Starting my day with something low-histamine AND DELICIOUS gives me the energy and good vibes to start my day right!
(Click for more on nutrition of low-histamine foods)
This is one place we don't need to settle! In fact, my breakfast practices have changed very little since I started the low-histamine diet. I used to eat oatmeal with almond or soy milk (for the additional nutrients), topped with brown sugar (for taste). I still eat oatmeal every morning. In fact, when I'm feeling my histamine bucket fill and need to reset, I tend to eat oats multiple times in one day, just because it makes me feel so much better and cleans out the ol' gut. Not only are oats super high in fiber, but they have a surprising amount of protein! I find oatmeal to be very filling and lasts a few hours before I need to eat again, which is a big deal for me. Oats are also known to significantly lower cholesterol. People who have been prescribed medications to keep down their cholesterol have tried oats first and no longer needed the meds! I was actually stopped in the grocery store last week by an 87 year old man (of which he informed me) who saw the massive amount of oats I was buying and wanted me to know I had the right idea. He proudly told me that those oats are the reason he's still alive and not on any meds. So, despite such a strict diet, I could do worse!
These days, I just fill a bowl with oats, drown it in water, and microwave for two minutes, stopping to stir and add water as needed around 1:30. I then stir in brown sugar and chia seeds. Chia seeds are a new addition to my list of things I can tolerate, which is great because they are considered a "super food" due to their many nutritional benefits. I use at least one tablespoon in each bowl of oats, and the texture is actually pretty great. Just that one tablespoon has almost 70 Calories (helps me stay full longer!), 20% fiber, 2.5 g protein, 8% calcium, 6% iron, 11% magnesium, as well as antioxidants and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. (See my upcoming recipe for chia pudding for even more chia in your life!)
I will say, eating oatmeal multiple times a day can start to feel boring. When I need a little extra something, I cut up an apple and throw it in after a minute of microwaving. It gets just soft enough to mix in well, without being mushy. Before my diet, I used to mix it up with several different toppings. Simply brown sugar is definitely my favorite, but I've done PB, almond butter, maple syrup, fruit, honey, chocolate... the best is mixing and matching, though. For example, I went through a phase in which I was eating PB and melted dark chocolate chips in my oats every morning. Notably, I did not feel my best during this phase :-P Another good combo is almond butter and maple syrup, sometimes with brown sugar as well.
I could talk about oatmeal all day, and I've had many days in which I've eaten more than 5 bowls of it in one day, but probably not everyone is obsessed like I am, so to move along...
Another great breakfast is classic eggs and potatoes. I never thought of this meal as super healthy, especially because I usually ate it at greasy diners and ate some white bread on the side. It's actually not bad, though! I react to chicken egg whites, so I have to either use just egg yolks (not great) or use a different kind of egg, like duck, goose, or quail. I have found duck eggs to be the most readily available, and the most useful size. Duck eggs have three times more iron than chicken eggs, twice as much vitamins A/B1,2,6,9/E, significantly more protein, and almost six times the vitamin B12 of chicken eggs at 63% DV. B12 is often an issue for people with EDS and can help fight fatigue, so duck eggs are a great remedy. As an added bonus, I happen to think duck eggs are delicious; the rubbery texture of chicken egg whites sometimes made me nauseous (although I suppose it may have been my mast cells reacting to it) and I find duck eggs to have a better texture as well as yolk-to-white ratio.
I tend to scramble my eggs because the more thoroughly it's cooked, the less likely I am to react to the bacteria that may have weaseled their way in. If I have very fresh eggs that were just laid by a duck down the road a few days ago, I spoil myself with a nice egg fried over-medium. Otherwise, scrambled is still good. I pour a disgusting amount of Himalayan pink salt on top to treat my POTS, and have started sprinkling some oregano on top. The mast cell jury's still not out yet on whether I can tolerate the salicylates in herbs, but they are high in histamine-fighters like DAO, so it's worth a try! Plus it's extra tasty.
Eggs are boring on their own, so I like to make home fries! Potatoes are not the most nutrient dense roots, but I've discovered that their not as bad as I originally thought. According to the USDA, a medium-sized potato has about 25% potassium and 18% fiber. They also have 2% calcium, a whopping 70% vitamin C (so long, histamine-loaded citrus!!), 30% vitamin B6, as well as some iron and magnesium. But here's the thing -- there are so many kinds of potatoes! This might seem obvious, but I had never thought about the nutritional, or taste, differences until I was eating several potatoes every day. As most people know, sweet potatoes are a much healthier version of potatoes, mostly for their vitamin A. Sweet potatoes are low in histamine, but unfortunately are high in oxalates, one of the other things I react to.
Purple potatoes, on the other hand, do not make me ill, and add some interesting health benefits. Have you ever heard that you should eat a variety of colors in your produce? That's because, generally speaking, the colors indicate the type of nutrition (more in another post to come). In this case, the deep purple color is caused by flavanoid pigments found in red cabbage, plums, grapes, pomegranates, and blueberries. Purple potatoes actually have really similar benefits to blueberries! They have tons of antioxidants that fight cancer and regulate hormones, and boost your immune system. To be honest, though, I think my favorite thing about purple potatoes is simply how aesthetically gorgeous they are! They give me a significant mood-boost just by seeing the beautiful patterns when I cut them open and having something that isn't beige or tan in my diet.
For cereal lovers, I've been able to tolerate simple rice cereals (with no added ingredients) and am going to try corn cereals soon! I am lactose intolerant and therefor stick to coconut milk (So Delicious brand is organic and has few added ingredients), but organic cow's milk
is supposed to be low in histamine.
Want to pretend you're on a tropical vacation to Costa Rica? Gallo pinto (rice, beans, eggs, and chicken) or arroz con pollo (rice and chicken) are totally doable! Add a side of mango, and you may as well be on the beach! (**I'm actually still working on not reacting to legumes, but beans should be find for MCAS folks)
For a sweeter breakfast choice, see my upcoming post about chia pudding!