Some of you may have noticed a lack in postings and blogging from Jersey Girl Epicure over the last few months but I assure you I have not lost the love of cooking or all things culinary but rather for the last 4 months I’ve been on this very intense, very strict ( not fun, not enjoyed and not by choice) diet due to a medication I have been prescribed for a completely unrelated to weight issue. While I am over the moon about losing 65 lbs I do miss some of the things I was forced to give up! ( hell who am I kidding I miss 99% of them)
However I would say the progress speaks for itself (I will post before and after pictures and I will begin posting many of my recipes that I’ve grown accustom to!
For a list of all things forbidden check this out:
Dairy Products
Dairy products that are highest in histamine consist of aged/fermented cheeses (gouda, camembert, cheddar, brie, roquefort, emmental, swiss, parmesan), yogurt, buttermilk and kefir) Allegedly I am allowed to have milk products all though I am fairly lactose intolerant so I avoid them all together. Mozzarella is about the only cheese I have. I don’t drink milk or use creamer or anything like that. I do use butter to cook to allow myself some fat and dairy.
Meat
Meat and poultry should be pure and fresh when consumed. Processed meats like salami, jerky and sausage are high in histamine and a no no. Histamine is an indicator of food quality, because meats that are spoiled by microbial contamination can also contain high levels of histamine. All processed meats and leftover cooked meats should be restricted ( bacon, taylor ham, sausage, salami, cold cuts, any dried meats or cured/salted meats.)
Fish
Eating spoiled fish can result in a food-borne illness known as Scromboid poisoning, which is marked by high levels of histamine. Histamine occurs abundantly in the muscle fibers of fish, and is particularly high in mackerel, herring, sardine, anchovy, salmon and tuna. Cooking temperatures do not affect this type of food poisoning, so consuming high-quality and freshly prepared fish is especially important for individuals with food-induced histamine intolerance.
Vegetables
Certain vegetables, like sauerkraut, spinach, eggplant, pumpkin, pickled cabbage, and tomato products, including sauces and ketchup, contain concentrated amounts of histamine. In addition no beets or avocado is permitted.
Alcohol and Vinegar
I cannot have ANY alcohol or vinegar products, this includes any soy sauce, any foods that are cooked in alcohol, pickled, or any kind of olives etc.
Additionally I am completely gluten and soy free as well as whey, casein and nut free ( I do cheat and allow myself pignolina nuts and almonds)
References
- “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition;” Histamine and Histamine Intolerance; Laura Maintz and Natalija Novak; May 2007
- “Clinical and Experimental Allergy;” Histamine-Free Diet: Treatment of Choice for Histamine-Induced Food Intolerance and Supporting Treatment for Chronical Headaches; F. Wantke, et al.; 1993
- International Chronic Urticaria Society: Histamine-Restricted Diet
Jersey Girl Epicure 