Off

28 Jan 2015 Leave a comment

by Lori in Food Tags: , , , , , , ,

I have been off the grid and off the wagon. It is hard following a strict diet during the holidays. It is also hard following a strict diet while changing jobs.

Now, we are though the holidays. I am in the swing of my job change. I may have been on the wrong track diet wise.

There are several foods that are naturally high in histamine. These include tomatoes, spinach, dairy products, fermented foods, citrus, and aged meats. Other foods can cause your body to release histamine. Even other foods can aggravate the inflammatory process, putting stress on your body.

This would be vegetarian may be experimenting with a Paleo-type diet. I don’t think I can completely cut out grains and beans, but there are ways to prepare them to be less inflammatory. We got a pressure cooker for Christmas. Let me say, they are awesome! (Black-eyed peas for New Years done in 10 minutes-from dry.)

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I have lots of books to read.

Understand

14 Dec 2014 Leave a comment

by Lori in Food Tags: , , ,

The first lesson I have learned through this process: No one understands your body better than you (except God). It is futile to try to explain your situation to others (except your doctor).

Truth is, you do not owe explanations (or apologies) to anybody. Whether vegan, vegetarian, paleo, low salt, high carb, low sugar, low histamine, your diet is your business. You know how your body performs on different fuel sources. Do what works for YOU!

I have been eating in a very purist/raw way. Oatmeal/grits/cream of rice. Salad with a little oil. Hummus/almond butter on rice cakes or Wasa. Beans and rice.

A few days ago I made some flatbread with water chestnut flour and water. It definitely needs some tweaking. The water chestnut flour was found at our local Indian Grocery. They had a wide variety of vegetables, rices, and flours (very economical). Most flours were $2-$5 a bag.

Here is a picture of my sweet middle child eating a rice/grain mixture produced by the Engine 2 Diet company. He likes it!

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Whole

30 Nov 2014 Leave a comment

by Lori in Food Tags: , , ,

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So, the last week was a little difficult. As I have attempted to go low histamine, I have noticed more and more how different foods affect me. I did really good most of the week, then towards the end I cheated a bit. Which culminated in a histamine attack last night.

There are lots of resources out there (food lists, blogs, articles). Even the Whole 30 plan has a good list for histamine sufferers. However, there are a limited amount of recipes (free anyway). I guess I will have to make my own.

Whole Foods is a great place to start. We did a 28-Day Challenge with them a while back. Unprocessed, plant based. We felt great at the end.

That is not a lot for now, just know I am trudging through and will share more of what I have learned soon.

Lori

Verse of the day: Malachi 3:10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

Histamine

23 Nov 2014 1 Comment

by Lori in Food Tags: , , , , , ,

I have been struggling. Struggling to figure out why I have these myriad of symptoms I can’t explain. Struggling to figure out why a whole foods diet makes me feel mostly better. Struggling to figure out why a juice diet or a smoothie diet makes me feel some better. Struggling to figure why a vegan diet makes me feel some better. Struggling to figure out why these diets/lifestyles don’t stick and don’t make me feel completely well.

Histamine

How did I figure it out? The severe histamine reactions I have experience the last few times I have ingested alcohol (1). Runny nose, sneezing, puffy eyes, coughing, etc. VERY unpleasant. A quick google search lead me down a rabbit hole to people just like me.

Did you know you can react to histamine in a food and not be allergic to the actual food? Years ago I was convinced I had food allergies. (More about the specific symptoms later.) I underwent allergy testing. NOTHING reacted.

Did you know some foods are more prone to “releasing” the histamine stored in your body? Alcohol is one of those foods.

So, today, I am undergoing a change. I am cutting out processed foods and high histamine foods from my diet. This morning I had oatmeal with agave nectar. And coffee. Coffee is on the “questionable” histamine list.

Do you want to go on this journey with me? Better question, do you want to join me on my journey in progress?

Lori

Mark 9:23 And Jesus said to him, ” ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”

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