
Must Read Top Healing Tips for Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance
I had both Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance from a very early age. Likely a combination of genetics, stress, poor diet, and mold exposure set it all off. Lyme, Babesia, and Bartonella made it all worse.
At my worse, I was mostly bedridden. When I did get out of bed, I had to hobble with a cane. I itched constantly. I had severe insomnia. My gut was a mess. I got down to 20 foods. It was a nightmare. I felt like I had zero quality of life.
The good news is that I recovered. Not just a little. I recovered enough to go to graduate school. Enough to become a Functional Naturopath. Enough to build Mast Cell 360 and run a very busy practice.
I want this kind of recovery for you too. The secret is identifying your root causes triggering your Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance. And then addressing them in a logical order.
This post is a bit of a get-well package for you. It is all the top posts you should read to start to heal. Even if you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll find some things you missed. So, bookmark this post so you can keep coming back to it for reference.
So, let’s jump right into it. Here is what you need to know.
Learn the Basics about Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance
There is a lot to learn about these conditions. And more new information comes out every day. Most people want to jump to the diet. But you want to know the basics first.
In these posts, you will learn:
- What is Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and what are mast cells?
- What are the most common symptoms of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome?
- How is Mast Cell Activation Syndrome diagnosed?
- What is the difference between Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, Mastocytosis, and Histamine Intolerance?
- What should you do if you suspect you might have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance?
- What are the steps to healing with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance?
Be sure to read:
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome 101: The Beginner’s Guide to Healing
You Can Heal Your Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, Even If Your Situation Seems Hopeless
And also check out:
Debunking Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance Myths
And
Histamine Intolerance vs. Mast Cell Activation Syndrome
And
Low Histamine Foods List for Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance
Now that you know the basics, it is time to start with working on your foods. Foods are a big trigger for most people with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance. You may already know to avoid these:
- Pineapple
- Spinach
- Strawberries
- Wine and beer
- Kombucha
- Walnuts, peanuts, cashews
There are also many other hidden food ingredients to watch out for like:
- “Flavors”
- Colorings
- Potassium sorbate
- Sodium Benzoate
- Citric Acid
- Xanthan Gum & Carrageenan
I find high histamine foods in nearly all my clients foods lists. They are working hard to eat low histamine. But some things just get overlooked. And that means they are still getting triggered. This makes it hard for the bucket to empty out.
My client “Janice” was working really hard to eat low histamine. But she was still eating some packaged nut milks with fillers. And she was confused about whether she could have walnuts or pecans.
Low Histamine Foods lists online are really confusing. 95% aren’t based on the actual research. They eliminate foods that are ok. And they leave in foods that aren’t ok.
Make sure you have the best information on histamine foods. Be sure to study the Mast Cell 360 foods list. Print it out, hang it on your fridge, take it with you shopping:
Mast Cell 360 Low Histamine Foods List
3 Phases of the Low Histamine Diet for Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance
Many people get discouraged when they see the Low Histamine Foods list. They feel like they can’t eat this way forever. The good news is, you don’t have to. After 6 months, if your symptoms are better, you can start to add foods back in.
This post explains the 3 phases of the Mast Cell 360 Low Histamine Foods list. You start with eliminating all the high histamine foods. Once you are improved, you add foods back in.
Check out how to do the 3 phases:
Meat Handling Tips for Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance
The next place people get tripped up is not handling their meat properly. I see clients who have been struggling for months with trying to reduce their histamine levels. They keep taking more and more foods out. But they are still reacting.
Many times, it is the meat they are using.
When I met my client “Tiffany,” she had gotten herself down to 15 foods. She couldn’t figure out why she was still itching, having diarrhea, and flushing after eating.
When I looked at her foods list, she was eating a lot of ground turkey and chicken. She thought it would be easier to digest. But the problem was she was buying it pre-ground. This raises histamine levels a lot because of the extra surface area for bacteria to grow on.
Tiffany was also getting her meat from Whole Foods. She was trying to get it the day it came in. But the meat was already a few days old by that point.
I had her switch to grinding her meat at home. She also started getting pastured chicken, turkey, and rabbit frozen right after slaughter. With these changes, she was able to start adding a lot more foods in.
So, make sure you are following the meat handling tips here:
Are you Raising your Histamine Levels with these Meat Handling Mistakes?
Low Histamine Recipes for Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance
One of the biggest questions I get is …What do I eat now?
It can be really hard to change how you are used to eating. Especially if you are used to relying on packaged foods. Or if you eat a lot of steaks and hamburgers.
But you don’t have to feel deprived.
There are so many delicious low histamine foods. It just requires a little creativity to put them together in new ways.
I can tell you that I’ve actually had to cut back a little on my low histamine eating. This is because I found so many good foods to eat that I was gaining a little weight. And because I have a lot of fun making recipes for this blog.
So here are all the Mast Cell 360 Low Histamine Recipes. Everything from salads, soup, main courses, side dishes, and desserts. Bon appetite!
All the Mast Cell 360 Low Histamine Recipes
Audit your Personal Care Products for Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance
As you are getting low histamine eating under your belt, the next step is to work on your personal care products.
It’s amazing how many toxic ingredients are in products like:
- Conditioner
- Deodorant
- Lotion
- Makeup
- Perfumes
- Shampoo
- Shower Gel
- Toothpaste
These types of products aren’t regulated! These types of products are chock full of cancer causing and immune dysregulating ingredients. And what you put on your skin gets into your body. If it wouldn’t be safe to eat, it wouldn’t be safe to be on your skin.
Makeup can even have lead in it. This is completely legal. But it is very dangerous for you if you have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance.
Aveda and Arbonne are two companies a lot of my clients are using when they first come to see me. Both of these companies use a lot of ingredients that make Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance worse.
Learn what to use instead in this post:
Audit your Cleaning Products for Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance
The next place to go is your cleaning products. These types of products aren’t regulated either. And they can be extremely toxic.
Cleaning products are full of chemicals that can trigger mast cell reactions. They can also raise your histamine levels.
Also, think about fragrances like scented candles and plug-ins. These fragrances have cancer causing ingredients. And they are immune disruptors.
My health now is almost entirely recovered. But those fragrances will still give me a migraine and an asthma attack.
Make sure you are keeping you and your family safe. Read this post on what you can safely use:
Can you get better? Prognosis in Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance
My clients often come in overwhelmed. They worry that they will always feel this bad. Is that what you feel too?
If so, I want you to know I see remarkable improvements in my practice. I was one of them. I told you at the beginning about how sick I was. Today, I can do so many things I couldn’t have when I was ill. Like:
- traveling
- hiking
- lifting weights
- dancing
- shopping
- going to a concert
My client “Laney” couldn’t drive or even leave her house when we first started working together. She would have a panic attack if she did. This was because she’d had so many bad experiences of being triggered by fragrances being in public places. She also couldn’t eat out at all.
We worked together for 18 months on addressing the Root Causes of her Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance. By 12 months in, she was able to visit friends in their homes. At month 16, she took her daughter on vacation in New York. They walked several miles that week. And they ate in restaurants.
Laney was so happy to get her life back. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, you can get your free report on the 7 Most Common Root Causes in Mast Cell Activation Syndrome here:
So, I want to leave you with encouragement and hope. If you are willing to work on your health, I fully believe you can heal. The most important thing is to never give up.
I’ve written about it in this post:
Are you interested in working with a practitioner 1:1?
If so, you can apply to see if the Mast Cell 360 Practice is a good fit for you. Click the button below:
I’ve noticed that if you put together the AIP food list with the low-histamine food list, there is basically nothing left. And what about Dr. Gundry and lectins? Nightshades, all squash, most fruit, are off the list. Avocado is recommended on AIP and Dr. Gundry, but a no-no for histamine.
I’m reduced to eating lettuce, cucumber, salt and meat. I react to all fruits, all grains (GF or not), all non-dairy milks, ANY processed food, nightshades, all oils including coconut and olive, and on and on.
Why are AIP and low-histamine diet so contradictory, if we are dealing with essentially the same type of disorder??
AIP is a higher histamine diet. It isn’t for Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance. Thanks for reaching out. Beth
Hi Beth,
Thanks so much for all you’re doing with this website and blog – teaching us.
I see beans and lentils on the Phase 1 Low Histamine/Low Oxalate diet. That’s where I’m at … my first 6 months. If I soak the beans and lentils overnight and then cook them in a pressure cooker, how do they rate on the histamine/oxalate/lectin scale?
I appreciate your help SO much,
Teresa
Hi there, I am in month 2 of elimination, and have days where I feel great, and others where I feel just rotten – mainly when my gut upset is worse. My nutritionist knows I have MCAS, and has asked me to take invivo Bio.me Essential for dysbiosis. It contains Bitter orange bioflavinoids, various medicinal mushroom extracts, ashwagandha, cocoa extract, blackcurrant, pomegranate, green tea, chamomile and grapeseed. It’s ringing a lot of histamine/oxalate/lectin alarm bells for me, but she says it will be OK….can you give me your thoughts? So appreciate your website – thank you!
Hi Abi,
You are correct that a lot of those ingredients hit the mark for high histamine etc. We can’t say what might be right for you, though, since we don’t know your case. In the Mast Cell 360 practice, Beth would try to stay away from higher histamine ingredients for her own clients, but work with your health care practitioner. Here are a few products Beth has worked with you could discuss with your nutritionist if you have any trouble with the Invivo product:
Argentyn 23 oral solution
Candibactin AR
Candibactin BR
If you decide to try these, you can use the links above to register a FullScript account and get 15% off your orders.