In doing more research this week, I felt I was validated when I read an article about truly knowing and listening to your body.  How many of you trust your body’s signs and signals?   I think we must always consult our doctors on a regular basis, but really, we know more about our own bodies than anyone else could and I feel that we really should trust in that more than most of us do.   I have been dealing with some very off the wall Histamine reactions for about 20 years now. They come and go very sporadically. There has never been really any rhyme or reason to them. The same foods and situations would cause a reaction one time and wouldn’t another. The severity of the reactions also vary.

Through the years I have documented so much, I have taken it all to my doctors and they had no understanding of it.  I have had food allergy testing, blood work and really nothing could be explained. I have read much about different diets; Blood Type diet, gluten free diets and low inflammation diets.

Along the way we have adapted bits and pieces of each into something that works for us. However, with a few of us having different blood types and knowing what foods we can tolerate and what foods our bodies crave and the others cannot stomach can get a bit challenging. For example, I am the only one in my immediate family who can tolerate and eat a red sauce, in fact I crave it and can eat it without pasta. They others do not enjoy it and often have heartburn or what have you after eating any type of red sauce.

All of this meal planning can get very cumbersome and so often we have gotten frustrated and go back to what is easy, until we began to feel tired and sluggish and find the motivation to once again figure this eating thing out.

Recently, I found a simple salad that I love and can replicate. It was a very healthy salad: Spinach (the only leafy veggie I was able to really eat without getting sick), strawberries, blueberries, feta or goat cheese, almonds and salmon. I got my fruits and veggies and proteins in and not a lot of calories.

So last week, I picked up some salmon and made it one night and was as happy as can be. No problems. Two days later, I made the EXACT same salad and an hour later I had THE WORST,  to date Histamine reaction. I seriously thought I was going to end up in the hospital. This one came on FAST and furious.

On top of all my normal symptoms; hives, swelling, difficulty breathing and horrid stomach pain I also experienced a racing heart rate, my eyes turned red and I thought my head was going to explode,. I felt like I was on fire and almost lost consciousness. My precious husband brought me my antihistamine and grabbed my epiPens. After I took the pill, I must have lots consciousness for a split second because as I came to, Kip was holding a bag in front of me and I was violently vomiting. I began shaking and felt very distant. He was just about to get me in the car and race me to the ER when I started feeling a bit better.

We both had to wonder, what caused all of this? Once stable and in bed, we plugged my symptoms into WebMD and found something called Histamine Intolerance. There are foods that you should avoid and foods that are good for people with this issue. Who knew? Shouldn’t someone have known about this?

Come to find out I had three things on the list that are high in histamine. Spinach (WHAT?) Salmon and Strawberries which are a histamine liberator.

Why did this meal not cause me trouble the first day? I have eaten these foods many times and never had trouble. The issue was probably in the freshness of my salmon. All of these foods can be eaten but they must be fresh. Next time I will omit the strawberries and only use blueberries.

But quite literally my dinner nearly killed me.

What a crazy and very scary journey but I am thankful to have found a name of what I am dealing with and a guide to help me navigate in meal planning.

Recipe:

• 14oz sweetened condensed milk
• 14oz milk (whole, lowfat, or skim – doesn’t matter)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract OR Vanilla Coffee Syrup for a stronger flavor
• a mason jar (quart is perfect)

1 1/2 cups gluten free rolled oats (I use GF certified Bob’s Redmill)
1 1/2 cups crispy brown rice cereal
2 TBSP ground flax meal
1/3 cup organic raisins
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup finely shredded coconut (unsweetened)
pinch of sea salt

In a small saucepan over low heat, stir together the following ingredients until just blended (Stir continuously and don’t walk away from your saucepan! Pull it off the heat immediately once blended.):

1/2 cup honey (agave, or brown rice syrup for vegan)
1/2 cup almond butter (or sunbutter)
1 TBSP coconut oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Carefully pour the contents of the saucepan into the dry ingredients and combine.   Place in a lightly greased (I use a bit of coconut oil) 11? x 7? pan.  Using a spatula, press the mixture into the pan.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. Freeze for at least 2 hours before enjoying.

Store in an air tight container in the freezer.

Cut into bars & Enjoy!

Even with the pecan’s my kids loved it. It is fresh and perfect with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Recipe: Nantucket Cranberry Pie
Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 45 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 10
Ingredients
Butter, For Greasing
2 cups (heaping) Cranberries
3/4 cups Pecans, Chopped (measure, Then Chop)
2/3 cups Sugar
1 cup Flour
1 cup Sugar
1 stick Unsalted Butter, melted
2 whole Eggs, Lightly Beaten
1 teaspoon Pure Almond Extract
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Sugar For Sprinkling
Preparation Instructions
*Adapted from a recipe by Laurie Colwin*
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Generously butter a cake pan or pie pan. Add cranberries to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle on chopped pecans, then sprinkle on 2/3 cup sugar.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, 1 cup sugar, melted butter, eggs, almond extract, and salt. Stir gently to combine.
Pour batter slowly over the top in large “ribbons” in order to evenly cover the surface. Spread gently if necessary.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. 5 minutes before removing from oven, sprinkle surface with 1 tablespoon sugar for a little extra crunch.
Cut into wedges and serve with ice cream or freshly whipped cream.

Quinoa and Pistachio Salad with Moroccan Pesto

1 cup             uncooked quinoa
1 cup             chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup         water
1/2 cup         orange juice
1/3 cup         coarsely chopped cilantro, or basil
1/4 cup         olive oil
2 Tbs             coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 Tbs             lemon juice
1/2 tsp          cumin seed
1/2 tsp          salt
1/4 tsp          cayenne pepper
2 lg                garlic cloves, minced
1/2 1 3/4 C  Roasted red pepper, chopped – or sun-dried tomatoes
12                  black olives, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup        pistachios

Place quinoa, broth, water and juice in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 12 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Place cilantro and next 7 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor and process until smooth. Combine roasted pepper, quinoa, cilantro mixture and olives in a large bowl. Gently stir to mix. Sprinkle with nuts.

This recipe was a hit- lots of flavor and plenty hearty for the men in your life.

1 Pound of pork sausage or turkey sausage. (I actually used Italian sausage)

2 (16 oz) cans Chicken broth
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 (10 oz) package of frozen spinach
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (10 oz) can tomatoes with green chillies
1 garlic clove chopped
1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts
1 (20 oz) package tortellini with cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Brown the sausage in a skillet, stirring until crumbly; drain. Combine sausage, broth, bouillon, spinach, tomatoes,tomatoes with chillies, garlic and water chestnuts in a Dutch oven and mix well. Simmer for 1-2 hours. Add tortellini. Cook using the package directions. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese and ladle into soup bowls.