You wanna know more? Here are the top questions I have received so far. You can email me at luanne@olivohealth.com.au if your question cannot be resolved below.
What foods are the plan based on?
The meal plan ebook has been developed from the free Happy Without Histamine – Low Histamine Foods List. This list addresses high and moderate histamine containing foods, histamine liberators, amines and nightshades that may all be causing gut irritation or adding to the bodies existing histamine load.
Is the plan gluten free?
The plan is primarily gluten free and completely wheat free. It does include oats, which are often a problem for coeliacs due to cross contamination with wheat or the protein avenin which is naturally found in oats. For some people this protein can cause a mimicking reaction in the body. For that reason I don’t claim the plan is gluten free.
Substitutions for oats are available by using millet flakes, quinoa flakes or other suitable grain like seeds.
Is the plan dairy free?
Yes! No dairy is used in any of the recipes except for optional butter in the risotto.
Do many recipes contain eggs?
The majority of recipes do not contain eggs. There are eggs in the frittata, scrambled eggs, zucchini fritters, pancakes, baked apple and rhubarb oatmeal, flax seed muffins and apple and ginger cookie.
The egg in the apple and ginger cookie and baked apple and rhubarb oatmeal replace well with a chia egg (made from chia seeds and water). I also think the zucchini fritter and pancakes will work well with an egg replacer.
The frittata, scrambled eggs, and flax seed muffin recipes would need to be substituted with one of the other meals in the plan.
How about Oxalates?
Some high oxalate foods are included in the diet. If you have an issue with them contact me about a personalised meal plan. Details at bottom of the page.
Can the plan be adapted for a vegan diet?
The majority of the basics like breakfasts, snacks, dips and sides are vegan. There are a couple of egg recipes such as scrambled eggs and frittatas which can be replaced with another dinner or breakfast (like the vegan Apple Ginger Scones). The majority of the main meals do use meat in some form as legumes are excluded due to histamine and amine content. For Vegan meals I recommend including legumes, as without it there will not be enough protein to keep you going.
For example the lamb moussaka style could be made with brown lentils, and a stir fry or salad could include chickpeas in place of meat.
I recommend against including soy in the first 4 weeks as it’s a histamine trigger and either processed (no so great) or fermented (great except for if you have histamine intolerance).
There will be a few meals that won’t be so easy to adapt, but in that case you can replace with one of the other meals like the butternut squash risotto, veggie quinoa bowl or the pesto pasta.
How do I know if the low histamine meal plan will work for me?
The only way to know is to try it. The gold standard for all food intolerances is to trial a 4 week elimination diet and observe the change of symptoms, then try reintroduction of foods one by one.
There are currently no highly reliable tests for histamine intolerance. You could test your DAO enzymes, serum tryptase or whole blood histamine to see if you may be lacking DAO, have mast cell activation or high histamine. These are difficult to test for however as the sample needs to be carefully stored (refrigerated) and the levels fluctuate widely between time of day and in relation to your symptoms.
How long is the plan?
The plan is four weeks, with an additional prep week for you to make a few basics like stocks, gluten free flour blends and herb mixes while you plan your shopping and review the recipes.
Please email me at luanne@olivohealth.com.au if your question is not in this list.