If you have histamine intolerance issues, you will benefit greatly by becoming more aware of specific food handling and preparation techniques that help keep histamine levels low.

Histamine can occur naturally in some foods (e.g., tomato, eggplant, very ripe avocado etc) and can also accumulate due to micro-organisms (aka - bacteria) breaking down protein in foods (e.g., aged and fermented foods like ham, smoked salmon, cultured vegetables, aged cheeses, chocolate, soy sauce etc). Just as bacteria can produce histamine in your gut, it can produce histamine in foods. Bacteria is present in most foods and this is perfectly acceptable when it’s fresh, but bacteria can multiply rapidly within a few short hours. This means that it's of high importance to be diligent in the ways that you handle and prepare foods when dealing with histamine intolerance. You want your food to be as fresh as possible and your kitchen to be as hygienic as possible to keep your exposure to bacteria and therefore histamine to a minimum.

PURCHASING HISTAMINE FRIENDLY MEATS

As mentioned in the Histamine Intolerance section, sulphites can release histamine and packaged meats can accumulate histamine. This is why it's important to avoid buying packaged meats from supermarkets (even if they are organic). These meats often contain unlabelled sulphites, which make the meat look pink or red instead of brown. Sulphites give the illusion of freshness. If for example you bought fresh beef mince/ground beef from your butcher and let it sit in your fridge for a day or two, it would go brown in the middle. This is what beef mince/ground beef is supposed to do unless it has been treated with preservatives. When you see those fresh looking packaged meats in supermarkets, remember that they probably only look fresh. Supermarket meats may have been sitting in their packaging for days or even months... accumulating histamine. Eeewwww!

Unfortunately, some butchers use sulphites to keep their products looking fresh. This is why it's really important to find a butcher you can trust.

You can use sulphite test strips to ensure that you are buying preservative free beef mince/ground beef and other meats. You can buy sulphite test strips here.

Vacuum packaged meat (cryovac) can sit in the packaging for up to 3 months accumulating histamine. It is always best to buy fresh unpackaged meats and store them appropriately in freezer safe glass containers. You can separate pieces of meat with brown parchment paper to stop them from sticking together, making single portions easy to access.

It's very important to avoid all processed meats. These meats are aged and have been sitting around in the 'not so fresh' deli section for way too long. They contain preservatives, such as sulphites and/or nitrates which can trigger symptoms.

Specialist butchers often produce nitrate free bacon and ham that look pink because they have been coloured with beetroot powder. However, remember that pork, aka - bacon and ham, are already naturally high in histamine and should be avoided unless you are following a simple approach.

BECOME BESTIES WITH YOUR BUTCHER

Find a specialist butcher who supplies organic, pasture raised and low stress stock handled meat and build a great relationship with that butcher. In fact, make this butcher your #1 Bestie! ;-)

Discuss your histamine intolerance with your butcher so that he/she understands that you require super fresh meat, including beef that hasn't been hung for very long. Because beef is a larger animal, it needs to be hung for longer. Some butchers supply beef that has been hung for less time which will therefore be lower in histamine. This beef will be tougher, but is perfect to use as beef mince/ground beef or for slow cooked meals. Remember however, that it is important to cook slow cooked meals for less time to keep histamine levels to a minimum.

Ask your specialist bestie butcher for meat that is 100% preservative free (aka - sulphite and nitrate free) and that hasn't been vacuum packed (aka - cryovac free). Tell him/her that you have sulphite test strips at home because you are so sensitive ;-)

Order fresh mince/ground meats that are ground on the day you will be using them or that have been frozen immediately upon being ground. Most specialist butchers will freeze your meat order on the day that products are delivered and/or processed/prepared upon your request. You can even ask for custom made sausages (that are low in salicylates if required, offal free, grain free and that are frozen as soon as they have been made etc).

You can also source your meat from local farms or make sure that your butcher sources meat locally. You might even like to organise a farm visit to ensure that the farmer has outstanding organic/bio-dynamic, pasture-based practices which include caring for his/her animals as naturally as possible and with utmost respect.

Avoid 'stressed out' meats that are full of stress hormones. Low Stress Stock Handling is gentler and kinder and means that the animals are not distressed when it comes time to slaughter. Some farmers use alternative slaughtering methods on their actual farm, which are much better for the animals and for you.

Avoid grain fed meat and ask your butcher what feeds their farmers use. Grain fed meat can cause inflammation and therefore reduce histamine tolerance levels. A good specialist butcher will be able to answer all your questions about feed ingredients and farming practices. :-)

Conventional meats contribute to toxic load which can raise histamine levels in your body and thus lower your threshold. Make sure that the meat you purchase has not been harmed with vaccines, hormones, antibiotics or any other conventional practices that contribute to disease.

Animals that are fed 'Frankenfood' (e.g., genetically modified soy, corn etc) and that are treated poorly are often sick. It seems logical to assume that if you eat sick animals, it's highly likely that you too may eventually become sick.

As a last resort, you can wash/rinse meat to lower histamine levels slightly. If you find yourself in a situation where you have to buy packaged supermarket meat (like an organic steak), rinse it well under chilled filtered water and pat it dry with paper towel before cooking.

Important reminder about choosing histamine friendly meats:

In the initial and/or early stages of your low histamine diet, avoid moderate to high histamine meats like duck, pork and turkey and avoid all aged meats such as organic nitrate free ham and bacon, organic jerky, wild smoked salmon etc. Just because it's organic or wild, doesn't mean it's histamine friendly.

A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT FISH

Fish rapidly accumulates histamine once it has been gutted. Fish is best eaten within 12 hours of catch or snap frozen on the day of catch, preferably immediately after gutting. Find a good fish provider and confidently have 'the histamine chat' with them. Ask them when fresh deliveries arrive and if they can snap freeze your order on the same day.

Wild caught fish are far superior to farmed. Farmed fish are often fed genetically modified soy and a range of other 'Fankenfoods' that fish don't normally eat. This can result in inflammation in your body which can lower your histamine threshold.

Be sure to use any frozen fish within 2 weeks.

Prawns are commonly treated with sulphites on the boat. Ask your fish provider if they can supply sulphite free prawns. Other seafoods can also be preserved with sulphites, so it's always best to ask.

Many people with histamine intolerance find fresh white fish to be more easily tolerated. This is because fresh salmon and fresh tuna are naturally moderately high in histamine (despite their freshness). It is therefore best to avoid these fish during the initial and/or early stages of your low histamine diet.

Once you fully understand your threshold, you may be able to rotate moderate and high histamine meats and fish so that you can enjoy a broader range of foods.

CREATE A HISTAMINE FRIENDLY KITCHEN

Since nasty bacteria contribute to histamine intolerance, it's important to become a bit of a 'clean freak' in your kitchen. ;-) If you've always imagined yourself having a sparkling, organised and fresh smelling kitchen, here's the perfect excuse to get your whole family on board!

Because bacteria can transfer or cross-contaminate, increasing your kitchen hygiene can reduce and/or prevent cross-contamination and thus reduce your exposure to histamine producing bacteria.

Here's a few tips to keep your kitchen hygienic and histamine friendly:

• Keep all of your kitchen counters and sinks clean (do not leave dirty dishes lying around). Use a microfibre cloth and some mild hot soapy water (with organic dish soap and/or a drop or two of your favourite essential oil if you like). Do not add to your toxic load by using harsh chemical cleaning products. Chemicals can trigger allergies and lower your threshold.
• Use a fresh dish cloth and tea towel every day. Make sure your dish cloth is rinsed well, thoroughly rung out and hung to dry between each use.
• Tip boiling water (from your kettle) over any dish brushes, scourers and the like and let them air dry between each use.
• Use separate chopping boards for meat and vegetables and scrub your chopping boards with hot soapy water and then tip boiling water over them and leave them out to dry. Some bamboo chopping boards may be able to survive the hottest cycle in your dishwasher. Place your chopping boards out in the sun once a week.
• Wash your fruits and vegetables thoroughly in filtered water.
• Wipe out your fridge with a microfibre cloth and mild hot soapy water once a week before you grocery shop.
• Understand humidity - bacteria LOVE humidity. In high humid environments, bacteria grow. If you live in a humid environment, a dehumidifier can improve your ecology and your health in many ways by significantly reducing dust mites, mould and other pests.
• Declutter your kitchen - clutter provides an ideal environment for pests and rodents. Pests aid cross-contamination. You don't want cockroaches tap dancing on your kitchen counters at night while you sleep. ;-)
• Utilise air-tight glass storage.
• Label and date your foods. Use dissolvable labels so you don't have to scratch off sticky goo every time you wash a storage container or lid.

YOUR FREEZER IS YOUR 2ND BEST FRIEND (YOUR BUTCHER IS YOUR FIRST)

Freezing foods and leftovers slows down microbial action and thus keeps histamine levels from escalating. Using your freezer wisely can help you to keep your foods and meals lower in histamine and can even save you time if you are well organised and prepare some of your meals in advance.

Histamine success freezer tips:

• Keep your freezer well organised and use dissolvable labels to date your food.
• Keep food in your freezer for no longer than 4 weeks.
• Any leftovers should be frozen as soon as possible. Do not put leftovers in the fridge and eat them the next day. They will be too high in histamine and may trigger a reaction. Place leftovers in the fridge while they are still warm and then transfer them to the freezer in an hour or two.
• Defrost your frozen foods or frozen leftovers in cold water only and then transfer them to the fridge BEFORE they are fully defrosted. Do not allow your food sit out of the fridge at room temperature.
• Use cooler bags with ice packs to transport your groceries. Unpack your groceries immediately upon arriving home. Store foods in freezer safe glass such as Pyrex and use brown parchment paper to separate and wrap foods.

COOK LOW AND SLOW (BUT NOT TOO SLOW)

Cooking your protein properly is extremely important. Grilling, barbecuing and using high heat cooking methods including frying form carcinogenic chemicals called Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs). Histamine by definition is a heterocyclic amine released by mast cells when tissue is injured or inflamed.

Research suggests that histamine levels in food change according to the cooking method used. Frying and grilling can increase histamine levels in foods, whereas boiling can decrease it.

The idea of ensuring that meat be well-cooked came about because commercially raised animals were often full of parasites, toxins and were sick. Whereas animals that are raised in stress-free, healthy environments are usually free from illness and parasites and therefore bacteria becomes less of a problem if food is handled and prepared correctly. 

Do not overcook animal protein. Cook low and slow. This means cooking your meat on a low heat until it is just cooked and then remove it from the heat. Cooking low and slow makes animal protein more easily digestible. Think medium rare for a steak or lamb chop and avoid browning. This also applied to eggs. Remove eggs from the heat just before they are fully cooked and allow them to finish cooking gently in their own heat. Use lower heats, slightly longer cooking times and a thermometer for roasts.

Since boiling can be helpful in reducing the effect of histamine, you might like to try the chicken soup and beef cheeks recipes in the reset diet, which are essentially boiled.

Remember to always lower cooking times for soups, meat broths, bone broths and other slow cooked meals as much as possible. Do not cook foods for any longer than 2 - 4 hours, then cool, refrigerate and freeze these meals as quickly as possible to keep histamine levels low. Quick soups and broths result in lower histamine soups and broths.

Poaching is another example of 'boiling'. You might like to try poaching a skinless chicken breast or a fresh piece of fresh white fish for example.

If you do not have salicylate sensitivities, marinating your meat in lemon juice and fresh herbs can reduce HCAs. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli can also reduce HCAs. So enjoy some delicious boiled, steamed or stir fried broccoli with your meats.

HCAs can increase the risk of cancer and are histamine inducing.

EATING OUT

You can still enjoy eating out, even with histamine intolerance. There are always alternatives. You just have to ask. :-)

Histamine friendly restaurant tips:

• Check out the menu ahead of time online and phone the restaurant with any questions and/or to confirm that they can in fact cater to your needs. Most good restaurants will be happy to offer you freshly cooked meats and steamed vegetables. You can even ask for your meal to be cooked in butter or pure olive oil to avoid unhealthy fats and oils (such as soybean, corn, safflower, canola etc) that contribute to inflammation.
• In the initial and/or early phases of your low histamine diet, avoid higher histamine meats completely such as duck, turkey, pork, chicken with the skin on, game meats, offal, sausages etc; and avoid all aged meats such as ham, bacon, smoked meats, dried meats etc. 
• It's also best to avoid fish, unless you know that it has been processed correctly. Some fish markets can supply you with super fresh fish. 
• Preferred meats when eating out include: organic and/or pasture raised chicken (without the skin), lamb or beef that hasn't been hung for extended periods of time.
• Say no to slow cooked meals, gravies, rich sauces, curries, tomato based dishes etc. Keep it simple and enjoy the natural flavours of fresh foods.
• Avoiding alcohol will allow you to enjoy a broader range of foods.
• Choose an alternative to chocolate for dessert - like a panna cotta or creme brûlée. Most good restaurants will serve a simple high quality restaurant made vanilla ice cream (if you can tolerate dairy). However, it would be best to skip dessert if you are treating Candida. Try a relaxing cup of herbal tea instead (if you are not also dealing with salicylate sensitivities).

YOUR NEW KNOWLEDGE ABOUT FOOD HANDLING AND PREPARATION CAN HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT

See this as an opportunity to raise histamine intolerance awareness in your local community by communicating about histamine intolerance with your local food suppliers and restaurant owners. You could inadvertently be helping others, including children with asthma.

Find a way to make these changes fun and don’t 'stress out' about sourcing histamine friendly foods. Remember that stress increases histamine in your body. Approach your food handling and preparation with a joyful heart and you will eventually find it easy and rewarding. Remember that all of these changes are going to improve your health and the health of your family.