If you have read my previous post and learned about my health conditions, which include REBV, MCAS, and POTS, then you know food is a bit complicated for me. I have to keep a delicate balance of histamine levels to avoid triggering a flare. You might be surprised which foods are high histamine or histamine-releasing.
As a reminder, I am not a professional dietician or nutritionist - this blog is purely anecdotal, based off of my own personal experience with my health conditions. Please consult professionals before making any serious changes to your diet or health plan. What works for me may not work for other folks with the same conditions, so this is merely a suggestion.
For more info about histamine levels in food, visit SIGHI - Swiss International Group Histamine Intolerance
My triggers: I avoid gluten, cow dairy, soy, eggs, onion, garlic, black pepper, nightshades, mushrooms, sulfites, natural and artificial food coloring (excluding beta carotene), and I try to only eat organic/non-gmo. Yes, eating organic makes a big difference. I can tell immediately with meat.
I know that reading that list may make some of you cry. It was really hard at the beginning... especially after realizing 10 years after my initial food elimination diet that garlic and onion are one of my biggest triggers. Now I can't even be in the same room when they're being cooked. But so much of my body pain, brain fog, joint aches, and moodiness have resolved after taking them out. It's hard, but worth it.
The next question I almost always get is "So, what CAN you eat?!"
I spend 1-2 days a week meal prepping: cooked strips of chicken, with alternating sides of butternut squash, or yellow squash and zucchini, or rainbow carrots, or sweet potatoes - all oven roasted in cashew butter and sage seasoning. I have packs of rice and noodles on hand to add these to. I use organic burger meat to make my own burgers with lettuce and goat cheese. I air fry salmon with apples and green olives. A side of steamed baby kale is a favorite - and lower in histamine than spinach! I choose agave over honey - again lower in histamines. That's my food life - substitutions.
It's all about making small choices when you're at the grocery store that change your patterns over time. If you struggle with self-control, it helps to not buy food you might be tempted to over-indulge in. I had to stop buying dried pineapple slices because they were setting off my histamine levels like crazy and I was having regular flares. Using a tracking app like Bearable (free!) to track your meals, possible triggers, and symptoms, is incredibly helpful at the beginning stages of diagnosis or diet change. When I'm in a bad flare, I go back to just chicken, rice, and carrots or sweet potatoes. Sometimes you have to give your body a break to calm down.
I've spent a few years trying various products, recipes, and meals, and this is my current grocery list:
Available at Fred Meyer, Safeway, and PCC
Planet Oat Extra Creamy Oat Milk
Available at most grocery stores
I used a handheld electric frother to make this extra bubbly before adding to my Numi Chai for my morning latte.
Available at Whole Foods
Extra delicious in the air fryer for 7 minutes!
Available at PCC, Whole Foods
No eggs, soy, dairy, potato, or corn!
I use the plain as a sour cream substitute
Also in strawberry (my favorite!) and blueberry
Fred Meyer, PCC, Whole Foods
Found in the freezer sections near gluten free breads
I will continue to add to this list as I discover new items that I can safely eat! I hope this helps anyone considering an elimination diet or wondering if you're experiencing symptoms related to high histamine diet. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions.