Tag: low histamine recipes

  • 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.

  • Food additive sensitive ADHD kids may lack histamine-degrading HNMT enzyme

    Food additive sensitive ADHD kids may lack histamine-degrading HNMT enzyme

    Lack of a histamine-degrading enzyme linked to ADHD in kids

    Children lacking the HNMT gene responsible (along with Diamine Oxidase) for degrading histamine in the body, are likely to suffer an increase in adverse reactions to food additives and colorings, which may exacerbate existing ADHD [1]. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing many more studies making a stronger case for food additives and colorings being implicated in all kinds of behavioral disorders in children.

    Dr. Emily Deans on her blog Evolutionary Psychiatry had this to say about the study: “Overall, the three year-olds had significant reactions to the hyper juice (more Mix A than Mix B) if they lacked certain alleles of the histamine N-methyltransferase (HNMT) gene.  There seemed to be no differences in the reactions depending on the dopamine or other checked genotypes.   In the 8/9 year-olds, the results were quite similar.  Not too much difference when dopamine may be off, but a significant difference depending on the HNMT gene allele.”This is not only the first study I have seen definitively making a link between behavioral problems in children and food additives, but also the first one linking histamine to it. Though it wasn’t a huge sample (less than 300 kids) and was not a long term study, I’m sure we’ll be hearing a lot more in the near future.

    As someone who can attest to the mania inducing effects of food additives and colouring, I sincerely hope that parents around the world will pay more attention to what they put in their children’s bodies, whether influenced by histamine or not. My uncle had a very simple rule with his kids in the supermarket. You can have it if you can pronounce every word on the food label! His kids were well into their teens before getting their first taste of nasty foods. By that time their taste buds were well formed enough to know that it was poison. They’re two of the healthiest eaters I know (other than their parents!).

     I’d love to hear from you if this study correlates with your own experiences and if you’ve had success treating your child through a low histamine, low amine, or dye/preservative free diet.

    It’s finally here! Man Food – a high nutrient antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredient filled book geared towards guys, women who love to work out, yoga like they mean it, or just load up on healing nutrients. Features my personal shopping list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods. 

    The Anti-cookbook and all liquid Anti-Detox Book, don’t treat any conditions, but feature a plethora of 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

    ———-REFERENCES———-

    [1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20551163

  • Irresistible to the opposite sex? Histamine could be why!

    Estrogen causes histamine release

    Estrogen can cause major histamine release in the body. Now why would you want that? Because histamine makes you um, randy, and your biological imperative is to procreate. We shouldn’t really complain though,estrogen makes us more attractive to the opposite sex…but back to my point.

    Studies on female rats show that estrogen supplementation, or natural fluctuations in cycle near ovulation, cause libido boosting histamine release. Didn’t know that histamine affects your sex drive? You’re welcome! Please explain to your significant other that spiking your meals with cashews isn’t necessary thank you very much. It’s one of the many perks/crosses to bear with our histaminosis/histamine intolerance diagnosis.

    Estrogen is important in female precopulatory behaviors in 3 m ways: 1) estrogen increases a female’s willingness to approach a male to induce solicitatious behaviors, 2) estrogen can enhance the “attractivity” of the female: estrogen priming can induce the production of stimuli that make her more attractive to the male (odors or pheromones, vocalizations), and 3) estrogen ‘primes’ for progesterone.

    So…

    (more…)

  • Low Histamine Balinese Monkfish Sambal

    Low Histamine Balinese Monkfish Sambal

    My very first Balinese steps assured me I had found heaven on earth. The airport’s delightfully kitsch tourism ministry infomercials and the frosted mirrors transported me back to the 70s, not in a dingy, dirty way like it does in Bangkok’s seedy after-hours bars, but in a Brady Bunch meets the original Batman series, by way of the most beautiful spa you’ve seen.

    Best of all? No chemicals used by the agricultural, um, industry. I don’t know if I’d call it an industry there, but I guess that’s the point. I began every day luxuriating in a chlorine free bath, followed by coconut oatmeal with fresh mango. Dinner was invariably spicy, served on a crappy plastic table, right on the beach. I’d wander into the water with my plate, eating as I waded through the ocean. Like I said, heaven.

    Here on earth, we do the best we can to recapture those celestial aromas and flavours, usually on the kitchen stove, now with the benefit of knowing the effect of diet on our physical and mental well-being. So here’s my take on my Balinese favourite, Sambal, low histamine, for all us histamine challenged folks.

    Don’t forget to sign up to my newsletter for a 10% discount on my upcoming ‘On the Go’ book. Healthy low histamine meals for professionals on the go. Most are 10-15 mins prep, natural foods with few ingredients but lots of flavour!

    INGREDIENTS:

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  • Vulvodynia, histamine, oxalates and diet

    Vulvodynia, histamine, oxalates and diet

    Is pain “down there” ruining your life? You’re not alone. Chronic “lady pains” were a hot topic at the hista-sista kvetch-sesh in Notting Hill yesterday. The abundantly histamine blessed ladies and I compared notes. The term “chronic pelvic inflammation” of idiopathic origin and vulvodynia came up quite a bit, as did its disastrous effect on mental health and intimacy with our partners.

    I went home and did some research. Obviously, there was a link. It’s something that almost every single woman with histamine issues (that I’ve been brave enough to ask) has complained of.

    Here’s what I found:

    “Our data suggest that women with a history of urticaria, seasonal allergies or reaction to insect stings appear to be more prone to later development of vulvodynia than women with no history of these allergic reactions. We also showed that this association was largely confined to exposures that occurred before the first onset of vulvar pain, suggesting that allergenic exposures could be involved as, or a marker of, factors involved in the development of vulvodynia. We also observed that a history of other skin conditions, not as strongly related to an immune response, generally were not associated with the risk of vulvodynia. [1]”

    And…

    “Vulvodynia is a complex disorder and described as discomfort or intense burning pain in the vulvar area. Such chronic pain affects 5 to 15% of women and many suffer of misdiagnosis. For sure the aetiology is multifactorial. Through few studies we consider the inflammatory response plays a major role. There is a genetic profile of women suffering of vulvodynia, especially genetic polymorphisms from genes coding for cytokines, Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist and Interleukin-1 beta, and gene coding for mannose-binding lectin (MBL). These polymorphisms result in a stronger inflammatory response and lay these women in a susceptibility situation. Histological analysis showed a chronic non specific inflammation. We have also demonstrated that these patients present in normal state or under infectious induction an inadequate inflammatory response. But there is still a variety of mechanisms which can interact with the inflammatory response. Management of such vulvar pain syndrome could be very frustrating, but the first step for improvement is to get the right diagnosis [2].”

    What I found particularly healing was cutting down on high oxalic acid foods like curly kale and most grains. That cleared up much of my bloating, interstitial cystitis and general sense of malaise. It took a while, but was worth it. I hadn’t realised initially that oxalates were as big an issue for me as histamine. I highly recommend getting tested if you feel this is your issue. You can check out my oxalate post here.

    Click here to learn how to create your own healing histamine diet. 

    All the more reason to look after your health/diet and be good to yourself (lady parts included). I’m off to make a very low histamine anti-inflammatory dinner – you’ll find plenty of recipes in my Man Food book there’s also lots of information and low oxalate recipes in my Low Oxalate Cookbook.

    It’s finally here! Man Food – a high nutrient antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredient filled book geared towards guys, women who love to work out, yoga like they mean it, or just load up on healing nutrients. Features my personal shopping list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods. 

    The Anti-cookbook and all liquid Anti-Detox Book, don’t treat any conditions, but feature a plethora of 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.

  • Histamine in Foods (list)

    Histamine in Foods (list)

    This week I had the pleasure of meeting Barcelona-based nutritionist Adriana Duelo. She has kindly allowed me to re-blog an article that was originally part of her nutritional thesis. Adriana’s research is regularly submitted to the prestigious SPANISH SOCIETY OF DAO DEFICIENCY  (of which she is also a member). Something that quickly caught my eye on Adriana’s website was a breakdown of histamine content in some popular foods. The charts and the text below were translated from the spanish on her site (using Google Translate). Adriana herself speaks perfect English and will be sharing a few more interesting articles for release through my site in the coming weeks.

    Histamine levels in popular foods
    Histamine levels in popular foods

    Were you as surprised as I by some of these results? I was excited to see chocolate scoring so low – but we already know that cacao is more of a histamine liberator rather than being high in it. Alcohol, though not too high histamine, has the very unfortunate effect of blocking DAO (diamine oxidase) production. I don’t feel that bad when I drink (as long as I stick to tequila, rum or gin), but feel horrible for days afterwards when things I usually tolerate suddenly start bothering me.

    Histamine levels in popular foods
    Histamine levels in popular foods

    Milk certainly shocked me, though it’s not relevant to me as I don’t indulge in dairy. My home made (raw) chocolate bars are pure cacao and almond butter. Before you rush out and indulge in all the things you’ve thought were off the menu – please read the text below from Adriana’s site where she points out that not only is there some dispute about the histamine content of foods, but also at what concentration (mg per kilo) to avoid them.

    Histamine levels in popular foods
    Histamine levels in popular foods

    I personally don’t think people should be too strict. I’m only as strict as I have to be and most of the time chemicals bother me more than foods. I understand that histamine is necessary for almost all bodily functions, but that doesn’t give me permission to pig out on pizza and sausage. I’m much more likely to be found adding tomatoes to my salads and pineapple to a smoothie.

    Histamine levels in popular foods
    Histamine levels in popular foods

    Continued from Adriana Duelo’s site….

    FOODS RICH IN HISTAMINE

    The lack of enzymatic activity of Diamino oxidase (DAO) can cause different symptoms in our body that is manifested by several signs, as shown in an article published last month in this blog: ” Deficit of enzyme DAO . “

    First, is diagnosed when there is a lack of DAO activity with a blood test, the nutritionist can rate portal as a diet low in histamine and other amines . (These other amines also be taken into account, but I’ll leave for another article).

    This pattern is essential to prevent the onset of symptoms (one of the main, the migraine ), so you need to degrade histamine enzyme DAO, and but we have enough accumulated histamine can produce symptoms mentioned.

    From this diet, while nutritionist decide if, moreover, the supplies necessary for a DAO enzyme dietary supplement to help absorb the low histamine foods that we ingest.

    There is disagreement over the criteria to be followed for the consideration of whether or not a food rich in histamine. Some authors suggest avoiding those foods from the diet that have concentrations above 20 mg / kg, while others are much more demanding and consider foods with low amounts of histamine which contain less than 1 mg / kg. ‘ What is clear is that the dose symptomatological is much lower in patients with CAD deficit in sporadic histamine poisoning: 15-20mg and 150mg respectively. This demonstrates clearly important in a diet low in rate portal histamine deficit in patients with CAD.

    ADRIANA DUELO – Nutritionist.  

  • Jam Recipe for Low Histamine DAO Support Breakfast Bars

    My typical weekday breakfast is half a mango wolfed down on my way to the tube, so I usually go for broke on the weekends. Yesterday, however, the sun was out and we decided our top priority was to get out and enjoy it. I whipped up a batch of the DAO Support Book Breakfast Bars (recipe available in the DAO Support Recipe Book for sale in my online store) but added generous globs of homemade sugar-free blueberry jam in addition to the berries. They came out deliciously gooey!

    Here’s the low histamine, sugar-free blueberry jam recipe that I added to the recipe book energy bars.

    Low Histamine Blueberry Jam

    Sugar free low histamine jam for DAO Support Breakfast Bars

    1 cup blueberries

    1 apple, grated

    1/2 cup apple juice, fresh

    1 tbsp lemon juice

    Prep:

    Place the washed blueberries and grate apple in a pot. Cover with apple juice and bring to a boil while stirring. Turn down to a simmer – liquid will thicken in about 5 mins. You can add some agar agar, about 1-2 tbsp depending on desired thickness.
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