Eatbetterers part 3 -gather around healthy people !

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Third thread of healthy eating, no calorie counting just good, healthy food for us and our families.

Sorry to bang on about my flipping allergies again, but I've had a bit of a revelation! I've still been having somesymptoms in spite of giving up the booze and, after extensive googling I think I have a histamine intolerance - i.e. an intolerance of foods/drinks containing high levels of histamine or foods/drinks which cause the body to produce histamine. I had never heard of this before, but it fits totally with the pattern of my symptoms.

It's a bugger because loads of things are high in histamine. But apparently you have to just have to reduce to a level your body can cope with. I guess I overloaded this summer!

That's great that you think you've found the trigger. Which foods are high in histamine? Are they all snacks?

Oh the list is very long! But some things are higher than others, and some people may be more sensitive to some things on the list, some to others.

Particularly bad are: alcohol, fermented/pickled stuff, seafood, chocolate, matured cheeses, processed meat, citrus fruit, nuts.

In a way, it would not be bad in terms of a healthy diet - fresh meat, fish, eggs, most veg and most fruit are good.

And I think the fact that I have only had two bouts of major symptoms, 7 years apart, shows that I only have a flare-up when I happen to have been having lots and lots of those foods/drinks. I think I'll try and be quite strict for a while, then cautiously relax it a bit.

Holmes that's amazing you've identified that, well done! It's really interesting (to me anyway !) because it illustrates how different foods affect different people...eg fermented food can be excellent for some people in terms of what it can do for digestion/immunity, people with dairy intolerance are often fine with aged cheese, the benefits of dark chocolate are well established etc.

Sorry-hadn't finished...I was about to say that the strict approach is a good idea, but rather than then being vaguely relaxed about reintroduction, be more scientific, reintroduce things you suspect cause a reaction one at a time, and a few days apart, that way you can keep consuming the things you are (for now at least) fine with and ditch the ones you aren't on a more permanent basis .

Glad you're interested, Sleep . I think my family must be very bored with it! I don't think that all of the things on the list are a real problem for me, but they may contribute when I'm already at a high level. Apparently affected people have a higher than normal level of histamine in their system and so it takes much less to top them up to the level which causes a reaction. It's often that they lack an enzyme that counteracts histamine.

Anyway, thanks for the advice about reintroduction. I'm finding it quite hard to be strict, such is the length of the list of foods. I only listed a few upthread! The most upsetting is tea. I can't give up tea!

Hi Good Morning, I have read the 1st 2 threads and have really felt THIS is the kind of place where I want to be, not dieting but healthy choices.

For more than a year or so I am having these vague and nagging aches and pains around the left upper torso and head, neck. Lots of investigation but no result. Looks like some nerve problem. Anyway, ever since this started I have become more health conscious and tried to make as much as healthy choice as possible without depriving myself of any favourite treats of mine.

I am an Asian, so mostly curries and rice/wholemeal chapattis are the staple ingrediants of my meal. However now I have upped the quantities of my veg/lentils/proteins such that they take 80% of my plate. Rest are some rice/chapati and some side salads. Also doing 30 mins brisk walk on most school days but not so much on holidays or weekends :(

This has immensely helped me as I have reduced by 10 kgs, dropped trouser size by almost 2 sizes and am noticibly thinner :) I was quite big to begin with so still a LOT to lose still.

Want to continue the healthy eating as much as possible..I am so inspired by this thread. It is so much easier if you have some support buddies who share the same interest as yours..isnt it?

Hope to contribute more to this thread in the coming days. Have a good day all.

Yay - good for you, mumof2kiddos! And very well done on the weightloss so far! I lost a couple of stone a fee years back and although I've fluctuated a bit, I've never got anywhere near back to my heaviest weight. Sounds like you already have a very sensible attitude - making healthy choices rather than going on faddy diets.

I'm back (actually back a week ago, but only just got to the bottom of the email mountain!). How is everyone enjoying the summer? The weather has been rubbish since we've been back from France, but determined to try and enjoy it anyway.

I tried roasted chickpeas for the first time today - yummmmmm.

Hi everyone, it's gone very quiet here! I've not been posting much lately since the new mobile site went live, found it a bit odd so just been lurking.

Welcome mumof2, and well done on your progress so far!

I've managed reasonably well lately but it's really been not making so many bad choices rather than making really good choices IYSWIM?

I am so looking forward to having more time in the day and being able to cook more when the DCs go back to school. And the increased walking too. I feel like I've stagnated over summer!

Hi all.
I'm getting back in to my old routine now that I'm back at work. I'm definitely snacking less and taking a packed lunch means I'm eating better too because I can't change my mind and add a packet of crisps at lunchtime!
I've been slowly building up my fitness again too and ran 5k on Sunday night. Will be interesting to see what the physio says about my progress.
I have ballet again tonight. It was excellent last week.
Hope this is me on the way to a healthier (and leaner) me.

Hello everyone. Holidays are so tricky. I just cannot get enough sleep or time to cook at festivals so the eating goes way off. I then have to generally come home get some work squeezed in and we're off again. There's only a few left now mind .

It was me who had the allergic brother. Alcohol was the worst for him. He had to eliminate for a long time but his reactions were severe and frequent. In the interests of not misinforming I have to be honest that it really kicked in when overindulging in recreational drugs (it was a long time ago). But yes it is the histamine thing. He ended up only being able to take zirtec so it might be worth looking at your anti- histamine if you have to take more. He could drink tea interestingly but yes, he totally eliminated everything on your list and fruit. Luckily he's a great cook, but he got pretty skinny. God, wish I had more advice but it was a question of accepting it and keeping going. Oh, we had to wash up totally separately and make sure we cleaned off chopping boards etc (being in our 20s we were probably a bit slack about that kind of thing!)

Thanks stilllearnin - I only just saw your post! I am trying to keep a food diary in order to get a clearer picture of what might be causing it. Alcohol is definitely one culprit but I'm not sure what else yet...

Morning all! Got back from hols a week ago but then went to Manchester for a weekend so all in all over 2 weeks out of my routine. Back to work this week and slowly getting back to normal.

A big part of that is getting my food sorted again.

Welcome Mumof2. This is a great thread.

Mum bought me a soup maker as a gift for the winter the other day so I used that last night to get my first batch of lentil done. 5 days lunches at work for pennies...and just lentils, carrots, onions, stock and a few pancetta cubes for flavour.

Early finish tonight so going to get the books out and meal plan. Need to get organised again.

Holmes I had TERRIBLE skin/allergy problems a few years back. Must google your histamine stuff later. Hope you get some answers.

Neeko I can't wait to get back to my weights. Monday it is!

I've got visitors Sun-Tues, then it's back into a sensible routine. Kids back to school, (dh up to our new home ) and plenty of time for me to make healthy meals, do lots of exercise etc. And hopefully work out what's causing this bloody allergy... Part of me still thinks it could be stress-related because of the move.

Hi everyone - I dropped off the thread ! Just back from France last night and the very idea of another baguette makes me feel (sick not envious). I am definitely off bread for a while! I have been shopping and bought stacks of fruit and veg and really enjoyed my first green smoothie in about 3 weeks earlier, the fruit and veg in the supermarket in France really was so poor that I didn't bother. Also I didn't bother exercising - apart from the odd gentle bike ride for the duration. I always do that in the summer holidays and quite enjoy the re-adjustment to training again, maybe I'm masochistic as it definitely hurts but I find my motivation is pretty high when I get back. Felt pretty feeble in the gym this afternoon though

Holmes there's almost no health complaint that isn't worsened by stress so it may very well be a combination of the histamine and the house move/DH in hospital etc. .

Welcome mumof2 Shortaris lentil soup sounds great, I might make some myself this week. I have cauliflower in my fridge, I am determined to use it more as I really like it but just somehow no longer buy it - I think the kids could also be persuaded. Might try cauliflower rice, do any of you do that?

Ooh - lentil soup. I LOVE soup to a ridiculous degree. I wish my dc did though. They only like Heinz tomato!

Me too Holmes, and thank god I do love soup as there's not much else I can eat at the mo with the braces I usually just add it to pasta then it's a pasta sauce for DC but annoying they won't eat a proper bowl of it.

I've done a vegan Alfredo sauce using cauliflower - I'm a cauliflower hater and I LOVED it so def look it up. DC wolfed it down too

I'm trying to wrench myself back from eating just ice cream and cheese with the braces and going back to smoothies and soups

How long are you off solid food Americas ? Do you reckon the Alfredo sauce with cauli would work with courgette spaghetti or would that be veg overkill ?

I'd eat it but my DC need Spiralizer courgette pasta cooked and mixed with normal spaghetti before they'll eat it. I do however do an avocado creamy pasta sauce that goes well with courgette pasta!

I can do very soft beans and lentils and managed fish pie last week, but my teeth are only meeting at one very sore point at the back so I can't really chew at all at the moment. It's not too bad because I love soups and smoothies and I'm making thick (although not chunky) soups so they feel more like real food!

Friends coming round for a BBQ today so I'll eat the fish, sweet potatoes, houmous and guacamole!

Ooh poor you Americas. WISH I'd persevered with braces longer though as my teeth are still a bit bunnyish!

The soup was lovely ladies. I had some for lunch with some lush Onken yoghurt. Tonight is faux Chinese (ie a home made takeaway) with crisps and cider. Have recurrent conjunctivitis, a cold sore and a bit of an allergy rash on my face so definitely not going out dancing!

Love cauliflower so away to look up that recipe.

Tedious allergy update (sorry! I have to vent somewhere - I'm driving my family mad with my ever-changing theories and diagnoses ) I really think I've nailed it this time. I think I'm allergic to fruit. Possibly only certain types (I hope). Theory will take some refining...

Hello all. So nice to see the thread busy again.
Americas- sorry to hear about the tooth pain. Hope you can start chewing soon.

Sleep- welcome back. Hope the motivation remains high for the fruit, veg and exercise.

Holmes- that's great that you think you've identified the trigger. I'm interested to see how this goes.

Pressed post too soon.

Shortaris you have put me in the mood for lentil soup. In going to make some tomorrow. I put swede in mine too. My dc love it but only if blended.

The physio signed me off on Wednesday. I've managed to run jog 5k twice this week and my gear is all looked out for tomorrow morning. My new ballet class is really good too and I've definitely cut down on the snacking because I don't want to undo all my good work

Sounds great Neeko. I love the sound of the ballet. Did you do it when you were younger?