Histamine Intolerance and Zebras
Hello, again friends! As someone that has struggled with my own health challenges, I understand firsthand the importance of both education and support when it comes to wellness. It is my passion to help others learn more about their health and empower them with the tools and resources they need to live healthy, joy-filled lives. And part of that is understanding how to nourish your body with the right foods. Today, I want to talk about histamine intolerances and how they can affect your health.
If you suspect you have a histamine intolerance, it's essential to talk to a doctor to get a proper diagnosis. I suggest a functional medicine doctor, most primary care doctors don’t seem to have much experience with challenging diagnoses, or will just send you to specialist after specialist. I have MCAS or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (which is a subset of histamine intolerance) along with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. EDS is a hereditary connective tissue disorder and something I’ve been dealing with all my life but wasn’t diagnosed until 6 months ago. All of the weird symptoms, random pain, rashes, food sensitivities, chronic sinus issues, migraines from the time I was 9, being super heat sensitive, being like Gumby (for those that remember him) are all part of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. (Even mental health issues like anxiety and depression are symptoms, so now I’m thinking that may have been the underlying issue the entire time!) They call it the “zebra disease” because no two cases are alike, just like no two zebras have the same stripes. This is actually the first time I’ve opened up publicly about this, feel free to ask questions, I just ask that you please be kind.
What is Histamine Intolerance?
Histamine intolerance is a condition where your body can't break down histamine properly. Histamine is a chemical that's naturally found in some foods. It's also produced by the body when you have an allergic reaction or when you're fighting an infection. If you have a histamine intolerance, your body may not be able to break down the histamine properly. This can cause a range of symptoms, including:
Headaches
Hives
Runny nose
Digestive issues
Fatigue
Irritability
Anxiety
Foods to Avoid
If you have a histamine intolerance, it's essential to avoid foods that are high in histamine or that can trigger the release of histamine. Here are some foods to avoid:
Fermented foods: Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir are high in histamine.
Aged cheese: Aged cheese like cheddar, blue cheese, and parmesan are also high in histamine.
Processed meats: Processed meats like salami, pepperoni, and hot dogs are high in histamine.
Citrus fruits: Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruits can trigger the release of histamine.
Tomatoes: Tomatoes can also trigger the release of histamine.
Alcohol: Alcohol can trigger the release of histamine in the body.
Foods to Enjoy
While it's essential to avoid foods that are high in histamine or that can trigger the release of histamine, there are also many foods that are safe to eat. Here are some foods to enjoy:
Fresh fruits and vegetables: Fresh fruits and vegetables are generally safe to eat, but be careful with avocado, spinach, and eggplant, as they can be high in histamine.
Fresh meat and fish: Fresh meat and fish are generally safe to eat, but be careful with smoked or cured meats and fish, as they are high in histamine. *I personally don’t eat meat or fish but I wanted to include them in these lists*
Gluten-free grains: Gluten-free grains like rice, quinoa, and buckwheat are generally safe to eat.
Nuts and seeds: Nuts and seeds are generally safe to eat, but be careful with peanuts, cashews, and walnuts, as they can be high in histamine.
Herbal teas: Herbal teas like chamomile and peppermint are generally safe to drink.
Histamine intolerance can be a challenging condition to manage, but with the right diet, it's possible to reduce symptoms and improve your quality of life. Remember to talk to your doctor if you suspect you have a histamine intolerance and to work with a qualified healthcare professional to develop a personalized nutrition plan. And always remember to be kind to yourself and to nourish your body with foods that make you feel your best.
Gratitude changes everything
I am grateful.
I am grateful for my health, for my husband, for my children. I’m grateful for my mom and that she’s still alive, I’m grateful for my family. I’m grateful for a business that I love. I’m grateful that I have a home, that I have a garden that produces organic food. I’m grateful for good friends. I’m grateful that I have found my voice and that I get to share my insights and experience.
Gratitude is defined as the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness
We all know that gratitude is a good thing, but here’s something that might surprise you: gratitude is good for your health. The concept is simple; a healthy mind = a healthy body. Kindness lifts our spirits it can aid in fighting off, healing and sometimes even curing a plethora of illnesses that ail us. There are many ways to practice gratitude. Keep a gratitude journal (I use a section in the notes app on my phone) praying, meditating or simply telling someone what you’re grateful for.
What you focus on grows. Why not focus on what you’re grateful for?
“Your subconscious mind is subjective. It does not think or reason independently; it merely obeys the commands it receives from your conscious mind. Just as your conscious mind can be thought of as the gardener, planting seeds, your subconscious mind can be thought of as the garden, or fertile soil, in which the seeds germinate and grow. This is another reason why harnessing the power of positive thinking is important to the foundation of your entire thought process.
Your conscious mind commands and your subconscious mind obeys.
Your subconscious mind is an unquestioning servant that works day and night to make your behavior fit a pattern consistent with your emotionalized thoughts, hopes, and desires. Your subconscious mind grows either flowers or weeds in the garden of your life, whichever you plant by the mental equivalents you create.” Brian Tracy
My life isn’t perfect, whose is?! Sometimes you have to reduce things to the ridiculous, including finding things to be grateful for. When I’m in that place this is my mantra “I have what I need for today”. I can always come back to ‘I have a house to live in, food in the frig, clothes to wear, gas in the car and I am grateful’.
UC Berkeley wrote an article on how gratitude changes you and your brain, check it out, it’s excellent: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain (Go Bears! 💙 🐻 💛)
If you don’t have a gratitude practice, I challenge you to start one and see how you feel in 30 days, it takes 21 days to make a habit and this is an excellent habit to have.
What is actually recycleable?
Recycling can be very confusing and somewhat frustrating. According to the UC Berkeley Office of Sustainability the following is what’s actually recycleable.
Recycling must be CLEAN and DRY.
⁃ If bottles and cans have food or liquid in them, they will be thrown away at the recycling plant. Moreover, if a bag of recycling is more than 20% contaminated, either with food or non-recyclables, ALL OF IT will be landfilled.
⁃ If paper is wet or damp (or gets wet or damp because of wet bottles and cans) it will go to landfill.
What is recyclable?
⁃ Clean, dry aluminum foil (feel free to wash and dry it if it has food on it)
⁃ Aluminum cans
⁃ Plastic drink bottles/milk jugs, some plastic containers but not most
⁃ Glass
⁃ Clean, dry paper & cardboard (egg cartons too!)
What isn’t recyclable?
⁃ Film plastic (plastic bags or anything like that); they clog the machines at the plant
⁃ Coffee cups/boba cups/Solo cups
⁃ Anything contaminated with food
⁃ Any mixed material. For example, orange juice cartons are plastic layered with paper. They cannot be separated, and therefore can’t be recycled.
If you don’t sort properly, or if a few people don’t sort properly and contaminate our bin, all of our efforts to cycle resources will be wasted. So it is very important that this is followed.
Also, I encourage you all to avoid packaging whenever possible. You can buy reusable mesh bags to put produce in instead of using plastic bags. The Strauss milk company sells milk in glass ($3) that you can return to the store and they give you $2 back when you return the bottle for reuse. These are two examples, but the best trash, and the best recycling, is the trash that was never created in the first place.