The Histamine Connection with Yasmina Ykelenstam - #175

How Healthy Foods Can Trigger Inflammation

Yasmina Ykelenstam was suffering from debilitating symptoms and couldn’t get the help she needed from doctors. Frustrated and sick, she turned to her skills as a journalist and uncovered the true source of her health issues: histamines. Listen as she explains common symptoms of histamine issues and how to solve them using a 4-week elimination diet. If you suspect you have problems with histamines, don’t miss this episode, where we uncover which foods to avoid and who to consult to get the best care.

Key Takeaways:
[1:16] Yasmina Ykelenstam’s career briefing
[2:50] As a result of working in extreme conditions as a journalist in Iraq, Yasmina developed serious health problems that doctors didn’t know how to treat.
[3:40] How do you know if you have issues with histamine?
[4:10] Histamine, or mast cell activation issues present with a wide range of symptoms, including gastrointestinal problems, allergies, emotional issues, and more.
[5:33] The first step if you think you might have histamine problems is treating the naturopathic way.
[6:35] Try a four-week elimination diet, getting rid of all histamine, and see how you feel afterward.
[7:14] The right amount of histamine is required by a healthy body to function.
[7:48] If you don't see much change after the four weeks, you should check for Mast Cell Activation Syndrome with a functional medicine doctor.
[9:22] Testing alone is not enough.
[10:08] You can’t reduce histamine for too long (longer than four weeks), since there is a possibility that your body will start to produce more histamine in response.
[13:28] Make your own list of safe foods.
[14:47] Foods that can trigger histamine-related inflammation include: fermented foods, tomatoes, pineapples, strawberries, red-colored foods in general, cacao, anything that’s not found in nature, avocados, and nuts except almonds, pecans, and a few others.
[19:03] Meditation and yoga make the biggest difference in Yasmina’s daily life.
[20:49] Yasmina gives JJ’s audience a free digital book explaining histamine.
[22:20] Make a small change in something you do every day: start with having one of JJ’s shakes for breakfast!
[23:05] Listener’s question: What do you think about the diet where you can eat well five days a week and cheat two days? The foods that hurt us create an immune response, triggering a craving cycle and system-wide inflammation that can last for days.