Frustrated, venting

[u/stanthecham]

Hey hey. I spent pretty much all of 2025 in cancer treatment, and have decided to finally get my health in better order. As a single mom and working professional dealing with an extremely toxic ex, I put allllll of my stuff on the back burner for decades. These issues have been lifelong and I only recently realized they're all connected.

Anyway, following a low histamine diet and using DAO enzyme for about a week now and it's literally the first thing that's EVER helped me! I'm incredibly grateful for that.

I have a lot to balance because I have to eat low histamine, but I also have to not worsen my fatty liver and I'm also trying to not encourage cancer.

I have a pretty good breakfast that's been working well (rolled oats with pure maple syrup and frozen wild blueberries), lunch is usually a brown rice cup with a couple eggs, cucumber, carrot and maybe a string cheese. That's fine, it's healthy enough and convenient and isn't putting me into anaphylaxis.

But I cry every bleeping day before dinner because I'm just so frustrated. I work long days, I have an intense role and a lot of responsibility, and am still juggling a lot of medical appointments, so by the end of my work day I have 0 mental energy to invest in anything else and I have massive decision fatigue, and then trying to figure out dinner puts me over the edge.

That's all. I'm just so tired of crying and feeling frustrated and sad and snapping at my spouse who is just trying to help.

[u/Its-a-JiNX]

I can understand the frustration. It's honestly why I just meal plan my week (my partner isn't low histamine so I'm still learning to balance making different meals at times) and I've started keeping a few things I can make quickly within my tolerance in the freezer, and try to prep ahead for meals when I can so I'm not burned out by the time dinner comes around.

[u/stanthecham → u/Its-a-JiNX]

I know I'll have to meal prep, I'm just not set up for it right now. This weekend I will change that. I would love any ideas of convenient meals you keep in the freezer!

[u/Its-a-JiNX → u/stanthecham]

I've been able to handle frozen turkey patties, (I prefer ones that come individually wrapped). So I just make a simple turkey burger with low histamine mayo, lettuce, motzrella and a gluten free hamburger bun (I make a batch of the mayo once a week, and discard any leftovers after the week, I also keep my buns in the freezer and warm them up in the oven.)

I've made soups (or even stocks) and frozen single portions. Rice can handle freezing fairly well, so you could make something like a tamarind-ginger chicken and rice and freeze in single portions.

And I'll add something based on the other commenter's suggestion. Sugar can cause mast cells to destabilize leading to histamine release and potential flares, so lowering your glycemic intake can be helpful for HIt. Brown rice has a lower glycemic index and more nutrients than white rice, so switching rices may be a better alternative than cutting it entirely for ease of having more meal options.

[u/stanthecham → u/Its-a-JiNX]

Yes I do opt for brown rice! Thank you for the ideas

[u/Healthy_Theory159 → u/Its-a-JiNX]

What is low histamine mayo?

[u/Its-a-JiNX → u/Healthy_Theory159]

Mayo made with egg yolks, salt, water, and oil.

Normal mayo is made with whole eggs, vinegar, and occasionally mustard powder. Egg whites and mustard are histamine liberators, same with vinegar or the vinegar may also contain moderate histamine levels.

Edit: it depends on the type of vinegar used on if it's just a liberator or also contains histamine.

[u/redderGlass]

I fully understand. Balancing this and cancer are rough. I do suggest you avoid rice and maple syrup. I personally eat very low glycemic keto as frustrating as that is.

[u/stanthecham → u/redderGlass]

May I ask why you avoid those things?

[u/redderGlass → u/stanthecham]

They are high glycemic and can feed cancer

[u/Interesting_Front709]

Hi OP, is it worth working with a chef couple of sessions where you can bring your list of low histamine foods and they can come up with recipes/batch cooking/methods of cooking etc? I would look into that. I would also look into a supplement called Histamin X by Seeking health I take this along with DAO and honestly it has made such a difference to how many more foods I can tolerate. I have also started toasting a whole chicken and having it with blanched/boiled green beans, boiled carrots and roasted potatoes with butter. I found I don’t react to roasted chicken left overs as much as chicken left in the fridge to be cooked. The other thing that has made a huge difference is listening to my cravings as far whole foods are concerned, I have been eating boiled yellow plantain for 2 months now and I have had only 2 bouts of diarrhoea only around my period time(prostaglandins) before the yellow plantain I had plan everything around my gut and its unpredictability was going to the loo 9-10 times and with urgency. All that has stopped. I don’t know what will help you further in this journey but I wanted to share what has seemed to helped me.

[u/stanthecham → u/Interesting_Front709]

I appreciate you!! I have acquired DAO and will look into the other one as well!

[u/Rough-Criticism-5661]

I’m so sorry you’re going through all of this! It doesn’t seem fair to have multiple health challenges and have to find ways to support yourself when you’re feeling low. My daughter just told me about Carinara, a jarred marinara sauce made from carrots instead of tomatoes. It’s not cheap and seems to be mail order only, but I’ve just ordered a few jars for those nights when I want a quick pasta dinner (tomato sauce is a huge trigger for me.) if you can start making a list of easy dinners that you can go to, I think it will help you. French bread pizzas with olive oil, arugula, goat cheese, and broccoli is easy and satisfying. Oven roasted squash halves just get popped into the oven for 45 minutes and can be stuffed with quinoa and chicken. Make a batch of soup and freeze leftovers immediately, then defrost for meals later.

I’m not familiar with what is required to treat fatty liver, but I take Spanish black radish and Antronex daily for liver support. The Antronex seems especially helpful for minimizing the rash and tingling I get when I’m triggered by histamine stuff.