★★★★★
"I was absolutely miserable: diarrhoea, asthma, sneezing, puffy face, itchy skin, inflamed joints. Afterward, all of them had gone. It completely changed my life. Life-changing!"
Sabina Lloyd
Kickstart graduate
Clinical nutritionist · Neuroscience coach
Histamine intolerance and MCAS support
You can eat freely and feel well again.
For women who've tried the diets and are still reacting. There's a reason for that, and a clear path forward.
If you're exhausted, anxious about food, and have been told there's nothing more to be done: know that real progress with histamine intolerance, food sensitivities, and MCAS is possible. Luanne has lived it, and has supported hundreds of women through it.
11 years plus in natural health · Hundreds of women supported
GradDipHumNutr · BSc · ADipNutrMed
Evidence-based approach
Lived recovery story
As heard on
Luanne has been featured on leading health and wellness podcasts discussing histamine intolerance, MCAS, and nervous system recovery.
You're not imagining it
Does this sound familiar?
You're following the advice, cutting out more foods. But nothing gives you clear answers, and you feel more restricted and more confused than ever.
You don't know what to eat, and every meal feels like a risk
You've been told your tests are "normal", but you know something is wrong
Bloating, reflux, brain fog, fatigue, hives, or anxiety. Often all at once
You've spent hours Googling, only to feel more overwhelmed and scared
Diet helped at first, but you've hit a wall, and something deeper is going on
Food anxiety, isolation, and the exhaustion of chronic illness are taking their toll
"I was absolutely miserable: diarrhoea, asthma, sneezing, puffy face, itchy skin, inflamed joints. Afterward, all of them had gone. It completely changed my life. The food is yummy. Life-changing!"
Sabina Lloyd, Kickstart graduate
You're not being dramatic. This isn't "all in your head." Histamine intolerance, food sensitivities, and MCAS are real. This is exactly what we address.
The method
01
Food foundations
A clear, low histamine framework so you know exactly what to eat
02
Nervous system
Retrain the reactivity patterns that diet alone can't resolve
03
Gut repair
Restore the gut function that controls histamine breakdown
Not random advice. A structured system, with a clear order for a reason.
Your next step
Not sure where to begin?
Most people start in the same place. Here's what we recommend based on where you are right now.
⭐ Start here
New to histamine intolerance or food sensitivities?
New to histamine intolerance or food sensitivities?
Begin with the Kickstart Course.
6 self-paced stages take you from confused to clear: you get the diet foundation, a complete 4-week meal plan, 55+ recipes, and video modules that explain everything in plain language. Work through it at your own speed. Most people notice a meaningful difference within the first few weeks.
Start with Kickstart ($197 USD) →
If you...
Already eat low histamine but are still reacting, exhausted, or anxious around food
→ BrainFood is for you
If you...
Are not sure yet whether this is histamine intolerance or want to understand it first
→ Watch the free masterclass
If you...
Just want to know what to eat right now, without committing to anything
→ Download the free food guide
The HWH approach
More than what you eat
Most approaches throw everything at you at once. The HWH method works in a specific order because that order matters: food first to stop the reactions, then the nervous system to address why reactions keep happening even when the diet is right, then the gut to restore the function that controls histamine breakdown at its source.
01
Food: stop the reactions with a clear plan
Give your body a genuine break. Follow a clear, delicious low histamine meal plan that removes the guesswork, without making restrictions permanent or your family miserable.
02
Nervous system: break the cycle diet alone can't fix
If diet alone isn't enough, your nervous system may be stuck in high alert, reacting to things that should be safe. Brain retraining and somatic tools calm the reactivity at its root.
03
Gut repair: rebuild your tolerance from the inside out
Histamine is broken down in the gut. Restoring gut health, done the right way, without fermented foods or bone broth, is foundational to lasting progress.
Luanne Hopkinson
Clinical Nutritionist · Neuroscience Coach
GradDipHumNutr · BSc · ADipNutrMed
MAP Certified · ATMS 50917
MAP Certified · ATMS 50917
Meet Luanne
Read Luanne's full story
I've been where you are.
For decades, I lived with IBS, heartburn, eczema, anxiety, MCAS, ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, mould sensitivity, and more. I spent years seeing doctors with no answers. Eventually I crashed completely. I couldn't get out of bed and had to leave my career.
I recovered. Fully. And now I support others to do the same. Not by handing you a list of foods to avoid, but by addressing the real root cause: the gut, the nervous system, and how they work together.
I bridge conventional and holistic medicine, combining clinical nutrition, naturopathic principles, and neuroscience to address the whole person, not just the symptom list. Luanne focuses on histamine intolerance, food sensitivities, and MCAS, drawing on 11 years plus in natural health.
Symptoms that no longer impact my life
GradDip Human Nutrition, Deakin
Bachelor of Science, Auckland
Adv. Diploma Nutritional Medicine
MAP Certified Practitioner
Gut microbiome & SIBO training
NLP Master · iRest Meditation
ATMS 50917 · Health fund rebates
11 years plus in natural health
"I bridge the gap between conventional and holistic medicine by combining a scientific evidence-based approach with naturopathic traditions and neuroscience. You don't have to choose between the two."
Luanne Hopkinson, GradDipHumNutr BSc ADipNutrMed
Choose your path
Where are you in your journey?
Whether you've just discovered histamine intolerance or you've been living with food sensitivities, MCAS, or nervous system reactivity for years, there's a clear next step designed for exactly where you are right now.
Not ready to commit yet
Not sure where to start?
Two free resources to get you going. Choose one or get both.
- Free masterclass The 5 steps to managing histamine intolerance Watch free →
- Free food guide The complete low histamine food list Download free →
Free
Best place to start · for most people
Easy Low Histamine Kickstart Course
The step-by-step program that tells you exactly what to eat, how to prepare it, and why it works, so you can reduce symptoms and enjoy food again.
- 6 comprehensive stages
- 55+ delicious low histamine recipes
- 4-week meal plan with shopping lists
- Video modules
- Food reintroduction protocol
- Gut Health Masterclass bonus ($247 value)
- 7-day family meal plan
- Lifetime access
From $197 USD
Learn more →
Nervous system support
BrainFood Nervous System Program
If diet alone hasn't been enough, or you've plateaued, still reacting, anxious around eating: this is the root cause work that changes everything.
- Self-paced nervous system program
- Brain retraining & neuroplasticity
- Somatic exercises & vagus nerve work
- MAP Rapid Rewire (Level 2)
- Community chat forum
- Video modules · Lifetime access
From $297 USD
Learn more →Not sure which is right for you? Get in touch. Luanne reads every message.
Looking for personalised 1:1 support? The HWH Method is application-based and includes full nutritional consultation with Luanne and her team.
Free on the blog
Free low histamine recipes
Delicious food is not optional. It's part of getting well. Every recipe on the blog is low histamine, properly tested, and designed to be enjoyed by the whole family.
Delicious food is not optional. It's part of getting well. Every recipe here is low histamine, properly tested, and genuinely good enough to feed the whole family.
Browse by category
"When I started I was a mess: constipation, bloating, reflux, brain fog, and in pain. Now I feel more confident, I look like my old self. I feel pretty again! It's the best I've ever felt, mentally, physically, and spiritually. I got my life back."
Kelly Holmes · HWH Method graduate
Real results
Real client results
Women just like you. Exhausted, confused, told there was nothing more to be done. Who found their way forward.
★★★★★
"After working with Luanne I have less bloating, less reflux, more energy, less pain during periods, and less anxiety. Working with Luanne was life-changing: the piece that was missing."
Nikki Smith
HWH Method graduate
★★★★★
"I went from waking up all night with hives, psoriasis, bloating and dizziness, to sleeping through, clear skin, no bloating, and almost 10kg lost. After just 6 weeks."
Cydonia Smith
4-week meal plan
★★★★★
"Now I don't have insomnia, I can drink wine and eat high histamine foods again. I only avoid a very small list. The program is holistic, effective, and Luanne is knowledgeable, kind, and professional."
E.S.
HWH Method graduate
★★★★★
"Luanne's recipes are good enough to feed to everyone in the family: great flavour, well organised. I wish I had them when I started. Finally a meal plan from someone who knows how to cook!"
Katie Anderson
4-week meal plan
★★★★★
"Before I started I had a huge fear of foods. Now I am more confident and relaxed. Getting back an enjoyment in food! This program is 10/10: easy to use, extremely helpful, safe, and informative."
A.D.
HWH Method graduate
From the shop
Meal plans and ebooks
Not ready for a full program? Start with a meal plan or recipe ebook. Every one is clinician-designed, properly low histamine, and built around real food you'll actually want to eat.
Pressure cooker recipes
Fast, fuss-free low histamine meals for busy days.
From $17 AUD
Plant-based recipe ebook
84 vegan low histamine recipes with a 7-day meal plan.
From $17 AUD
Family meals plan
Everyone eats the same thing. No separate cooking.
From $17 AUD
Low oxalate recipes
For those managing both histamine and oxalate load.
From $17 AUD
Free. No strings.
Start understanding your body
Watch the free on-demand masterclass and download the free low histamine food guide. Get real clarity on what histamine intolerance is, why you're reacting, and the 5 steps that lead to genuine progress.
- Understand what histamine intolerance actually is, and why your symptoms make sense
- Get the complete low histamine food guide (what to eat and what to avoid)
- Learn the 5 steps to managing your symptoms, including the step most approaches miss entirely
- Find out whether your nervous system is part of the picture
Two free ways to start, right now.
Choose the one that suits where you are today, or get both.
The 5 steps to managing histamine intolerance
Free on-demand masterclass. 45 minutes with Luanne: the clearest explanation of what histamine intolerance is, why you're reacting, and exactly how to address it.
Watch free →
Free Low Histamine Food Guide
The complete list of what to eat and what to avoid on a low histamine diet. Download it, print it, keep it on the fridge. Instant access, no guesswork.
Download free →
No spam, ever. Unsubscribe anytime. You're safe here.
Questions
Common questions
Honest answers to the questions I hear most, because you deserve clarity, not more confusion.
Many of the people I work with have been managing histamine intolerance for years, sometimes decades. If you've had the diet mostly handled but are still reacting, or if you're dealing with a complex picture involving MCAS, ME/CFS, or nervous system dysregulation, BrainFood was designed specifically for where you are. There's a path forward regardless of how long you've been unwell.
Diet is important, but it's not the whole picture. If you've been eating low histamine and are still reacting, your nervous system may have become dysregulated and is reacting to things that should be safe. This is exactly what BrainFood addresses.
Both programs are designed for exactly this. Kickstart is fully self-paced. BrainFood's nervous system tools are designed to be done from the couch, or even from bed on a hard day. I lived through ME/CFS. I know what it's like to not have energy to spare, and I built these programs with that in mind.
Kickstart is the diet foundation: what to eat, how to prepare it, 55+ recipes, meal plans, and a reintroduction protocol. BrainFood is the nervous system program: it addresses why your body keeps reacting even when the diet is right, through brain retraining, somatic tools, vagus nerve work, and MAP Rapid Rewire. Many people get the best results doing both, but they work at different stages of the journey.
No. A well-executed low histamine elimination diet is the gold standard for finding out if you have histamine intolerance, and it's something you can start at home. Simply following the steps for a few weeks will give you clear answers quickly, without spending a fortune on tests that often don't help anyway.
Yes. Kickstart includes a full 7-day family meal plan. The recipes are genuinely delicious. As one client put it: "good enough to feed to everyone in the family, great flavour. Finally a meal plan from someone who knows how to cook!" Your family won't notice anything has changed.
About histamine intolerance and MCAS
Your questions answered
Everything you need to know about histamine intolerance, food sensitivities, and MCAS.
What is histamine intolerance? Histamine intolerance is a condition in which the body cannot adequately break down histamine, leading to symptoms including hives, reflux, brain fog, anxiety, fatigue and sleep disturbance. It is distinct from a food allergy and is often misdiagnosed as IBS or anxiety.
Histamine intolerance happens when your body can't break down histamine fast enough. Histamine is a natural chemical found in many foods and produced by your own body, and it plays important roles in digestion, immune response, and the nervous system. Problems start when histamine builds up faster than the enzyme DAO (diamine oxidase) can clear it. When the bucket overflows, you get symptoms. It is not a food allergy, and it is not all in your head. It is a real physiological condition that is often misdiagnosed as IBS, anxiety, or rosacea for years before anyone connects the dots.
The symptom list is long, which is part of why histamine intolerance is so hard to identify. Common symptoms include hives, skin flushing, and rashes; headaches and migraines; bloating, reflux, and IBS-type digestive issues; brain fog and fatigue; anxiety, heart palpitations, and dizziness; insomnia; sinus congestion and runny nose; and painful or heavy periods. What makes it confusing is that symptoms can vary day to day depending on your total histamine load, which is why the same food might be fine one day and trigger a reaction the next. If you recognise yourself in this list, you are not imagining it.
Histamine intolerance is primarily a problem with histamine breakdown, often driven by low DAO enzyme activity, gut dysbiosis, or a high dietary histamine load. Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) goes a step further: it involves mast cells releasing histamine and other inflammatory mediators inappropriately, in response to triggers that should be harmless. MCAS tends to produce more widespread and unpredictable reactions, and often involves sensitivity to things beyond food, including smells, heat, medications, and stress. The two conditions overlap significantly and often coexist. The approach to both involves food, gut repair, and nervous system support, which is why the HWH method addresses all three together.
Yes, for many people, real and lasting recovery is possible. I know this because I have lived it myself, and I have supported hundreds of women through it. The key is addressing the root causes rather than just managing triggers forever. That means repairing the gut to restore DAO enzyme production, retraining the nervous system so your body stops reacting to things that should be safe, and giving your body the conditions it needs to increase its tolerance over time. A low histamine diet is a starting point, not the destination. The goal is to get back to eating freely and feeling well, not to stay restricted indefinitely.
The main categories to reduce are aged and fermented foods (including cheese, wine, vinegar, soy sauce, and kombucha), processed meats, tinned fish, leftovers, alcohol, and certain fruits and vegetables including avocado, spinach, tomato, and citrus. Freshness matters enormously: histamine forms as food ages, so even a food that is technically low histamine can become a problem if it has been sitting in the fridge. One thing I want to be clear about: the random lists you find online often contradict each other and can send you in the wrong direction. A structured, evidence-based approach makes a far bigger difference than cutting out foods based on incomplete information. The free Low Histamine Food Guide is a good place to start.
There is no single definitive test for histamine intolerance. DAO enzyme blood tests exist but are not reliable on their own. The gold standard is a properly structured low histamine elimination diet followed by a systematic reintroduction. If your symptoms improve on the elimination phase and return when you reintroduce high histamine foods, that is a strong indicator. Most people get clearer answers from a well-run elimination diet in a few weeks than from years of inconclusive testing. If you suspect histamine intolerance, the most useful first step is not more testing, it is a structured plan that gives your body a real chance to show you what is going on.
You deserve this
Eat freely. Feel well again.
Wherever you are, newly diagnosed or years into it, there is a clear path forward. You don't have to figure it out alone, and you don't have to keep suffering. I'll show you exactly how.
Lifetime access · Instant access · Self-paced · Designed for exhausted bodies
