Eliminating Suspect Foods

The following table includes a list of food to avoid for each type of intolerance. To eliminate both Histamine and FODMAP foods at the same time would be very difficult and you should seek the help of a registered dietician or nutritionist for that level of food elimination. As with any dietary change, you should talk to your doctor and tell them your plan before you begin. Both the FODMAP and Histamine Intolerance elimination phases are very restrictive, so it is good to do your research beforehand.

One of the best ways to begin ruling out if a certain food, or set of foods, is creating problems for you is through an elimination diet. In this case, to eliminate Histamine Intolerance, you would modify your diet to avoid foods known to increase a histamine reaction. If there is no improvement after 2-3 weeks of avoiding all of those foods (see table below), then it is probably not Histamine Intolerance. If you are feeling better, note which symptoms were alleviated. Then add in one eliminated food at a time slowly, increasing for two weeks, while still avoiding the rest. If you notice symptoms reappearing, write that down, and avoid that food. If after 2 weeks, no symptoms reappear, then add another food from the list. Keep doing this until you have a list of food that your body is sensitive to, and plan your meals around avoiding those foods.

The same process is good for the FODMAP elimination. One of the best approaches is to eliminate ALL FODMAP foods on the table below for 2-3 weeks. Then choose one category of the FODMAPs and slowly introduce one food at time for 2 weeks at a time as directed about. If 3 or 4 foods in a particular category make particular symptoms reappear, it is best to avoid all foods in that category. Once you have eliminated a category or deemed all foods in that category safe for you, move on to the next category.

It is a long process, as body chemistry takes time to shift. But if you are struggling with ongoing fatigue, bloating, pain, brain fog, and other distressing symptoms, it is worth focusing on eliminating particular foods from your diet to feel better in the long run. The process is a long but valuable one, and one that will hopefully give you a clearer head, a more comfortable body, and more energy to live the life you want to be living.

Foods to Avoid For Each Type of Intolerance

Food	Fructose	Oligos	Lactose	Polyols	Ferment	Histamine
Agave	X
Alcohol					X	X
Anchovies						X
Apples	X			X
Apricots				X		X
Artichokes		X
Asparagus		X
Avocados				X		X
Bacon						X
Banana ripe	X					X
Barley		X
Beans		X
Beet Roots		X
Black Tea						X
Broccoli		X
Brussel Sprouts		X
Buttermilk			X			X
Cabbage		X
Cashews		X
Cauliflower				X
Celery				X
Cheese soft			X
Cheese aged						X
Chocolate						X
Citrus fruits						X
Dates		X				X
Deli & Cured Meats						X
Dried fruit						X
Eggplant						X
Energy drinks						X
Fennel		X
Fermented foods						X
Figs						X
Fructose	X
Fruit Juices	X
Garlic		X
Green tea						X
High Fructose Corn Syrup	X
Honey	X
Hot Dogs						X
Hummus		X
Kefir			X		X	X
Kombucha		X			X	X
Leek Bulbs		X
Lentils		X
Mackerel						X
Mahi-Mahi						X
Mangos	X
Mate tea						X
Mayonnaise						X
Milk			X			X
Mushrooms		X		X
Nectarines		X		X
Nuts						X
Olives						X
Onions		X
Papaya						X
Peaches				X
Peanuts						X
Pears	X			X
Peas		X		X
Pepperoni						X
Pickles		X				X
Pineapple						X
Pistachio		X
Plums		X		X
Prunes		X		X		X
Pulses		X
Raisins		X				X
Rye		X
Salami						X
Sardines						X
Sauerkraut						X
Shellfish						X
Smoked fish						X
Snow Peas		X		X
Sour Cream			X			X
Sour Milk			X			X
Soured Bread		X				X
Soured foods						X
Soy milk		X
Soy sauce						X
Spinach						X
Strawberries						X
Sugar free sweets				X
Sugar snap peas	X
Tomatoes						X
Tuna						X
Vinegar						X
Vinegar-containing foods						X
Walnuts						X
Watermelon	X	X		X
Wheat		X				X
Yogurt			X			X