The Calm Gut Dietitian

Loved writing this blog for Field Doctor. They are looking at whether creating low histamine meals is feasible and there is the opportunity to register your interest at the end of the blog. SO needed for those who may need to limit histamine and have limited energy.

https://www.fielddoctor.co.uk/pages/blog-article/histamine-intolerance-what-do-we-know-so-far #:~:text=Histamine%20intolerance%20can%20affect%20your,attempting%20the%20low%20histamine%20diet.

Histamine Intolerance - what do we know so far? – Field Doctor Histamine is a chemical messenger, which has several important roles in our body. These include the release of stomach acid and muscle contraction.

*This post contains affiliate links which means I will earn a percentage of the sales made from these links at no extra cost to you*

❤️ I am so excited to have worked with and on producing this course for women going through the menopause who are experiencing histamine intolerance.

⏰The course is 30 minutes in total and broken into easy to watch 10 minute sessions so that it is easy to fit in with busy lives.

❓We cover
- What is histamine intolerance?
- Treating histamine intolerance
- Long term management of histamine intolerance

Sign up here (link also in bio) https://your-menopause-by-harley-street-at-home.circle.so/checkout/histamine-intolerance-course?affiliate_code=f97db2

🙋‍♀️Are you a woman who is going through the perimenopause or the menopause? Have you noticed other symptoms that you aren’t sure are menopause related?
Then my new blog post is for you! https://www.thecalmgutdietitian.com/thecalmgutdietitianblog
💃Women’s health is such an underesearched area, and that is definitely the case for histamine intolerance and the menopause.
📕We do, however, know that hormones are linked to our histamine balance and many women have struggled for many years during their menstrual cycles and then seen a huge exacerbation in symptoms as they progress through the perimenopause.

Want to know how to find out if you have histamine intolerance, how to manage it and what may contribute. Head over to my post!

Are you a Health Professional working with women going through the menopause? Or an HCP who has an interest in histamine intolerance?

💻Join us for this webinar! Harley St at Home : Menopause page We will be talking about the link between hormones and histamine, perimenopause and histamine intolerance, gut health and histamine intolerance and discussing how to support woman at this time.
🤷‍♀️We don’t know exactly how many women are experiencing histamine intolerance during the menopause but from what we see in clinics there are a LOT of woman struggling with this, often with very little support.
🧠Research in the area of histamine intolerance has really grown in the last 10 years and hopefully we will get some more meaningful research in the area of menopause and histamine intolerance shortly.



https://www.eventbrite.com/e/histamine-intolerance-and-menopause-with-chloe-hall-rd-tickets-993657445167?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2DowDaI8CgfyAzzkVLteSm3OL0HV1IoXQl5ST2Msl_Cob6KyzfL9urLUo_aem_KN9TPs-scxbm_pLqAvHizQ

Histamine Intolerance and Menopause with Chloe Hall RD HCP webinar discussing the relevance of histamine intolerance during a women's health journey with a focus on the menopause.

☀️Sunshine may bring happiness for some people but hot weather can also be really tough for those with PoTS.

🕶️🌞 Here in the UK, we aren’t that set up for hot weather or keeping people cool so we may need to make extra adjustments to keep ourselves safe and well.

🍺 While others may be in the beer garden, it can be really hard to explain why you feel so rough in the heat and why alcohol can make that so much worse! Show friends these graphics to help them understand what’s going on for you.

🧃One of the key things is keeping on top of your fluids and salt- you may need a bit more than normal if you are sweating a lot! If you can’t stomach plain water then use sugar free squashes, ice lollies, ice tea’s and coffee’s (decaf if needed!), ice creams, yoghurts, and juicy fruit like watermelon and grapes (which are super tasty when frozen first!).

HOW DO YOU MANAGE YOUR POTS IN THE HOT WEATHER? ANY FAB TIPS?

Follow and for more posts on PoTS ans MCAS

LIFE and BUSINESS UPDATE!
🏥 After 12 years in the NHS and 10 years in the same job yesterday I handed in my notice to leave the NHS.
🚑 This wasn’t an easy decision for me as I’ve loved my job and my team but the juggle has become harder and I want to care for people to the best of my ability but that has become harder due to the longer waiting lists and pressures on the NHS.
🙋‍♀️So as of October I’m full time in my business ‘The Calm Gut Dietitian’ and having run this for 2 years part time, I am SO excited to be able to fully focus on lots of exciting projects to do with MCAS, histamine intolerance, PoTS and gut health. Anything you’d like in this area?

Loved speaking with FoodNavigator about

Its a brilliant article but please note, beans and pulses are not high histamine based on the most recent research and are a brilliant source of fibre for gut health if you can tolerate them

Low-histamine diet: Is this the new food trend to watch? Understanding of high-histamine and histamine-liberating foods is relatively new, but it’s quickly gaining consumer interest. So, what is this new trend towards consuming low-histamine foods and is it one to watch?

❓I get a lot of people contacting me asking me to find the ‘root cause’ of their histamine intolerance (HIT) and unfortunately there is often not just one cause
⚖️ HIT is caused by an imbalance of histamine in the body causing a build up; either an overproduction of histamine by your body for example in MCAS or a reduced ability to break histamine down due to reduced functioning of the Diamine Oxidase (DAO) enzyme (or both!)
🩸Blood tests can be done to test the amount of DAO enzyme in your blood but we don’t know that this tells us how much is in your gut or how well it is functioning there (where it needs to be to break down the histamine in the food we eat!
🛠️We can absolutely look at all the factors that may be contributing but rather than striving for one root cause, efforts are often better spent working out how we are going to manage the condition so that you can have a healthy and happy life!

Want to work with me? Get in touch! My husband has known he has had histamine intolerance for almost 7 years so I have lots of personal and professional experience managing the condition.

Following on from THAT recent Zoe podcast that spoke about histamine intolerance…….
🫘Whilst there was a lot of useful info in the podcast I felt that some information was misleading and a lot of people have been asking about sprouted legumes
🫛Research is underway to find out if DAO (the enzyme in our body that breaks down histamine in the food we eat) can be extracted from sprouted beans and pulses and be turned into a supplement for those whose own DAO may not be working optimally or produced in big enough quantities
BUT WE AREN’T THERE YET!!!
🧫 There are no human studies so we don’t know how it works in the body.
🐷Most of the DAO supplements on the market are based on pig kidney extract, which can be problematic for vegetarians/vegans/religious reasons, however if using DAO these are the ones I would recommend as there are human studies. Even human studies for these are very small and these do not work for everyone!

Want to work with someone who tailors the advice on histamine intolerance for YOUR body? Get in touch!!

WHY IS FIBRE SO IMPORTANT ON A LOW HISTAMINE DIET?
1) May help with mast cell stabilisation (really important if you have MCAS!)
2) Helps keep your bowels healthy and you going to the toilet regularly
3) Helps feed your gut bacteria and this can help your overall health.
4) May help to keep you fuller for longer.
Fibre is so important for everyone but it can be more tricky on a restricted diet. It takes careful planning- we do ours on a Sunday to make the week easier as planning for gluten free and low histamine can take a bit more work!
🍎I know too well that everyone with histamine intolerance or MCAS has their own individual food triggers and everything on this sample menu may not be tolerated.
🍐If you’re struggling to get enough fibre in (or just enough food and diversity generally!!) then I’d love to work with you individually to widen your diet and achieve your health goals. Get in touch with me at www.thecalmgutdietitian.com or [email protected]

Thank you to for allowing me to signpost to some of her amazing recipes!

Are you a healthcare professional interested in digestive issues and histamine intolerance during the menopause? Join us for this free webinar on Thursday evening 7-8pm

Managing Digestive Health Issues and Histamine Intolerance at Menopause Join our webinar for a practical, deep dive into digestive health issues, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and histamine intolerance.

Thrilled to see BBC News covering long covid and MCAS this morning. Following my husbands hospitalisation with Covid 2 years ago, his MCAS has been the worst it’s ever been and NHS support has been limited due to a lack of awareness of the condition. Thanks Mast Cell Action for your contribution to the article and support for those with the condition. Support and awareness is key and I really hope that things are starting to change in terms of awareness. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66998448?fbclid=IwAR1JRlJoSupFuOaDbqz1piCXoTL4TMHA4WQWpmxLZR1K0plxuZc8QDb7x4I_aem_Aen3P9ce5pODTeQh1nJAGe6hNdNb4GN32tqqf7gv5VAZeUX73wqfQRXNUMq5tms1P5A

'Long Covid triggered our MCAS, but doctors didn't believe us' Elle Gorman and George Cooper explain how they were told their post-long Covid illness didn't exist.

Thrilled to have been able to write this article on low histamine diets for British Dietetic Association So glad that awareness and knowledge of this challenging condition is increasing https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/histamine-intolerance-and-the-low-histamine-diet.html

Histamine intolerance and the low histamine diet Chloe Hall discusses the challenges faced by those with histamine intolerance and how we can help to support our patients.

🥦As explained in my post on Friday it is SO important to focus on fibre and ensure you are getting enough, especially with gut issues and/or MCAS (further posts on what ‘enough’ may look like, with various dietary restrictions, coming in the next few weeks!)
🥕Some people with MCAS restrict dietary histamine so I’ve shown some great fibre sources to try and include, however every single person with MCAS has their own dietary triggers and not all of these will work for everyone.
✏️📝In addition to this, there is not one gold standard list for the low histamine diet and the histamine content of foods may differ according to various factors such as storage and transport.

Need personalised advice? Get in touch www.thecalmgutdietitian.com

🌾I can’t stress enough how important fibre is in terms of gut health and research over the last few years, also, indicates that it can play a role in mast cell activation.
🧪Whilst we need more research on how fibre and it’s effects may affect the SYMPTOMS of conditions involving mast cell activation, like MCAS, in real humans I think it’s still really important to focus on fibre.
🥦 Different types of fibre appears to work in different ways and, therefore, DIVERSITY is key.
🥕Many people with MCAS end up restricting their diet in some way due to the very difficult and often traumatic reactions they have currently or have had in the past. This can often effect fibre intake so over the next few weeks my posts are going to focus on fibre and how we can get enough on some of the common dietary restrictions I see in my MCAS clients such as low histamine diets.

Need help personalising your diet and increasing your fibre intake? Get in touch! Www.thecalmgutdietitian.com

💜So it’s International Mastocytosis and Mast Cell Diseases Awareness Day! A cause really close to my heart. Many of you may know that my husband has MCAS and the last few years have been a huge rollercoaster, which drives me to support those with this condition.
🙋‍♀️ There are SO many reasons we need to keep raising awareness; so people with the condition don’t feel so alone, so we can get more research in this area that is so desperately needed, so that we as Health Professionals know how to best support our patients, and overall that understanding of these conditions are increased
💜Everyone with mast cell disease is completely unique and has their own triggers. There is no cure or one single treatment option and I often talk to patients about building their own individual toolbox, with the help of health professionals, which helps them manage their condition. Here are some of the things that might be in a personals toolbox (but remember not every person needs every single tool and that an individual tool may not work for them!).
💜 Need support living with mast cell disease? Get in touch with Mast Cell Action This amazing charity arrange so much support including tai chi groups, support groups with others with the condition and so much more.

Want to work with someone with professional and personal experience of MCAS? We can develop an individualised toolbox for diet and lifestyle together. Appointments can be booked through my website www.thecalmgutdietitian.com

✏️After almost a year of running my own business I’ve started collecting some feedback from my wonderful clients, like this one.
👨‍👩‍👧I love knowing I’ve been able to support so many patients with MCAS, PoTS, histamine intolerance, long covid and many other gastro conditions. It definitely makes the juggle of working in the NHS, being a mum and running my own business so much easier.
❓Have one of these conditions and want to work with me? Appointments can be booked directly through my website (www.thecalmgutdietitian.com). I would love to hear from you!
🙋‍♀️I am so passionate about ensuring people with these conditions get the care and support that they need. As well as giving people dietary advice my aim is to try and reduce those feelings of isolation that often come with these conditions because everyone deserves to live a happy, fulfilled life and be listened to.

🏋️‍♀️So I never really talk about weight on social media, because quite honestly I think it is the LEAST interesting thing about you! But I hear so much about weight stigma in those with the chronic conditions I see that I thought I needed to address it
🍏Assumptions that health conditions are based on weight are unhelpful. It is quite possible to be healthy (physically and mentally!) no matter what your size.
🍐BMI should not be being used as our only marker for health. Health is SO many other things. My BMI sits above the ‘healthy’ range but actually this is my healthy and happy weight. I’ve never been as unhealthy as in the days I used to over exercise and restrict my diet to control my weight to meet societies ideals.
🚨Weight stigma also happens to those in smaller bodies with assumptions such as eating disorders being made. The reality is you often have no idea the reasons for someone’s weight; genetics, a health condition, stress.
So can we all just take the pressure off each other and look beyond our weight? Because we are SO much more.

❓Did you know it’s not just hydration that may influence your PoTS symptoms? There are SO many factors involved.
🥑Whilst for some people, especially those with MCAS and histamine issues alongside, food triggers may play a role in PoTS symptoms, it’s not the only factor and it’s really important to look at external triggers to ensure diets don’t become too restrictive
🥤Mornings can often be really tough for those with PoTS- making sure you get fluids in before you get out of bed can be helpful.
❓If you have PoTS what personal triggers have you found?

👂This comes up SO much in my clinics. It literally breaks my heart that patients feel they have to ask me if I think they are crazy because of their hundreds of unexplained symptoms.
❓As a Health Professional I believe that you are the one that knows your body best and that professionals don’t and cannot know everything.
🚑 I know some absolutely fantastic doctors that although they may not specialise in MCAS/PoTS or whatever area it may be, they acknowledge that, listen and try their best to help. If you’re not receiving that level of care, then you are entitled to ask for a 2nd opinion.

Always love the opportunity to increase awareness of

How can a dietitian help to support those with Postural Tachycardia Syndrome? Dietitian Chloe Hall looks at what Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) is, what causes it and how dietitians can help to treat it.

🍏There is not one single diet that those with MCAS have to follow and it’s about finding your own individual triggers
🥑 This can be really confusing as triggers may change over time (my husband developed a reaction to soy post covid that he had never had before)
☀️Food triggers can also change depending on environmental triggers e.g. pollen or extreme heat. For example my husband can tolerate higher histamine foods when it’s not pollen season and his histamine bucket is lower
🥓Not every single food with that particular substance in is likely to cause you to have the same reaction so the re-introduction process of any elimination diet is really important as there may be foods you can tolerate safely. For example, my husband can sometimes have a small amount of bacon which has histamine in but reacts very badly to any sourdough.

I’d love to work with you to help you identify your own food triggers. Get in touch [email protected]

I see so many clients that have suffered with gut symptoms post covid and for so many different reasons!
❓We don’t yet fully understand all of the mechanisms yet but some of the conditions we are seeing post covid are post infectious IBS, Mast cell activation Syndrome, Postural tachycardia syndrome.
🧫🦠It’s, also, been found that there is a change in gut bacteria post covid, a dysfunction in immune system in some people and that covid can be expressed in the gut for at least 7 months post covid!
🦠It’s important that other conditions are ruled out such as Coeliac disease and IBD.

Need dietary support? Get in touch! I’ve supported many clients with long covid

So pleased to continue working with to be part of their new Dietetic advisory board with two other amazing Dietitian’s
🏥I am so passionate about supporting those with MCAS with their diets following my husbands journey with the condition which was further exacerbated by long covid
❓We have some really exciting projects planned to help support those with MCAS. Is there anything you’d like to see from us in terms of dietary information?