Tag: low histamine desserts

  • The Low Histamine Diet Foods FAQ

    WHICH FOODS ARE HIGH HISTAMINE?

    That depends on which list you follow. Histamine in foods varies depending on: the country grown in, whether pesticides were used, climate, transportation, ripeness when picked, how long on the supermarket shelf, bacterial contamination. In particular the level varies in flesh. The reason for which is that bacteria release histamine (and other amines) as the flesh decomposes. The freezing and thawing and re-freezing in particular that occurs in the typical farm to supermarket cycle leads to high histamine levels in food. For fish: how long since it was fished, how it was handled, if it was frozen and then thawed at any point, if it’s contaminated etc. Beef is generally hung for at least two weeks to tenderize the meat. This accounts for the high levels of histamine in the flesh. Some methods of slaughter, including halal (Muslim), do not involve long hanging times, and as such may be fresher.

    The Spanish DAO Society has this list.

    I have a list I was given by my practitioner (now retired). For legal reasons I am not allowed to share it, but all my recipe books are based on this list.

    And finally – your reaction to a food may vary from day to day depending on how high your histamine is that day. Some days just adding a smidge of histamine into an almost overflowing bucket can tip you over the edge.

    BAKING POWDER/SODA

  • Stressed out uterus?

    I’m not just going for a catchy headline here – turns out that valerian root is not only a powerful anxiolytic (natural chill out pill) overall, it’s also an antihistamine which helps with menstrual cramps. I mean seriously, the study is actually called:

    Relaxing effects of Valeriana officinalis extracts on isolated human non-pregnant uterine muscle.

    Valerian extracts may have direct inhibitory effects on the contractility of the human uterus and this justifies the traditional use of this plant in the treatment of uterine cramping associated with dysmenorrhoea….Valerian extract reduced the maximal contractile response induced by acetylcholine, phenylephrine and histamine…Read the full study here.

    Told ya I wasn’t making it up! When I was high histamine it was literally impossible to sleep. I would be up for days at a time. Very handy when I was a journalist working in war zones, but not so great when I have a 9am meeting to go through someone’s digital strategy. Generally when people tell me they’re very low histamine I ask how their sleep is. It’s a great indicator of how you’re doing diet-wise. I’m not discounting stress, but we know that also causes mast cell degranulation too!

    Now while the studies I read on valerian took great pains to stress that it’s not a hypnotic which knocks you into sleep, it’s an anxiolytic that reduces stress, helping you drop off. Ever wondered why antihistamines make you sleepy? There are a number of reasons – among them is that histamine controls your cicadian rythm/wakefulness hormones, so taking an anti-histamine would naturally make you fall asleep. Given that we know antihistamines make us fat and can cause toxicity syndrome, exploring natural antihistamine herbs could help lull you to sleep.

    Please do remember that many of us with histamine issues don’t do great with herbs and that they thin the blood, but I still find these herbs a great substitute for my once ubiquitous nightly glass of red wine. I brew mine into a tea and try a sip. If my nose doesn’t stuff up then I go for it. I’ll be posting my findings over the next few days as I round up the rest of my research. I find that the best way to get a good night’s sleep is to stay low histamine and not eat too late. The not eating late thing is pretty obvious – I like to let the histamine unleash its worst before I’m getting ready for bed. I also try to do a little (very) light relaxation yoga where I pretty much just hang out upside down for about 30 minutes…

    If you’re looking for low histamine inspiration, don’t forget to check out my low histamine recipe books.

  • Low histamine recipes in 20mins (or less!)

    Do you spend hours roaming the supermarket in search of a quick meal? Are you bored with eating the same five foods over and over? Would you like to whip up nutritious, low histamine recipes in 20 minutes (or less)? Then make sure you’re signed up to my  newsletter for an exclusive 10% discount on the 60+ page Low Histamine ‘On the Go’ Cookbook!

    The Low Histamine ‘On the Go’ Cookbook takes you on a whirlwind tour of Vietnam, Lebanon, Italy and India, via the good ol’ US of A. Eating healthy’s NEVER tasted so good, or this easy.

    WHO AM I?

    YASMINA YKELENSTAM – THE LOW HISTAMINE CHEF

    The fridge and fields are my medicine cabinet. I’ve managed to withdraw from all pharmaceuticals including: anti-histamines, anti-anxiety meds, antidepressants, migraine, nausea, and dizziness meds. I’m now the happiest and healthiest I’ve ever been. I’ve learned to harness the positives that high histamine bestows (appetite suppression, higher metabolism, energy) and make them work for me!

    Who the hell am I to give dietary advice? My cookbooks reflect the incredible amount of research into histamine and other biogenic amines in food that I’ve obsessively collected over the last two years since my histamine intolerance diagnosis. As a former journalist with over 10 years research and international news production experience for 60 Minutes, CNN and the BBC, I know how important the facts are. Not only do I back up each claim on my site with numerous studies, I’ve even used myself as a guinea pig, taking myself from washed up medical mystery to successful 21st century businesswoman.

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  • Low histamine recipe challenge!

    Low Histamine Brownie from The Low Histamine Dessert Book

    What recipe would you absolutely love to have low histamine-i-fied? Had a good think?

    Please post your requests on the Facebook Page and I’ll pick one to adapt. Keep in mind I’m not a miracle worker but I’m confident that I can whip up something low histamine and nutritious in its stead.

    No major junk food requests please, unless you’re ready for a seriously healthy alternative…I obviously don’t consider dessert junk!

  • Is your anti-histamine making you fat?

    Is your anti-histamine making you fat?

    In last week’s post “Histamine’s upside: I lost 35kgs in 6 months” I mentioned the role of histamine in appetite suppression. I recently had a  conversation with a friend whose family member suffers from anorexia nervosa. I felt compelled to share that in my teens I too was thought to be anorexic. Food was hurting me so badly that I was starving myself to make it stop. It was more than just a physical reaction, because as we know, histamine is a neurotransmitter and as such affects mood. Food made me crazy, depressed, anxious and manic but I had no clue what was causing it all, despite my raging allergy symptoms.I’ve spent the last few days doing some more research into what’s behind my suddenly stable weight these last two years:H1 receptor antagonists like loratidine (claritin) and cetirizine (zyrtec) make you fat. It’s just a fact. It’s in the medical inserts of both and my own personal hellish experience on them confirms it. At my worst, when I was taking one and a half to two pills daily, I became obsessive about food – to the point of dreaming about eating. I would get up several times a night to rummage through the fridge and spend almost the entire day absolutely ravenous. I would graze all day long. The most incredible benefit of having stopped them is the relief from my food fantasies. I can now easily go half a day without once thinking about food. Is that abnormal? Seems I have H3 receptor stimulation to thank for it. Studies show that H3 receptor agonists (the opposite of antagonists like Claritin and Zyrtec) suppress appetite.

     

    The H3 receptor is a pre-synaptic autoreceptor that inhibits the synthesis and release of histamine, and a heteroreceptor that inhibits other neurotransmitters such as serotonin (5-HT), noradrenaline (NA) and acetylcholine (ACh), which are also implicated in the regulation of food intake. Thus, the H3 receptor is in a prime position to regulate food intake, both through its control of histamine and its influence on other feeding pathways.Study

    Translated into English: as a neurotransmitter, histamine affects the brain chemicals that control hunger!

    Not just that, but the studies go on to say that histamine’s H3 receptor plays a part in how our body burns fat and what temperature your body runs at. I know from experience that my body runs very very hot when I’m in histamine overload. Interestingly I did some research into a diet pill I looked into in my teens – it worked by raising your body temperature.

    Nowadays I don’t take any antihistamines, choosing instead to control my histamine level through diet (check out my low fat high nutrient low histamine DAO Support Cookbook) and a great quercetin supplement called Neuroprotek.

    Next step would be finding out if certain foods affect just one of the histamine receptors, H3 in particular, in order to lose weight. Don’t worry, I’m on the case. Sign up to my newsletter for more info on this subject and others.

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  • Exercise is good for you, so why does it make you sick?

    Exercise is good for you, so why does it make you sick?

    New studies show that aerobic exercise raises histamine levels. This isn’t news to me. When playing squash I have to take time outs to scratch myself silly and wait for the room to stop spinning. My man, now used to such bizarre-isms, plays against the wall for a while till it calms down again. I looked a lot crazier, to a much larger crowd, during our recent trapezing class! I’m sure I can thank adrenaline for that…What really interested me in this particular study is that they determined resistance training (weights/yoga) doesn’t raise histamine levels. They highlight how histamine released by aerobic exercise causes significant vasodilation (the widening of blood vessels in the body).This study ties in nicely with last week’s post about histamine being a vasoactive amine that can increase or decrease heart rate and induce anxiety-mimicking symptoms.

     

    *Resistance training is any exercise that causes the muscles to contract against an external resistance with the expectation of increases in strength, tone, mass, and/or endurance. The external resistance can be dumbbells, rubber exercise tubing, your own body weight, bricks, bottles of water, or any other object that causes the muscles to contract. http://www.emedicinehealth.com/strength_training/article_em.htm

    Interestingly, I meeting quite a few people who are being prescribed anti-histamines by their docs to deal with asthma/wheezing, abnormally high heart rate and passing out while exercising. Wouldn’t it be simpler to go on a low histamine diet? Probably not, but it would yield better (healthier) results!

    What does this mean for your work out routine? 

    Aerobic exercise, like my current favorites kickboxing and squash, can significantly raise histamine levels in the body. The upside (because in my world there always is one) is that people pay good money for pharmaceutical vasodilators to lower their blood pressure. The downside (other than the spike in histamine for those of us with histaminosis/histamine intolerance), is the migraines that accompany vasodilation. I often get migraine like headaches if it’s too hot in yoga class.

    Does this mean I shouldn’t exercise?

    I’m asked this a lot, usually by life long couch potatoes!

    What I take from this study is that it might be a good idea, if you’re suffering from histaminosis/histamine intolerance, to explore “non dynamic” exercise like weight training, or my perennial favourite, yoga. Speaking of which, did you know that one of the many studies on yoga showed that females who practiced yoga regularly had 41% lower stress markers than non-yogis? And significantly lower inflammation! Given that inflammation (caused by high histamine) is a huge concern to those of us with histaminosis/histamine intolerance, it’s food for thought the next time you’re crashed out on the sofa telling yourself that exercise is bad (while contemplating another root around the fridge).

    So what’s a histamine-challenged gal to do?

    We’ve all been there, but there’s really no time like the present for a full body/mind make over. Try waking up tomorrow and investing in a yoga mat and a $15 subscription to Yogaglo online classes. I promise you won’t regret it.

    Don’t forget to sign up to my newsletter for free recipes and a 10% discount on ebooks…and why not check out how I keep my histamine level in check and stay anti-histamine free with my low histamine DAO Support Recipe Book and The Low Histamine Desserts Book?

  • Histamine’s upside: I lost 35kg (77lbs) in 6 months!

    Histamine’s upside: I lost 35kg (77lbs) in 6 months!

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  • Beyond make-up allergies: why I detoxed my beauty routine

    Beyond make-up allergies: why I detoxed my beauty routine

    RMS Beauty's award winning illuminizer

    I find it a little bizarre that not many out there are talking about the impact of cosmetics. Even when following a low histamine and tyramine diet to the letter (almost impossible but can be done for short periods) I still suffered symptom flare ups. My attitude at the time was: “hey, I’m suffering so I may as well pig out”. Wrong. Oh so very wrong.

    Then I read this great book ‘No More Dirty Looks’. It got me thinking. If 60% of what we put onto our bodies is absorbed into our bloodstream (I still can’t find the science behind this claim),then why aren’t I concerned about what it could be doing to my histamine, tyramine or other amine levels?

    FEB 2016 UPDATE: More importantly, research soon revealed that chemicals and additives commonly found in most cosmetics and bath products (even the supposedly natural/organic ones) have been shown to trigger histamine release, mast cell activation and cause other immune and endocrine dysfunction. Thankfully I’m now ok with most truly organic and raw beauty products (like the RMS beauty product pictured above), as long as they’re not heavily perfumed.

    CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW I CONQUERED BEAUTY PRODUCT REACTIONS AND HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN PERSONALISED HISTAMINE BALANCED DIET AND HEALING PLAN. 

    Here’s a few steps to detox your beauty routine…there’s a video where I share my favourite products in a little beauty make over.

    FEB 2016 UPDATE: I’ve started dipping my toothbrush in non corn xylitol which is wonderful at preventing tooth decay. 

    5. Embrace natural brands. 

    Rose Marie Swift (RMS Beauty) is my hero! A trailblazing make up artist to the world’s supermodels (including Giselle Bundchen) who sufferers from chemical sensitivity. Her make up has 4-6 ingredients, mostly raw organic. They double up as moisturiser and make up. Does not raise my histamine or drive my immune system into a frenzy. I do have to stick to the light/nude colours which I love anyway. Reds (carmine) make my lips and eyes swell horribly. I also love my latest discovery Mineral Fusion for eyeliner and Hemp Organics for lipstick. You can find both of those brands at any Whole Foods in the States but not in the UK.

    FEN 2016 UPDATE: check out my make up tutorial here…I share my favourite 100% pure products in it.

  • Unexplained weight gain? Dr. Oz blames hidden food allergies!

    Ok here’s one I totally relate to. Dr. Mehmet Oz, on his show, recently explained how hidden food allergies can make you gain up to 30lbs (20kg) a YEAR.

    food allergies make you fat!
    food allergies make you fat!

    Here’s Dr. Oz on his show explaining how, when faced with an undiagnosed allergy whereby the good bacteria cannot process the food (I think maybe he’s referring to the histamine degrading enzymes diamine oxidase, monoamine oxdase and HNMT) the body responds with inflammation that quickly distends the bowels, stomach and surrounding areas, adding up to 30 pounds (20 kilos) of weight EVERY YEAR.

    “Gulp”. Yes, I have experienced that first hand. I finally lost 35 kilos (77 lbs) over two years ago, as a result of going on a low histamine diet. I lost the equivalent of a small person!

    I attribute some of the weight loss to stopping the anti-histamines which were making me eat like a football player. A football player who has been wandering the dessert without food for two weeks, with only a bag of ganja to sustain him. Yeah, I was obsessed with food, allergenic food that was causing inflammation thanks to a lack of histamine-degrading diamine oxidase, monoamine oxidase and others. But even before then, my friends were always as baffled as I by my weight gain. Was I eating in secret? Was I sleep eating? These were valid questions but I wasn’t.

    I can’t say I haven’t become healthier overall since going low histamine, because I definitely have, but my calories aren’t that much lower now. I even eat more dessert now than I used to, which brings me back to how to pig out without gaining weight. Can you guess?? Yup, my first dessert book is finally out! The Low Histamine Dessert Book is gluten-free, milk-free and refined sugar free. All low histamine desserts have been tested out on my non-amine challenged friends…this is the good stuff that I break out for tea, after dinner treats and kiddie birthday parties! The moist chocolate (make it with carob or cacao, there are instructions for both) is perfect for birthdays, and no one has no come back for seconds of the delicious almond butter cupcakes. Though you can frost them with anything…

    You can download the low histamine dessert book here. If you’re dealing with histamine-induced weight gain from anti-histamines, histamine intolerance, histaminosis or mastocytosis, you might want to check out my Low Histamine Diamine Oxidase Support Cookbook first!

  • The Low Histamine Dessert book is here!

    Anti-inflammatory low histamine donuts
    Anti-inflammatory donuts

    Diagnosed with histamine intolerance/histaminosis, mast cell activation or mastocytosis? Looking for a tasty treat but have no clue where to start? My first dessert book – the Low Histamine Dessert book – is gluten free, milk free, and refined sugar free, perfect for those necessary indulgences, without the histamine hangover.

    I’ve always been a healthy dessert person, mainly because sugar just makes my stomach turn inside out.

    The Low Histamine Dessert Book features a number of pages of substitutions but please feel free to contact me through the forum, or by email, if you have any questions.

    And don’t worry…this book does feature my anti-inflammatory donut recipe! You can download the Low Histamine Dessert Book here.

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