Dealing with Long Covid can be challenging, but targeting inflammation, histamine intolerance, and dysbiosis can help manage your symptoms. However, it's important to note that nutrition is highly individualized, so what works for one person may not work for another. Be sure to consult with your doctor before making any dietary changes. Here are some tips to keep in mind when it comes to nutrition:

General nutrition

• Stay hydrated: Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water per day to prevent dehydration.

• Eat a balanced diet: Incorporate a variety of foods from different food groups into your diet, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

• Focus on nutrient-dense foods: Choose foods that are high in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to support your immune system and overall health.

• Avoid processed foods: Processed foods can be high in sugar, unhealthy fats, and additives, which can negatively impact your health.

• Consider supplements: Speak to your doctor or a registered dietitian before starting any new supplements.

• Manage your sugar intake: High sugar intake can lead to inflammation and negatively impact your immune system.

• Eat frequent, smaller meals: Eating frequent, smaller meals throughout the day may be more manageable than larger meals if you're experiencing nausea or have a decreased appetite.

• Be mindful of food safety: Make sure to properly wash fruits and vegetables, cook meats to the appropriate temperature, and avoid foods that may have been sitting at room temperature for too long.

Low-Histamine diet

A low-histamine diet is very restrictive and difficult to adhere to, especially when you’re already very fatigued. However If your symptoms are similar to those of MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome), you may want to consider a low or at least a low-ish histamine diet. Histamine is a chemical produced by your body's mast cells that can cause allergy-like symptoms such as flushing, hives, itching, nasal congestion, and digestive issues. Here are some common symptoms of MCAS:

• Flushing or redness of the skin

• Itching or hives

• Swelling of the face, tongue, or throat

• Nasal congestion or runny nose

• Coughing or wheezing

• Digestive problems such as diarrhea, cramping, or nausea

• Headaches or migraines

• Fatigue or brain fog

• Anxiety or depression

• Insomnia or disrupted sleep

A low-histamine diet can be challenging to follow, but here are some tips to get you started:

• Avoid or minimize high histamine foods like aged or fermented foods, canned foods, processed meats, and leftovers.

• Opt for fresh foods, especially fruits and vegetables, as they are lower in histamine.

• Choose fresh meats, poultry, and fish, and avoid leftovers or canned varieties.

• Be careful with condiments like vinegar, soy sauce, and hot sauce, which can be high in histamine.

• Avoid alcohol and fermented beverages like beer and wine, which are high in histamine.

• Be mindful of potential histamine triggers like stress, heat, and certain medications.

• Consider taking supplements like DAO (diamine oxidase) or quercetin to help with histamine intolerance.

• Work with a registered dietitian to create a personalized low histamine meal plan.

Tips:

In addition, planning meals ahead, drawing out a quick calendar for the week, and ordering groceries for delivery can help manage your energy levels. Resources:

• A comprehensive explanation and list of high-histamine foods: https://www.histamineintolerance.org.uk/about/the-food-diary/the-food-list/

• Low-histamine recipes: https://www.throughthefibrofog.com/low-histamine-recipes/