they certainly don’t want to eat a “sick” person’s diet. Telling them it’s all about vibrant health, looking years younger (on the inside and out), and enjoying a life with less prescriptions, often yields better results. The fact is that most antihistamine foods (if not all) are also anti-inflammatory – inflammation causes/aggravates so many illnesses that it would be silly not to try and mediate inflammation.

So…even people who are totally “healthy”, who are looking to prevent any yuckiness down the line, might benefit from what’s on your plate.

I had a lot of fun “fooling” people back in my raw food days – the avocado chocolate frosting was a particular success.

One day my nutty green lovelies – I shall have you again!

Till then, I’ll enjoy my incredibly velvety artichoke pasta thank you very much.

Here’s the nutrient breakdown:

Did you know that quercetin is a more effective mast cell stabiliser than the most commonly prescribed medication for mast cell activation and mastocytosis? [1] (Meaning quercetin can prevent mast cells from releasing histamine into our bodies). That’s important news because artichoke is not only rich in mast cell stabilising quercetin, but also fellow histamine-lowering bioflavonoids luteolin and rutin. [2]

The zucchini family possess anti-inflammatory [3], anti-ulcerogenic and potentially antihistaminic properties [4].

Thyme is such a powerful antihistamine that it has been shown to inhibit anaphylaxis (in animals) [5], but some may react due to benzoates.

Basil is a potent H1 and H2 receptor antagonist (like Claritin & Zantac, respectively, for example), in addition to being highly anti-inflammatory [6].

Oregano significantly inhibits histamine release [7].

Garlic is highly anti-inflammatory, suppressing many of the genes responsible for Crohn’s (in addition to other inflammatory conditions) [8].

Shallots are also highly anti-inflammatory, with particular emphasis on prevention and potential treatment of leukemia and cervical cancer [9].

Parsley inhibits histamine release [10].

Olive oil possesses similar anti-inflammatory activity to ibuprofen [11].

You’ll find six pages of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods in the Anti-Cookbook: High Nutrient Antihistamine & Anti-inflammatory Recipes for Health, in addition to an entire cookbook made up entirely of foods with these properties. It comes in a Paleo version too!

Don’t forget to sign up to my mailing list for a 10% discount on my books and to make sure you don’t miss out on the latest histamine research and expert interviews.

Coming up soon: an interview with Dr Ben Lynch of MTHFR.net – we discuss methylation and how it relates to histamine, and, an antihistamine and anti-inflammatory, low oxalate, gluten free flat bread that I am SO incredibly excited about!

And finally, to the recipe!

Creamy Artichoke & Zucchini Pasta w/Thyme, Basil, Oregano & Parsley

Prep Time: 15+| Cook Time: 25 | Servings: 2-4 | Difficulty: Easy

You’ll find more recipes like this in my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook

Ingredients:

4 artichokes, boiled with hearts cut out, or frozen artichoke hearts

2 large zucchini, finely chopped

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

2-4 cloves garlic

thyme, chopped

basil, chopped

oregano, chopped

parsley,chopped

1-2 cups gluten free pasta (I used rice)

arugula/rocket (optional)

Directions:

Boil your GF pasta of choice.

If you can find frozen artichoke hearts, go for it! I would have but they’re not available anywhere in the UK.

Sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil till fragrant.

Toss in the herbs and zucchini.

Carefully pour in a little water and lower the heat. In about 10 minutes you’ll find the zucchini has become nice and creamy.

Add in the choke hearts and a little more water or oil as needed (carefully!) and sauté for a few more minutes.

Tip the mixture into a blender.

 Pour onto GF pasta.

I then usually mix in about 6 cups of raw arugula/rocket or other leafy greens but this is totally optional.

———REFERENCES——-

[1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19924387

[2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9802556

[3]  http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-DYJZ200405032.htm

[4] http://www.ijrap.net/admin/php/uploads/700_pdf.pdf

[5] http://www.karger.com/Article/Fulltext/93790

[6] https://dev.healinghistamine.com/holy-basil-the-anti-inflammatory-anti-histamine-superstar/

[7] http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search/display.do?f=2010/JP/JP1021.xml;JP2010002968

[8] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cyto.10133/full

[9] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3258679/

[10] http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=KRx6bcLE3T8C&pg=PA264&lpg=PA264&dq=Petroselinum+histamine&source=bl&ots=vOYKAx_pbV&sig=Qdm-F_1utYCk1UOTmQbDMHwfeoY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=M90UUbXyI5C3hAf0rIGwDw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Petroselinum%20histamine&f=false

[11] http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/09/050906075427.htm