HAPPY WITHOUT

HISTAMINE

LOW HISTAMINE
FOODS GUIDE
 Disclaimer
The content of this document and any provided materials, research, or communications are
for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for
professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your
physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.

All information contained in this publication is from the author’s own experience and for
general information only. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical
condition, consult your physician before following any information within this document.
The author is not responsible for any damages as a result of the use of this information and
material including without limitation, personal injury, illness, wrongful death, or any other
loss.

Copyright © Luanne Hopkinson 2018

Updated July 2021

The right of Luanne Hopkinson to be identified as the Author of the Work.

All rights reserved under International Copyright Conventions.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted,

in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be
otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published
and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent publisher.

www.happywithouthistamine.com
 WELCOME!

Hello there,

Thanks for downloading this guide to a wholefood low

histamine diet.

I'm Luanne Hopkinson and I help people with histamine

intolerance achieve full food freedom so they can eat
with ease and enjoy life.

Hope you enjoy this guide, it's straight out of my Happy

Without Histamine Full Food Freedom Program and I
know that if you follow it you're going to love it!

Enjoy!

Luanne Hopkinson

Nutritionist + Coach

www.happywithouthistamine.com
 WHY LOW HISTAMINE?
Have you been having unexplained symptoms that your doctor just can’t explain?

If you are experiencing some of the following symptoms you might find the low histamine
diet beneficial:

• Skin rashes, eczema, itchy skin, hives

• itchy watery eyes
• excess heat, skin flushing or redness especially on the ears, face, and throat
• year-round seasonal allergies
• gastrointestinal issues like bloating, IBS, diarrhoea, or constipation
• reflux or heartburn
• migraines or headache
• palpitations
• difficulty breathing, sneezing, excess mucous, runny nose, or asthma
• inflammation
• brain fog
• fatigue
• fibromyalgia
• PMS
• other unexplained symptoms

It can be difficult to deal with these symptoms every day, and sometimes down right
debilitating!

A low histamine diet is the first step in my 5-step system towards healing and often relieves
symptoms considerably in 1-2 weeks. It’s tempting when symptoms improve to just stay on
this diet forever, but that can lead to difficulty when eating out, reoccurring symptoms, and
often loosing even more foods!

Once you have your symptoms under control, finding the root causes for your histamine
intolerance, healing your gut and managing your stress levels can help to resolve your
symptoms and get you back to living the life you love!

www.happywithouthistamine.com
 WHAT IS HISTAMINE?
Histamine is an important neurotransmitter created in our hypothalamus and stored in mast
cells. We also ingest histamine via food, and it is produced by some of the bacteria that live
in our gut.

Mast cells reside in most tissue of the body, but especially in places where external invaders
might attack the body, e.g., the skin, eyes, respiratory system, mouth, and digestive tract.
This is where we most commonly see symptoms.

We need histamine, but not too much!

What causes histamine intolerance?

Diamine oxidase (DAO) enzyme in the gut is responsible for breaking down histamines in our
diet and produced by bacteria in our gut. Leaky gut can also lead to histamine, bacterial and
food particles to move from our gut into our bloodstream. If DAO and histamine N-
methyltransferase (HNMT) enzymes are unable to degrade histamine fast enough we get
histamine excess, and the symptoms known as histamine intolerance.

Histamine intolerance is not really an intolerance, it’s an excess of

histamine in the body also known as histaminosis.

www.happywithouthistamine.com
 USING THE LIST
This list is a well-researched guide but should not be taken as gospel. We all react differently
to different foods, and the one who knows your body best is you. Additionally, research into
histamine levels in food is sparse and some foods are still controversial.

You will find there are a few different lists out there, all conflicting in some ways. This list
includes the SHIGI data plus more in an easy-to-use format and is my understanding of the
research tailored for the super sensitive.

We are also avoiding nightshades during the elimination and initial testing phases of this
diet. Most high histamine vegetables are also nightshades. Night shades contain
Glycoalkaloids which may damage the gut lining. We remove these for the first few weeks to
allow the gut to heal.

If you have trouble with using the list by yourself, or want an easy way to get started on the
diet, then you can grab a 4-week meal plan with recipe program from
www.happywithouthistamine.com.

I recommend following the diet for up to 4-weeks before trying food reintroduction. You can
use the “eat me column for the first 4 weeks, then try food from the “test me” column and
finally foods from “avoid me”.

If you have an IgE allergy to a particular food on the list, please do not eat it.

www.happywithouthistamine.com
 MANAGING A LOW
HISTAMINE DIET
To see symptom relief from excess histamine or histamine intolerance symptoms you will
need to stick to the “eat me!” elimination diet for 4-6 weeks. Generally, there will be a
couple of slip ups in the first few weeks. That’s OK! The best way to improve your symptoms
is to freshly prepare all meals at home. Avoid eating out until your symptoms have
improved and you are ready to test new foods, as if you have not prepared it, you can’t
guarantee the contents.

My top tips for a low histamine diet are:

• Use quick cooking methods like frying, short roasting times or steaming
• Buy meat fresh and eat or freeze that day
• Freeze your leftovers as soon as possible. Don’t leave them overnight
• Eat as many different foods are you are able to
• Avoid pre-packaged and processed foods

The histamine bucket

I like to think of histamine levels like a bucket. If
you already have a lot of histamine in your body
from trigger happy mast cells, mould exposure,
and allergy to your pet cat then your bucket may
already be almost full.

Adding high histamine food on top can cause

your bucket to overflow, and symptoms to occur.

This is why we can feel fine and then symptoms

occur with seemingly no reason or single obvious
trigger. It also can take time for histamine to
build up and degrade, so symptoms often do not
appear up to 3 days later

www.happywithouthistamine.com
 When can I eat high histamine foods again?
It depends. Everyone is different and depending on the severity of your symptoms you
might need to stay on a low histamine diet while you work on healing the root causes.

My goal as a practitioner is always to work on lowering inflammation, stabilising mast cells,

and working towards widening the diet. Many people choose to stay on a low histamine diet
while at home, allowing them more options when eating out to have higher histamine
foods. Dose matters. You might be ok with a small amount once a week, but not a cup every
day.

I recommend waiting until you are symptom free for at least 2 weeks before introducing any
of the “Test me” or “Avoid me” foods. Don’t worry…

I have lots of great foods for you to discover.

You can be

Happy Without Histamine!

www.happywithouthistamine.com
 WHAT TO EAT
Fruit

Eat me! Test me! Avoid me!

Apple Lemon juice. E.g. 1 tsp as (H, A) Ripe banana
part of an olive oil based
(A) Pear (HL) Citrus fruit – Juice and
dressing
peel – lime, lemon, mandarin,
Nashi pear
Green banana tangerine, grapefruit, orange,
Mangosteen grapefruit etc.
(R) Peach, nectarine
Lychee (sensitive for some) (H, HL) Zest of lemon, lime or
other citrus fruit
Persimmon (MH, HL) Plum
(H, HL, A) Kiwifruit
Pomegranate (HL) Cherries – tolerated by
most (H, HL, A) Strawberries
Gooseberries
(HL) Blackberries (H, HL, A) Raspberries
Apricot
(MH) Fig (HL, A) Pineapple
Blueberries
(A) Coconut - Dried or (H) Dates
Blackcurrants
desiccated and coconut
(H) Prunes
Redcurrants flour.
(N) Goji berries
Cranberries (R) Cactus
(H) Raisins, sultanas, currants,
Melon (R) Starfruit
(H) All dried fruit
Rockmelon (R) Boysenberry
(H) Guava
(HL?) Watermelon Dragon fruit
(A) Papaya
Mango – tolerated by most Gooseberry
people (H) Cocoa whole or powder
Grapes
Persimmon
(R) Loganberries
Cocoa butter Very ripe or over ripe fruit
(R) Passionfruit
Rhubarb
(R) Paw Paw
Levels of histamine or histamine
(MH) Canned fruit
liberation in most other fruits are
not clear, best avoided for first
few weeks.
Table key (H) – High Histamine containing foods, (MH) – Moderate Histamine foods, (HL) – Histamine liberating foods,
(A) food contains amines, (HP) - Produces histamines quickly, (N) Nightshade, (R) Research unclear.

www.happywithouthistamine.com
 Vegetables

Eat me! Test me! Avoid me!

All other vegetables e.g. Foods in the test me category (H,N) Spicy Capsicum, Chili
are tolerated by the majority of pepper
Artichoke
people with histamine
(H,N) Hot bell pepper
Asparagus intolerance.
(H,N) Jalapeno peppers
Butternut squash Dose matters, small amounts
usually ok. (H,N) Eggplant (Aubergine)
Broccoli
(MH) Celeriac (H) Spinach
Fennel
(HL/H/A) Mushrooms (H) Olives
Lettuce
(MH) Jap pumpkin (H,N) Tomato
Onion
(MH/N) Capsicum (H, HL) Avocado (a fruit that
Cabbage
thinks it’s a vegetable)
(MH/N) Green or yellow cherry
Carrot
tomato (H) Nori, seaweed, kelp
Cauliflower
(MH) Prepacked salads All fermented or pickled
Celery vegetables e.g.
(HL) Brussel sprouts
Cucumber • Pickles
(R/MH) Silver beet
Tuscan Kale (lacinato) • Olives
(R/MH) Kale other types • Kimchi
Asparagus
(N) Potato, especially skins • Sauerkraut
Sweet corn • Gherkins
(MH) Swiss Chard
Bok Choi/Pak Choi/Choy Sum (H, HL) Beans and pulses – see
(N) Sweet bell pepper legumes category.
Radicchio
(HL) Brussel sprouts (H) Kelp
Parsnip
(HL) Chard stalks (H) Pickled Vegetables
Turnip
Kohlrabi (H) Broad bean
Spring onion
(HL) Leek (H) Stinging nettle – can be a
White onion therapeutic tea and tolerated
(R) Bamboo shoots
Rocket (arugula) for some
(R) Choko
Zucchini (courgette)
(HL) Horseradish
Plantain – Green
Yucca
Rhubarb
Okra
Sweet potato
Beets (beetroot)
Yam
Endive
(R) Green beans/ Snow peas
(R) Green peas
Table key (H) – High Histamine containing foods, (MH) – Moderate Histamine foods, (HL) – Histamine liberating foods,
(A) food contains amines, (HP) - Produces histamines quickly, (N) Nightshade, (R) Research unclear.

www.happywithouthistamine.com
 Legumes

Eat me! Test me! Avoid me!

No legumes (R) Black eyed peas (H) Soy beans, milk, tofu,
Tempe
(R) Green peas
(H) lentils
(H) Chickpeas
(H) Red kidney beans
Chickpeas seem to be more
often tolerated (H) Lima beans
(H) Borlotti beans
(H) Broad beans
All legumes contain Amines

Table key (H) – High Histamine containing foods, (MH) – Moderate Histamine foods, (HL) – Histamine liberating foods,
(A) food contains amines, (HP) - Produces histamines quickly, (N) Nightshade, (R) Research unclear.

Nuts and Seeds

Eat me! Test me! Avoid me!

Macadamia nuts Pumpkin seeds (H) Peanut

Flax seeds (MH) Cashews (H) Pecan
Hemp seeds (MH) Young fresh coconut (HL, A) Walnut
Poppy seeds (A) Dried or desiccated (H) Nut butters
coconut and flour
Psyllium (H) Sun flower seeds
(A) Sesame seeds
Coconut water (H) Tahini
Soynuts
Caraway seeds Most other nuts contain
(MH) Pine nuts histamine and oxalate.
Tiger nut ( a vegetable)
(MH) Almond
Chia seeds
(MH) Hazelnut
Hemp protein
Nigella (black cumin)
Pistachio
Brazil nut

Table key (H) – High Histamine containing foods, (MH) – Moderate Histamine foods, (HL) – Histamine liberating foods,
(A) food contains amines, (HP) - Produces histamines quickly, (N) Nightshade, (R) Research unclear.

www.happywithouthistamine.com
 Meat, Poultry, Eggs and Fish

Eat me! Test me! Avoid me!

All cuts of meat need to be fresh, Whole eggs scrambled or (H) Chicken Skin
look for the best before date, or omelette with white well-
(HL) Egg white
ask your butcher for the freshest cooked is usually tolerated.
cut of meat. (H) Aged beef – Steaks are
Egg yolks
usually hung and aged.
All meat forms histamine if not
Quail eggs
fresh even the low histamine (HP, HL) Pork
meats. Duck eggs
(H, A) Processed or smoked
Egg cooked into baked goods. (H/HP) Turkey meats – ham, bacon, sausage,
salami, luncheon meat, canned
Lamb all cuts (MH/ HP) Duck
fish or meat.
(HP) Chicken, goose (skinless) (MH) Venison, especially
(H, A, HL) un-fresh fish and
aged.
Rabbit canned fish.
(HP) Very fresh fish that has
Veal (H, A) Fresh tuna, mackerel,
been gutted and frozen
bonito, mahi-mahi, trevally,
Lard within one hour of catch is
bluefish, anchovy, herrings,
usually tolerated. Avoid for
(HP) Quail sardines. These fish are most
6+ weeks then reintroduce.
naturally high in histamine
Beef - fresh unaged. Ask your Ask your fishmonger a lot of
when fresh.
butcher how long items have questions. Snapper, wild
been aged. Ask to grind the caught salmon or trout and (H, HL) All seafood
mince in the store or mince cod are the best options.
(H, HL) Offal
yourself. Slow cooked cuts and
Minced meat - grind your
diced beef and joints are usually (H) Left-over meat – freeze if
own
fresh, check with your butcher. not eaten immediately

Table key (H) – High Histamine containing foods, (MH) – Moderate Histamine foods, (HL) – Histamine liberating foods,
(A) food contains amines, (HP) - Produces histamines quickly, (N) Nightshade, (R) Research unclear.

Fats and Oils

Eat me! Test me! Avoid me!

Olive oil – extra virgin Chicken or Duck fat – if Margarine

well rendered with no
Butter Nut oils
protein remaining it is
Ghee most likely tolerable. Canola oil
Coconut oil Rice bran oil
Lard – well rendered Avocado oil Refined olive oil
Flax seed oil - raw (MH) Walnut oil (MH) Sunflower oil
Hemp seed oil- raw Safflower oil
Nigella oil – raw Crisco
Cocoa butter Vegetable oil

www.happywithouthistamine.com
 Milk and Dairy

Eat me! Test me! Avoid me!

Oat milk (A) Coconut milk or cream (A) Avoid all dairy milk or
cream (remove to allow gut
Rice milk (H) Almond or other nut
healing)
milk – (due to small
Macadamia nut milk
amount of nut in the milk (A, H) Yogurt – milk and
Butter these may be tolerable) coconut based
Ghee If reintroducing dairy, try (A, H) Sour cream
unaged cheese
(A, H) Buttermilk
Mozzarella
(A, H) Kefir
Cream cheese
(A, H) Cheese
Ricotta
(A, H) Parmesan
Mascarpone
(A, H) Cultured butter
(H) Soy milk

Table key (H) – High Histamine containing foods, (MH) – Moderate Histamine foods, (HL) – Histamine liberating foods,
(A) food contains amines, (HP) - Produces histamines quickly, (N) Nightshade, (R) Research unclear.

Breads and Cereals

Eat me! Test me! Avoid me!

Unleavened (yeast-free) gluten-free (R) Potato starch and flour Wheat, Barley, Rye, Spelt,
flat bread Triticale, Cous Cous, Semolina
Green Banana flour
– remove all gluten containing
Rice
grains.
Wild rice
When reintroducing gluten (H) Sourdough, yeast and
Hemp stick with ancient grains – yeast risen bread
Kamut, spelt
Millet (H) Malt or Barley malt
Tapioca, Sago Lupin – this flour has been
found to trigger allergies,
Oats (wheat-free)
recommend avoiding and trial
Corn (Organic – non GMO), Polenta reintroduction if commonly
eaten.
Quinoa
Arrowroot
Buckwheat
Amaranth

Table key (H) – High Histamine containing foods, (MH) – Moderate Histamine foods, (HL) – Histamine liberating foods,
(A) food contains amines, (HP) - Produces histamines quickly, (N) Nightshade, (R) Research unclear.

www.happywithouthistamine.com
 Spices and Herbs

Eat me! Test me! Avoid me!

Salt – Use iodised sea salt for (H) Paprika sweet (H) Chilli
additional minerals
(HL) Apple cider vinegar (H) Paprika Hot
Garlic
(R) Vanilla – when (H) Cayenne pepper
Galangal introducing use vanilla
(H) Curry powder
beans, powder or extract
Tamarind
without alcohol. (H, HL) Cocoa, Cacao and
Basil chocolate
(R) Sumac
Coriander (cilantro) (H, HL) Cumin
(R) Peppermint
Parsley (H) Allspice
(MH) Chives
Sage (H, HL) Vinegar
(MH) Dill
Oregano (H, HL) Red wine vinegar
(H) Cinnamon
Fennel fronds (H, HL) White wine vinegar
(H) Clove
Caraway seeds (H) Soy sauce
(MH) Poppy seeds
Nigella seeds (H) Tamari
(MH) Nutmeg
Bay leaves (HL) Fish sauce
(MH) Anise
Rosemary (HL) Oyster sauce
(H) Black and White
Turmeric pepper (H) Liquorice
(MH) Ginger – some histamine but Small amounts of high (H) Fenugreek
anti-inflammatory effects are histamine spices such as
(H) Mustard powder
strong and tolerated by most. pepper, cacao or cinnamon
are tolerated by many (H, HL) Yeast extract,
Mint
people as the amount used nutritional yeast, meat
Savory is so small. This can be extracts, stock cubes, flavour
tested at later stages of enhancers, MSG, HVP, TVP
Cardamon
reintroduction.
(H) Vanilla – fermented
(R) Thyme – usually well tolerated
extract, essence or with
alcohol.

Table key (H) – High Histamine containing foods, (MH) – Moderate Histamine foods, (HL) – Histamine liberating foods,
(A) food contains amines, (HP) - Produces histamines quickly, (N) Nightshade, (R) Research unclear.

www.happywithouthistamine.com
 Sweeteners

Eat me! Test me! Avoid me!

Raw honey Artificial sweeteners

Maple syrup Agave syrup
Raw sugar Stevia – powder or syrup
Rapadura sugar White refined sugar
Coconut sugar Golden Syrup
Muscovado sugar Molasses
Green leaf unrefined stevia Rice malt syrup
Rice syrup (I recommend moving to the
less refined versions)

Table 1 (H) – High Histamine containing foods, (MH) – Moderate Histamine foods, (HL) – Histamine liberating foods,
(A) food contains amines, (HP) - Produces histamines quickly, (N) Nightshade, (R) Research unclear.

Beverages

Eat me! Test me! Avoid me!

Water (MH) Gin and Vodka are (H) Alcohol – all alcohol, beer,
slightly more tolerated wine and spirits.
Chamomile tea
than darker spirits beer
(H) “Dealcoholized” beverages
Tulsi (holy basil) tea and wine.
(e.g. beer, wine)
Morenga tea Alcohol is also a DAO
(HL) Coffee
inhibitor.
Ginger tea
(H, HL) Black tea
Peppermint tea
Rosemary tea
(MH, HL) Green tea, Matcha
(MH) Nettle tea
Rooibos tea
(HL) Caffeine
Elderflower cordial
Sage tea
(H) Kombucha
Most other herbal teas
Oat milk
(H) Cocoa and Cacao – hot
Rice milk chocolate
Juiced vegetables and fruits on the (H) Ovaltine
“Eat me” list.
(H) Tomato juice
(H) Orange juice
(H) Grape juice
(H) Soy milk
All Soft drinks
Table 2 (H) – High Histamine containing foods, (MH) – Moderate Histamine foods, (HL) – Histamine liberating foods,
(A) food contains amines, (HP) - Produces histamines quickly, (N) Nightshade, (R) Research unclear.

www.happywithouthistamine.com
 Other Foods and Additives

Eat me! Test me! Avoid me!

Eat unprocessed fresh food. Distilled white vinegar Tartrazine and other artificial
food colours
(Contains small amounts of
histamine) Preservatives, especially
Benzoates and Sulphites
Colours and flavourings
(H) HVP - Hydrolysed vegetable
protein
(H) Miso soup
(H) Chicken salt
(H) Gravy
(H) Tomato sauce
(H) Prepared mustard
(H) Fermented products
(H) Marmite/Vegemite
(H) Packet sauces

Table 3 (H) – High Histamine containing foods, (MH) – Moderate Histamine foods, (HL) – Histamine liberating foods,
(A) food contains amines, (HP) - Produces histamines quickly, (N) Nightshade, (R) Research unclear.

www.happywithouthistamine.com
 NEXT STEPS…
You now have a formula to follow a low histamine diet. But, here's the thing... for most
people with histamine intolerance it takes more than this alone to truly heal the root causes
of histamine intolerance, and enjoy full food freedom.

That's why the "Low Histamine Guide" is just one part of my complete system. There are so
many other elements that all need to be working together so you can reduce your
symptoms and fix the root cause for once and for all.

If you would like to explore what else may be causing your food intolerance and find out
what is stopping you from eating anything you want, then I invite you to book in for a FREE
20-minute discovery session now.

I only have a small number of spots for these calls each week, so click now on the link below
and grab your spot!

Click here to book a call now

www.happywithouthistamine.com