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

FODMAP Intolerance-- an IBS culprit

"Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food." - Hippocrates

People who have struggled with digestive issues have often been labeled with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) if no other specific cause for their ongoing pain and discomfort was found after a variety of tests. A research group at Monash University began studying the possible digestive issues that trigger IBS in some people. They found that small chain carbohydrates, which pass through the digestive tract of the average person without complication, are not properly absorbed by the digestive tract of people with IBS. This leads to the fermenting in the gut, needing a lot of the body's water to eliminate, and creating gas and other digestive issues. This malabsorption leads to IBS with a number of symptoms, and secondary reactions, such as:

Overgrowth of bacteria
Excessive gas buildup
Chronic fatigue
Headaches
Bloating
Bowel distention
Memory problems
Sleep disturbances
Muscle & joint pain
Diarrhea
Constipation
The primary culprits of FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, And Polyols) are:

Fructose, a very simple sugar (monosaccharide) found in most fruits and vegetables that digests alright in the presence of other sugars like glucose, but when is in excess, is not absorbed correctly.
Oligosaccharides, both fructans and galacto-oligosaccharides are longer chain carbs that the human body can not break down. Some people are much more sensitive to these than others, leading to greater digestive symptoms.
Lactose, a small disaccharide from dairy products, rely on an enzyme in the intestines to be broken down. Some people lack this enzyme resulting in malabsorption.
Polyols, often found in artificial sweeteners as well as some fruits and vegetables, are not well absorbed in the gut, leading to the issues above.

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)

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.