I should start out by saying that this recipe began with a simple request: a high nutrient baby food to help with indigestion.

But things spiraled out of control when I began fantasising about what else the compote would work for….

And so I was literally rubbing my hands together with glee when my waffle maker arrived just a few days ago. Rest assured, these can be made into pancakes too – but it’s so much more fun playing with waffles!

I may be a little over excited simply because I’ve only had waffles once or twice in my life.

Watch out for some seriously fun recipes in the next few weeks…

Nutritional highlights

Ginger is as potent an antihistamine as H2 receptor antagonist Zantac (ranitidine) [5] and as such, marvelous at dealing with stomach acid.

Peaches possess mast cell stabilising properties [1] but I know they are on some lists as high histamine though. Please use your best judgement – I have never had a problem with them.

Blueberries are rich in histamine lowering, mast cell stabilising quercetin [2].

Basil is a potent antihistamine with strong anti-inflammatory action (particularly against prostaglandins) [3].

Coconut is anti-inflammatory and also can help relieve pain [4].

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

CLICK HERE FOR A FOUR WEEK HISTAMINE RESET WITH MEAL PLANNERS, STRESS RELIEF STRATEGIES & MORE

GF Oat (or grain free) Waffles w/Antihistamine Rich Basil and Ginger Infused Peach Compote

Prep Time: 5 | Cook Time: 10-15| Servings: 2 waffles | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups GF oat flour or 1/2 cup chestnut flour, 1/3 cup arrowroot flour, 1/3 cup tigernut flour and 1/3 cup, water chestnut flour

2 eggs or 2tbsp flax/chia seeds

1 cup coconut/almond milk or water

2 tbsp coconut oil/any oil  tolerated

Pinch raw organic vanilla powder (optional)

Pinch sea salt

Blueberries (for garnish)

Compote

2 large peaches, peeled (or not) and chopped (or your choice of fruit)

2 tbsp freshly grated ginger

2 tbsp finely chopped basil

Fresh lemon juice (you may omit this)

Coconut cream

1 coconut (young or old)

Fresh vanilla

Pinch sea salt

Directions:

Waffles

Heat up the waffle iron.

Buzz the oat flour, eggs/flax/chia, coconut milk, coconut oil, vanilla and pinch of salt in the blender.

Pour into the waffle iron and proceed according to your machine’s instructions.

Compote

In a small saucepan combine the peaches (I don’t skin mine), ginger, basil and a squidge of fresh lemon juice. I also like to add just a tiny pinch of sea salt to help bring out the natural sweetness of the fruit.

Drizzle with a little water and bring to the boil ever so briefly.

Lower to a simmer and withdraw from heat once firmed up and sweetly fragranced (about 5 minutes).

Coconut cream

If you have a masticating juicer just crack open a mature coconut, pry out the flesh, then pass through the nut butter adaptor and then mix in the vanilla and a pinch of sea salt.

Otherwise, scoop out the flesh of a young coconut and quickly buzz (I use a Vitamix) a little with the vanilla, till mushy.

Then place in freezer for 20 minutes, or till firm. Mix up with a spoon and serve.

Enjoy!

CLICK HERE FOR A FOUR WEEK HISTAMINE RESET WITH MEAL PLANNERS, STRESS RELIEF STRATEGIES & MORE

————REFERENCES————-

[1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20633593

[2] http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf00070a001

[3] http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/20103272087.html;jsessionid=FE4296F7E8E57CEEECBE252850E80B7A

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

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

I miss Vietnamese food so much. I used to eat it practically every weekend before my histamine intolerance diagnosis, even, amusingly, when I was living in Bangkok. Thai food was just way to spicy for me, and I suspect the MSG was wreaking havoc on my insides.

Though I do love the lightness of Vietnamese summer rolls (ie un-fried spring rolls), I was really in the mood for something a little naughty. It had just been one of those weeks you know? So I had a go at re-imagining my favourite Vietnamese pork spring rolls. Except without mushrooms (histamine), fish sauce (histamine, common sense) and a bunch of other stuff that makes me drool.

My usual high nutrient spin sent me down the Indian path rather than Vietnamese. I really wasn’t sure these would work out.

Guess what? Having had these little fingers of messy joy, I’m now drooling over making them again. Am I allowed to say that about something I made myself?? It seems wrong somehow.

The tamarind and curry leaves (the chutney still tastes great without either!) gave the shallots an incredibly rich depth of flavour, the mung bean noodles gave the lamb mince a lovely moistness and it was all topped off with the satisfaction of crunching into a healthily baked crust.

Make these a little smaller and they’re a perfect party finger food that no guest will guess is a (low histamine, antihistamine, anti-inflammatory) health food.

They’ll also taste great stuffed with any lovely veggies of your choosing.

Though already low oxalate (if you don’t have a lot of other oxalates that day), you can go lower by omitting the noodles. I’m watching my oxalates and I was totally fine with this.

CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR OWN PERSONALISED HEALING HISTAMINE PLAN. 

Here’s the high nutrient, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory breakdown (see the Anti-cookbook for a six page list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods):

Shallots are high in histamine lowering quercetin and as such are an antihistamine food [1]. They also possess significant cancer fighting and anti-inflammatory properties [2].

Curry leaves are as effective at reducing histamine induced inflammation as Diclofenac (one of the world’s most commonly prescribed anti-inflammatories) [3] and have been shown to inhibit mast cell degranulation [4].

Fenugreek has been shown to be effective in reducing histamine and serotonin induced inflammation [5].

Tamarind leaves possess mast cell stabilising properties, but the fruit is fermented, which may be problematic for some [6].

Nigella sativa is a potent H1 and H2 receptor antagonist (like claritin and zantac for example) [7].

Basil (all varieties) has been shown to exhibit H1 and H2 receptor antagonism and is highly anti-inflammatory [8].

Please do remember that even antihistaminic foods can cause serious reactions, including anaphylaxis. Please consult with your doctor or medical practitioner before adding new foods to your diet.

Antihistamine Rich (baked) Lamb Spring Rolls w/Tamarind Chutney

Prep Time: 10mins| Cook Time: 20mins | Servings: 2-4 | Difficulty: Easy

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

Ingredients:

Chutney

4 shallots, peeled and quartered

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Fresh red chili, to taste

Fenugreek seeds, to taste

1/2 tsp nigella sativa seeds (or to taste)

1 tbsp tamarind paste

4 curry leaves (optional)

Oil (I use olive)

Spring rolls

2 cups cubed lamb

1 large shallot/medium onion

1/2 medium fennel

1 clove garlic

Arugula

Basil

Coriander

1/2 cup mung bean, green bean, rice or your choice of noodles, boiled and drained

Spring roll rice paper

Directions:

Chutney

Pre-heat your oven to 160C/320F.

Dilute the tamarind paste in a spoon of water. Combine with the rest of the ingredients in a small to medium baking dish and drizzle with some oil.

Bake for 20-30 minutes till soft. Remove the curry leaves and serve with spring rolls.

Spring rolls

Pre-heat oven to 180C/360F.

Toss all the spring roll ingredients but the rice paper into a food processor. Power till everything mixes up into a ball.

Heat a little oil in a pan and sauté the spring roll mix till almost cooked through.

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 some arugula/rocket, a couple of pieces of basil and coriander, and some noodles. Top with some lamb and then finish off with a not too generous spoon of chutney.

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

Brush with a little shallot oil, and bake for 20 minutes.

Serve with the rest of the chutney.

Don’t forget to sign up to my newsletter for more antihistamine and anti-inflammatory recipes. 

The Anti-cookbook, while it doesn’t treat any conditions, due to its high nutrient, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredients, has been instrumental in helping me feed myself on a limited diet. It features a six page list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods. It comes in regular and Paleo. 

The Low Oxalate Cookbook features antihistamine and anti-inflammatory rich recipes. 

Don’t miss the Low Histamine Beauty Survival Guide for non-toxic beauty tips, the skinny on histamine releasing (mast cell degranulating) beauty ingredients, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory beauty alternatives and the top brands natural brands I’ve found.

Take a peek at my other 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.researchgate.net/publication/5427392_Quercetin_from_shallots_(Allium_cepa_L._var._aggregatum)_is_more_bioavailable_than_its_glucoside

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

[3] http://www.jcimjournal.com/articles/publishArticles/pdf/201181127102.pdf 

[4] http://jcpronline.com/final/09782.pdf

[5] http://www.ptfarm.pl/pub/File/Acta_Poloniae/2008/4/473.pdf

[6] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3210002/

[7] https://dev.healinghistamine.com/plant-seeds-treat-nasal-allergies-better-than-steroid-spray/

[8] https://dev.healinghistamine.com/holy-basil-101-uses-for-this-incredible-antihistamine-plant/

Antihistamine dessert bake with quercetin rich apples, blueberries and ginger. You may use any fruit you tolerate. 

Today was odd. I found myself doing something I hadn’t in a long time: having a nervous breakdown in the supermarket.

Only this time it wasn’t over my dietary predicament, but that of my readers. What to share with you this week? Will the paleo folk be disappointed with this, will lectins upset and just how low oxalate does a recipe have to be??

After picking up and putting back a dozen items I finally brainstormed something that made me a very happy bunny indeed…a dessert that reminded me the tastiest treats are ones that improve our health.

So what makes this antihistamine? It’s the quercetin. Much of my dietary philosophy revolves around the concept of eating antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods. You’re thinking: but you’re the low histamine chef. Well yes. The foods are all low histamine too!

Why anti-inflammatory? When my hardcore research into histamine began three years ago the phrase “histamine induced inflammation” kept coming up over and over. And so I thought, well why am I just eating low histamine rather than anti-inflammatory? See because here’s what few naturopath’s tell you: in addition to faulty diamine oxidase or HNMT production, genetic pathway yadda yadda (undermethylation etc), mast cell dysfunction is behind much of the histamine release in the body.

Thing is that mast cells, in addition to housing histamine, also shelter a number of other inflammatory molecules that in small amounts help us heal, but when flooded into the body in excess, can cause unbridled inflammation [1].

Once I understood this I couldn’t go on putting anything in my body that wasn’t going to help deal with that histamine induced inflammation. I simply analysed the commonly sold natural antihistamine supplements on the market – finding that quercetin, rutin and luteolin appeared time and again.

Why? Because they are very powerful mast cell stabilsers, as strong as the most commonly prescribed pharmaceutical (Nalcrom) – meaning that they prevent mast cells from freaking out and releasing histamine into the body to cause inflammation [2]. Sadly my (frequent) conversations with practitioners in the field reveals that the majority absolutely do not believe that diet plays any role in mast cell activation and mastocytosis (they definitely don’t believe that histamine intolerance even exists). It’s so bizarre given that we know inflammation plays a role in so many other illnesses like cancer [3], heart disease [4], Parkinson’s [5]. And we know an anti-inflammatory diet helps in those cases. So why not with histamine intolerance/mast cell activation and mastocytosis? It’s my personal belief that much of what goes on with us is caused by a crappy diet. I know, sacrilegious right? And yet we’re fobbed off with handfuls of antihistamines, mast cell stabilsers and told that we can carry on eating pizza and pasta.

I KNOW that an antihistamine diet rich in bioflavonoids like quercetin, rutin and luteolin has given me my life back and it is also the experience of dozens of people who write to me, many thanking me for putting this idea out there (tho I’m not the first!) and others telling me they’ve been onto it for years. They’ve all improved, lessened or reversed symptoms we were told we need meds for.

While I do understand that we’d have to eat quite a bit of antihistamine foods to have an effect and there’s the blood/brain barrier and all that, what about this revolutionary concept: eat only anthistamine and anti-inflammatory foods; that way nothing you put into your body is going to exacerbate the existing condition by causing more inflammation or histamine to rise (even a little bit)?

Hmmmm? What do you think of that? If you’re on board (but even if you’re not), check out the tasty antihistamine & anti-inflammatory dessert recipe below.

Here’s the nutritional breakdown I know you love as much as I do!

Benefits:

Blueberries and apples are an excellent source of histamine lowering quercetin [6].

Ginger is as potent an H2 receptor antagonist as Zantac/ranitidine (commonly prescribed for heartburn too) [7].

Coconut possesses strong anti-inflamatory and analgesic properties [8].

 For more recipes and a six page list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods please check out the Anti-cookbook: High Nutrient Antihistamine & Anti-inflammatory Recipes for Health – now also in a paleo version. 

Antihistamine Dessert Bake

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

Ingredients:

3 apples, cut into eighths
1.5 cups blueberries
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
squidge of fresh lemon (or rind – omit it sensitive)
pinch of salt

Optional
2 tbsp coconut nectar or powdered coconut sugar/your choice of sweetener

Directions:

Pre-heat oven at 200C/390F.

Toss the apples in the coconut nectar (if using) and add a pinch of salt (to bring out the sweetness).

Place on a non-stick or lightly oiled baking tray and place in the oven.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, turning once half way through.

Meanwhile add the blueberries, ginger, the squidge of lemon and a splash of water to a small pot. Simmer till the blueberries break down, about 3-5 minutes.

Place the apples in a serving bowl and add a few dollops of the blueberry compote. You might also want to try drizzling  with a little coconut cream.

Enjoy your health!

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

The Anti-cookbook and all liquid Anti-Detox Book, don’t treat any conditions, but are high in the high nutrient antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredients that have been instrumental in helping me feed myself on a limited diet. The Anti-cookbook features a six page list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods and comes in regular and Paleo. 

The Low Oxalate Cookbook features antihistamine and anti-inflammatory rich recipes. 

Don’t miss the Low Histamine Beauty Survival Guide for non-toxic beauty tips, the skinny on histamine releasing (mast cell degranulating) beauty ingredients, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory beauty alternatives and the top brands natural brands I’ve found.

Take a peek at my other low histamine and antihistamine cookbooks for more high nutrient recipes and sign up to my mailing list for freebies. 

——— REFERENCES ——-

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mast_cell

[2] http://www.mastcellmaster.com/research.php

[3] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1994795/

[4] http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265378.php

[5] http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/99/2/237.short

[6] http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/quercetin

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

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

Nope, no need to clean out your ears, you heard me right: low histamine ketchup – how low histamine is totally up to you.

Before you rush to fire off an email berating me for promoting high histamine foods, let me just share one of the most exciting nuggets of information gleaned from my interview with immunologist and histamine researcher Dr Janice Joneja: less pigmented fruits and vegetables are generally lower histamine (green/yellow tomatoes for example) and many of her patients do fine with them. You’ll find a link to the interview at the end of this post. 

Sadly tomatoes are a high oxalate food. If you, like me, are watching your ox intake, fret not, my next recipe’s all about you. Even more exciting is that oxalate specialist Dr Susan Owens (of the Yahoo Oxalate Group) has agreed to an interview. You’ll want to sign up to my mailing list to make sure you don’t miss out on either.

Back to the main event.

The Joneja interview set my mind racing. And off to London’s Borough Market I ran to score me some tomaters. My man, usually a happy participant in my dashes around the city (or foreign country) in pursuit of some foodstuff or another, was nonetheless not thrilled with being dragged this far south of the river.

Luckily we happened upon a little cider house en route (uh, need to check my terminology there) where he seemed quite happy to remain, half pint in hand, discussing organic cider brewing with the owner, while I ran around gleefully pouncing on purple cabbage, mutant Chihuahua sized peaches and copious baskets of gluten and sugar free baked goods. No, I don’t eat them but I do so love to inhale them. Looking and smelling is half the pleasure of eating after all…

You’ll find this recipe calls for either apple cider vinegar (I always unfiltered as I hope that some quercetin remains) or lemon. Out of curiosity (for those who don’t tolerate either) I cooked up a little of the tomatoes with tamarind instead and it tasted good! Sadly because it was on the fly and in a small amount, I can’t tell you how much to use. I’d try one tamarind and then taste as the ketchup cooks, adding more if needed.

Here’s some of the nutritional highlights, taken from the Anti-Cookbook: High Nutrient Antihistamine & Anti-inflammatory Recipes for Health (now also Paleo):

Tomatoes: while it is true that (at least the red variety) raise histamine, there’s a number of studies out there pointing to the anti-inflammatory activity of the tomato plant leaves [1], specifically through it’s action on prostaglandins, while the fruit itself is high in Vitamin C, beta carotene, lycopene [2] and chlorophyll [3] – all of which have been linked to lower cancer rates.

Garlic: one of the more interesting studies I came across in relation to garlic is that it is now being studied for its potential to treat IBS [4], in addition to being anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and all the rest of the stuff I’ve mentioned in other recipes (just use the search bar to look up other nutritious foods).

Onion: is one of the richest sources of histamine lowering quercetin [5].

Ginger: is as potent an H2 receptor antagonist as ranitidine (zantac) [6].

Dates: possess anti-inflammatory action as well as reducing the severity of gastric ulcer [7].

Apple cider vinegar: there are of course dozens of claims as to the health benefits of ACV, in particular that it has the potential to stabilise blood sugar [8].

Please do remember that not all anti-inflammaotry foods are also antihistamine and even antihistamine foods can hurt us, so please check with your doctor before introducing new foods. 

Low Histamine Tomato Ketchup

Prep Time: 5 | Cook Time: 30 | Servings: 4 – 8 | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

10 medium green/yellow tomatoes, peeled and seeded

4-8 tbsp coconut sugar or 2 Medjool dates (or your choice of sweetener)

1/4 – 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar or lemon

1/2 large onion, very finely chopped

1 large clove garlic, very finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped

1 red pepper or beet, juiced (optional, for colour)

Directions:

Chop up your tomatoes.

Place them in a blender.

Add a pinch of salt, the onion, garlic, ginger, vinegar or lemon, red pepper juice if using (otherwise add 1/2 cup of water) and then blend well till smooth.

Pour into a pan or a small pot. Add in the sugar (less to start with, more as needed), cover and bring to the boil before turning down to a simmer.

Stir frequently, until the sauce becomes ketchup-y. It took me 30 minutes. Increase the vinegar/lemon and sugar to taste and add a little bit of water if needed.

As I don’t eat leftovers I then decided to freeze them into handy little portions using mini mason jars.

Enjoy!

You’ll find the Dr Janice Joneja interview here.

References:

[1] http://www.academicjournals.org/ajb/PDF/pdf2011/16DecConf/Amid%20et%20al%201.pdf

[2] http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304423810004498

[3] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jsfa.1292/pdf

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

[5] http://journal.ashspublications.org/content/120/6/909.full.pdf

[6] http://www.academicjournals.org/ajbr/pdf/Pdf2009/Dec/Anosike%20et%20al.pdf

[7] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15814265

[8] http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/R-D/Vinegar-beverage-shows-blood-sugar-management-potential

CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE TO PURCHASE THE PALEO LOW HISTAMINE EBOOK

Wondering why you’re still not feeling better, despite eliminating all the foods those lists tell you to? Have a niggling suspicion that losing all those high nutrient foods could be counter productive? Starting to worry that your five “safe foods” might turn on you one day?

It’s time to ask yourself – why go low histamine when you can go anti-histamine?

While I always tell people that it’s not just about the food, eliminating high nutrient foods from my diet turned out to be the BIGGEST mistake I ever made. But by the time the damage was done, I struggled to figure out how to fix it. At first adding high nutrient foods was challenging, till I figured out that if the goal was to add the least histamine possible to my body, why not go one step further and add antihistamine foods to my diet instead? It worked and I was finally able to come off my remaining antihistamine (zyrtec)!

My reading of the mast cell field’s top researchers (Drs Theoharides, Akin, Castells, Escribano) soon revealed that histamine, in addition to the other pro-inflammatory elements released by mast cells (prostaglandins et al), were likely causing further dysfunction in my body.

Many people in our histamine intolerance, mast cell activation disorder, and mastocytosis community are prescribed aspirin to relieve that inflammation – but why not go straight to the source? Aspirin is salicylic acid – guess where in nature you can find it? High nutrient green leafy foods! My new understanding of histamine/prostaglandin induced inflammation and the very serious ilnesses it can feed (cancer, neuro-inflammation, heart disease and many others) prompted me to address the very scarily elevated inflammatory markers in my blood work.

Thanks to my high nutrient antihistamine and anti-inflammatory approach, I’m now in the best health of my life (and have the blood tests to prove it)! And it took less than a year…

The Anti-Cookbook: High Nutrient Antihistamine & Anti-inflammatory Paleo Recipes for Health shares:

The 10 easy steps that changed my life.

The power of positivity.

A list of my top high nutrient antihistaminic, anti-inflammatory and mast cell stabilising foods.

Tasty antihistamine beverages.

Antihistamine and anti-inflammatory breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

NB: Almost every single ingredient in this book was chosen for its antihistaminic, mast cell stablising or anti-inflammatory properties…

This book is fairly hardcore high nutrient and as such incorporates green juices and smoothies. If you are new to the low histamine diet or still eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) then I recommend trying one of my other books. Please be aware that this is not a diet book, but rather a collection of the high nutrient recipes. Please be sure to consult with your doctor before adding any new foods to your diet.

 

Yes I’m a freak. Not only do I love really weird foods (that are GREAT for me) but I also totally dig research. Today’s find? Beetroot not only kills histamine induced inflammation; it can help clear up arthritic inflammation as well as a commonly prescribed medication [1] and…it acts as an antihistamine/H1 receptor antagonist (like Claritin for example) thereby exhibiting anti-asthmatic properties [2].

What brought on this most recent bout of Google-fingers was a lovely display of golden beets at my local health food store. Now you can certainly make this juice with any colour beets – I’m just a sucker for anything pretty!

You’ll have to adjust the quantities to your personal buds. I use less fruit because I’m not in it for the flavour.

Please remember that antihistamine foods can still hurt us so please check with your doctor before introducing any new foods to your diet.

Golden Sunrise Antihistamine & Anti-inflammatory Beet Juice

3 medium golden beetroots

2 carrots

1 mango

Don’t forget to check out the Anti-Cookbook: High Nutrient Antihistamine & Anti-inflammatory Recipes for Health for more.

——————References—————–

1.  http://www.journaldatabase.org/articles/anti-infl_ammatory_activity_aqueous.html

2. http://www.jnronline.com/index.php/jnr/article/view/28936

Prep Time: 10mins | Cook Time: 20mins | Servings: 1 | Difficulty: Easy

I’ve only recently come to the conclusion that I need to settle down for a little bit. As much as I love to travel and experience new foods across the world, I really just need access to all of my stuff. I haven’t had all my stuff under one roof (or even within reach) since giving up my place in spring 2012. While it’s lots of fun being a digital nomad, it means that I lose out on a lot of productivity and creativity. Sure, travel is inspirational, but it’s a total buzzkill trying to create beautiful new foods and pictures while you’re constantly lamenting the lack of kitchen utensils, or having to take a time out on safari because you’ve just realised that you can finally get a 3g connection in the Masai Mara. Yes, it’s pretty sad that I’m worried about internet connectivity while experiencing lions and tigers in their natural habitat, but the Masai warriors accompanying us were also furtively checking their email. What can I say, it can be challenging to get connected in Kenya.

Not quite ready to head back to the rat race, I decided last June to move to a small town in East Sussex, right on the sea. Beautiful. My new apartment has three skylights and I’ve been bursting to take pictures there since I viewed it. My very first brunch was this lovely little number.

UPDATE: I lasted exactly three months there before heading to Brighton, and then another three months before getting back to London!

CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR OWN PERSONALISED HEALING HISTAMINE PLAN. 

As always, very little goes into my body unless it’s going in to heal me…

Duck eggs

As I mention in my latest book, the Anti-Cookbook: Antihistamine & Anti-inflammatory Recipes for Health, duck egg yolks are larger than that of chickens, thereby cutting down on potential reactions to uncooked egg white (which is what bothers most people with histamine intolerance), as well as giving you a whopping 160% of Vitamin B12 (which those of us with histamine conditions are chronically low in). They also have an incredible six times higher Vitamin D content than chicken eggs [1]. Many people who react to chicken eggs do ok with these, but please always check with your doctor before adding new foods to your diet.

Thyme

You’ll find thyme listed in the six page spread of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods in my new book. Thyme has been shown to inhibit anaphylaxis in mice [2], as well as displaying anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. It’s a key ingredient in many modern medications [3].

Sumac

Is an interesting one. My research tells me that this tasty lemony/salty herb (used to make za’tar) has anti-inflammatory activity [4], but, it is also related to poison sumac [5]. It’s used in Lebanese cuisine, often as a salt substitute. Studies show that when added to meats, sumac inhibits the formation of biogenic amines like tyramine (not histamine sadly) [6] and it has antioxidant, antifibrogenic (treats fever), anti fungal, antimicrobial, antitumerogenic and antiviral [7] properties.

Why am I using it? I worry about my calcium levels. As a female, I have to. My doctors warned me that as someone with mast cell activation I should really take care of my bone density. Sodium negatively impacts bone density [8], so I’m always happy to try (healthy) salt subsititutes. Having grown up on sumac, I know it has never harmed me – but please check with your doctor before trying this or any other new food.

Coriander 

Anti-inflammatory [9].

Nigella

H1 and H2 receptor antagonism [10].

Duck Eggs in Cocotte w/Chickpea Soldiers & Antihistamine Herbs

Prep Time: 10 | Cook Time: 20 | Servings: 1 | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

Eggs

2 duck eggs

fresh thyme

crushed sumac (optional)

black salt (high charcoal)

2 ramekins or small oven proof bowls

 Soldiers/Dippers

1/2 cup chickpea flour

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp olive oil (or tolerated)

coriander, chopped

chives, chopped

nigella seeds (optional)

Directions:

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

Eggs

Lightly oil your ramekins.

Crack a duck egg into each ramekin.

Sprinkle with fresh thyme, crushed sumac (if tolerated), black salt and pepper.

Then…

Chickpea Soldiers/Dippers

Whisk the flour and water together till fluffy. Pour in the olive oil, herbs and nigella seeds.

Lightly oil a medium baking tin.

Pour in the batter.

Poke with a pin/baking pin/fork to check when it’s cooked through (10-15 mins depending on oven). Remove from oven, brush on a little olive oil and sprinkle with a dash of sea salt.

Before the oven gets cold, turn the oven grill onto medium and place the baking tin with the chickpea soldiers back in. Place the egg ramekins next to them, not too close to the top of the oven.

Grill till eggs are cooked (about 5 – 10 minutes) and chickpeas are lightly browned/burned (socca style).

Use a spatula to cut the chickpea dough into fish finger-like rectangles and serve with eggs still in the ramekins (careful they’ll be hot!). Eggs should still be gooey.

The Anti-cookbook, while it doesn’t treat any conditions, due to its high nutrient, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredients, has been instrumental in helping me feed myself on a limited diet. It features a six page list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods. It comes in regular and Paleo. 

The Low Oxalate Cookbook features antihistamine and anti-inflammatory rich recipes. 

Don’t miss the Low Histamine Beauty Survival Guide for non-toxic beauty tips, the skinny on histamine releasing (mast cell degranulating) beauty ingredients, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory beauty alternatives and the top brands natural brands I’ve found.

Take a peek at my other 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] https://dev.healinghistamine.com/the-anti-cookbook-antihistamine-anti-inflammatory-recipes/

[2] http://www.jimmunol.org/cgi/content/meeting_abstract/188/1_MeetingAbstracts/177.3

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thymol

[4] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2582678/

[5] http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-sumac.htm

[6] https://dev.healinghistamine.com/middle-eastern-indian-spices-lower-histamine-and-other-biogenic-amines-in-foods/

[7] http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11130-007-0058-4#page-1

[8] http://www.jacn.org/content/25/suppl_3/271S.full

[9] http://www.ajebs.com/vol1/22.pdf

[10] https://dev.healinghistamine.com/plant-seeds-treat-nasal-allergies-better-than-steroid-spray/

Like I always say, being healthy doesn’t mean being chained to your kitchen…I regularly make a great antihistaminic and anti-inflammatory breakfast and lunch in just 10 minutes!

How to do it? I make myself a green juice, juicing the veggies first, because I’m so not into sweet burgers, then scoop them out and into a bowl. I add a chopped antihistamine quercetin rich red onion, loads of fresh histamine lowering, anti-inflammatory thyme, oregano, parsley (and more!). I then crack in a duck egg or two for the Vitamin B12 (130% RDA) and cook quickly in a lightly oiled pan. You can use some soaked flax or chia seeds if you prefer not to use eggs.

I know it’s not ideal cooking ahead of time, but most of us don’t have the luxury of cooking from home every single day. I’ll generally eat foods that have been cooked hours before, as long as I’m not in a hot climate. You can of course refrigerate the juiced veggies till you’re ready to cook lunch.

You’ll find more easy to prepare, high nutrient recipes like this in my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook

CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR OWN PERSONALISED HEALING HISTAMINE PLAN. 

The Recipe (more or less)

Juice

1 head broccoli

1 fennel

1 bag red and green curly kale

1 tbsp fresh turmeric

2 apples

1 red onion, chopped

Thyme

Oregano

Parsley

 Benefits

Broccoli: anti-carcinogenic, prevents gastric mucosal damage (suggesting potential H2 receptor antagonism).

Kale: is highly anti-inflammatory and has cancer prevention potential.

Fennel: anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, analgesic and antioxidant.

Red onion: is one of the richest sources of histamine lowering quercetin.

Apples: rich in histamine lowering quercetin and inhibit the development of allergies.

Turmeric: inhibits anaphylactic shock, stabilises mast cells and prevents histamine release. It’s also anti-inflammatory and anti-tumour.

Preparation

Juice everything but the apples.

Scoop out the roughage and add to a bowl.

Mix in the onions and herbs.

Crack in the duck eggs if using, or soak 1-2 tbsp ground flax or chia and allow to gelatinise.

Heat a little oil in a pan and cook as veggie burgers.

Meanwhile, juice the apple into the veggies.

Hit the road!

 NOTE: Please remember you can be allergic to anything, even foods with antihistaminic properties. Please consult with your doctor before trying any new foods. 

Confused why I’m eating salmon? Many people write to me asking why.

1. Fish isn’t inherently high histamine – spoilage causes the histamine to rise. I live close to the beach so I know this stuff is fresh, and I go to buy it the day it comes in.

2. It’s not true that dark fleshed fish is higher in histamine. Check out my interview with Dr Janice Joneja where we discuss this and much more.

they’re also up to a whopping 10 times higher in inflammation fighting omega 3 fatty acids!

Check it out:

2000mg omega 3 fatty acids per 100g of fresh Atlantic salmon (wild)

VS.

200mg – 600mg (depending on variety) omega 3 fatty acids in white fish.

If you make this recipe with anti-inflammatory superstar holy basil, then we’re talking off the charts anti-inflammatory action. As I’ve said a number of times, I find that lowering my overall inflammation, rather than stressing whether a food is on a high histamine list somewhere (and come on, how do you really think salmon stacks up against that cupcake you just couldn’t resist?), has helped me get to where I am, in just under a year. I don’t follow other people’s lists, just my own personal experience and intuition.

You’ll find more low histamine, anti-inflammatory recipes in the Anti-Cookbook: High Nutrient Antihistamine & Anti-inflammatory Recipes for Health.

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

Ingredients:

2 salmon steaks
1/2 packet rice fusilli/penne or other GF pasta
1 cup basil leaves
1/4 cup olive oil (or other tolerated oil)
1-2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts or almonds
salt and pepper

Directions:

Prepare the pasta according to directions. I’m not really eating grains nowadays but am still indulging in a little rice here and there. GF pasta has come a long way in the last few years, just be careful not to overcook if using rice based, and be sure to rinse under cold water once done.

Then drain and return to the pot.

Meanwhile, get started on the salmon. Heat up a little oil in a medium pan, and cook till no longer pink. You could always grill in the oven if you’d prefer less oil. Once it firms up a bit, use a spoon to chop it up a bit to cook faster.

Grab your blender’s spice mill attachment if you have one, otherwise use your food processor. Add in the washed basil leaves, olive oil, garlic and nuts. I was told pine nuts are alright histamine-wise, but I would advise trying a couple first, unless you have had anaphylactic episodes – in which case, be safe and go nut free!

Pulse the mixture until it’s still a little coarse.

Once cooked, add the salmon to the drained pasta and put on the lowest heat. Pour in the pesto and mix with the pasta and salmon over the heat.

I know it’s not traditional but I love adding some lemon to dish. If you don’t tolerate lemon, or worry about it’s minimal histamine liberation, you could use lemon basil in the pesto instead.

Because I’m most interested in food’s healing properties, I’ll often use holy basil instead of sweet/European varieties.

Read all about holy basil here.

The best thing about writing low histamine recipe cookbooks? I get to play with food all day…

I do enjoy the research, immensely, but there’s nothing like getting down and dirty with a big ol’ bowl of dough for the better part of the afternoon.

I don’t have any experience with making pasta from scratch, so I had a browse for gluten free gnocchi recipes online. I’m not done yet, but in the meantime you can find the original recipe on the Popular Paleo blog. My recipe isn’t paleo, but can be. It took her a couple of goes to get it right so I’m going to take my time on this one. The colours are amazing already though!

Sweet potato: high in histamine lowering rutin and quercetin. Significant anti inflammatory and anti ulcerogenic action.