Low histamine adventure continued

Well we're just over a week into our low histamine diet and finding out more and more about the ins and outs of the diet.  The good news is that Jack and I have been hive free for a week now.

The problem I have been running into is that every resource on a low histamine diet has a different list of foods to avoid.  There is agreement about fermented foods, spinach, tomatoes and chocolate but google bananas and eggs and you'll get 5 different answers.  So for myself I put together the main lists from some great sites and then worked on eliminating the most obvious foods.

Here's Livestrong's take: ...foods naturally high in histamine include spinach, eggplant, fish, processed meats, eggs, chocolate, tomatoes, pumpkin, citrus fruits, berries, raisins, dates, apricots, cherries, peaches and prunes.

Stay away from foods and beverages with artificial colorings, flavorings or preservatives; they contain chemicals that can trigger histamine production. Examples of preservatives include benzoates, sulfites, BHA and BHT.

Avoid the spices cinnamon, chili powder, cloves, anise, nutmeg, curry powder and paprika. Do not drink soda or tea.

 

Other sites disagree about eggs. The International Chronic Urticaria Society says cooked eggs are fine, it's raw eggs white that can be a problem. They have a pretty comprehensive list of foods plus a handy 4 week elimination diet to follow.

 

My favorite site so far in terms of simplicity and a common sense approach is the Histamine Intolerance Awareness site:

• Avoid or reduce eating canned foods and ready meals
• Avoid or reduce eating ripened and fermented foods (older cheeses, alcoholic drinks, products containing yeast, stale fish)
• Histamine levels in foods vary, depending on how ripe, matured or hygienic the foods are
• As much as it is possible, only buy and eat fresh products
• Don’t allow foods to linger outside the refrigerator – especially meat products
• Ensure that your food preparation area (kitchen) is always kept clean – but don’t be manic!
• Everyone has their own threshold; you will need to find yours.

They say a food diary is necessary and I wholeheartedly agree.  It's amazing how obvious certain food - reaction links can be if you just write down everything you eat. We caught a grape reaction for my son this way when I had actually forgotten we had eaten any!

One more site that I check regularly to keep up with the latest in the low histamine world (yes there is such a place!) is The Low Histamine Chef. She is my go to when my head starts spinning with all the varying opinions because she's been there done that!