Autoimmune + Low-Histamine Diet: Days 1-8

As I mentioned in my last post, I am trying to help my body heal faster (and more completely) by following the low-histamine version of the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) as outlined in Sarah Ballantyne's book The Paleo Approach.   I am hoping that this diet will not only help me to heal from TSW more quickly but that it will also eradicate my original issues with eczema which led me to use steroids in the first place.

In some ways this isn't an easy diet to follow as it requires a lot of cooking. At the beginning of my TSW, I wasn't up for cooking very much (if at all), but after seeing some improvements and having read through The Paleo Approach, I was excited to dig in and start controlling the healing process myself (instead of just waiting around for healing).  Now, I'm not only willing to cook, I'm actually feeling excited and empowered by the nutritious and healing properties of the food that I am eating at every meal.  I've gotten used to the fact that I need to cook all 3 meals every day and it's not feeling overwhelming or stressful at this point.  It just feels like part of my day-to-day schedule now.

Down below is my day-to-day food intake.  As you can see, I've only included the ingredients, not the method of preparation (besides "juice").

In red, I've highlighted the foods that caused a severe & definitive reaction (as you can see, I got off to a rough start the first few days).  These severe reactions (bumps, itchiness, hypersensitivity, etc) appeared within 20-40 minutes of eating and completely ruined my entire day after eating. These are foods that I am avoiding completely at this point.

In yellow, I've highlighted foods that I think caused a minor issue--including small patches of bumps, sudden onset of minor hypersensitivity, itchy mouth, sneezing, etc.  All of these reactions having appeared within 20-40 minutes of having eaten.

Day 1 (April 24, 2014)

8am - 2 eggs (mostly yolks but left a little white)

1pm - 2 rice cakes, butter (comfort food....these foods are not acceptable on the diet)

5pm - yam, coconut oil, apple

7pm - juice: cucumber, apple, carrot, cauliflower leaves

8pm - chicken thighs, cauliflower, garlic, coconut oil
*was not able to go to work because of my reaction to the eggs

Day 2

8am - avocado (I must not have read the histamine list very closely because it's high in histamines!)

10am - apple

1pm - juice: celery, pear, cucumber, carrot ; beef cubes, cauliflower, garlic, c oil

4pm - apple, coconut manna

9:30pm - chicken thigh, butternut squash, onion, garlic, c oil
*went to work and suffered all morning during reaction to avocado.  Did not teach piano lessons this evening because of the reaction.

Day 3 

7am - leftover squash (onion, garlic), yellow carrot, beef cubes, garlic, c oil

11am - apple

12pm - juice: cucumber, carrot, beet, pear ; butterhead lettuce, microgreens, sweet potato, garlic, c oil

7:30pm - haddock, butterhead lettuc, red lettuce, microgreens, bok choy, carrot, beet, shallot, garlic, pork lard, EVOO

Day 4

8am - haddock, shallot, garlic, carrot, parsnip, beet, onion, c oil

12:30pm - apple, unsweetened coconut flakes

4pm - apple

5pm - seaweed snack (olive oil, salt)

5:30pm - beef cubes, garlic, c oil

8pm - chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, beef lard, c oil ; juice: cucumber, carrot, apple, celery, cauliflower greens

Day 5

7:30am - beef cubes, garlic, c oil, coconut flakes; juice: cucumber, carrot, kale, celery, apple

10am - apple

1:45pm - beef petite tender, broccoli, garlic, c oil, butter head lettuce, red lettuce, shallot, EVOO

3pm - juice: cucumber, celery, carrot, kale, apple ; coconut flakes

6:30pm - coconut flakes

9pm - yam, onion, garlic, c oil, EVOO

Day 6

9:30am - coconut flakes (slightly burnt but ate anyway), pear

12:40pm - chicken thighs, broccoli, garlic, c oil

9pm - leeks, carrot, parsnip, EVOO, garlic

Day 7

8am - juice: cucumber, celery, kale, carrot, apple ; chicken thighs, broccoli, EVOO

1pm - yams, EVOO

8pm - roasted bone marrow, beef ranch steak, onions, garlic, pepper, beef lard, c oil, microgreens ; juice: cucumber, carrot, kale, celery, apple

Day 8 (May 1, 2014)

8am - carrots

10am - coconut flakes, apple, carrot juice

1pm - coconut flakes, apple, carrot juice (remainder from earlier)

2:30pm chicken legs

9pm - zuccini, golden beets, onions, pepper, duck fat, beef stock (freshly made, with carrot, onion, celery, pepper)


***all meals on this list were prepared with either Himalyan Pink Salt and/or Celtic Sea Salt

So far as my skin goes, the first few days were absolutely awful--I had bumps all down my face/neck/chest.  I had a lot of healing to do after those first few days.  But, by the end of the week, a lot of the bumps had gone down in size and many disappeared.  The skin on my face wasn't peeling off everyday (like it had been) and the red/pink coloration in my face also started subsiding a bit.  I actually went to sleep & woke up fairly itch-free a few times however evenings have been/are still my most difficult times of day in terms of itchiness/hypersensitivity.  Wanted to see larger improvements already but I realize that this was only week 1--so I'll take what I can get.  The improvements that I saw were/are enough to keep me going with hopefulness!