AUTHOR:
AERYN O'HALLORAN
DATE:
OCTOBER 11th, 2024
READ TIME:
4-5 MINUTES
The Best Foods to Support Energy & Healing.
A Guide for Histamine Intolerance & Mast Cell Activation Syndrome
The Best Foods to Support Energy & Healing.
A guide for Histamine Intolerance & Mast Cell Activation Syndrome
If you have a condition like histamine intolerance or mast cell activation syndrome then you know that every meal can feel like a minefield, and figuring out which foods won’t leave you feeling worse can be downright exhausting (and I'm guessing you don't have energy to spare).
For a quick refresher: histamine intolerance happens when your body can’t break down histamine properly, leading to all kinds of symptoms like hives, headaches, and digestive issues. With MCAS, your mast cells are overactive and release histamine at all the wrong times, causing even more chaos (think flushing, heart palpitations, and feeling wiped out).
Sound like you?
You can read more about histamine intolerance and MCAS here, but today, we'll focus on how to calm these symptoms down.
Before diving into specific foods, it’s important to start with a solid nutritional foundation. Pairing macronutrients—proteins, fats, and carbohydrates—at each meal is essential for keeping your energy levels stable and supporting healing. This balance helps your body efficiently produce energy, reducing those dreaded crashes. If you need a little help mastering this, my FREE Macronutrient Master List makes it easy.
Let's focus on all the foods you can eat, rather than the ones you can't.
All foods listed below are rated a 0-1 on the SIGHI Food List, (one of the most well-researched and trusted resources for low histamine foods), meaning they are considered very low in histamine and generally well-tolerated for most people with histamine intolerance or MCAS.
so what the *bleep* can you eat?
MEATS, EGGS, DAIRY
GRAINS, NUTS, SEEDS, OILS
FRUITS
VEGGIES
SWEETENERS, HERBS, SPICES
BEVERAGES
0 Sweet cream butter
0 Cream cheese, without additives
0 Curd cheese
0 Sheep's & Goat's milk cheese
0 Young Gouda cheese
0 Mozzarella cheese
0 Mascarpone cheese
0 Ricotta cheese
1 Sour cream
1 Yogurt (varies by product)
0 Egg yolk
0 Quail egg
0 Beef
0 Chicken
0 Duck
0 Ostrich
0 Quail
0 Turkey
0 All freshly caught or frozen fish with the exception of anchovies and tuna.
freshness is key!
freshness is key!
MEATS, CHEESES
GRAINS, NUTS, SEEDS, OILS
FRUITS
SWEETENERS, HERBS, SPICES
VEGGIES
BEVERAGES
0 Amaranth
0 Chia seeds
0 Hemp seeds
0 Millet
0 Oats
0 Pearl sago
0 Pumpkin seed
0 Quinoa
0 Rice
0 Spelt
0 Brazil nut
0 Earth almond
0 Macadamia
0 Tiger nut
1 Almond
1 Cashew
1 Sesame seed
0 Canola oil
0 Coconut oil (best for cooking at high temperatures)
0 Olive oil
0 Palm oil
0 Pumpkin seed oil
0 Rape seed oil
1 Sunflower oil
MEATS, CHEESES
GRAINS, NUTS, SEEDS, OILS
FRUITS
SWEETENERS, HERBS, SPICES
VEGGIES
BEVERAGES
0 Apple
0 Apricot
0 Blackberry
0 Black currant
0 Blueberries
0 Cherry
0 Coconut
0 Cranberry
0 Dates
0 Dragon fruit
0 Goji berry
0 Gooseberry
0 Grapes
0 Lychee
0 Melons (except watermelon)
0 Nectarine
0 Peach
0 Persimmon
0 Pomegranate
1 Fig
1 Mango
1 Pear
1 Plum
1 Prune
1 Rhubarb
1 Rose hip
1 Watermelon
MEATS, CHEESES
GRAINS, NUTS, SEEDS, OILS
FRUITS
VEGGIES
BEVERAGES
SWEETENERS, HERBS, SPICES
0 Artichoke
0 Asparagus
0 Beetroot
0 Bell pepper (sweet)
0 Bok choi
0 Broccoli
0 Cabbage
0 Carrot
0 Cauliflower
0 Celery
0 Courgette
0 Cucumber
0 Endive
0 Fennel
0 Gourds
0 Lettuce
0 Parsnip
0 Pumpkin
0 Radish
0 Squash
0 White onion
0 Zucchini
1 Brussel sprouts
1 Chard
1 Garlic
1 Green beans
1 Green peas
1 Horseradish
1 Leek
1 Onion
1 Snow peas
1 Yellow split peas
MEATS, CHEESES
GRAINS, NUTS, SEEDS, OILS
FRUITS
VEGGIES
SWEETENERS, HERBS, SPICES
BEVERAGES
0 Agave
0 Birch sugar, xylitol, xylite, E967
0 Honey
0 Maple syrup
0 Stevia
0 Sugar
0 Anise, small amounts
0 Basil
0 Caraway
0 Cardamom
0 Cilantro
0 Cinnamon
0 Cloves
0 Coriander
0 Distilled white vinegar
0 Fennel
0 Mint
0 Oregano
0 Parsley
0 Persian cumin
0 Rosemary
0 Sage
0 Sweet paprika
0 Turmeric
0 Thyme
1 Chives
1 Dill
1 Ginger
1 Nutmeg
1 Poppy
1 Vanilla, vanilla extract
MEATS, CHEESES
GRAINS, NUTS, SEEDS, OILS
FRUITS
VEGGIES
BEVERAGES
SWEETENERS, HERBS, SPICES
0 Apple juice, no additives
0 Chamomile tea
0 Cranberry juice, no additives
0 Lime blossom tea
0 Peppermint tea
0 Rooibos tea
0 Sage tea
0 Verbena herbal tea
1 Green tea
1 Medicinal herbal teas
1 Mate tea
1 Stinging nettle tea
1 Lemonade
1 Soda/soft drinks
1 Sparkling water
MAKING LOW HISTAMINE MEALS
To make things easier, I’ve compiled 10 Low Histamine, Energy-Boosting Recipes that are not only delicious but also come with recovery tips to help you feel your best. This recipe guide shows you how to create meals that boost your energy and keep your symptoms at bay without sacrificing flavor.
To make things easier, I’ve compiled 10 Low Histamine, Energy-Boosting Recipes that are not only delicious but also come with recovery tips to help you feel your best. This recipe guide shows you how to create meals that boost your energy and keep your symptoms at bay without sacrificing flavor.
MAKING LOW HISTAMINE MEALS
Avoiding high-histamine foods can help with immediate symptom management but the key to long-term success is getting to the root of what's causing you to have these reactions in the first place...
It can feel overwhelming to navigate what to eat when dealing with histamine intolerance or MCAS, but with the right approach, you can still enjoy a wide variety of foods that support your energy and healing. By focusing on balancing macronutrients and choosing low-histamine options, you’re setting yourself up for better symptom management and sustainable energy.
That said, avoiding high-histamine foods is a great way to manage symptoms in the moment, but it’s only a piece of the puzzle. The key to real progress is getting to the root cause of why your body is having these reactions in the first place. That’s where my FREE Healing the Nervous System ebook and Foundations Program come in handy—they’re designed to help you understand and repair your body’s underlying systems, so you can move beyond just symptom management.
NEED A LITTLE EXTRA GUIDANCE? I CAN HELP!
JOIN THE FOUNDATIONS PROGRAM →
GET THE NERVOUS SYSTEM EBOOK →
Reflect & reconnect: healing dysfunction
regulate & rewire: sensory modulation
macronutrient
master list
10 energy boosting recipes
10 energy boosting recipes
top 5 daily wholistic practices
$0
$10
ADD TO CART →
ADD TO CART →
ADD TO CART →
GET IT →
GET IT →
GET IT →
$0
$0
$5
$5
Low Histamine Version
" The fact that I saw change so quickly proves that the right help, the right first step, the right process makes all the difference..."
— KELLY M
— BRI L
— JAMIE R
— DANA D
— RUTH C
" I was able to accomplish all my errands and when I got home at the end of the day, I didn’t crash. That’s the first time that’s happened in years! "
"I have ups and downs in my life in general, but I am stronger now."
"I finally feel I understand exactly what I need to do to start healing my dysregulated nervous system"
"I'm back to my normal self but even better than before!"