This is the series called “Histawhat?” documents my journey through exploring options to heal my body, releasing 70 lbs in a year, learning the meaning of histaminosis and mastocytosis. This is from my inspiration/blog turned around into chronological order.
Histawhat????? or How I lost 5 inches off my belly in 3 weeks!
November 11, 2022
“Histawhat?” I asked my bright-eyed beautiful daughter on a visit to North Carolina.
“Histaminosis,” she replied matter-of-factly. “It’s a genetic condition and I think you have it too. My son also has it. It is when your body does not deal with histamine very well and you have too much of it. It causes inflammation and many other things. I'd like you to go on this diet with us."
She explained the basics of the diet and it sounded reasonable so I agreed. I had just stayed at my brother's house where he restores old books and his book working room is very close to the room that I sleep in. After one night I had bronchitis symptoms, a never-ending stream of mucous, sore throat, coughing, body aches and pains that made me feel like I had a flu but I was reasonably certain I did not (no fever). I had called my daughter to ask if the room she had was available and she said yes come ahead. In three days all of the symptoms were gone and I was feeling better than ever.
“I told you I thought you were allergic to his house,” she explained and I realized there were probably many allergens associated to his book restoration business: mold, mildew, dust, etc. I had been sick every time I stayed at his house. (He has since added a wonderful air filter that makes his home easier to be in for all of us.)
After one week on this diet, I felt good. Bronchitis-like symptoms, mucous factory, cough, sore throat, body aches and pains had all disappeared. I was more flexible and yoga showed that. Within three weeks I could pinch 2 1/2 to 3 inches (doubled) extra cloth on blouses that had been tight when I first arrived. I had lost more than 5” off my belly in three weeks!!! My pants were getting longer and fitting loosely. I had been struggling with weight issues for many years with little success. Now my daughter was shrinking down to a size M and giving me her size L’s and they fit!!! I had been in size 1 and 2X!!
I moved to Mount Shasta, CA, two years ago and my food allergies greatly increased. Sometimes I could tell if I was allergic to something because my tongue swelled and when it swelled significantly it felt like someone had taken a razor to it. Increasingly, there were more and more foods that I could not eat and I couldn't make sense out of it because some things I could eat one day and not another. I had been gluten free, I did the Seven Day Diet (which did help me lose weight but once I was off of it all the weight came back on and then some), I avoided dairy and ate mostly organic. I can’t tell you how many intestinal cleanse programs I’ve tried and supplements I’ve taken. I was tired and skeptical of diets. I generally ate healthfully – mostly organic –and still was not able to lose weight or allergy like symptoms. The week before I left Mount Shasta for the NC visit, a healer friend suggested that I use an essential oil of pine. I took one sniff and my tongue swelled up. It didn't go down for three days. I returned the oil saying I was highly allergic. If you've ever been to Mount Shasta, you know that it is all pine and cedar trees. I started to wonder if I would have to move. Turns out pine oil is a histamine simulator.
There are foods that stimulate histamine and they are to be avoided. There are foods that are neutral and they work. There are some foods that are anti histamine (teas see below). If in doubt say, “ Siri (or Goggle) is ‘name the food’ a low histamine food?” and you will get a report that is very helpful.
I had two setbacks during my three weeks in North Carolina. One was when I decided one morning that I could have a scrambled egg. I paid for that for about 2 1/2 days with body aches, mucous and difficulties breathing. Egg whites are the highest in histamine which surprised me but after that go around I decided not to even try egg yolks. The second setback came two days after I ate out. I had only food that was on my diet but the chicken probably was not organic and had non-recommended spices. It took a few days to cleanse that out of my body. I am so grateful to my daughter for teaching me about this histamine issue. The medical statistics say that only 1% of the population is affected. I suspect it is a much higher. My daughter had been to many doctors and none of them helped her diagnose this condition. She had a Black Forest hair analysis done and it showed a long list of foods allergens. She was seeking commonalities between the foods on the list and a friend suggested that three of them were all high histamine foods. That led to a flurry of Internet searches which resulted in a great deal of information and a diet that allows her and her son to be healthy and vibrant.
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Many other symptoms disappeared or lessened: overall body aches and pains, swelling of my ankles, occasional blurry vision, bloating, flatulence, stomach acid distress, flexibility increased and size decreased. What’s not to like?
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There are a few things that can help you get a jump start on this kind of diet if you feel this could be your issue as well. At least in the beginning, you need to be quite strict with yourself to let your body heal. Later, you can introduce other foods one at a time spaced out by at least three days.
HISTAWHAT? PART 2
November 16, 2022
“So, how did you find out?” is the most frequent question I get.
The answer is: I didn’t. My daughter, Alexandrea (Copper Key Photography) did. She has been seriously ill for over 3 years and unable to get much help through the medical establishment. She did have one doctor test her for Alpha-Gal Syndrome and it was positive. Alpha- Gal Syndrome is an inability to digest mammalian proteins. Alpha gal (galactose-alpha 1, 3-galatose) is a sugar molecule found in most mammals (cows, pigs, bison, deer, rabbits, etc.). The Texas Tic (so named because of a shape on it’s back that looks like the state of Texas) bite causes Alpha-gal Syndrome which is “a serious, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction” (CDC website) to alpha-gal. So once bitten by this tic one is unable to digest pork, beef, rabbit, lamb, venison, elk, etc and all products from mammals including gelatin, cow’s milk and milk products including cheeses. I placed a Vitamin D capsule into our smoothie and in one gulp Alexandrea had a serious reaction. Looking of the bottle she found that part of the source for the Vitamin D was beef. Her sensitivities are very high and her reactions often quick. The tic bite went undetected and untreated. I have heard of some people getting over this reaction. This information and the ensuing meatless/dairyless diet helped, but it did not solve the problems. She continued to have debilitating reactions to many things and making sense of it was a nightmare for her and for me.
Alexandrea was reduced to a severely limited diet and had difficulty getting enough calories to run her body. After depleting the medical resources and tests available to her, she turned to a Black Forest Hair Analysis which gave her a long list of food allergies. Pouring over this list to find commonalities, a friend one day said,
“Oh, those three are high histamine foods.”
That was the key. Internet searches revealed the foods on her list were high histamine simulators. The searches revealed much information about low histamine diets and this was a major key to her getting well. She also noticed that the condition can be genetically linked. My father suffered greatly from the symptoms (bloating, extreme intestinal distress, swelling, arthritis like symptoms). He figured out that he needed to avoid dairy and when he did so, he was better. Holidays were especially difficult times as relatives would cook with butter and probably other foods that stimulated his symptoms which we now believe to have been histamine responses. We knew he also had per-diabetic reactions to sugars. He loved his coffee with two heaping teaspoons of sugar accompanied by a sweet roll. We knew to leave within 20 minutes because if you did not, he would start a fight with someone. Sugar rebound. Sugar is also not your friend on a low histamine diet. She suspects her paternal grandmother also had this syndrome, so she may have inherited it from both sides of the family making her even more susceptible/sensitive.
My symptoms included bloating, gas, swelling, arthritic-type symptoms (joint aches and pains and lack of flexibility possibly due to inflammation), cold like symptoms including sore and rough throat, mucous production, occasional blurry vision, breathing problems including wheezing, bronchitis-like symptoms and shortness of breath. My least favorite is swelling of the tongue and mouth sores. The tongue swelling can be so bad that it feels like my tongue has been repeatedly cut by a razor! The reaction has lasted a week before I understood it was a histamine response.
As I get myself well on this low histamine diet, I am more sensitive to what is causing my symptoms and I now know that I sometimes need an antihistamine to help alleviate my symptoms, at least until I find out root causes. I am using the two teas I mentioned in the first post (Tulsi Rose and Moringa) and they work well most of the time. If I have a large reaction, I need to take an antihistamine. What I take is OTC Benedryl and Zertec. Alexandrea takes Hydroxazine (she says it puts her to sleep but it works). This raises the question for me: what does histamine have to do with sleep and I also want to know what it has to do with body temperature regulation.
As you try this diet, don’t despair. I just talked with a friend who is trying it and she had a setback. After much discussion, she reported she tried some of her husband’s sauteed vegetables sandwich filling avoiding the bread.“
“That’s it! That is enough to set off a reaction especially when you are starting to heal your body. The veggies were not organic and the oil they used was probably histamine producing or stimulating.”
“It was a French restaurant, it could have been butter.”
“Yes, and that would do it too. I rarely eat out anymore and when I do it’s at a restaurant I can trust to do exactly what I request. Usually it’s a fillet of fish pan seared in Olive Oil with garlic and thyme and a plain salad with Olive Oil on the side. I use the oil as a dressing and add salt and sometimes pepper. I could also bring my own Olive Oil for the salad dressing. I would add thyme, garlic and salt to it. I only go to restaurants I trust to use the best of ingredients. One day I met a friend for lunch and all I could find on the menu that I could eat was a small side of melon. That restaurant didn’t even have olive oil!”
Keeping a food diary is something that might help you identify what is causing your symptoms. Every bite counts for me.
In addition to salt, garlic and thyme are the two seasoning that works for all three of us.
For future posts, I will be looking for answers to questions like: what does histamine have to do with body temperature? What does it have to do with digestion? Does histamine have an effect on blood pressure?
HISTAWHAT? Part 3: What causes it? Histaminosis, MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome) and Mastocytosis What’s the DIFF?
November 17, 2022
In searching for what causes this histamine response I found there are different types of histamine dysfunction. Three major types include Histaminosis, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Mastocytosis (Including SM Systemic Mastocytosis).
Histaminosis (histamine intolerance) seems to indicate a lack of DAO (Diamine Oxidase) an enzyme that breaks down histamine.
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MSAC) is a condition where normal amounts of Mast Cells are overactive and produce too many histamines and other mediators. To learn more about how to tell the difference you might find this article by Functional medicine practitioner, Will Cole of interest: https://goop.com/wellness/health/histamine-intolerance-mast-cell-activation-syndrome/ .
Mastocytosis is a diagnosis of having too many Mast Cells. There are several varieties. ASM is Aggressive Systemic Mastocytosis. Skin conditions can indicate the type which is associated with too many mast cells in the skin, other forms (SM Systemic Mastyocytosis) can indicate a systemic condition of too many mast cells especially in the organs (spleen and liver most notably). There are tests to find out if you have the genetic marker and bone marrow tests to show if you have an over abundance of mast cells. There are currently clinical trials for Mastocytosis: https://blueprintclinicaltrials.com/en-us/study/harbor?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=search, and https://itssmthing.com/about-sm.php for more info. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04996875. I am in the initial stages of applying for one clinical trial. But I have to have a doctor’s diagnosis first. I’m working on that.
Dr. Iweala reports:
How is Mast Cell Activation (MCA) Differentnt From Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)?
• Mast Cell Activation is a term we use to describe a mast cell turning on or triggering. This happens in any “normal” allergic reaction. Mast cells are your allergic cells. So by having an allergic reaction, your mast cells are activating – but for a “true” reason (regular allergies)!
• Mast cell activity can occur with:
• Food Allergies - we can measure blood IgE levels to diagnosis these
• Environmental Allergies - we can measure blood IgE levels to diagnosis these
• Autoimmune Disorders (ex: Lupus, RA), Allergic Inflammatory Disorders (Atopic Dermatitis, Allergic Rhinitis), Chronic Inflammatory conditions (Pulmonary Fibrosis)
• Infection – viral infections can activate mast cells, sometimes causing hives to show up during a viral illness. For most people the hives go away once your body clears the infection.
• Cancer
Contact the UNC Allergy Clinic to request a copy of Dr. Iweala’s pdf on Mast Cell Activation. Very informative.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
HERE is a site that provides information and guidelines for how to talk with your doctor about this. It also says it provides free testing if you are working with a doctor.
The Mast Cell Disease Society, https://tmsforacure.org/Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Support
Local support groups, for example, Group of Asheville, NC https://www.chronicpainpartners.com/asheville-nc-eds-support-group/ for a list of meetings CLICK HERE (The Mast Cell Disease Society, Inc.)
• Facebook groups
Why do we have this? Other than genetics, to date, I have no answer to what causes the problem in the first place. One of my thoughts is environmental toxin overload has much to do with this syndrome. Chemicals in processed foods, oils that are less than optimal especially when eating out, large amounts of sugar in most diets and environmental toxins in the water and air add to the stimulators and up the histamine responses. Generally, our physical systems are on overload. If you have a genetic marker, then genetics may be a causal factor. My daughter thinks her paternal grandmother may have had it as well, so she has likely inherited it from both sides of her family. My father had it worse as he aged and that has been true for me as well. My symptoms worsened after moving to an area with many cedar and pine trees. Pine/cedar oils are hista-stimulators. I took one sniff of an organic pine oil and suffered symptoms for three days. I learned the hard way that pine oil stimulates the release of histamines.
Other Options: There are Pro-Biotics reported to promote healthy gut and help with histamine issues by suppressing histamine receptors. There are two probiotic strains which help: bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus rhamnosus . https://a.co/d/gxupl9T is a vegan product with more than these two strains and three prebiotoics. Two of three of the Prebiotics are low histamine. Acacia Senegal may not be suitable for a low histamine diet. Not sure it did much for me.
Dr. Iweala does not recommend the low histamine diet, though it has worked wonders for me and my family. Until you can find someone specializing in MCAS and obtain an appointment (took 11 months to see Dr. Iweala and she is not taking new patients at this time) the diet has given me reduced symptoms and reduced weight.
I thought, well if I could find a DAO supplement, I could try it to see if that solves the problem. Looking for a DAO or Pro-biotic product, we have to make sure it is not made from substances for which you know you have an allergic reaction. Here’s a product that claims to be free of many stimulators, but it does not specify it’s sources: https://a.co/d/gcCaV65 . Another product is https://a.co/d/ihSiQ5U which is sourced from legumes which are not recommended on a low histamine diet. Corn products and corn starch are not recommended on this diet and can be found in some antihistamine products as well as this Histazyme product: https://a.co/d/daCaEKB . So far this seems to be the cleanest product I’ve found https://a.co/d/ihSiQ5U, but it is also sourced from porcine kidney (not organic), so it will only works if you can eat pork and tolerate non-organic. I have not personally tried it yet.
Noticing that many of the DAO supplements are made from animal Kidneys led me to wonder about the role stress plays in this scenario. Stress can negatively affect all our systems, so relaxation and yoga are often recommended as part of the recovery process. Yoga has been part of my daughter’s and my recovery routines.
Lotions, perfumes, after shaves, soaps etc., even good organic ones, can also stimulate a histamine response especially those containing eucalyptus, pine, citrus and menthol. Lavender has an anti-histamine effect. A good natural rose works for me and since Tulsi Rose Tea is antihistamine, it seemed a natural one to try. I have long been drawn to good rose oils. Synthetic scents are not recommended. Sitting outside Weaver Street Market, I caught a whiff of a passing lady’s perfume. I started having a sneezing fit. My daughter has even experienced diarrhea and migraine headaches as a result of someone in her house using a lotion with oils that stimulate histamine. Cleaning products with citrus, eucalyptus and pine scents can have a negative effect. As I heal my body with the low histamine diet, I am more aware when I do have a reaction and track down and eliminate the cause. I have given away many high-quality lotions, creams and cleaning products because they had scents that stimulate histamine release. As a massage therapist I can no longer use most of the warming or cooling lotions such as Biofreeze and Deep Blue. Advanced Tachyon Technologies’ Panther Juice still works for me. You can get it here: ADVANCED TACHYON TECHNOLOGIES
Hope this is helpful. I’ll keep you posted with new blogs as I learn more. I am hoping to get a diagnosis based on testing to show if this is a lack of DAO enzyme or a dysfunction of the Mast Cells (over production or over abundance) and then find out what options there are for correcting the problem. In the meantime, I am grateful to have a diet that helps keep me functioning at a better level. And I am paying attention and discovering things that do not work for me like scented candles and sage smoke. I might try a lavender scented candle (natural scent) as lavender has an anti-histamine effect. Please comment on your findings and your journey with histamine issues.
March 8, 2023
Variety is one of the challenges on a low histamine diet, especially deserts. Here’s my latest favorite snack, meal or desert depending on my mood. Slice an apple into wedges (use a wedge cutter if you have one). Mix Tahini with honey to your taste of sweetness, stir and dip the apples into this dip. A nice mix of textures and tastes satisfy the pallet and the stomach on a low histamine diet. I have since eliminated this from my diet except occasionally.
Fresh foods are best on a low histamine diet and fermented foods are not recommended. Dried fruits are not recommended.
Low Histamine diet ideas: https://lowhistamineeats.com includes a 5 day low histamine diet plan to get you started and other recipes to continue your progress. All recipes have to be run against your personal allergies/preferences/sensitivities. Coconut is OK for a low histamine diet, but I have an allergic reaction to it, so it’s off my list.
My grandson was so excited to find a brand of potato chips that work for us: Boulder Canyon Classic Sea Salt Olive Oil. Potato Chips and Olive oil only, that’s it. I’ve found them at Whole Foods, Raley’s, and Natural Food Stores. Speaking of that’s it, That’s It, they are awesome fruit bars. Apples and blueberries and that’s it (available at Target).
You can see I’ve lost a lot of weight since mid September (a great Birthday present) — 50 lbs — and more than two dress sizes. My pants on the right are supposed to be tight leggings! When I saw this picture I realized I needed to order new ones. Instead of XL they are now M. I continue on the low histamine diet and have mostly quit eating out. I’ve learned the art of taking my food with me. There are only two restaurants I can trust here to use exactly what I ask for — usually fresh fish grilled or sauteed with only garlic, salt and olive oil preferably organic and greens with carrots no dressing. I am now taking lots of L-Lysine, L-Proline and L-Argenine and exercise to help my skin tighten.
Histamine HELP
August 5, 2023
If you have been following my progress since September 2022, I have now released over 60 lbs and feel better than I have in many years. I have Alexandrea Lassiter to thank for this (www.Copperkeyphotography.com). She is the one who helped me learn how to support my histamine intolerance (Histaminosis or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome - not yet labeled officially — I have an appointment in October, set in December, with a specialist) by teaching me a low histamine diet and an exercise program that is right for me and has changed my life for the better. She has coached me each step of the way - a little at a time so I could integrate the steps into my daily life. If you want coaching on how to do this, I highly recommend you contact Alexandrea Lassiter at 646 207 8642 in the Eastern time zone.
Here are some tips and a start on recipes Alexandrea has developed for histamine-intollerant folks like us:
First thing you need to know about a low histamine diet is this - FRESH is your friend. Anything dried, fermented, or smoked is high in histamine. The older a food gets the higher the histamines. If you grow your food and pick it off the vine and eat it, that is the healthiest food source you can get. The older the food, the less the vitamin content, so the fresher the better for us all.
Good for you low-histamine foods:
Blueberries, apples, figs, cranberry, pomegranate, lettuce, cucumber, kale, broccoli, zucchini, carrots, green onions, white/yellow/purple onions, garlic, mushrooms, potatoes, rice, olive oil, quinoa, millet.
Lean meats (the more ethically and sustainably raised your meat, the leaner and healthier it will be) Chicken, beef, bison, duck*, turkey.
Salmon and some white fish (some white fish is fatty and high in histamine so make sure you look up each individual fish)
*in moderation because it is a high fat meat
High histamine foods are most foods but here are some high histamine foods that are guaranteed to inflame:
Pork, tomatoes, bell peppers, spinach, strawberries, pineapple, nuts, breads, egg whites, beans, tofu, corn, sugar.
Some spices you will want to have in your cupboard:
Himalayan Pink Sea Salt (We use this because it has more minerals and isn’t a “bad” salt for your body.
White Pepper Corns - freshly ground in a pepper grinder for maximum freshness. All pepper has a little histamine, but the white fresh pepper corns have the least. White pepper corns are ripe, black are immature.
Thyme - I use it in almost everything.
White Wine - yes it has histamines, but they cook off and you are left with the flavor. If you are Vegan or have Alpha-gal, you will need to look up the wine and make sure it is vegan and also organic would be ideal. The website to do this is https://www.barnivore.com/
Lettuce Wraps -
Take your biggest lettuce leaves off of a head of romaine or hearts of romaine. Wash them and dry them and put them on a large dinner place. Heat up some vermicelli rice noodles (the super skinny ones you can get them at any Asian market. You’ll want the ones that say NON GMO if possible). They are pretty quick so keep an eye on them. Strain and set aside in a bowl. Let the noodles cool a bit. While they are cooling, chop up your veggies: cucumber, fresh carrot, radishes, red onion. Add some noodles to each lettuce leaf. Add a bit of the veggies to each lettuce leaf. Top with olive oil, salt, white pepper, thyme. You can add chicken, salmon, Turkey deli meat, beef as well.
After seeing Dr. Iwiala I received this pdf:
MAST CELL ACTIVATION DISORDER A PATIENT GUIDE
September 5, 2023
As of yesterday I have released (I no longer say lost because I don’t want to find them again) 65 lbs in just under a year. It was late September last year that Alexandrea Lassiter (+1 646 207 8642) started coaching me on a low histamine diet. My blood pressure is now low normal — I was having scary high blood pressure prior to this diet. My aches and pains have greatly decreased, allergies decreased, joy increased, agility increased — I am able to do Yoga moves I haven’t every done before and many i haven’t done in decades. My clients who’ve started working with Alexandrea are very happy with her coaching and showing wonderful results as well: clearer complexions, weight reduction, greater body comfort, greater ability to exercise, better breathing, lower BP and so on. The great thing for me is I can eat all I want as long as I stick to the prescribed foods.
One thing I’ve found interesting in the process is that when I start having cravings for specific unhelpful foods — most recently Oreo cookies which I haven’t had in many years — this happens just before another shedding of fat. My theory is that we just got down to the layer where the Oreo cookie fat was stored and as it released, I get the craving. It goes away in a day when I don’t give in and at this point, I know how much discomfort I would suffer if I did give in.
I have just purchased an inflatable paddle board. I am very excited. I tried one out and it is a huge challenge for me given all the injuries I have had, and it is the challenge I NEED to get to the strength, agility, balance and flexibility I intend. My long-term goal is to kite surf and I know in order to do that I need to develop core strength, arm strength, greater balance and endurance. I’m excited because this used to be a dream but now it’s a goal and a strong intention I believe I can achieve. A dear friend has lent me her blow up paddle board until mine arrives just in time for my birthday!
A few comments on other things histamainosis/mastocytosis people have to consider.
Fabric: I cannot use polyester at all. It is high in positive ions which are the ones that make you feel bad. Natural fabric, especially organic fabrics are the best for me and I have invested in underwear and essential clothing. Also true for others I know with this and other conditions.
Air: Since this condition is stimulated by allergens, a good air filter for the home is essential. Also remember to change your vehicle cabin filter often, especially if you are in an area affected by fire smoke. It’s not just the wood in the smoke, it’s all the buildings, appliances, etc. that give off toxins. Sending blessings to all affected by the fires.
JEWELRY: Many cannot tollerate metals, especially mixed metals. So, if you are feeling better but not better enough, try a few days without jewelry and see if it makes a difference for you. I have switched to a black braided cotton cord to wear my jewelry on instead of a chain. It does have a silver clasp but that’s all the metal.
Rosemary is completely out. I threw rosemary into the pan instead of Thyme the other day and even the air made me sick. That beautiful chicken had to go to the family members without histaminosis.
Cherries are ok on my diet and I get the large frozen bags at Costco. This is my substitute for ice cream - a bowl with frozen cherries (and or blueberries) with a drizzle of honey on top. The honey hardens and makes me miss ice cream less.
Another hot weather treat is to use my Vitamix to make a sloshy: berries (blue berries, cherries, raspberries, blackberries,etc. whatever is on your ok list), ice, apple juice. Blend to your desired consistency and put in an insulated cup. Cool goodness all day.
September 9, 2023
I love a diet that allows me to grill salmon and eat potato chips at 9 pm and still release weight (65 lbs in a little less than a year)! My 7 year old grandson is also on the low histamine diet and one sadness was not being able to have any easy snack food beside blueberries with honey, apples or apple juice. Walking down the chip aisle in a large Whole Foods store, I was impressed with how many different choices there were. I picked up many bags of chips and they all had something not on our diet. Many have oils we can’t tolerate including canola oil. After checking out 20 different types with nothing passing our diet requirements, I let out a thought of exasperation, “Why can’t somebody make a chip with just sea salt and olive oil?” Then I looked up and saw it! BOULDER CANYON BRAND CHIPS with just that: Potatoes, Olive Oil, Classic Sea Salt. I grabbed several bags hopeful we could eat them. Upon my return home to my daughter’s house I opened and started eating the chips. She grabbed the bag out of my hand to read the ingredients and protect me from a non-diet item. Her face turned to joy. She informed my grandson we could have these. The jumping up and down didn’t stop for days. The potatoes are Non GMO and the olive oil doesn’t specify organic, but they work for us. So if you are looking for a salty crunchy snack, here it is. We have also found it at Sprouts Grocery. Come on Weaver Street you could carry them, I’ve asked nicely. BTW Whole Foods seems to be providing an aisle of soaps that are unscented. Just walking down the soap aisle in most stores is enough to give me a histamine attack, so thanks Whole Foods for thinking of the chemically challenged among us. Hope you had a great Labor Day Weekend. —-Lyneah
September 19, 2023
HART (Hart Center – Healing Arts Resource & Training Center)
What a wonderful day of inspiring and informative speakers and organizers. A wonderful event. Thank you Bob Brame for hosting and to Dr. Larry Burke for MCing. This was the first event in the triangle/triad area since COVID separated us. Thanks for bringing us back together. Sally Norton spoke about Oxalate Overload and how releasing it has solved her health problems. She is Cornel trained in Nutrition and worked with the Integrative Heath Center at Duke. She was Vegan, changed to Vegetarian and still had debilitating problems until she unlocked the oxalate issue. She is now a vivacious, excellent speaker. You might find her book interesting. I am now wondering what of my diet I need to shift for this issue. Potatoes are high oxalate as is rice bran. I’ve already started shifting to good organic white rice instead of brown. I’ll also reduce potatoes. We’ll see what happens…I think it helped me to reduce potatoes, carrots, and figs.
For those of us struggling with gut issues this is worth a listen. He goes into a long story, stick with it to the end. There are awarenesses worth having along the journey. It might speak to you. It did to me and to others who recommended it to me. Here’s the link: CIBO and other Gut Wrenching Issues
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT AT LAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today is the 5th day of my new medicine for mastocytosis. There is hope. I was given an appointment with Doctor Iweala (rhymes with Koala) in December of 2022 for October of 2023 and it turns out I was quite fortunate because she is no longer taking new mastocytosis patients. She is taking people who have alpha gal the result of having a tick bite from something that is called a Texas Tic because it has a mark the shape of Texas on its back. It results in the inability to eat any mammalian proteins you can only eat fish and fowl and vegetables and rice.
Doctor Iweala was able to diagnose me with mastocytosis of the GI because of my symptom list and the biopsy they did when I had a colonoscopy and December of 22. It was a wonderful experience to have a Doctor Who understood the collection of symptoms that I've had and knew what to do about them. She has put me on CROMOLYN SODIUM ORAL SOLUTION. It comes in foil wrapped ampules and I am taking four a day three before meals and one before bed. They are light sensitive so they need to be kept in the foil they are also temperature sensitive. There is very little taste with them you place one ampule in 8 ounces of water and drink it down it is fairly flavorless and has no texture it's a bit like drinking a really mild form of electrolyte water. Within the first few days and I mean three I released 5 pounds of water weight and I was able to watch my stomach decrease daily. This makes me very happy I have not experienced any side effects outside of excessive urination except feeling slightly tired the first few days. What I have experienced is no more queasiness while eating and my bowels have become more regular and I'm generally feeling better with fewer body aches. I am very hopeful that over time the tiredness will wear off and I will be able to start introducing foods that I have not been able to eat for several years. The doctor has also recommended that I take 1000 milligrams of quercetin a day and I have not yet found a brand that does not upset my stomach and I wanted to just be with the cromolyn do you feel it's effects. Also continuing a form of Claritin daily. There is also an OTC called Diamine Oxidase. It decreases the biogenetic amines. I will introduce this. It is to be taken before meals when eating out or eating something that normally bothers me.
I do not have general Mastocytosis which is a more serious diagnosis. A 24-hour urine collection test during a flare measuring tryptase levels helped determine if I had the third requirement for a general diagnosis. It was negative, which is a relief.
I have wanted to drink more water and eat less since taking this medicine. I am satisfied sooner with meals and have not had the bloating and cramping I had before. Overall, I am very excited about this and hopeful I will be able to eat out again and expand my diet a bit in the near future.
Dr. Iweala is a research scientist and it's only in clinic one day a week. Fortunately she is training someone who is working with her and she tells me that there's a doctor Lichtenberger in Statesville, NC who deals with mastocytosis. Otherwise you will have to look in your area for someone who specializes in this and it seems to be within the allergy clinics.