Welcome to your new low histamine recipe book! I'm so glad you're here. I'm Max G, a Master's student in Nutrition at Logan University in Missouri, and I'll be your fellow classmate in learning all about Histamine Intolerance (HIT) and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS).
This site of mine is a labor of love & patience, and the result of years of frustrations and tears. On it, you'll find all sorts of low histamine recipes and low histamine lifestyle tips, as well as some guides to finding the most system-friendly ingredients for cooking and beyond.
Where to Start With a Low Histamine Diet
Aren't histamines some kind of allergy thing? Well, yes and no.
The oversimplified answer is that histamines are a compound released by cells in response to perceived threat. It's a type of immune system response, and histamines are present in all sorts of foods and out in nature, as well as being produced by our bodies in response to stimuli.
Someone who needs to eat low histamine, like myself, needs to avoid histamine-stimulating activities and environments, as well as foods high in histamines. All of this comes down to eating a very fresh diet, full of select fruits and vegetables, and a limited amount of animal products, grains, and nuts.
You'll likely need some supplements at the start, and you'll definitely want to be under the supervision of a holistic health practitioner or a functional medicine doctor. I found one who takes my insurance through the official IFM site, but if you live outside of the United States, a simple Google search will likely yield results.
What Will I Find on Low Histamine Eats?
Quick and Easy - I share recipes of all kinds, mostly freezer friendly recipes formulated such that you can't even tell they've been frozen once they get to your table.
Low Histamine Resources - there are articles geared towards fellow MCAS and histamine intolerance patients, as well as low histamine food guides separated by food types.
Healthy Low Histamine Recipes - I share low histamine recipes for everything from breakfast to dinner and snacks to desserts. They're dishes that anyone in the family will enjoy, no matter their dietary restrictions (or lack thereof).
My Histamine Connection
My histamine intolerance still comes in waves, and really it has ever since my initial healing in May-August of 2020. I've shoved myself far from my symptoms during the last 7 years of slow & then rapid decline, because it took me years to get an MCAS diagnosis.
Every doctor seemed to agree that I'm experiencing immune over-activity, but I don't show any of the typical markers for known autoimmune issues. I'm still a bit of a mystery.
I had every guess thrown at me from fibromyalgia, CFS/ME, MCAS, EDS, and "just plain ol' depression." I'm accepting that I may also be like this - may just be sensitive - for the rest of my life.
I'm still at the very beginning of what will certainly be a very long journey, and I am not an expert. But I do hope that this online diary of sorts will help you plan out stress-free low histamine recipes for your own life. Because I believe that food is one of those things that should cause pleasure, not pain.
We're all in different stages of the healing process, but I'm just glad that you're on a healing journey at all. I hope you'll stick with me on mine.
2023 Update
I've finally gotten a diagnosis of MCAS, which after running this site, kinda makes sense to me. I'm in the process of finding medicines that work for me to help stabilize my erratic histamine production, but beyond that over 3 years I've gotten confirmed diagnoses of endometriosis, PCOS, Fibromyalgia, and HJS (Hypermobile Joint Syndrome; lower on the spectrum of EDS-like disorders).
A Few Fun Facts
- Right after college, I moved to rural South Korea to teach English for 3 years, traveling all around the region while I lived there. I'd traveled to 30+ countries by the time I turned 25!
- I grew up cooking Asian food and live in a Hispanic neighborhood, so you'll see lots of herbs and spices in my cooking; or as I call them - flavor.
- Rock climbing and Latin dancing have been my passions for over a decade, and I went to many competitions and congresses for both over the years, before eventually falling ill.
House Favorites
More About Max & LHE
When I was first researching a low histamine diet, there was only one site posting the occasional low histamine recipe, and it was really hard to navigate. With my cooking experience, I knew I could make some great recipes, even with restrictions, and I was learning so much about the condition that I wanted to share with other sufferers.
Since a low histamine diet had made such dramatic difference in my life, it would probably help a lot of other people. So I decided that I'd fill in the gap and create the delicious low histamine recipes I really wasn't finding anywhere else. Since starting the site in 2020 I've shared around 200 low histamine recipes of all types.
Everything on the site is low histamine, but some easy places to start are with the roasted sweet potatoes, crispy garlic asparagus, air fryer chicken legs, or the pecan pesto you can slather on anything.
There are lots of options in the holiday recipes roundup, but some of my favorites to bring to potlucks include the mashed purple sweet potatoes, sauteed butternut squash, any of these low histamine salad dressings on your favorite greens.
Here are all the low histamine vegan recipes and low histamine vegetarian recipes - some offer dairy options as alternatives, but none need it. My favorites are the brussels sprouts and asparagus and air fryer yuca fries. For other dietary restrictions beyond histamine, check out the categories on the low histamine recipes page.
The dozens of guides are gathered on the low histamine food guides page, which you can bookmark in your browser for easy access.
Sure! I can't guarantee that I'll write that particular post or recipe, but I always welcome your feedback and do read every single email and site comment myself.
Please keep in mind that I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. I cannot offer medical advice, and any response I offer to your comments or questions should not be misconstrued as such. Please contact your doctor for help with any specific health issues.
The best way to reach me is by leaving a comment on a post, but if you'd like to contact me regarding professional matters, please email me at max[@]lowhistamineeats.com. Unless otherwise noted, all photos were taken by me or from free-use sites, and cannot be reproduced without permission.