We are exposed to viruses all the time. Herpes, flu, SARS-CoV-2. Most of the time our body fights through viral infection successfully. Nevertheless it is a fight and it is worth to help our body a little. Or at least not stay in a way.
To understand what to exclude DURING the infection (note: not always, but only when the organism reacts to cellular damage caused by #infection) I explain the underlying mechanism in very simple terms👇.
Molecules of histamine, produced by our bodies, are responsible for quick immune reactions that increase blood flow through areas where invaders – viruses (but also true for bacteria or toxins) were detected. While these reactions are vital to fight infections, they also damage our cells. As a result we notice inflammation that can be characterised by heat (fever), pain, redness, swelling.
To help the body decrease the inflammation it would be wise to exclude foods that are high in histamine as well as these that help to release histamine from other foods (histamine liberators)
Note, that some of these foods are quite beneficial in normal life (like fermented foods for example), so be strategic with the list below 👇🏻.
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- sugar (ban it forever!), sweeteners
- alcohol
- fermented foods such as yogurt , sauerkraut, tofu
- dried fruits
- avocados
- spinach, arugula, olives, eggplant, tomatoes, seaweed, mushrooms
- processed or smoked meats and fish
- seafood
- aged cheese (but I personally exclude all dairy when dealing with infection)
- citrus fruits (!) and pineapple
- cacao (therefore any chocolate)
- soy sauce, balsamic, red and white wine vinegar
- nuts, specifically walnuts, cashews and peanuts
- food dyes and other additives
- wheat and beans
- red chilli and red sweet peppers
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⚠️ important: food that already have been stored on fridge (or ice) contains more histamine than those that were “cooked from frozen” so opt for frozen greens (or fish) rather than fresh but bought few days ago.
Well what to eat then 😕, you may ask?
(I will not emphasise in this post how important your liquid intake and the right electrolytes balance are, but let me know if such info would be beneficial).
So, I assume you drink and drink a lot! 🤣 I mean water of course!
Now to the food:
First of all it is incredibly important while organism is dealing with infection (or any illness ) not to stuff yourself just because it is your usual time to eat!!! Wait for real hunger! And even then it is better to stop eating slightly before you are fully satisfied as you don’t want your organism spend any extra effort on digestion.
👇🏻Your low histamine friends👇🏻:
- Goose’s, duck’s, quail’s eggs (exclude chicken egg’s whites, but yolks are ok)
- Butter, ghee, olive oil, coconut oil
- Leafy greens
- Legumes: broccoli, cauliflower, courgettes/zucchini, cabbage (any), asparagus, cucumbers, celery, sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, artichoke, onion, garlic
- Fruits and berries: black and red currants, blueberry, gooseberry, cranberry, cherry, apples, pomegranate, pears, figs, rhubarb, dates, persimmons
- Seeds: chia, sesame, #hemp
- Nuts: coconut, macadamia, Brazil nut.
- Meat: chicken, turkey, lamb, beef
- Cereals: rice, oats, corn, buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa
⚠️ Meat and cereals should be in lesser quantities than greens and legumes.
🔥It would be helpful to include/exclude these foods not only during any viral infection (from flu to herpes, to covid) but also to use these lists during seasonal #allergies like hay-fever which is also characterised by high level of histamine.
Note again! These products are not bad by themselves, nor the histamines are. We are just trying to limit external histamine, principally during these times when your body already is busy producing some extra quantities.
Be the healthiest you can be💖! Hugs and remember that with food it is possible to significantly improve your wellbeing.
Share below food based remedies that helped you to shorten your virus infection.
