Arlene,
Someone I knew used it for Crohn's years ago. (He tried everything at one time or other.) I only remember it because someone else was using the nasal spray version, and they caught on that it was the same drug.
The idea of stabilizing mast cells is exactly the kind of thing I have a mental image of striving for with all aspects of the body's reactivity - just calm this stuff down. Mary Beth's explanation that the tendency to react could eventually also calm down is very heartening. I know that might not happen, and it wouldn't happen soon in any case, but I'm liking it anyway.
It's my experience with (let's say) my over-excitable dog that once he's wound up, it doesn't take much to trigger him. That's been my experience with allergies, and my own emotional state when I was younger and more prone to bursting into tears over not much at all. I think it's the same with some of these digestive problems, but they're harder to figure out.
This is good news - certainly for you, and for some others here, and maybe me. It's really impressive to me that you've worked all this out so methodically and thoughtfully.
Great thinking,
Sara
Mast Cells
Moderators: Rosie, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
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TooManyHats
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Sorry to hear about the ketchup, Arlene.
As you say, maybe it's too soon. My guess for my own tomato tolerance is that ketchup would be higher in risk because of the sweetener (and maybe other ingredients, even organic?). We used to use organic chopped/deseeded tomatoes a lot (oh, right back when we ate pasta, lol). Maybe I'll try that before I attempt the raw/local ones when they hit the farmer's market.
The homemade almond milk is super-easy to make, if you are staring at labels of packaged ones with concern. I definitely am needing to add a few more convenience foods into my life, but happily I actually prefer my homemade enough to make the effort worthwhile.
I'm going to stop by our local pharmacy today and pick up some cromolyn sodium nasal spray. I may have to stare at it for a few days before trying it... I think I'll look at Claritin and Zyrtec labels with a stern eye, too.
Mary Beth, you gave us a lot to think about. This season is definitely my worst for allergies, so very likely for general mast cell issues. Maybe if I can turn down the volume on the reactivity, I can get to midsummer with a better ability to figure out my diet.
--Sara
As you say, maybe it's too soon. My guess for my own tomato tolerance is that ketchup would be higher in risk because of the sweetener (and maybe other ingredients, even organic?). We used to use organic chopped/deseeded tomatoes a lot (oh, right back when we ate pasta, lol). Maybe I'll try that before I attempt the raw/local ones when they hit the farmer's market.
The homemade almond milk is super-easy to make, if you are staring at labels of packaged ones with concern. I definitely am needing to add a few more convenience foods into my life, but happily I actually prefer my homemade enough to make the effort worthwhile.
I'm going to stop by our local pharmacy today and pick up some cromolyn sodium nasal spray. I may have to stare at it for a few days before trying it... I think I'll look at Claritin and Zyrtec labels with a stern eye, too.
Mary Beth, you gave us a lot to think about. This season is definitely my worst for allergies, so very likely for general mast cell issues. Maybe if I can turn down the volume on the reactivity, I can get to midsummer with a better ability to figure out my diet.
--Sara
Arlene,
The problem with ketchup is the vinegar and the tomatoes. It's a double-whammy for mast cells.
I bet you could try tomatoes with your routine and have better success.
I've been rereading the high-histamine food lists and there are some contradictions. One list says all nuts are bad; another says all nuts are good.
I suppose we have to experiment to figure out what bothers us. My gut likes almond milk and flour, but protests with almond butter. Maybe there's something in the skins.
Gloria
The problem with ketchup is the vinegar and the tomatoes. It's a double-whammy for mast cells.
I bet you could try tomatoes with your routine and have better success.
I've been rereading the high-histamine food lists and there are some contradictions. One list says all nuts are bad; another says all nuts are good.
I suppose we have to experiment to figure out what bothers us. My gut likes almond milk and flour, but protests with almond butter. Maybe there's something in the skins.Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
Gloria,
I think you might be right about the skins. (Phytates?) I thought it was the fiber, but I am tolerating moderate amounts of fiber pretty well. We made a smoothie with almonds I had soaked but not yet blanched and peeled, and it even tasted kind of strange to me, and I had some mild symptoms this morning. It might not just be that, of course, because we also ate out - but I have "had a feeling" about the skins for some time. I have "had a feeling" about a lot of things for a long time, and it's time to start writing them down!
Maybe it's a histamine issue, and maybe there are so many types of issues, they interact the way medications (and nutrients) do.
I forgot about the vinegar. I am using mostly lemon juice (which is another thing I have long preferred in salads... just didn't love vinegar, which seemed to make me cough?). We have a rice vinegar that I seem to tolerate OK.
Love,
Sara
I think you might be right about the skins. (Phytates?) I thought it was the fiber, but I am tolerating moderate amounts of fiber pretty well. We made a smoothie with almonds I had soaked but not yet blanched and peeled, and it even tasted kind of strange to me, and I had some mild symptoms this morning. It might not just be that, of course, because we also ate out - but I have "had a feeling" about the skins for some time. I have "had a feeling" about a lot of things for a long time, and it's time to start writing them down!
Maybe it's a histamine issue, and maybe there are so many types of issues, they interact the way medications (and nutrients) do.
I forgot about the vinegar. I am using mostly lemon juice (which is another thing I have long preferred in salads... just didn't love vinegar, which seemed to make me cough?). We have a rice vinegar that I seem to tolerate OK.
Love,
Sara
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TooManyHats
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Gloria,
You're absolutely right. I forgot about the vinegar being a factor, too. Nonetheless, I'll be waiting quite a while before trying anything in the tomato family again until I'm perhaps more stabilized.
As far as nuts go, the list I use says that almonds are in the "low" category for histamines. I wonder if it's the fiber for you Gloria, not the skins. Here's the link:
http://www.sswahs.nsw.gov.au/rpa/allerg ... Thesis.pdf
You have to go almost all the way down to the bottom to find the amines list. I like this list because it gives categories such as negligible, low, moderate, high, and very high. This gal doesn't even list vinegar though, which I know is high.
You're absolutely right. I forgot about the vinegar being a factor, too. Nonetheless, I'll be waiting quite a while before trying anything in the tomato family again until I'm perhaps more stabilized.
As far as nuts go, the list I use says that almonds are in the "low" category for histamines. I wonder if it's the fiber for you Gloria, not the skins. Here's the link:
http://www.sswahs.nsw.gov.au/rpa/allerg ... Thesis.pdf
You have to go almost all the way down to the bottom to find the amines list. I like this list because it gives categories such as negligible, low, moderate, high, and very high. This gal doesn't even list vinegar though, which I know is high.
Arlene
Progress, not perfection.
Progress, not perfection.
I found this posted by Marsha (artteacher) back in 2005:Gloria wrote:My gut likes almond milk and flour, but protests with almond butter. Maybe there's something in the skins.
Marsha wrote:The only problem is that if you grind the ones with the skin on, the bits of skin that look like little dark flecks, can be irritating, and trigger D. That type is crunchier and good for breading meats. Elaine Gottschell mentioned that it can be irritating, in her book, and recommended that no one use flour with the skins for quite a while after D goes away.
I've never read Elaine Gottschell's "Specific Carbohydrate Diet" book. Is anyone else familiar with this recommendation?
I should mention that I've tried the following brands of almond butter: Trader Joe's, Justin's, Barney Butter, and Blue Diamond. I've reacted to all of them. Barney Butter is so smooth that the skins aren't even visible, but I still react to it. I think the problem isn't just the fiber. Taking this one step further - would that mean that other nut butters would give the same problems because of the skins? I have a jar of macadamia nut butter which I'm nervous to try. I presently have 3 opened jars of almond butter in my fridge and don't want to add to them.
Gloria
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
Gloria,
I do know that book - I owned that book, and lent it to someone. (Now I want it back - any idea who I gave it to??)
But first - I believe your results are authoritative. I had almond butter last night at a restaurant (as part of a dish) that was made in-house. It was fabulous, and quite distinct to what I've been having (Justin's or Once Again). When I mentioned it, the waitress said that they make it with marcona almonds, which I have always seen peeled. Hm.
Another factor could be that nut butter is inherently oilier than nut milk - the nature of the almond milk preparation would dilute the fat percentage a lot. But you have also used the pulp. So I stand by your suspicion of the skins.
I don't know that other nuts/skins would necessarily be the same (and some others are more tedious to de-skin - though I have tried a lot, even pre-MC). Pistachios are not a 'true nut' (but I am not convinced that is a useful distinction - that's a botanical question, and we are looking for answers from our personal, human biology). I "feel" as though pistachios, which are hard to skin, are OK to have in my milk preparations, even if I don't do a great job getting that outer layer off. Walnuts - I don't think so. I wish I had either science, or a larger body of personally collected data, to back up my assertions. If I can get it more nailed down, I will share.
For some months, I was soaking a variety of nuts to make vegan 'sour cream' (or cream soup base, or nut milks) before MC caught up with. I had a strong preference for the results with the peeled nut even then, though it's more tedious. I believe that about half my 'instincts' are driving me right in the wrong direction (pasta cravings, there's a good example), and the other half are spot on. I wish I could download an app to know which are which.
The SCD diet has a website, and they post a list of allowed/forbidden foods (which I believe has been updated since the book was first published). Here are the general guidelines: http://www.scdiet.org/1about/scdwhatis.html - at a glance, you'll see that cottage cheese is allowed, and probably that a couple of your known 'best friend' foods are restricted. I believe her original work was a light of reason in a dark place of IBD, but that not every conclusion she reached will work for each of us. You may nonetheless find recipes that are appropriate.
My mother saw the book 'Breaking the Vicious Cycle' when visiting (15 years ago?) and was immediately curious. It pains me now that so many of the calories in her last months (here in our home) were from gluten grains (believe me, I am also grateful that she was eating what she still enjoyed and could swallow). She had a long and fortunate life, especially for someone who certainly had undiagnosed gluten intolerance (since I got one gene from each parent), but if she had known at my age what I know now, I wonder whether the debility of her late years was inevitable.
Having wandered a bit - I am convinced that it is not the fiber alone in the almond skins - for you and me, at least. Whether it is the oil (perhaps by percentage - so much higher in the almond butter than in a milk-type preparation?), or some other component, I can't guess convincingly. I believe this is a separate issue from the matter of texture for use as flour, etc. BUT - if the meal with skins cannot perform like the blanched flour, it might not only be due to the relative coarseness. There might be something chemical involved - and if so, then YES you might be able to tolerate skinless almonds, but not with the skins on.
Love,
sara
I do know that book - I owned that book, and lent it to someone. (Now I want it back - any idea who I gave it to??)
But first - I believe your results are authoritative. I had almond butter last night at a restaurant (as part of a dish) that was made in-house. It was fabulous, and quite distinct to what I've been having (Justin's or Once Again). When I mentioned it, the waitress said that they make it with marcona almonds, which I have always seen peeled. Hm.
Another factor could be that nut butter is inherently oilier than nut milk - the nature of the almond milk preparation would dilute the fat percentage a lot. But you have also used the pulp. So I stand by your suspicion of the skins.
I don't know that other nuts/skins would necessarily be the same (and some others are more tedious to de-skin - though I have tried a lot, even pre-MC). Pistachios are not a 'true nut' (but I am not convinced that is a useful distinction - that's a botanical question, and we are looking for answers from our personal, human biology). I "feel" as though pistachios, which are hard to skin, are OK to have in my milk preparations, even if I don't do a great job getting that outer layer off. Walnuts - I don't think so. I wish I had either science, or a larger body of personally collected data, to back up my assertions. If I can get it more nailed down, I will share.
For some months, I was soaking a variety of nuts to make vegan 'sour cream' (or cream soup base, or nut milks) before MC caught up with. I had a strong preference for the results with the peeled nut even then, though it's more tedious. I believe that about half my 'instincts' are driving me right in the wrong direction (pasta cravings, there's a good example), and the other half are spot on. I wish I could download an app to know which are which.
The SCD diet has a website, and they post a list of allowed/forbidden foods (which I believe has been updated since the book was first published). Here are the general guidelines: http://www.scdiet.org/1about/scdwhatis.html - at a glance, you'll see that cottage cheese is allowed, and probably that a couple of your known 'best friend' foods are restricted. I believe her original work was a light of reason in a dark place of IBD, but that not every conclusion she reached will work for each of us. You may nonetheless find recipes that are appropriate.
My mother saw the book 'Breaking the Vicious Cycle' when visiting (15 years ago?) and was immediately curious. It pains me now that so many of the calories in her last months (here in our home) were from gluten grains (believe me, I am also grateful that she was eating what she still enjoyed and could swallow). She had a long and fortunate life, especially for someone who certainly had undiagnosed gluten intolerance (since I got one gene from each parent), but if she had known at my age what I know now, I wonder whether the debility of her late years was inevitable.
Having wandered a bit - I am convinced that it is not the fiber alone in the almond skins - for you and me, at least. Whether it is the oil (perhaps by percentage - so much higher in the almond butter than in a milk-type preparation?), or some other component, I can't guess convincingly. I believe this is a separate issue from the matter of texture for use as flour, etc. BUT - if the meal with skins cannot perform like the blanched flour, it might not only be due to the relative coarseness. There might be something chemical involved - and if so, then YES you might be able to tolerate skinless almonds, but not with the skins on.
Love,
sara
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TooManyHats
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TooManyHats
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I'm not sure about chicken. My body doesn't seem to love it, but it doesn't seem to hate it either. I think I cqn have chicken, but I certainly wouldn't have it every week.
Next up, eggs.
I've also finally made an appt with my GI to get a proper prescription for Gastrocrom (cromolyn sodium). It's time to stop fooling around and see what a dose closer to therapeutic will do for me. I'm also thinking about switching my morning dose of Zyrtec to either Claritin or Allegra just based on the fact that the Zyrtec has the lactose monohydrate. I figure better to be safe than sorry. One didn't seem to cause a problem, but things haven't been as good since I added the morning dose.
Next up, eggs.
I've also finally made an appt with my GI to get a proper prescription for Gastrocrom (cromolyn sodium). It's time to stop fooling around and see what a dose closer to therapeutic will do for me. I'm also thinking about switching my morning dose of Zyrtec to either Claritin or Allegra just based on the fact that the Zyrtec has the lactose monohydrate. I figure better to be safe than sorry. One didn't seem to cause a problem, but things haven't been as good since I added the morning dose.
Arlene,
This is just amazing trail-blazing you're doing. I'll be interested in which of the antihistamines works best for you. I had weird symptoms the day after I first tried a generic Claritin (very dizzy!), but was also recovering from a cold, so am not sure it was the lactose, the active ingredient, or some other factor.
Sorry chicken is iffy - maybe with the therapeutic dose, it would have been manageable? Good to know, though, that you can have a little chicken without drastically upsetting your equilibrium.
I'll be interested in your GI's response to your inquiries.
Thanks for sharing this - it's really inspiring to me,
Sara
This is just amazing trail-blazing you're doing. I'll be interested in which of the antihistamines works best for you. I had weird symptoms the day after I first tried a generic Claritin (very dizzy!), but was also recovering from a cold, so am not sure it was the lactose, the active ingredient, or some other factor.
Sorry chicken is iffy - maybe with the therapeutic dose, it would have been manageable? Good to know, though, that you can have a little chicken without drastically upsetting your equilibrium.
I'll be interested in your GI's response to your inquiries.
Thanks for sharing this - it's really inspiring to me,
Sara
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TooManyHats
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Arlene -
I'll be seeing my PCP when I get back from our trip - hoping for a similar openness. One main reason to see her is to get her up to speed with my diagnosis, Enterolab results, current plans, etc. If she's not the doctor of my dreams, this will surely reveal it ;)
Good luck with this chapter in your trail-blazing efforts as well.
I'll be seeing my PCP when I get back from our trip - hoping for a similar openness. One main reason to see her is to get her up to speed with my diagnosis, Enterolab results, current plans, etc. If she's not the doctor of my dreams, this will surely reveal it ;)
Good luck with this chapter in your trail-blazing efforts as well.