Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Histamine Intolerance
Two possible causes of the problem with digestion and food intolerances are Histamine Sensitivity and FODMAP Sensitivity. While there are many other possibilities, following the eating plans of one of these can often help alleviate many of the symptoms.
Histamine Sensitivity or Histamine Intolerance is basically your body's hyper response to histamine. You may think of allergy season and benadryl when you hear histamine, but the chemical histamine that your body produces acts on the immune system, the central nervous system, and your digestive system. A histamine reaction in your body's natural quick response to perceived cellular danger, immediately causing inflammation, swelling of the blood vessels, and increased white blood cell production and mobility. When an invader or toxin enters your body, you need that quick histamine response to protect you from harm.
However when your body can not or does not break down histamine quickly, you can get a buildup of this chemical in your blood and tissues, causing symptoms such as:
Headaches
Restless sleep patterns
High blood pressure
Fast heart rate
Anxiety
Dizziness
Fatigue
Skin flushing
Stomach pains
Stuffy nose
Hives
Feeling too hot or too cold
These spikes in Histamine levels can have a number of causes, such as:
Too little DOA (Diamine Oxidase), an enzyme that naturally breaks down histamine in your body.
Bleeding in the gut
Allergies
Bacterial Overgrowth
Fermented alcohol
Histamine producing foods (or DOA blocking foods)
Sunday, May 13, 2018
Food Intolerance
Okay, so much for the best laid plans....
I am still studying FODMAP and Histamine Intolerance, and how to eat to avoid them. I however have not had much success in strictly adhering to avoiding them.
For the most part I have cut onions and garlic out of my daily intake (still sometimes add onion powder and garlic powder for flavor, and have a weak moment like last night where I had onion rings!!!). I have found that Onions are a particular culprit to my bloating and pain, and overall feelings of discomfort. This saddens me because I do love onions!! But alas, I want to feel better, so avoiding onions for now. I have been reducing the amount of wheat and other fructan containing grains. And anytime I eat Pasta or something with a LOT of wheat/fructans, I have IBS symptoms, bloating, more fatigue than usual, and of course pain and brain fog. I have been avoiding citrus and strawberries as well. I am not sure if I am sensitive to them but they are easier to avoid than some other things and every little bit helps.
Every BODY is different
There are so many studies out there that flood us with information, it is difficult to pick out what information is relevant to each person's particular situation. One recurring idea though is that the way our bodies process the food we eat has an impact on everything from our ability to think, to how quickly we gain or lose weight, how well we sleep, to how much energy we have throughout the day.
However, it is not a "one size fits all" answer. Foods that give one person energy can make another feel sluggish. A great snack for weight loss for one person, makes another feel bloated. Each person's body is different as we all know, but deeper than that, each body's ability to digest, transform, and utilize food is unique as well. Aside from obvious allergic reactions (and anyone can be allergic to anything--peanuts, wheat, milk, strawberries, pineapple, tomatoes, even WATER), there are different reactions in the body that make some people unable to tolerate certain foods, or the by products of the breakdown of those foods by the gut.
These food intolerances and by product reactions can cause a person to feel unwell. Brain fog, difficulty concentrating, bloating, constant stuffy nose, cramps, fatigue, and intermittent generalized pain or weakness are all possible outcomes of eating a food or set of foods that your body does not use correctly. So it is important to figure out what works and what does not for your own body.
I am still studying FODMAP and Histamine Intolerance, and how to eat to avoid them. I however have not had much success in strictly adhering to avoiding them.
For the most part I have cut onions and garlic out of my daily intake (still sometimes add onion powder and garlic powder for flavor, and have a weak moment like last night where I had onion rings!!!). I have found that Onions are a particular culprit to my bloating and pain, and overall feelings of discomfort. This saddens me because I do love onions!! But alas, I want to feel better, so avoiding onions for now. I have been reducing the amount of wheat and other fructan containing grains. And anytime I eat Pasta or something with a LOT of wheat/fructans, I have IBS symptoms, bloating, more fatigue than usual, and of course pain and brain fog. I have been avoiding citrus and strawberries as well. I am not sure if I am sensitive to them but they are easier to avoid than some other things and every little bit helps.
Every BODY is different
There are so many studies out there that flood us with information, it is difficult to pick out what information is relevant to each person's particular situation. One recurring idea though is that the way our bodies process the food we eat has an impact on everything from our ability to think, to how quickly we gain or lose weight, how well we sleep, to how much energy we have throughout the day.
However, it is not a "one size fits all" answer. Foods that give one person energy can make another feel sluggish. A great snack for weight loss for one person, makes another feel bloated. Each person's body is different as we all know, but deeper than that, each body's ability to digest, transform, and utilize food is unique as well. Aside from obvious allergic reactions (and anyone can be allergic to anything--peanuts, wheat, milk, strawberries, pineapple, tomatoes, even WATER), there are different reactions in the body that make some people unable to tolerate certain foods, or the by products of the breakdown of those foods by the gut.
These food intolerances and by product reactions can cause a person to feel unwell. Brain fog, difficulty concentrating, bloating, constant stuffy nose, cramps, fatigue, and intermittent generalized pain or weakness are all possible outcomes of eating a food or set of foods that your body does not use correctly. So it is important to figure out what works and what does not for your own body.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Foods to avoid for now
I went through and charted foods to avoid for gluten free, low fodmap, histamine intolerance, common food sensitivities, NASH, and diabetes. So basically I can't eat ANYTHING!!!!
No just kidding, but it is very limited. When you finally reach the point that you are sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, a true elimination diet is a good way to find out how many issues you have are food related. I am to that point. The main issues I want to get under control are brain fog, physical fatigue, my blood sugar, and the upper abdominal pain.
I have tried a number of diets, primarily for weight loss and blood sugar control. Many were effective for a time, but either I had adverse side effects or did not get meaningful results.
Atkins dropped weight quickly but made my blood sugar RISE so my doctor told me to stop (my blood glucose level is very sensitive to stress, and the doctor felt that the stress it caused on my body was too high).
17-day diet-- loved it, easy to follow, well detailed, had minimal effect on blood sugar stabilization, and not much weight loss after the first round.
Scarsdale--had great results at first, but my nutritionists did not like it.
Tried shakes--medifast, slimfast, GNC ultra something but could not make myself stick to them. Fat just was not enough reason to change.
But this fatigue and brain fog that have taken over are really really bad. While insulin and getting my blood sugar more controlled has helped with some of the fatigue but not all, the brain fog only gets better when I either do not eat (like for the colonoscopy or when I had a stomach bug) or when I am on doxycycline. I even asked my doctor to keep me on doxy because my brain is so clear but alas she will not agree.
This week my brain Is very clear...i am on doxycycline for a severe sinus infection. So I cannot say if the eating changes have helped. I have also not been as disciplined as I need to be to really eliminate all possible reactive foods.
So basically over the next 2 weeks I will be eating only--
-brown rice
-potatoes
- chicken
-fish
-zucchini
-summer squash
-brown rice
-potatoes
- chicken
-fish
-zucchini
-summer squash
-winter squash
-baby lettuce
-coffee (black)
-water
-eggs
-1/2 c oatmeal
-occasional coconut oil or olive oil
-salt, pepper, basil, oregano, tarragon
-occasional pure maple syrup
-baby lettuce
-coffee (black)
-water
-eggs
-1/2 c oatmeal
-occasional coconut oil or olive oil
-salt, pepper, basil, oregano, tarragon
-occasional pure maple syrup
If my abdominal symptoms continue I will drop to just potatoes, chicken, baby lettuce, and water.
If needed I will go to nothing for a few days and add just one food at a time to see what is kicking the problems into gear.
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Body Malfunction and Diets
I have been studying a variety of digestive challenges and whole body symptoms. I have been dealing with many different health issues over the past few years--
-obesity
-inability to lose weight (even on very restrictive diets)
-hard to control diabetes (like multiple oral meds and enough insulin to kill an elephant)
-recurring severe abdominal pain high on the left side
-recurring bulge high on left side
-excessive flatulence
-moderate intermittent pain on right side
-recurring nausea and vomiting
-recurring bouts of diarrhea
-almost constant fatigue, sometimes debilitating
-Incredible brain fog, the inability to stay focused or think quickly and clearly
-constant cold like symptoms that barely respond to allergy meds
-generalized body aches and intermittent weakness
-overproduction of cortisol (though just shy of diagnostic for Cushing's Syndrome)
-Overproduction of White Blood Cells without a known infection (going back over 6 years)
I had have a variety of procedures done-
-Abdominal ultrasound
-shoulders to hips Cat Scan
-endoscopy
-colonoscopy
-gastroparesis study
-numerous blood tests
-Tested for celiacs (negative)
-various medications to combat different smptoms
-various weight loss diets
-various diabetes control lifestyle changes
Things I have done in addition to doctor recommendations
-Taken a Relaxation Class
-Eating whole foods instead of processed foods
-Shifted focus to Vegetables as the main subject of meals
-Cut out late night snacks
-Continued to reduce both simple sugars and fats in my diet
-Ensure that I get 7 servings of fruits and vegetables daily
-Ensure that I am drinking 10-14 glasses of water a day
-Tried a gluten free diet (helped a little with the discomfort, but I ended up malnourished)
Diagnoses that I have been given by doctors:
-Diabetes, insulin dependent
-NAFLD-Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NASH-Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis)
-IBS- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
-Leukocytosis
-Meralgia paraesthetica
-Obstructive Sleep Apnea
None of this has helped very much. I have days that are better than others, but most days I still deal with a lot of abdominal discomfort, body aches (knees lacking cartilage and severe carpal tunnel in both wrists do not help). So I have been looking at various documentaries and looking up recent research on a variety of health related topics. And talked with other people including some nutrition experts, one being my sister who has a doctorate in nutrition and is a professor at the University of South Carolina.
From that exploration, I have some basic enzyme and metabolism malfunctions I am going to be reviewing on this blog, and trying out myself to see if I can find something that will bring relief from the many symptoms and diseases that have taken over my body. Many of the symptoms and diagnoses point to an autoimmune issue, but nothing concrete has come to light (it is not lupus or RA--I have been tested for both due to the fact that this looks autoimmune).
Over the next few weeks, I will be summarizing the various symptoms, dietary recommendations, and science behind:
-Histamine Intolerance
-FODMAP Intolerance
-NASH/NAFLD
-Diabetes, insulin resistance
-Celiacs
-Dietary Allergies
-Food Intolerances
I will also be detailing my own journey as I start with a major overhaul of my food intake, relaxation routine, body stretching, exercise, and mediation routine.
Beginning today, I will begin this new exploration into better health by doing a reset of my food intake. The three times I have felt best over the past few years were:
1) when I was on doxycycline for a month due to a tick bite and Lyme disease--felt clear headed and had lots of energy.
2) when I was sick with a stomach bug that cleared me out and I was afraid to eat solid food for a few days, my head felt clear and my body had more energy (after the vomiting and diarrhea stopped)
3) when I was preparing for my colonoscopy, and had to do a liquid diet and them clean out of the intestines via laxatives, my mind felt clear and my body had energy.
So beginning now, I am going to be doing a liquid diet (clear liquids--water, clear juices, tea, broth, sports drinks, etc...). Then tonight I will do one bottle of magnesium citrate to help clear the colon. Tomorrow I will continue with the liquid diet and only if needed, do another liquid laxative in the afternoon. This should clear out the intestines and hopefully any of the food particles that are contributing to the feelings of brain fog, fatigue, discomfort, and aches.
Then I will slowly add the most benign foods (ones not on any of the avoid foods lists for the above conditions) into my diet, beginning with brown rice, collard greens, kale, zucchini, blue berries, raspberries, olive oil, coconut oil, chicken, turkey, salt and pepper. If no symptoms return, I will add in one item every 2 weeks, eliminating any that cause symptoms from my life. So yes, a long process but hopefully one that will root out the causes of some of the issues.
-obesity
-inability to lose weight (even on very restrictive diets)
-hard to control diabetes (like multiple oral meds and enough insulin to kill an elephant)
-recurring severe abdominal pain high on the left side
-recurring bulge high on left side
-excessive flatulence
-moderate intermittent pain on right side
-recurring nausea and vomiting
-recurring bouts of diarrhea
-almost constant fatigue, sometimes debilitating
-Incredible brain fog, the inability to stay focused or think quickly and clearly
-constant cold like symptoms that barely respond to allergy meds
-generalized body aches and intermittent weakness
-overproduction of cortisol (though just shy of diagnostic for Cushing's Syndrome)
-Overproduction of White Blood Cells without a known infection (going back over 6 years)
I had have a variety of procedures done-
-Abdominal ultrasound
-shoulders to hips Cat Scan
-endoscopy
-colonoscopy
-gastroparesis study
-numerous blood tests
-Tested for celiacs (negative)
-various medications to combat different smptoms
-various weight loss diets
-various diabetes control lifestyle changes
Things I have done in addition to doctor recommendations
-Taken a Relaxation Class
-Eating whole foods instead of processed foods
-Shifted focus to Vegetables as the main subject of meals
-Cut out late night snacks
-Continued to reduce both simple sugars and fats in my diet
-Ensure that I get 7 servings of fruits and vegetables daily
-Ensure that I am drinking 10-14 glasses of water a day
-Tried a gluten free diet (helped a little with the discomfort, but I ended up malnourished)
Diagnoses that I have been given by doctors:
-Diabetes, insulin dependent
-NAFLD-Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NASH-Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis)
-IBS- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
-Leukocytosis
-Meralgia paraesthetica
-Obstructive Sleep Apnea
None of this has helped very much. I have days that are better than others, but most days I still deal with a lot of abdominal discomfort, body aches (knees lacking cartilage and severe carpal tunnel in both wrists do not help). So I have been looking at various documentaries and looking up recent research on a variety of health related topics. And talked with other people including some nutrition experts, one being my sister who has a doctorate in nutrition and is a professor at the University of South Carolina.
From that exploration, I have some basic enzyme and metabolism malfunctions I am going to be reviewing on this blog, and trying out myself to see if I can find something that will bring relief from the many symptoms and diseases that have taken over my body. Many of the symptoms and diagnoses point to an autoimmune issue, but nothing concrete has come to light (it is not lupus or RA--I have been tested for both due to the fact that this looks autoimmune).
Over the next few weeks, I will be summarizing the various symptoms, dietary recommendations, and science behind:
-Histamine Intolerance
-FODMAP Intolerance
-NASH/NAFLD
-Diabetes, insulin resistance
-Celiacs
-Dietary Allergies
-Food Intolerances
I will also be detailing my own journey as I start with a major overhaul of my food intake, relaxation routine, body stretching, exercise, and mediation routine.
Beginning today, I will begin this new exploration into better health by doing a reset of my food intake. The three times I have felt best over the past few years were:
1) when I was on doxycycline for a month due to a tick bite and Lyme disease--felt clear headed and had lots of energy.
2) when I was sick with a stomach bug that cleared me out and I was afraid to eat solid food for a few days, my head felt clear and my body had more energy (after the vomiting and diarrhea stopped)
3) when I was preparing for my colonoscopy, and had to do a liquid diet and them clean out of the intestines via laxatives, my mind felt clear and my body had energy.
So beginning now, I am going to be doing a liquid diet (clear liquids--water, clear juices, tea, broth, sports drinks, etc...). Then tonight I will do one bottle of magnesium citrate to help clear the colon. Tomorrow I will continue with the liquid diet and only if needed, do another liquid laxative in the afternoon. This should clear out the intestines and hopefully any of the food particles that are contributing to the feelings of brain fog, fatigue, discomfort, and aches.
Then I will slowly add the most benign foods (ones not on any of the avoid foods lists for the above conditions) into my diet, beginning with brown rice, collard greens, kale, zucchini, blue berries, raspberries, olive oil, coconut oil, chicken, turkey, salt and pepper. If no symptoms return, I will add in one item every 2 weeks, eliminating any that cause symptoms from my life. So yes, a long process but hopefully one that will root out the causes of some of the issues.
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Ups and Downs and All Around
So, first off, my son was in the hospital for nearly a month, and had a rough couple of months leading up to that hospitalization, and we are now home less than a week and just trying to find our footing again. Everything in the fridge had gone bad because I have spent maybe 5 nights at home over his hospitalization (2 hospitals, one local then transferred to one 180 miles away). The dog and indoor rabbit forgot how to behave, and how to do their business in the spots (like not on my bedroom floor!!!).
So I have been doing a lot of thinking about health, wealth (stupid insurance makes a difficult situation ridiculous--I think that hospitals focus more on the insurance company than on the patients) how i spend the time given to me, and so forth. In March I had switched my website over to http://life-in-transformation.com the intention being to combine my former website with its inspirational links and articles and the focus of my transformation blog posts into one place with various links to others web sites, blogs, articles and products that may be of interest. Then this blog would change back to its original name and focus on losing weight, gaining health, and getting diabetes, and other health challenges, under control.
Over the next few weeks, that transition will be taking place, and this blog will return to its original focus. And both this blog and that website will be updated on a regular basis. I look forward to sharing with you the many things that I have learned and continue to learn, both about gaining better health, and about transformation.
So I have been doing a lot of thinking about health, wealth (stupid insurance makes a difficult situation ridiculous--I think that hospitals focus more on the insurance company than on the patients) how i spend the time given to me, and so forth. In March I had switched my website over to http://life-in-transformation.com the intention being to combine my former website with its inspirational links and articles and the focus of my transformation blog posts into one place with various links to others web sites, blogs, articles and products that may be of interest. Then this blog would change back to its original name and focus on losing weight, gaining health, and getting diabetes, and other health challenges, under control.
Over the next few weeks, that transition will be taking place, and this blog will return to its original focus. And both this blog and that website will be updated on a regular basis. I look forward to sharing with you the many things that I have learned and continue to learn, both about gaining better health, and about transformation.
Friday, December 9, 2016
Updated my other blog
I know I have not updated on this blog, and I will soon, but I have updated my new blog today. The followup post to the first post last week, just in case anyone is interested.
http://lifebeginsanewtoday.blogspot.com/
http://lifebeginsanewtoday.blogspot.com/
Sunday, December 4, 2016
Started a new blog
I began a new blog:
http://lifebeginsanewtoday.blogspot.com/
with a similar focus on change, but wanted to start fresh (don't we all). I will continue this Life in Transformation blog as I get back into my weight transformation and my other life transformations, which has taken a back seat to so many other things, and hope to soon get back to posting on a regular basis, both here and on my new blog.
Please visit me there while I get back into blogging, and don't forget to keep an eye out for more posts here as well!
http://lifebeginsanewtoday.blogspot.com/
with a similar focus on change, but wanted to start fresh (don't we all). I will continue this Life in Transformation blog as I get back into my weight transformation and my other life transformations, which has taken a back seat to so many other things, and hope to soon get back to posting on a regular basis, both here and on my new blog.
Please visit me there while I get back into blogging, and don't forget to keep an eye out for more posts here as well!
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