Spring and, Autumn are my favorite seasons but, for those of us who suffer with auto-immune diseases and, allergies this time of year can be painful.
Allergies are an auto-immune disease where the body turns against itself, producing substances in overabundant quantities, causing much suffering. When allergens like mold, trees, grass, dust and, pollen trigger a reaction, the substance that is produced is histamine, which acts as a catalyst to produce adverse symptoms.
Spring and, Autumn are a time to prepare and, apply a low histamine diet to help ease the effects of these ailments. I have prepared a list of foods to avoid that stimulate histamines causing allergies, indigestion, constipation, Urticaria and, Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Also, some safe foods and, vitamins. Note that you don't have to avoid these foods forever but, during the allergy seasons it is best to lighten up on these items.
Start with drinking tons of water. Nearly 75% of a human body consist of water and, needs 2 quarts of water daily to perform basic tasks inside our system. This amount of water is essential and every major organ, cell and tissue requires water to function properly. The water we lose through urine, sweating and, skin etc. should be replenished and replaced on a daily basis. A stable immune system is highly dependent on fully hydrated cells. When the cells are dehydrated your immune system goes haywire and it sets the perfect scenario for diseases; secondly our bodies have a natural detoxification system which won't work entirely without enough water and, this will cause all kind of allergies and diseases including some cancers.
Drinking water at the correct time of day maximizes it's effectiveness on the human body:
2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs
1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal- helps digestion
1 glass of water before taking a bath- helps lower blood pressure
1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack
Heartburn or other stomach ailments can be an initial sign of chronic dehydration and in most cases Urticaria is accompanied by gastrointestinal problems. Acid reflux occurs when the stomach does not have enough water to break down the food so it produces too much acid to dissolve food. If you suffer with acid refux or indigestion try to avoid taking antacids or PPI (proton pump inhibitors) it's the worst thing you can do to your body.
My doctor prescribes Pepcid; it's in a group of drugs called histamine-2 blockers. It works by decreasing the amount of acid the stomach produces and, also helps with allergies because it blocks stomach histamines. Pepcid has drug interactions so, discuss this thoroughly with your doctor before buying over the counter or suggesting a prescription.
Histamines are part of our immune system and they are responsible for various important tasks in the human body including fighting viruses and bacteria. The one most important task of histamines is water management inside our complex system . A human body has a very complicated water irrigation system and almost every organ in our bodies needs water to work properly.
Histamines are a natural response of our system and, when over producing , it means that our body is trying to warn us of something and, asking us to make some modification in lifestyle so we can avoid more serious and deadly diseases . If we keep ignoring these signals there might be bigger health issues in the near future. Just suppressing the histamines by taking anti-histamines is not good enough. You must understand why your body suddenly started to produce more histamines and causing these allergy symptoms, Urticaria and other diseases under the autoimmune umbrella.
In most cases of Chronic Urticaria or hives the cause is said to be chronic dehydration. A groundbreaking research on this topic was done by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj and, his work was published in various
medical journals (http://www.watercure.com/index.html) but, unfortunately this is not a money making deal for drug making companies so they rather not discuss these findings. Imagine what money they would lose if people just started curing themselves with plain water.
Since allergies and, hives or Urticaria is caused by excessive production of histamines inside our bodies. Some allergy sufferers consume a vitamin called Quercetin. It's a natural histamine inhibitor and it stablizes mast cells (these cells are the ones that release the histamine). It also has numerous other health benefits like heart health. I have also read that Quercetin taken over a period of time can help our body rid itself of allergies. Be sure to buy the non-citrus formula. Another vitamin to help lower histamines is our old friend Vitamin C . Taking at least 1,000 mgs. a day aids in flushing out toxins.
Taking a Probiotic pill, Vitamin B-12, Magnesium 400mg and, Zinc 15mg daily will keep your intestines working smoothly therefore toxins can't park themselves and, poison you.
Foods to avoid that are Histamine stimulants:
Meat Proteins
Fish - only eat fish straight out of the water within minutes of the catch. They spoil quickly and, produce high concentrates of histamine especially if the guts are still in the fish before reaching shore.
Shellfish of all kinds, Anchovies, Sardines
Eggs- only eat eggs if they are baked in another product.
Processed and, Smoked Meats
No leftovers even if refrigerated ! Leftovers must be frozen immediately. Histamine is produced from bacteria action in leftover protein.
Milk
Process cheese, spreads, Cheddar, Colby, Brie, Romano and, aged hard cheeses, Buttermilk, Yogurt.
Fruit
Oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, cherries, apricots, raspberries, cranberries, prunes, dates, raisons, bananas, papayas, pineapple, strawberries, tomatoes and, nuts.
Veggies
Spinach, eggplant, red beans (legume) pumpkin.
Seasonings
Cinnamon , cloves, vinegar, chili powder, anise, curry, nutmeg, soy and, miso.
Alcohol
Dark liquors, beer, red and, white wines that contain sulphites. Usually all wines from North America.
Beverages
No caffeine, chocolate and, carbinated drinks.
Misellaneous
Sugar. Sugar can trigger panic attacks and, produce too much adrenaline while the body has an excess of histamine.
No fermented foods such as sauerkraut, sour cream
In addition to histamine producing or releasing foods, other natural food chemicals can trigger symptoms. It is important to realize that reactions to these substances are sometimes not due to allergy, and so allergy testing can sometimes be of little use in helping to decide what to avoid.
* Monosodium glutamate (MSG, 620, 621, was originally isolated from seaweed in 1908 by a Japanese chemist. It also occurs naturally in such foods as camembert cheese, Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, soy sauce and mushrooms. MSG stimulates nerve endings, perhaps accounting for its function as a "flavor enhancer" amongst other properties.
* Vasoactive amines such as tyramine, serotonin and histamine are well known triggers of migraines, and are present naturally in pineapples, bananas, baked meat, vegetables, red wine, wood-matured white wine, avocados, chocolate, citrus fruits and mature cheese. Amines can act directly on small blood vessels to expand their capacity, perhaps accounting for their effect on flushing, migraines and nasal congestion in some patients.
* Salicylates are aspirin like compounds (and aspirin was originally isolated from willow tree bark) present in a wide variety of herbs and, spices as well as fruit and vegetables. Indeed, reactions to these may be even more common than reactions to artificial colors and, preservatives. Aspirin can trigger hives (Urticaria) by acting directly on skin mast cells.
* Toxins - Other than contamination of food with micro-organisms or their products (spoilage, food poisoning), some foods contain toxins than can cause severe symptoms. For example, if some types of fish are stored poorly, their gut bacteria can convert histidine to histamine, resulting in allergy-like symptoms or, even death.
Foods that Reduce Histamine
Apples, cantelopes, pears, honeydew and watermelon
Onions, garlic, parsely, legumes, red and, green bell peppers
Broccoli, cauliflower, most lettuces, sweet potatoes
Fresh salmon - or if you know it was frozen on the boat.
Ricotta Cheese, plain milk
Unbleached flour, oatmeal , whole grain flour
Honey, mineral water
Gin, vodka in moderation !
I hope this information was of some help . I welcome all comments. Thanks
