In my 5th month as a Long Hauler, I started writing this since it is too challenging to prep food myself and wanted to share something comprehensive with a family member who will be helping me. My brain is oozing out of my ears but I’m chuffed that I’ve managed to organize my first — anything! — in 5 months. [excuse typos] … maybe the food helped me do it!?
The foundation of my Post-Covid diet is:
- anti inflammatory
- anti histamine
- no sugar
- no grains
- no dairy (besides ghee)
- nothing raw
- nothing cold
- all organic
- most prepped food left in freezer to avoid increase in histamine
- 16:8 intermittent fasting (only eat between 10am-6pm)
Months of a lot of trial and error went into this, which is suggested for every body since we are inherently different, we will react differently to foods. I found that the lists online are general suggestions but not individually based and in my research many of the lists differ from website to website.
So….I got caught in the details!
The lists and charts for anti inflammatory and antihistamine diets were a helpful baseline but are not set in stone. I went full on into it since my histamine reaction is intense face pressure pain and increased brain fog. I was able to notice right away what wasn’t working.
This is my daily diet, which has felt supportive for ME.
If it can help anyone else I am sharing. Adding any new ingredients one at a time is useful to see how you react.
**I am not offering recommendations, since every body is different, just sharing another resource if it resonates and alleviates having to do more research for a fellow brain fogger.**
How did I do my research?
- Collected and reviewed trusted anti inflammatory and antihistamine charts from my doctors (attached)
- Read numerous blogs and medical reviews about anti histamine diets/reactions, anti-inflammatory diets/reactions, oxalates, mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), previous ayurveda (I’m vata) and Chinese medicine research
- Working closely with a post covid clinic physician, a herbalist, a Chinese medicine holistic doctor, and a fellow long hauler who is an endurance athlete and healed after 10 months
- Trial and error! Added one ingredient at a time. If got a reaction then took out one ingredient at a time until I didn’t get the reaction
Below I have added:
- Ingredients: I get everything from whole foods. Easy and accessible for delivery
- Prep: what I do or get help doing once a week to help with fatigue
- Instructions: what I do to get the meal ready when I’m ready to eat
Breakfast 1 :: Chia Seed Pudding
Ingredients
- Chia seeds
- Ground Flax seeds
- Unsweetened Oat milk califa farm or Unsweetened macadamia nut milk vanilla
- Organic Blueberries
Prep
- Half cup chia seed and half cup ground flax in bowl
- Add 4 cups milk and mix it up
- Leave in fridge for a few hours/overnight — if put in jar can just shake it up
Instructions
- Heat up pudding
- Add fruit (whichever fruit you tolerate, blueberries have been good for me)
Breakfast 2 :: Baked apples
Ingredients
- 4 (cortland is my pick) apples
- *1 navel orange (*a histamine no-no : if you can tolerate citrus or can just substitute with water)
- *4 cinnamon sticks (*a histamine no-no but fancy fun)
- *6–8 prunes — (*a histamine no-no but helpful for digestion)
- optional: cloves, cardamom pods
- Turmeric
- Ghee
Prep
- Core apples, put some ghee in the middle and a (optional) cinnamon stick
- Sprinkle cardamom pods, cloves, (optional) prunes around apples
- Squeeze orange on top (or half cup of water)
- Sprinkle turmeric on top
- Cook for about 1.5 hours or until soft on 350 degrees.
Instructions
- I leave in fridge or you leave individual ones in freezer (be warned, the skin gets weird in freezer)
- I eat nothing cold so — heat up and either add to chai seed pudding or have with some oatmilk
- Can add almond/peanut butter (beware nuts and nut butters = very drying and cooling food), sprinkle some carob “chocolate” chips on top, etc
Lunch 1 :: Salmon Veggie Stir Fry
Ingredients
- Wild organic Alaskan Salmon
- Free range organic Eggs
- Organic Veggies: Celery, carrots, beets, kale, zucchini, radish, bok choy, purple cabbage
- Olive oil
Prep
- Precook salmon in oven 30 min @ 350 degrees
- Precut and wash veggies
Instructions
- Olive oil in frying pan
- Put in veggies — play with the colors! Your body wants to blossom
- Then salmon
- Lastly add egg — i prefer sunny side up
- Salt when done
**can substitute protein with chicken breasts
Lunch 2 :: Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- Slow/overnight cooker
- Chicken breasts or thighs skinless boneless (optional if have the energy: brown before put in few 5 min on each side)
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 onion chopped
- 1.5 cup water
- 2 bay leaf
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stick
- 2 potatoes
- 1 tsp salt
Prep
- I get as many things as I can pre-chopped — carrots, sweet potatoes, celery
- Put it all in at same time and let it cook on low overnight, next day have food ready
Instructions
- Keep in freezer to minimize histamine so heat up with a fried egg for lunch
Dinner: Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- Ghee
- Organic butternut squash
- Organic sweet potatoes
- Organic Unsweetened coconut milk
- Organic turmeric
- Himalayan Salt
- Organic coconut oil
- Organic ginger root
Prep:
In a big pot put in…
- 1 butternut squash
- 3 carrots
- 3 stalks of celery
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 2 spoons turmeric or 2 turmeric roots
- chunk of ginger root
- spoon of ghee
- spoon of coconut oil
- 3 cups of water
- Boil until soft
- Blend in blender
- Freeze in daily meal sized containers — should have ~7 dinners
Instructions:
- Heat up with half a cup of unsweetened coconut milk
- Sometimes I fry some shiitake mushrooms and put on top
- Sprinkle salt
Snack : CHOCOLATE
I have done extensive personal testing and research with chocolate! It is a BIG no-no on all anti histamine lists so beware! I had to slowly test out and do get headaches at times. I also never eat past 4pm since I am still working through some thick insomnia.
Here are my top 5 types:
*ALL dark chocolate, no milk chocolate.*
1 — Chocolate with minimal added sugar: Lindt 95% Dark
2 — Chocolate with ZERO sugar: Cacao Powder
I make hot chocolate with oat milk, sometimes my head hurts but not for very long.
3 — Chocolate with STEVIA: Lily’s
Super smooth.
4- Chocolate with COCONUT sugar
Evolved: Bitter with a fruity finish, nice texture.
Hu: The *BEST* but $$, thick pieces, simple and ideal in all the ways ❤
5 — FAKE chocolate with COCONUT sugar
Carob chips were super sweet — tasted more like milk chocolate to me, but it was an alternative that helped me through the dark period of time when I thought I couldn’t have chocolate because it was on an anti-histamine list.
Drinks :: What and How much?
- 1-2 cups of room temperature natural, unsweetened coconut water (brands without sugar: harmless, 365 whole foods)
- 2 liters / 8–10 cups of water (I have a water jug next to my bed to avoid having to get up to refill and helps me keep track of how much I am drinking)
- 2 Nuun electrolyte tablets before 3pm (they have sugar - do not want it to effect my sleep)
- 1 quart of herbal tea made by my herbalist, sipped throughout the day
- 1 cup of night tea before bed made by my herbalist
- Hot foamy drink for a “snack” /pretend coffee— I miss coffee! (see example below)
Drink :: Belly Warmth
- Unsweetened vanilla macadamia nut milk or unsweetened oat milk
- 1 tsp turmeric
- Bit of ginger
- On stove, let sit for 10–15 min, strain
- Can add sprinkle of turmeric, cacao nibs or carob chips
Anti histamine and anti inflammatory lists given to me from my doctor: